2010 Class Schedule

Paris ,  November 1, 2008 -  It is always exciting for me to chart the calendar for the next set of cooking classes, and here are the dates for 2010. Inspired as always by the markets in Paris and Provence, and delighting in the memories of the students I have spent time with over the past year, I look at the new calendar with pleasure and anticipation. I hope you can join me!  As in previous years, the 2010 classes begin with the Black Truffle Workshop in Provence in  January. I will offer three weeks of classes in Paris, as well as a total of eight weeks in Provence.

The plans are working out remarkably for Patricia and Walter’s unique week at the Nam Hai on Vietnam’s China Beach. The program promises to be even more exceptional than the successes of the 2009 special weeks, Tastes of Florence and Tastes of Provence. For a full description of Tastes of Vietnam in May 2010, click here.

I look forward to meeting each new student and renewing friendships with previous students. Please note the activities and schedules for the classes have changed as compared to previous years, so please do read the new class descriptions.

2010 class dates:

March 22 to 26, 2010 At Home in Paris (Full)
April 5 to 9, 2010 At Home in Paris (Full)
April 19 to 23, 2010 At Home in Paris  (Full)
May 9 to May 14, 2010 Tastes of Vietnam (Openings)
May 30 to June 4, 2010 At Home in Provence (2 Openings)
June 13 to 18, 2010 At Home in Provence  (Full)
Sept 5 to 10, 2010 At Home in Provence   (2 Openings)
Sept 19 to 24, 2010 At Home in Provence  (1 Opening)

Completed class dates:
January 25 to 29, 2010 The Truffle Extravaganza

Click here to enroll in a Patricia Wells cooking class

Click here to add your name to a Patricia Wells class wait list

Click here for additional class informatio

Patricia Wells Selections

In class and in casual conversations, I am constantly asked which tools I find essential in the kitchen. And so with Amazon’s help I have put together a list of equipment – from small silicone baking brushes to bigger items like ice cream machines, smokers, steamers, and pasta cooking pots – that I love to use every day as I test recipes or cook for friends.

There are favorite pantry items too, which must always include the intense oils from Leblanc, pasta from Rustichella d’Abruzzo, and other favorites that you’ll see as you go through the Patricia Wells Selections.

Click here to enter my store
 

Francophile Food Critic and Cookbook Author Patricia Wells on Writing, Cooking, and Running

Interview by Louise McCready

James Beard Award winning cookbook author Patricia Wells started as a food critic in the U.S., and then Paris. Today, she runs marathons to keep in shape and teaches disciples how to cook simple, healthy, and delicious dishes. I stopped by Patricia's pad in Paris to find out the best sushi spot in Paris, her favorite types of cheese, and how she became the first American female to work as a restaurant critic for a major French publication.

LM:  You've been a food writer since you were 31. How did you start?

PW:  In third grade I knew I wanted to be a journalist and write for newspapers. I took the straight and narrow path: high school editor of the newspaper, college, graduate school, master's degree in journalism. I always loved to cook, and my mother was a great cook, so I always assumed I would grow up with good food around me. At that time, there were no food writers. I kept cooking all the time, but I liked art and history, so I got a master's in art history. I was an art critic at the Washington Post, but it was very boring. There was nobody to talk to! I always joke that artists and chefs are the worst to interview because their work speaks for itself. I would find myself going to the Smithsonian to read the history of something, and I thought, 'This isn't why I went into journalism.'

Click here to read the entire Huffington Post article

Classes with Susan Herrmann Loomis

Susan Herrmann Loomis, a cookbook author and cooking teacher who runs her own cooking school, On Rue Tatin in Normandy, also offers one-day classes in Paris at various venues around the city. Morning classes begin with an outdoor market tour, where students shop for fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, bread, cheese, and wine. Susan leads her students through the preparation of a simple lunch. For afternoon classes, Susan meets her students at the school and leads them through a series of tastings and a demonstration, followed by an instructive presentation of a more complex, multi-course dinner. Price per class is 195 € per person. Space is limited.

Click here for available class dates and further information on Susan’s website:

Welcome, Bruce Lecus

I am very pleased that Bruce Lecus, a technical wizard and highly experienced customer service manager, has succeeded John Jones as program coordinator for Paris and Provence cooking classes. After many years of terrific service, John has chosen to begin his well-earned retirement.

We’re lucky to have Bruce as his replacement. I’m sure you’ll all be satisfied as you work with him on your questions and concerns. You can reach him by mail addressed to him at PO Box 1156, Carrboro, NC 27510.