DUE to STRUCTURAL DAMAGE on the WINDMILL at LE MOULIN DU PORT, the APRIL COOKING CLASS SERIES HAS BEEN PUT OFF UNTIL LATE AUTUMN 2010 OR SPRING 2011

— Please join me for a 4-day plant-based cooking class series in Saint Georges sur Cher in the Loire Valley, Thursday April 8 - Sunday April 11, 2010.
— The series includes a 5-night stay (Wednesday night, April 7, thru Sunday night, April 11) at the charming Le Moulin du Port Bed and Breakfast on beautifully wooded grounds set along the Cher River, a stone's throw from the famous chateau de Chenonceau. Le Moulin du Port hosts an impressive tuff-stone water wheel, the remaining vestige of an industrious mill built on the spot back in 1883.

— Each class will focus on a distinct grain or pulse; those protein-packed seeds and pods that often leave us perplexed. In Le Moulin du Port's generous kitchen overlooking the Cher River, we’ll chop, knead, whip, roll, roast, toast, and along the way stir up creative well-balanced recipes — variations on rustic Italian dishes, as well as my own seasonal creations — that could easily supplant any meat dish on your table.

— The class is limited to 10 people.
Transportation is not supplied. Guests will be expected to have their own vehicle, and will be given precise directions to the various destinations. It might be nice to then take turns car-pooling in a caravan as a thoughtful gesture to the environment, as well as a way of getting to know each other.

— On Wednesday evening, we'll meet at 6 pm in the lounge of Le Moulin du Port to get acquainted. Isabelle and Thierry Moreau, the kind propietors of the B&B, will be on hand. Each guest will receive an apron and detailed recipe booklet, precise
directions to the various destinations, a list of natural wine vineyards and gustatory addresses, recommended restaurants in the region, as well as tourist information.
We'll then head out to have dinner at a great local restaurant, l'Herbe Rouge.

— On Thursday, Friday and Sunday morning, we'll meet at 8 am in the lounge of Le Moulin du Port, have a quick bakfast, then drive to one of the open-air markets in the surrounding towns: Thursday - Selles sur Cher; Friday - Montrichard; Sunday - Amboise.
— We'll return to cook up a savory three-course plant-based meal. Then we'll sit down for lunch on the veranda to chat and savor the dishes we've created, with an array of natural wines and a sampling of the celebrated goat cheese from the region to accompany our meal.
— Around 3 pm we'll head out to one or two local natural wine vineyards to taste their succulent wines, from a variety of regional grapes (Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon, Romorantin, Cot, Gamay, and Pinot Noir, Pineau d'Aunis). We might also visit a small family-owned and -run goat farm, Ferme-Auberge de La Lionnère, whose goat cheese is just short of sublime, and stop by a quite off-the-beaten-track bakery whose rustic, hearty bread is the result of freshly milled organic flours kneaded with artisanal care and baked in a brick wood-burning oven.
We'll finish up the day around 6:00 pm. You'll have the evenings off to wander.

On Satuday, we'll reverse the order and you'll have the morning off, though I'll be going to the marketplace in Saint Aignan or Loches, and anyone wishing to join me is welcome.
— At 1 pm we'll drive to Bourgeuil near Chinon (1-hour drive) to taste the celebrated red wines of the region from the Cabernet Franc grape.
— We'll return to the kitchen at Le Moulin du Port to cook up a three-course plant-based dinner, accompanied by a selection of the wines tasted earlier in the day. The evening will end around 10 pm.

— The price per person for the 4-day cooking class series and Wednesday night's dinner is 700 euros. This fee does not incude accommodations at Le Moulin du Port. Rooms range from 95 -115 euros a night and must be reserved in conjucntion with your cooking class reservation, and are to be paid separately to Le Moulin du Port. Prices for a room for the Wednesday - Sunday night stay range from 570 - 690 euros, with breakfast inluded. Total price of the class series plus accomodations runs from 1270 and 1390 euros. — Come join in the party as we stir up marvels for the palate that celebrate the earth and the hands that toil it. For more information and/or to reserve, please contact me.