lecalabashcookeryschool

Is there really a 25 year age gap ???

This photo brings back some memories of challenging moments and great experiences.

Olivier was one of the first chefs I worked with in France when we moved over here nearly eight years ago. He was just 18 then and what we call in England a proper ‘Jack the Lad’. My French was non-existent, as was his English and it was a mutual agreement that we help each other as Olivier is one of the new generation of French who wanted to be able to explore and discover the culinary world outside France.

However with an age difference of nearly 25 years we became the closest of friends or as we liked to put it ‘Brothers in Arms’, we even had our own ‘Battle Song’

It was during a two year period before we had the Cookery School and I did consultancy work abroad that Olivier decided that he wanted to experience ‘The World’ that he started coming with me as my ‘lieutenant’. Together we walked into some challenging and at times impossible situations, where kitchens were on the brink of collapse, but, together we never failed.

Not only is he a great chef, but also a close family friend now.

Alison and I called this group of Ladies, ‘The Awesome Foursome’ As always we believe at ‘le Calabash’ nothing brings people together like Food and a little music in the background. Melissa, Sharmila, Lisa and Katherine all came from different parts of the world, were different ages and from day one they just gelled and went on a Gastronomic journey with an effortless enthusiasm and newly found friendship.

The quotes that come to mind, read;

Food is so primal, so essential a part of our lives, often the mere sharing of recipes with strangers turns them into good friends. That’s why I love this community. Jasmine Heiler

“Three things are needed for a good life, good friends, good food, and good song.”
Jason Zebehazy quotes

“Remember, ‘No one’s more important than people’! In other words, friendship is the most important thing–not career or housework, or one’s fatigue–and it needs to be tended and nurtured.”

Julia Child

Picked this one up on Facebook and both Ali and I have fond memories of that day, 2 great chefs with us in Yzeures sur Creuse, France.

We will be announcing our 2, two week Dessert and Pastry course dates for 2013

shortly.

This course is designed for the professional or serious amateur chef who wants to embark on a journey of the pastry kitchen.

The course will include

• Plated Desserts
• Ice Creams and Sorbets
• Classic French Desserts
• Breads
• Petit Fours
• Entremets
• Molecular Gastronomy in the Pastry Kitchen

Course will run over 10 ½ Days and plus 2 Days of Pastry related excursions and 14 nights accommodation.

Loire Valley France

Imagine

By Nathan Burt

Imagine your family five generations ago. Think about your great- great- grandfather. Who was he and what did he do; what was he known for? Very few people these days can go back so far in their family history, but Nicolas Paget is living the lives of his father and his grandfathers. Five generations of wine-making can be experienced at Paget’s vineyard. It’s not just tradition, it’s his passion.  The vineyard itself is home to more than 80 caves, where the wine is stored for aging in oak barrels. The caves are just as breath-taking as the beautiful Loire Valley scenery surrounding the area. And whilst not producing the large quantities produced by other wine makers, Paget’s wines are of excellent quality.  Nicolas allowed us to taste one wine from each category he produces. First up was the Gourmandise, a semi- dry rosé with hints of fruit, a wine which would be excellent as an aperitif. Next was the white wine Melody, which gave off a floral aroma and paired well with goat’s cheese. Following that was Curé Ferdinand, a Chinon wine. This wine gave a subtle hint of flora and a fruity taste as well. Concerto, a red wine, came after that. No doubt here that this wine went well with meat, but it pairs especially well with duck. Lastly we had the Syncopette, an amazing sparkling wine. I was not disappointed with this one.

Overall, the visit to Nicholas Paget’s vineyard was one to be forever remembered. Whilst I do not claim to be an expert on wine tastings or vineyards.  I can say that this is not one to be missed, as it will be in my heart and thoughts forever.

Trip of Discovery

By Todd Smith

After only two days in France this 26 year old American culinary student got a chance of a lifetime, to visit the winery of Nicolas Paget. This fifth generation wine maker in the Loire Valley.

As we drove up to the winery it looked as if I was back home working on our apple orchard in Coloma, Michigan.

Within minutes of meeting Nicolas it was obvious he was a steward of the land. He took us right over to his tractor which was outfitted with the most genius piece of equipment. It had a device that went down the rows and dug up the weeds without harming the fragile vines. Back home we still weed and mow in between the rows of trees by hand. Nicolas then took us to the fields. That was a sight to see, back home we give the trees everything great soil, water, pesticides and fertilizer. The first thing I noticed about the area was the soil, the rockiness, the dryness and the overall look was unhealthy from what I was taught. I was terribly wrong and he does all this organically.

After minutes of Nicolas talking I could tell he loves what he does. Regrettably I do not speak French, but I understood every thought of what Nicolas was trying to tell me before it was translated by Alison Bond, our host at Le Calabash Cookery School. That was a great moment for me. From the descriptions to the way the vines grow, Nicolas has so much passion the way he talked and I understood the message he was trying so hard to get over to us. I realised then why he, Alison and Sidney get along so well, as the passion Sidney and Alison have for food, he has for his vineyard and wine.

We went down to his wine caves where he keeps his wine. It was a wonder to see, perfect temperature, humidity and light. It is amazing what the earth provides for Nicolas after a ‘little’ work from the family generations before him. We do not do anything like this in Michigan; we have start up wineries in my home town that use rooms to do the same work that nature gives Nicolas.

We got to taste five of his wines. The first of which was a rosé. It had a floral nose with semi sweet, clean, crisp melon flavour while tasting. The second wine was white wine that changed my view on white wines. It reminded me of a dish my grandpa made while I was a child, of baked spiced pears. The next was a Chinon, my favourite of the wines tasted. It gave me a nose of spice, fruit tree, on tasting I got a hint of cinnamon aroma not for the life of me I could place. I would pair this wine with a heavy dish. That evening Sidney prepared a confit of duck with ginger and wasabi, the wine was superb with it, as was the duck. The final wine we tasted was a sparkling rosé, heaven in a glass! It reminded me of strawberry pop rocks, my favourite child hood candy.

This was an uplifting experience. I got to meet an amazing person who has a true passion for what he does. The wines were like no other. The Loire Valley is privileged to have a wine maker like Nicolas. He is truly one of the most inspiring individuals that I have met in my life and I will never forget my time at his family’s winery.

‘Nicolas Paget and Le Calabash’ a marriage made in heaven

Asparagus has just flourished all around us as it seem the season has once again come so fast and from past experience we know with a blink of an eye it will be gone again. I do however find my disappointment at the lack of green asparagus, available difficult to hide.

The French, far prefer white asparagus to green, or shall I rather say, the older generation do not eat green asparagus.

I absolutely love the green variety, and it excites me. The flavour is far more exciting, delicate, fresh and needs very little to go with it.

I find that the white variety needs more to enhance the dish when cooking with them, something I very seldom do.

Griddled Green Asparagus with Fried Ducks egg, Green Asparagus drizzled with a fine virgin olive oil and Parma ham, Griddled green asparagus with shaved parmesan and lightly dressed rocket, I could go on forever.

We know that the Egyptians ate Asparagus 3500 BC as did the Syrians, Greeks and Romans. Romans would even freeze it high in the Alps, for the Feast of Epicurus.

There is a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius’s third century AD, Book III.

The ancient Greek physician Galen, prominent among the Romans, mentioned asparagus as a beneficial herb during the 2nd Century AD, but after the Roman Empire ended asparagus drew little medieval attention.

By 1469 asparagus was cultivated in French monasteries. Asparagus appears to have been hardly noticed in England until 1538 and in Germany until 1542.

France’s Louis XIV had special greenhouses built for growing it

Asparagus became available to the New World around 1850, in the United States.

Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin B, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells.

My fondest memories of enjoying asparagus were in Southern Italy or Spain as I find the way they approach preparing it second to none. Keep it simple and do not spoil the ingredient!

I am off to Tours now in the hope of finding some Green Asparagus at the Market, as here locally it seems close to impossible to find any.

I was in London on Sunday 26^th February as I was visiting the UK to buy all my Asian and Indian ingredients for the 2012 season, as there is nowhere in Europe like the UK to buy these spices and herbs.

I bought the Sunday Times and it had an article by Kate Mansey ‘Michelin Star Wars.’

I found it rather amusing, yet, I felt it was as always out of touch and without any depth into what is really important in the Restaurant Industry, worldwide.

I however found Marcus Wareing’s statement, ‘If you can’t cope-get out of the kitchen’ extremely annoying as it was made in the context of Michelin Stars.

Kate Mansey’s opinion that Michelin Stars are the highest accolade in cooking, is so shallow and without substance, as in my humble opinion, the highest accolade any for any chef who runs his own business, is a happy and returning customer.

So many of my clients have asked me what is the best meal you have ever experienced, and I know they are expecting my answer to be a meal in a Michelin Starred property.

No, it was in fact a small family run restaurant in a little village called Villa St Maria where I was served a Potato Gnocchi  with a Ragù alla Bolognese and Tiramisu with Banana Ice Cream, it was superb, and I love would love to challenge Marcus Wareing to duplicate the meal, as my last two meals in his restaurants left much to be desired and I will definitely not be a returning customer.

I find it extremely sad that chefs are haunted by Michelin Reviewers and even more alarming lose track of why they have a restaurant, to make a living.

Right here in ruralFrancewe had a 1 Michelin Star Restaurant close last month, after losing a small fortune by a young chef.

I am not prepared to call him talented, as I only went there once and would not return. He was a young family man who needed to run a profitable business to support his family. The area had more than enough of a customer base, but he was overpriced and out of touch.

As is the case with so many Michelin Star chefs, it is a fact that they can not readapt to the economical changes and downgrade. In essence, they are not all the superstars they are made out to be.

I without any reservations state that the best meals I have experienced in my life, have never been in an award winning restaurant, but rather in the Yemanite Quarter just outside Jerusalem, Villa St Maria, in Italy, with a wine maker friend at his home in Cape Town, a little Indian Restaurant outside Durban and without any doubt, my Zulu Nanny’s Wild Spinach, Tomato and Chilli Stew with Pap which will always be the most memorable meal I have had in this life.

Why in heavens name have we not come up with a real food guide that caters for the general public. I would be surprised if more than 2% of the worlds population can afford to eat in a Michelin Starred Restaurant, it is outdated and in my opinion not what true chefing is all about.

As Raymond Blanc stated in the article, ‘Food can be Excellent without a Star.

I am not a big AA Gill fan, but for once I agree with his statement in the article;

‘The only thing that keeps them going is that chefs cleave to them as if they were the industry’s Oscars,’ he said ‘ What other bit of your life would you entrust to a tyre company? Apart from your tyres.

‘There’s a bigger problem with guides. It makes the experience worse because chefs work not for you but for some invisible bloke who will give them another star’