Cooking Course at Mille Etoiles with Edwin Severijn 22nd - 28th June

Four years ago, Christophe and I spent our honeymoon in California and stayed a few nights in these amazing yurts in Big Sur. So two years ago, we decided to spend our anniversary in a yurt, but this time in France! We found a place in the Ardeche called Canvaschic, which is run by a young, English couple, and literally only a few steps from the Ardeche River. We asked for a romantic yurt, which was decorated in pinks and reds and tucked into the forest. The yurts are only lit by candles, unless it's changed in the past two years. There are bikes available, plenty of walking trails and canoeing not far. And on top of all that, they are offering a 4 day cooking course in June. Read below or click HERE for more information.

Cooking Course at Milles Etoiles with Edwin Severijn 22nd-28th June

Edwin Severijn is the former chef and owner of Sot-l'y-Laisse, a very successful and renowned restaurant in Utrecht, Holland. He is now a freelance cook for events such as the Dutch design Week in Eindhoven.

Edwin will prepare a welcome dinner for you on the 22nd and then you will embark on a cooking feast for the following few days. Visit the local markets for ingredients and prepare Lunch and Dinner together with Edwin in the wonderful surroundings of the Ardeche Nature Reserve.

Discover the stunning River Gorge, 300 meters deep at points, and indulge your sense of adventure buy sleeping out under the stars in our yurts.
The course also has one excursion day. Previous trips have included a visit to local Wine estates and a brilliant afternoon out at a wild boar farm in the Ardeche. Details to be announced. Also planned is an afternoon 'wild food' collecting with a local specialist, picking herbs and edible plants and using them to prepare the evening feast.

The event is organised in partnership with Jan Willem Schipper who owns Souffle de Vent, stunning apartments in the Medieval Heart of Barjac, 12 Km from here. Accommodation is either at Mille Etoiles or Souffle de Vent.

The course is in English or Dutch This will be a truly wonderful experience for foodies and nature lovers alike. Cook, relax and get to know the wonders of the Ardeche in a week of good living! For more information: info@canvaschic.com

picture from HERE

Uzés... a town less traveled

Uzès is a small town on the edge of the Languedoc Roussillon region, 30 minutes west of Avignon. Rich in architecture and religious history, Uzès could be visited over and over again and never get old. The small town is also home of one of the most beautiful markets in the South of France. Note that I do not say Provence because Uzès is not in the region Provence. I know there are a thousand markets in France and everyone claims to have the best, but I honestly think this is one of the best and biggest in the area. It sprawls throughout the cobble stone streets of Uzès, but the main market is in the Place aux Herbes which is what makes it so magical. If you have only visited the Place aux Herbes during the market, it is well worth it to go back on an off market day and sit in one of the outdoor cafés and take it all in. It is the vision people have of the South of France and you will be living it!

The Wednesday morning market in Uzès displays many produits du terroirs, regional products and specialties. Cheese, olives, wine, olive oil, fruit, bread, herbs and so much more. The other day I found a creamy goat cheese, produced in Uzès, that made me want to pop open a bottle of red wine immediately, even though it was only 10am. In France, no time is too early wine, which is one thing I love about living here! If you are heading out for a day of discovery, I would definitely recommend stopping by the market to pick up the goods for a picnic. There are picnic spots at almost every tourist attraction in the area or you could stop on a back road in the middle of sunflowers and vineyards. A must do while visiting Uzès!

The Saturday morning market is a grocery store, department store and florist all wrapped in one. You can find clothes, jewelry, linens, pottery, flowers, plants and all the produits du terroirs. You can spend hours wandering the streets filled with market vendors so get there early to give yourself enough time and to avoid the main crowds.

Besides the markets, there are numerous restaurants, wine bars and outdoor cafés to discover. Uzès is touristic, but less than the villages in Provence that only come alive in the summer when the tourists arrive. Uzès lives year round, buzzing with tourists and locals, including many expat English and Americans. If you love Provence, I promise you will love Uzès and everything it has to offer.

Uzès is in the Gard(30) department of the Languedoc Roussillon region, which seems to be less traveled than it's neighboring Vaucluse(84) department in the Provence region...or at least for now.

Uzès Market: open all year round with July and August being it's busiest months
Wednesday Market 8am-12pm: foodies who prefer a less crowded market
Saturday Market 8am-1pm: there is something for everyone, but get there early if you don't
like being a human sandwich

First Wine Adventure=Success!

We have officially broken in our new business, "A Taste of France Tours", with a Wine Adventure in Châteauneuf du Pape! Not only did everything run smoothly and right on time, but our clients were fun, helpful and perfect for our first tour.

The day started with breakfast, Mimosas and croissants, in front of the village church in Masmolène. Soon after our luxury bus arrived, we hopped on and started for the vineyards of Châteauneuf du Pape. Throughout the ride, Christophe explained the history and geography of the region, including maps of the Rhone Valley. We were glad to get that part in before the wine tasting began and while we still had the guests attention! The first winery was Château La Gardine, a 15th century winery owned by the Brunel family. Marie-Odile Brunel greeted us and took us on an intimate tour of the winery, including the barrel room and bottling room, explaining the wine making process in Châteauneuf du Pape. A wine tasting of six different wines followed in the elegant tasting room.

Next we had a French style pique-nique overlooking vineyards at Château Mont Redon. Local meats and cheeses, juicy ripe tomatoes and bright orange apricots from the Uzès market, crusty baguette and of course, lots of wine was the spread for our picnic. Delicious, but we eagerly awaited the next winery to get out of the hot sun. Château Mont Redon was the next winery visit. Much shorter visit, lots of pictures and wines our guests appreciated and even purchased. We even got to try the house Marc, which is a brandy distilled from the material remaining in the wine press after grape pressing.

Château La Nerthe was the last winery we visited. We had a short introduction on the beautiful terrace of the chateau and then got to visit the wine cellars. The winery features what is alleged to be the oldest stone fermentation tank in France. We tasted their regular cuvées as well as the superb Cuvée des Cadettes. We even tasted a bonus bottle, a 1994 Clos de Beauvenir. There are only 600 bottles left at the estate.

The guests were happy, we were happy and it was time to get back home. The day was over and we felt successful with our mission: teaching our guests about the region, trying wines they did not know, and making everyone feel comfortable throughout the tour. We hope everyone enjoyed the day as much as we did!

New Business: A Taste of France Tours

Wow! We took a "French style" vacation and spent 7 weeks in Florida. Lovely time, but now we are back to the reality of work and blogging. So much to write, so little time.

What are we working on now? A new business, A Taste of France Tours, designing food & wine adventures in the South of France for any foodies who want to come. Our website will be launched soon and you will be able to see what it's all about!

Even though the website is in the works, we were able to book our first tour for a friends upcoming wedding in Provence. We custom designed a day of wine tasting in Châteauneuf du Pape, one of the most famous wine regions in France, for friends and family of the soon to be married couple. The tour will be taking place the Thursday before the wedding day and includes visits and wine tastings at 3 château wineries and a gourmet picnic in the middle of vineyards. It will be a day of fun and wine in the South of France!

Cioccolata Calda (Hot Chocolate)

This weekend "Foodies" crossed the border to Italy in search of "cioccolata calda" (pronounced cho-ko-LAH-tah KAHL-dah), the Italian pudding like version of hot chocolate. We had been sledding all day in the Alps de Haute Provence, which are France's most southern Alps, bordering Italy. After a fifteen minute drive, we stopped in the first Italian village we came upon. There was a small grocery store, a few houses, a café and a ton of snow! Without much choice, we went to the café and discovered a crowd of families, couples and children all ordering cioccolata caldas. After a short wait for a table, we ordered cioccolata caldas with homemade whipped cream and an assortment of Italian cookies. Taking a bite of each different cookie made with apricot jam, almond macaroon, sandy textures, flaky pastry and powdered sugar, we decided we were in foodie heaven. The hot chocolate arrived with a spoon. A warm chocolate pudding topped with sweet whipped cream and consumed with a spoon. Cioccolata calda is a meal in itself and so worth crossing the border for!

Cioccolata Calda (Hot Chocolate)
serves 1

1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 3/4 oz. or 50 g. 70% dark chocolate
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of cinnamon


In a small saucepan,
melt chocolate with a bit of milk on low heat. Add cornstarch and sugar, mix well. Add milk and cook on low-medium heat until the chocolate thickens (it should take about 20-30 mins). Keep stirring constantly to avoid the chocolate from sticking to the saucepan. When the chocolate is ready, serve it in a cup with a pinch of cinnamon and whipped cream.

Chateauneuf du Pape

The rolling vineyards, Cinderella's castles, hundred year old vines, old men tending to their most precious possession...we are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

What we tasted and recommend:
-Château La Nerthe "rouge" 2005
-Mont Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape "blanc" 2007
-Château La Gardine "Generations" 2005

Fun Facts:
-Chateauneuf-du-Pape means "new castle of the pope" and refers to the 14th century when the pope resided in the walled city of Avignon, just south of these vineyards.
-There are thirteen grape varieties (fourteen if you count the Grenache Blanc) permitted to be used in Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines. Chateau Beaucastel is the only producer to grow and make a wine from all.
-Many of the vineyards in Chateauneuf are rock beds with no visible soil.
-More than 90 percent of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is red, about 7 percent white and the rest...
-In 1954, the vitners of Chateauneuf mandated the following law about UFO's:
Article 1. The flying overhead, landing and taking off of aeronautical machines called "flying saucers" or "flying cigars," of whatever nationality they may be, is strictly forbidden on the territory of the commune of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Article 2. Any aeronautical machine-"flying saucer" or "flying cigar"-that lands on the territory of the commune will be immediately taken off to the jail.