Take six to a dozen different people, from all kinds of backgrounds and varied cooking abilities. Add a French master chef, a skilled sous-chef, one who is also a wine expert, and her husband, who is another wine expert. Blend together in a modernised 200-year-old farmhouse in France’s Languedoc district, serve with walking, cycling, tennis and swimming on the side, and you have the French House Party.

St. Raymond's Gastro Acadamy where we learn to cook.

The French House Party offers a wide range of courses, ranging from video and movie making, through drama and artwork to creative writing. But, their signature dish is probably the Gastro Academy.

There are three cookery courses to choose from; the 7-day Cook au Vin;, the 6-day Gourmet Explorer; and the 3-day Cuisine in Brief, which I attended. But, please be advised, they aren’t intended to turn you into a gourmet cook overnight. It’s a pity experience is the only appropriate word I can think of.

Chef Robert Abraham ready to teach us some of what he knows.

Chopping and creating our masterpieces.

But, before I get carried away by the relaxing Art Deco atmosphere of the dining-room, sitting room and bedrooms, I’d better talk about the kitchen which, of course, would be the main focus of our business. After lunch on the first day, we were briefly introduced to it, to help to make amuses-bouche, which sounds a lot nicer than nibbles,  to go with our pre-dinner apéritif.

The kitchen is long, with a central table running down the middle, with provisions  for taller (or shorter) people to take part without too much discomfort. It was only recently refurbished, and gasps of admiration and envy greeted it. And, I have an idea that some of those features might shortly be adopted in the kitchens of the participants.

Before dinner, the chef de cuisine, Robert Abraham, introduced himself. He would, he said, be overseeing our cooking on the morrow, but first, we needed ingredients. In the morning, we would accompany him to the market in Revel to buy them.

The chef manages to find the market's best.

Up to a year ago, I thought that the idea of the chef going to the market and personally selecting ingredients was a fiction put about by the makers of TV food programmes. But, in the last twelve months, I’ve met two chefs who did just that, so I’m happy to stand corrected.

Unfortunately, my French isn’t good enough to understand the discussion — maybe even haggling — that went on between Chef Robert and the stallholders, but we came away with basketfuls of provisions that could have been entered in a competition in any County Show at home in the UK.

So, with all the people and ingredients assembled, we were ready to begin cooking. We had three sessions, prepared three meals and, for the sake of brevity, I’ll just talk about the main courses. Under the eye of Chef Robert, we all took part; some to a greater extent than others. I thought back to basic training days, when I’d sit down to a meal, and think, with pride, “I peeled those potatoes!”

For lunch on the first day, we had duck breasts with apples reinette. The apples were baked with lemon juice, honey, butter, pepper and cinnamon; the duck cooked in Noilly Prat and served in slices. It was covered with a sauce made from apple juice and the juiced the duck was cooked in.

Our plated duck and apple slices with Noilly Prat and sauce.

Dinner was St. Jacques scallops served with orange butter sauce and parsnips. I used to think I didn’t like parsnips, but I changed my mind when I tasted these. The main learning point, though, was getting the edible bit out of the scallop. Weretained the shells, to serve a seafood starter for the the following lunch.

The main course on that occasion was monkfish rouelle, served with new potatoes and a tartine of a slice of fried aubergine (that’s eggplant, to my transatlantic readers) topped with a sauce of mussels and shallots.

We also helped to make starters and sweets too numerous to mention here, except that everyone enthused about the crême brulée and the madeleines.

No French meal would be complete without the wine, and here, wine expert Carl Hargreaves came to the fore. He selected wines he thought would go best with each course and he and his wife, sous-chef Debbie, held a wine-tasting just prior to our departure.

My favourite was the Muscat served before the first dinner. It’s said that Dom Perignon visited the area, and refined the recipe for Muscat into champagne.

We all enjoy a little wine talk -- and the wine.

And, a misconception about French cooking was also corrected. I’d missed it, but it wasn’t till the end, on the way back to the airport, that director Moira Martingale pointed out that, at no point in the weekend did Robert use garlic.

In 2008, the French House Party was named ‘Top Learning Retreat’ in the National Geographic book “100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life.” Cooking is by no means all that goes on there. Find out much more at

www.frenchhouseparty.co.uk

By Richard Frisbie

Chocolate Bliss written by Susie Norris
Subtitled: Sensuous recipes, spa treatments, and other divine indulgences.
ISBN #978-1-58761-347-0 $16.99 Hardcover

I know, I know. What is a guy well-known for his disdain for desserts, especially chocolate desserts, doing reviewing a book on chocolate?  Well, ask yourself – who could be more objective, a chocolate lover, or me?  I’m open to new ideas and ways of thinking, and I’m always willing to research the other side of a position.  In this case, I’m glad I did.

Chocolate Bliss looks like a light book – almost fluffily frivolous – in its cute 7” square size and color photos. I was not prepared for the comprehensive, informative text or the engaging writing style of the author.  Chocolate Bliss is much more than it appears.

To quote the author, Susie Norris, in her introduction:  “I am a pastry chef, chocolatier, culinary school teacher, and snickers bar sneaker.”  Right away she establishes her credentials, interest and sense of humor. I was hooked!

The book is divided into four information packed segments; each dealing with a different aspect of chocolate, and each ending in a collection of recipes.
I - Good Taste – Exploring your favorite chocolates
. . . is an explanation of the different elements of chocolate’s taste, with definitions, websites, techniques for tastings, history and a list of great books of chocolate recipes. Then Susie Norris presents “sensuous recipes: from bonbons to fondue”
II – Health and Beauty – How chocolate helps you inside and out
. . . explains how chocolate is good for you – as a health food, as a vitamin, and for your blood, heart, skin, teeth and brain. The relevant scientific studies are discussed, their findings and supporters examined, and advice on how to control your cravings is given.  She finishes with “healthy recipes: from snacks to skin care.”
III – Good Works – How you can help chocolate
. . . is a vivid account of how chocolate grows, including the importance of preserving the environment it grows in, as well as saving the way of life of the 50 million people involved in its harvesting and distribution worldwide. Throughout this you’re given the fair-trade and organic chocolate argument with sound reasons to follow it.  She then includes “earthy recipes: from chili to cheesecake.”
IV – Share the Love – the gift of chocolate
. . . begins with the Aztec myths to explain how chocolate’s perception as a “gift of the gods” continues through the Holidays and celebrations of today. Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Easter – even Birthdays and Weddings - each has a chocolate tradition whose history is examined. The author then offers “gifting recipes: from cupcakes to white chocolate roses.”

Did You Know . . .
Ninety-eight percent of women have food cravings, as do 68 percent of men?

Chocolate generates an estimated $80 billion annual international income?

Chocolate is the third largest global commodity behind sugar and coffee?

Cocoa butter melts at around 91 degrees?

An ounce of very dark chocolate every day is healthy medicine?

Throughout the pages pithy and humorous quotes are included from literature, famous chefs, and cookbook authors. Facts and factoids from chemistry to history are also used to help reinforce the text. Chocolate Bliss is fun to read!

As for Chocolate Bliss as a cookbook, each of the attractively illustrated recipes is presented in a clear and logical manner. Methods, tips for success, and shortcuts are included in detail with the reasoning behind them. Whenever a specialized ingredient is given, it is defined, and shopping information and brand recommendations are given. It is clear that the author is a culinary instructor. She really knows how to make following the recipes easy.

I liked this book! In fact, I liked it so much I went to my local health food store and bought a bag of organic cocoa nibs* to add to the Chocolate Sugar Dough recipe (page 132) for the tart crust (page 59) for my Thanksgiving cheese cake. I told you I could keep an open mind!

*cocoa nibs are pure cocoa beans that have been fermented, hulled, roasted, and cracked, but not ground, to a paste. They have a nut-like crunch. (There are 8 references to cocoa nibs in the index.)

Chocolate Bliss by Susie Norris
Subtitled: Sensuous recipes, spa treatments, and other divine indulgences.
ISBN #978-1-58761-347-0 150 pages Hardcover $16.99
http://www.crownpublishing.com

By Rosemary Minati

One of my fondest memories as a German American child is of  my father biting into a frankfurter, sauerkraut juice running down his long, thin arms. “Sauerkraut was the one vegetable we ate with every meal,” my father recalled of his own childhood. It is true, my grandmother loved sauerkraut. I think she even had it with her breakfast. I didn’t understand this as a child, but ate it because I was told to clear my plate or, according to German folklore, it would rain. No questions asked.

Once, my parents tried to make their very own batch in a large stone crock in our garage. I would suggest you skip that project and just buy a can. It will save at least a month’s worth of work. Over the years I have grown to love sauerkraut. Just the smell of it cooking evokes warm memories of my dad and his mom. My family recipe just might change the way you eat hot dogs and sauerkraut.

My father’s favorite meal was all beef German hot dogs slathered with sauerkraut. It was simple and tasty. It wasn’t just any sauerkraut; it was cooked with sautéed onions and bacon. My mom will tell you that it is very important to rinse your sauerkraut with cool water three times. I don’t know why three is the magic number, but I know when my mother tells you to do something, you just do it. Why, because she’s one of the best cooks I know.

When my parents left Long Island and moved near m in New York’s Westchester county, my dad would send me to Karl Ehmer’s store, in Yorktown Heights to buy two dozen extra long hot dogs. German treats from this small jam-packed store were inevitably added to the order. Dark chocolate covered marzipan, potato dumpling mix, deli mustard, and braunschweiger are always stuffed into my shopping bag.

Once home, the first step is separating the twisted casings between the long ropes of frankfurters. The sauerkraut must cook for about one-half hour to blend the flavors. According to another one of my mother’s rules the hot dog rolls must be warmed in the oven. As a purist, my dad believed that the frankfurter needed nothing but the roll and the sauerkraut. To his dismay, I always want mustard and relish on mine. I was never that fond of hot dogs growing up, so I felt the need to hide the taste.

I have since learned to love this simple meal and especially the flavor of the cooked sauerkraut my father loved so much. This down-to-earth, delicious meal is served in my home now – but not for breakfast.

Kurt’s Sauerkraut

1 can or 1 package fresh sauerkraut
4 slices bacon
1 small onion
water

Drain sauerkraut in a colander and rinse with cool water three times. Chop the onions and bacon and put in a frying pan. Sauté until onions are soft and the bacon starts turning brown. Add the drained and rinsed sauerkraut to the bacon and onion mixture and stir. Add enough water to almost cover sauerkraut and cook until it all begins to boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Rosemary can be reached at: Rosemary@globalfoodie.com.

By Susan McKee

Long distance travel requires steel wings and an engine; throw in a few boats and you’ve pretty much exhausted the transportation options. For trips involving distance, taking to the air is a necessity.

One advantage to travel writing is obvious –traveling. Of course, that’s one of the disadvantages as well. When
you’re traveling, you’re not where you’re going, and you’ve left where you’ve been. Transit time is a state of suspended animation.

Take getting to Malaysia; it’s on
the other side of the earth from where I live. East or west it’s still 23 hours
in the air. I flew from Newark to Kuala Lumpur, so the plane stopped in “Dubai to
refuel.

An hour or so in that international airport terminal is just enough time to ogle the jewelry and designer shops and send a postcard. Then it’s back on board to endure the tedium – dropping off to sleep, waking and reading for a bit, then dozing off again.

There’s not much to do other than watch videos when you’re stuck in steerage. Most overseas flights these days have individual television screens, even in coach. But, the choices are often inane, and how many times can you watch the same episodes of popular television sitcoms? I find myself tuning into the map charting the plane’s progress.

Sometimes that’s a mistake.

A recent flight home from Paris to Chicago required a
stopover in Cincinnati. I watched the plane make a 180° turn as it traversed Ohio. We’d been sent away from the airport and were in a holding pattern because earlier airplanes were stacked ahead trying to land in rainy weather (FYI: that’s really bad news when you’re already behind schedule).

Suddenly, there was a sharp, swift sound between a pop and a bang. It was accompanied by a blinding white light. We’d been hit by lightening! The pilot came on the public announcement system to explain, “everything was OK.” I watched the map as we did another about face. Finally we were in the front of the line to land. (Oh, and by the way, I still missed my connecting flight.)

Giant airplanes with hundreds of passengers aren’t the only method of getting around in the air. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, I took a pontoon plane to get from St. Thomas to St. Croix. In Britain, I boarded a 25-seater Sikorski helicopter to get from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly. Outside Melbourne, Australia, I went up in a hot air balloon.

Pontoon planes are hybrids; they land and take off from water. Usually the cockpit is tiny – four cramped seats, and when the engine’s going, it’s very noisy. Both passengers and pilot wear headsets to communicate aloft.

Sightseeing is especially good from pontoon planes, though, because they fly so slowly at such low altitudes. I had a glimpse of the disappearing wetlands along the Gulf Shore of Louisiana. I net a bird’s eye view of the brilliant fall foliage around Maine’s Moosehead Lake in a similar aircraft.

Helicopters come in all sorts and sizes. The Sikorski in England was huge, built originally for military use and reconditioned to fly regularly scheduled service to the islands off Land’s End. The sightseeing helicopter I boarded in Daytona Beach, Fla., seated
just four; but the views of the Atlantic coast and the Daytona Motor Speedway
were terrific.

Hot air balloons are another kind of flight altogether. It’s hard to imagine how they were ever considered as an efficient means of transportation, but they’re great for a morning or evening excursion. Up in the heavens it’s very quiet – except for the occasional roar of the flames let loose to heat the air to keep everything aloft. Of course,
direction is somewhat dependent on the wind, but with a good chase crew on the
ground, all turns out well.

Over the years, I have learned some coping strategies for long airplane flights. I never carry on board more than a backpack that stuffs under the seat in front of me (I don’t want to wrestle with stowing a heavy wheeled case in an overhead bin).

In that backpack, I carry my essentials – the things I positively cannot do without when I land, including an extra pair of contact lenses, my laptop, a paperback book and my notebook, my itinerary, medicine, camera and batteries.

Because I try to sleep as much as I can on the plane, I don’t need many toys in my bag. A bottle of water is essential even though I now have to buy it past security (unless the kindly TSAagent lets me take an empty bottle through security. Snacks are essential and trail mix works best for me. And I don’t forget to walk around occasionally and do
leg exercises to minimize the chances of circulation problems while aloft.

Fortunately, I forget the agonies of travel once I get off the plane. No matter how tedious the flight, how annoying my seatmates, how unappetizing (or expensive) the food or how dehydrating the cabin, I still look forward to my next trip.

After all, it’s only been a century since humans took wing.

Susan McKee can be reached at: Susan@globalfoodie.com

The Young Man and the Sea
Recipes & Crispy Fish Tales from Esca
By David Pasternack and Ed Levine
Published Artisan 2007, New York, NY

By Rosemary Minati

Last month, after a hectic weekday, I ran into the supermarket in search of the perfect fish.  As usual, the choices were daunting.  I always seek the advice of the guy behind the counter and choose based on his recommendation.  That’s why I finally decided to go to the bookstore and learn how to make an educated decision — on my own. Yes, I want to know what fish is freshest, wild or farmed, but I don’t want my evening meal based on some guy’s preferences.

I discovered The Young Man & the Sea; Recipes and Crispy Fish Tales by Pasternack. My first reaction was surprise as I breezed through the pages. There is only a short lists of ingredients for each Italian-based recipe. I was not intimidated and realized most items are easily found in my local supermarket.  Page 13  offered “Dave’s Tuna Advice.” Pasternack not only describes what to look for, but lists six different tunas.  Who knew there were so many choices beyond fresh or canned albacore in traditional oil or water?   He includes recipes for tuna meatballs, tuna Bolognese, or Ventresca tuna salad, and more.

Pasternack offers advice on shrimp, tentacles, scallops, and how to fillet a whole fish.  The book contains more than 100 recipes and is guaranteed to make your mouth water.

Pictures of Pasternack beside a well-used fishing pole, his sturdy rubber boots, waiting at the back of a boat are fascinating. Some of his buddies are pictured as well, including “Tommy Crab,” who he describes as the “Ed Norton of the crustacean world.”  These tidbits make for interesting reading.

This fish tale was written after Ed Levine approached Pasternack in Esca, his New York City restaurant. He successfully he urged Pasternack to publish his recipes.

Fast forward a week after I finished the book. I planned to make fresh grilled tuna for dinner. Now I know how.

I confidently stepped up to the fish counter, smiled and said,  “Excuse me, but is that tuna  yellowfin or Bonita?”

Rosemary can be reached at Rosemary@globalfoodie.com.