Cooking courses at Le Gargantua, South West France

For real-food lovers!

French cooking with a French cook... because it just makes sense!

French cuisine is rich in history and tradition, but South-West cooking in particular is one of the most diverse, thanks to the geography and the climate. The culinary heritage is very much alive, being passed from one generation to the next.

Our cooking holidays are designed to make you discover and practice South-West France cuisine. It is all about fresh seasonal ingredients and local produce, and mostly rustic, heart warming food... no fancy nouvelle cuisine here! Our morningsl consist in going to local markets and farms to sample and learn about the local specialities, and our afternoons are spent in the kitchen, producing local dishes for our meals.

YOU WILL LEAVE US HAVING LEARNT MANY OF THE BASIC TECHNIQUES FOR PREPARING FRENCH DISHES amongst which are: mayonnaise, omelette, pâté, quiche, finger-licking gravy and sauces, confit, stews and gratins, without using any measuring instrument. Our goal is to teach you so that you have a feel for the food, and thereby increase your confidence so you can improvise cooking a French meal without a recipe book.

This totally informal workshop is run in English or French by Marlène, your host. Passionate about food, experienced both in teaching and cooking, she is dedicated to sharing with you traditional French home cooking techniques and recipes.

Re-discover shopping for food, buying products of quality, and experience cooking from scratch: pick aromatic herbs from our garden, collect fresh eggs every day, pluck and prep home-bred poultry, pick fruit and mushrooms (in season), ... We source ingredients from local producers, farms and markets. We could be making bread, stews, roasts, soups, quiches, pâtés, tarts, cakes, curing and smoking meat, or even making your own sausages. We can joint and cut the duck, and make confit and rillettes as it is tradition in the South-West. (See below the jointing and cutting of a duck)

What better way to discover the area than visiting village markets and farms, and being introduced to the succulent regional products such as Bazas beef, cèpes, prunes, " gariguette" strawberries, melon, asparagus, Marmande tomatoes, ... We will also attend local food events and festivals when they occur (see below pictures of the Asparagus Celebration in April 2007).

Nov.07. Sue amazed by her gargantuan brioche

Sep.07. Claude, Maria and Christopher enjoying a laid-back lunch at the goat farm

June 08. Mike working on his bread dough

Apr.08. Mark (aka "Poutouk") was a natural at milking goats

We think that cooking comes from the heart, and that food should make your belly smile, so we make sure you learn to cook dishes that you will enjoy producing back home for years to come, from fancy dinner parties to every-day family meals. Of course we will also make sure that you have great fun in the process... It is your holiday after all!

The purpose-built kitchen has 4 distinct and fully equipped workstations, each with its own stainless-steel 5 rings cooker. There is a suggested maximum of 4 participants per venue, to make sure everyone gets individual attention.

You also have the possibility to book a cooking short break.

Apr.08. Wine tasting at the chateau of Leyritz-Moncassin

June 08. Wayne frying his "pommes paillasson"

July 08. At just 16, Kate was our youngest participant yet

June 08.

YOUR HOLIDAY PROGRAM:

- You arrive on Sunday afternoon, and are welcomed with drinks and canapés. We get to know each other a bit. Basically, you just settle in and make yourself at home. We meet up for dinner.

- On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we leave after breakfast to go to a market or visit a producer. We come back to prepare a quick lunch based on our findings. From 4.00pm, we meet again in the kitchen, where everyone gets involved in a real team effort to prepare dinner.

Aug.08. Raquel executed a "brulé" like a professional

Aug.08. Aurora, are you sure you can sweet-talk this salmon into behaving?

Apr.08. Christelle, proud of her fresh ravioli dough

From 4.00 pm or 5.00 pm, we meet in the kitchen to prepare dinner.

- Friday is free, to give you a chance to relax and visit (If you wish, we can drive you to town). Lunch is provided if you stay at home. We meet up early evening for our "aperitif" and dinner.

- Departure is on Saturday morning.

Depending on the season and on their availability, we will visit some producers among the following: cheese maker, duck farm, game farm, wine-producing château, bread maker, fish farm ...

June 08. Daryl, our specialist in presentation

July 08. Sandra and Kate had a little flour-fight

Apr.08 Marian executed a beautiful mushrooms "Bordelaise"

July 08. Lora and Nicole, lit up our kitchen with their smiles

Aug.08. A real buzz in the kitchen

Mr Aureglia, butcher in Bazas, gave us a quick lesson in signs of quality

Aug.08. At Casteljaloux market

Spring

This is the time of year when we have had enough of the cold, when flowers start blooming, new vegetables appear, everything gets colourful again, including our plates. Our Spring course celebrates just that!

Among many other ingredients, we will cook with the organic asparagus grown by our neighbour, locally made goat cheese, local lamb and veal, and our home-bred guinea-fowl. We will smoke salmon or trout, and we will also prepare succulent desserts with the local "gariguette" strawberries (from April), ...

Summer

Very warm weather, very long days. We will be preparing meals in the coolness of the house, and come out onto the terrasse to enjoy them as the sun cools down. We will make the best of the abundant fruit and vegetable, preparing great dips and sauces to accompany them. We will prepare the basque fish soup, the "cousin" of the bouillabaisse, and sit back to enjoy great selections of tapas.

We will get beautiful fruit and vegetable from a producer down the road, cook farm-bred duck and chicken, we will make terrines with locally bred rabbit and the garden herbs, fresh pasta, soufflés with local goat cheese, tarts with the garden peaches, cherry clafoutis, ... We will also use our home oak-smoked salmon or trout.

Autumn

The scenery is changing, getting ready for winter, so are we. This is the return of the pot-roasts, the season of game. The whole region catches the "blue disease" (this is how they call the hunt for wild pigeons). It also is the time to pick mushrooms, and the "season" of the fat duck. We will enjoy our evenings on the terrace gathered around the outdoor chimney.

We will go to the forest down the road and pick wild mushrooms and gather chestnuts, we will get our fat ducks from a farm and make our own confit, rillettes and cook the foie gras, we will make game pâté, onion jam, home-bred coq au vin, rabbit in prunes with home made fresh pasta, tarte Tatin, ...

Winter

At this time of year, we need to come back to a cosy home, enjoy the warmth of the wood-burning stove, and give in to our appetite for rich soups, stews and other belly-warmers! It is also time to make good use of the confits made earlier in the year.

We will make the local garlic soup, the unmissable "cassoulet" and "garbure", we will use Bazas beef for a beautiful "daube" and an oxtail stew, we will make the famous poule au pot (hen), and pot-roast home-bred guinea-fowl with cabbage, ...

French Christmas

This is serious business, pure indulgence! All about quality and quantity combined to feed the people you love. A feel of luxury, but without too much fuss, not to lose the honest quality of the noble ingredients.

We will cook with: Scallops, fresh foie-gras, truffles, home-smoked salmon, traditional roast turkey or goose, Christmas log, chocolate truffles ...

Rates:

The following are all 5 days/ 6 nights stays which include:

	full board accommodation (breakfast, light lunch and dinner)
	linen and towels
	daily chamber maid service
	cooking workshop, all ingredients, equipment and apron.
	welcome drink and canapés
	water, tea, coffee and biscuits throughout the day
	aperitif before dinner
	wine with meals
	outings and tastings

You can also pick your theme for your cooking holiday, to concentrate on the cuisine that interests you: Cooking for dinner parties, cooking for friends, desserts, chocolate, terrines and pâtés ...

The holidays take place all year round, just inquire about the dates that suit you. But keep in mind that you can create your own customized holiday, and mix the activities (see our "short breaks" page). Why not try a wine-tasting and cooking holiday?

2008 PRICES:

VENUES	2008 DATES	PRICE PER PARTICIPANT
VENUES	2008 DATES	On the basis of 2 people sharing
Seasonal cooking	all year round (6 nights)	895 EUR
Short break Seasonal cooking	all year round (3 nights)	450 EUR
French Christmas	December 2008 (6 nights)	1080 EUR

Prices quoted above are per person. Maximum 2 occupants per room.

Accompanying non-participants quoted as follows : 190 EUR for 3 nights and 390 EUR for 6 nights, full board, outings included.

For individual occupancy: 25 EUR/night extra.

The rooms will be allocated on a first come - first served basis, on confirmation and payment of your holiday.

2009 PRICES:

VENUES	2009 DATES	PRICE PER PARTICIPANT
VENUES	2009 DATES	On the basis of 2 people sharing
Seasonal cooking	all year round (6 nights)	950 EUR
Short break Seasonal cooking	all year round (3 nights)	480 EUR
French Christmas	December 2009 (6 nights)	1140 EUR

Prices quoted above are per person. Maximum 2 occupants per room.

Accompanying non-participants quoted as follows: 210 EUR for 3 nights and 430 EUR for 6 nights

For individual occupancy: 27 EUR/night extra.

The rooms will be allocated on a first come - first served basis, on confirmation and payment of your holiday.

One-Day-Courses and Gift Vouchers:

We will be happy to send a personalised gift voucher to the person of your choice should you wish to book a cooking holiday or a one-day-course as a present.

If you are having a holiday in the area you can join us for a one-day-cooking course.

We can plan together a whole day of cooking, for that little extra French experience in your holiday. We can concentrate on local cuisine, or explore a broader range of French cuisine.

We cook all morning, preparing of course lunch in the process, and back to the kitchen in the afternoon. You will take away the fruits of your labour to enjoy with your family.

Price of the one-day-course: 95 EUR/pers for 2008, and 105 EUR/pers for 2009. including one day tuition, lunch (wine included), take-away dinner for 2, and soft drinks throughout the day.