A fresh approach to cooking classes on the Cote d’Azur
Food writer and longtime French resident Rosa Jackson recently launched Les Petits Farcis, the Riviera’s most centrally located cooking classes in Engish.
The editor of four editions of the Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking
guide, director of the custom-designed food itinerary service
www.edible-paris.com, and author of cookbooks published by Hachette,
Rosa teaches friendly, hands-on half-day and full-day sessions year-
round in the historic center of Nice.
After shopping with Rosa at the famous Cours Saleya market, students
prepare a four-course meal in her beautifully renovated 17th-century
apartment, two minutes from the market and the beach.
For those who want to savor some of the freshest and most tempting
food in the world without spending time in the kitchen, she also
offers market tours, gourmet food walks and an olive oil tasting with
lunch in a restaurant.
Her programs fit easily into a relaxed beach holiday or even the tight
schedule of a cruise - many of her students so far have had only a day
to spend in Nice. Because Nice has its own international airport and
serves as a starting point for visitors to Provence and northern
Italy, it is ideally placed for this type of flexible class.
That’s not the only reason why Rosa chose Nice, however. The city’s
unique history - it was part of Italy until the 1850s - has given it a
fascinating cuisine that borrows from Italy while remaining distinctly
French (Nice has its own take on pesto, for instance). Students will
recognize some classics of Provencal cooking, such as ratatouille, but
will also discover less familiar dishes such as poulet Г la nicoise,
tempura-style zucchini flowers, or fresh strawberry tart with homemade
strawberry jelly.
Rosa is not afraid to update certain recipes, often drawing her
inspiration from the best local chefs and her training at the Paris
Cordon Bleu cooking school, where she worked as an interpreter.
Classes are small and unintimidating, with no more than six people for
the hands-on cooking sessions. The emphasis is on experiencing the
local culture - Rosa is married to a Frenchman and has a young son -
and learning foolproof seasonal recipes and techniques that can be
used again and again.
And what about the name? Les Petits Farcis is a typically Nicois dish
of stuffed vegetables, and Rosa hopes participants will leave her
workshops feeling happily sated with food and information!
Four programs are available year-round, all to be reserved at least
two weeks in advance.
- Market tour with hands-on cooking class, four-course meal and wine,
9.30am-3pm.
- Market tour, cooking class and lunch with wine, followed by an
afternoon gourmet food walk, 9.30am-6pm.
- Market tour, gourmet food walk, olive oil tasting and restaurant
lunch with wine, 9.30am-3pm.
- Afternoon gourmet food walk with tastings, 3-6pm.
Full details, including prices, are available on the website
www.petitsfarcis.com Rosa Jackson can be reached for interviews
by e-mail at rosa@rosajackson.com or by phone at (33) 6 8167 4122.
March 18, 2005
Posted in: France