about this unique cooking school... a delicious immersion in French food and wine in the Loire Valley.
Located about 150 miles southwest of Paris, the Château du Rivau (www.chateaudurivau.com) is located in the Touraine Region in the eastern Loire Valley.
You will find your home, the beautifully restored 15th century Château du Rivau, endlessly fascinating. Its fabulous history is a story of French Kings, Joan of Arc, and great French writers. When you first see it in the distance, the château will take your breath away. As you experience the period décor in your sumptuous bedroom and private bath, you will instantly be immersed in the marvelous history of the château. The French owners have created a completely relaxed and comfortable country environment. The grounds contain 12 dramatic gardens and the beautiful surrounding landscape is filled with hiking and biking paths.
In the newly restored château kitchen, your culinary skills and confidence will soar as we transform the farm-fresh ingredients we have gathered into French culinary classics. The delicious recipes are designed for you to be able to produce at home. You will amaze yourself and your friends once you have "graduated" from this most unique of French culinary schools.
Enter france through the kitchen door with Chef Sally; you will discover a deliciously unforgettable world.
. A typical week…programs are designed around seasonal produce and may vary...,
Day One – Afternoon arrival. Settle into the lovely château accommodations and explore the gardens, historic buildings and magnificent rooms. Gather for aperitifs and discuss the week’s adventures. Depending on the weather, we will dine al fresco in the garden or in one of the château’s dining rooms, enjoying regional specialties and exploring the fascinating wines of the Loire.
Day Two – After breakfast in the garden or en suite, we depart for the Chinon market with purchasing assignments. Meet one of the best pâtissières in France and pay a private visit to “Regards,” the ceramic atelier that produces incredible hand-made tableware. On to a little wine tasting and simple lunch with one of Chinon’s best winemasters. We will gather for cooking class in the afternoon and prepare classics for our dinner at the château.
Day Three – After breakfast, we’ll visit the neighbors who produce the most beautifully scented saffron, grow white asparagus, and cultivate the luxurious black truffle. Lunch will be a sampling of the famed charcuterie from the town of Richelieu, down the road. Then it is home to the château for cooking school. Tonight we will be joined before and during dinner by one of the leading producers of Saumur wines as we continue to explore the wines of the Western Loire.
Day Four – We will venture across the Loire to Château Villandry to visit the famous gardens and later lunch with Madame Montferrier at her farm where she produces some of the finest chevre in the Loire. After a quick stop at the walnut mill for some exceptional oil, the afternoon will be spent leisurely discovering the fascinating village of Fontevraud. Its fabulous abbey is the burial site of Eleanor of Acquitaine, her husband, Henry II, and son, Richard the Lionheart. At 7:30, we will meet for dinner at the village’s charming Michelin-starred restaurant, La Licorne.
Day Five – We spend the day cooking, lunching in the gardens, and preparing yet another beautiful dinner to be enjoyed with the local wines. The afternoon is for exploring.
Day Six – After breakfast, we will head to Chinon for more exploration and shopping. It’s a short drive to the famed Relais & Châteaux restaurant, Château Marcay (www.chateaudemarcay.com), for a déjeuner celebration experiencing hâute cuisine prepared with the best local ingredients. We return to Château du Rivau for a light dinner and relaxation.
Day Seven – Relax over breakfast and then “au revoirs” before return journeys.
If you would like help planning your trip, our travel expert, Paula Orr, at Let's Go Travel (paulao@letsgotravels.com) is available to help you arrange any part or all of your trip, including car rental, train or airline connections, and hotels for extended stays. Paula is very familiar with the region and has lots of resources to allow you plenty of flexibility in your planning.
For driving directions, go to www.viamichelin.com where you can make a customized printable map for your road trip from Paris.
Unpack once, then immerse yourself in the rhythm of local life in the Loire Valley: French food, French culture, French life. The private Château du Rivau with its renowned gardens and privileged position in French literature will be your home for one week and the base for a series of hands-on cooking classes and an unforgettable excursions in the Chinon valley.
The Kings of France have always considered the Loire Valley the richest and most beautiful area of France. With Sally as your guide for an insider’s view, the lush Loire will become your favorite part of France, too. Breathtaking landscapes and gardens, astonishing châteaux, the finest produce in France, and enthusiastic and dedicated culinary artisans give the region an energy you won’t find in other areas of the country. The French wines are incredibly interesting, delightfully affordable and tremendously fun to discover.
We will experience first hand what the people are like, how they live and
the results of this region’s exceptional blessings of extraordinary
food and wine.
Each of the cooking school's sessions is limited to a maximum of twelve people and is not conducted like a conventional cooking class/tour. The artisans, farmers, gardeners, and winemakers we visit or who visit us are the very best in the region—wonderfully real—and we are their guests. You will be inspired!
The cooking school: The session consists of five classes, held in the Château kitchen. All classes are all hands-on, completely participatory and taught by Sally. Over many years of leading and teaching restaurant chefs, Sally has developed a unique teaching system that allows you to absorb all parts of a recipe (the history, philosophy, technique, timing and presentation). The recipes chosen are delicious French classics that translate well at home. You will receive the triple-tested recipes prior to class in an easy-to-read format and they should make you and your French culinary creations famous!
We will harvest ingredients at the Château and nearby farms and local markets; it’s all a great adventure. Our dinner guests will include some of the distinguished local vignerons who will gently guide us through the valley’s beautiful (and affordable!) wines.
Dining Out: Our restaurant excursions will be varied and delectable, ranging from the delicious haute creativity with local ingredients at Château Marçay, through the perfectly executed traditional regional bistro favorites at l'Auberge de XIIieme Siecle, to the delightful farm cooking of Madame de Montferrier.
At the end of our week, you will have
Read about Sally's Loire Cooking School in Bill Morton's article in the Mercer Island Reporter, March 3, 2005. www.mireporter.com/
