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.

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:

January 25 to 29 The Truffle Extravaganza  (Openings available)
March 22 to 26 At Home in Paris (Full)
April 5 to 9 At Home in Paris (Full)
April 19 to 23 At Home in Paris  (Full)
May 10 to May 15 Tastes of Vietnam (Openings available)
May 30 to June 4 At Home in Provence (Openings available)
June 13 to 18 At Home in Provence  (Full)
Sept 5 to 10 At Home in Provence   (Full)
Sept 19 to 24 At Home in Provence  (Openings available)

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 information

Tastes of Vietnam, Tuscany, and Toujours Provence

Patricia Wells and Walter Wells are delighted to announce three one-of-a-kind weeks of Great Tastes:

• Tastes of Vietnam: A weeklong culinary event at the exquisite Nam Hai resort on “China Beach” near the storybook trading village of Hoi An on the South China Sea.

Click here for more details

• Tastes of Provence – Treasures of a Southern French Table: With their good friend Jeffrey Bergman, the Seattle-based food consultant and a specialist in Provençal pottery, Patricia and Walter lead you through a cook’s tour at Chanteduc, and then move across the Rhône to discover the artisanship of some of the region’s best small potters.

Click here for more details

• Tastes of Tuscany: Rolando Beremendi, whose knowledge of Tuscan foods and wines is unmatched, joins Patricia and Walter for this exploration of the markets of Florence – but more importantly to cook and dine together, often with influential Florentines as our guests. We’ll be in another magnificent setting, the Four Seasons Florence, an enchanted sanctuary.

Click here for more details

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
 

2009 Class Schedule

We are looking forward to meeting new friends and renewing old friendships with our guests at the 2009 classes in Provence and Paris.

2009 class dates:

Aug 23 to 28 - Cooking in Provence (1 Opening)
Sept 6 to 11 - Cooking in Provence (Full)
Sept 20 to 25 - Cooking in Provence (Full)
Oct 4 to 9 - Cooking in Provence (2 Openings)
Oct 17 to 23 - Tastes of Provence (Full)
Nov 1 to 6 - Tastes of Tuscany (Full)

Completed Classes:
January 26 to 30 - Cooking in Provence: Truffles (Completed)
February 8 to 13 - Bistro Cooking in Provence (Completed)
April 6 to 10 - Cooking in Paris (Completed)
April 20 to 24 - Cooking in Paris (Completed)
May 4 to 8 - Cooking in Paris (Completed)
May 31 to June 5 - Cooking in Provence (Completed)
June 14 to 19 - Cooking in Provence (Completed)
June 28 to July 3 - Cooking in Provence (Completed)

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 information

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

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.

Todd Murray's "Patricia"

When Todd Murray showed up for Patricia’s class in Paris in 2005, she didn’t know that he was THE Todd Murray, the honey-voiced crooner from LA. But Todd’s charm was as rich as his music was warm, and before the week was over an important friendship had been built. When Patricia celebrated a very significant birthday in New York the next year, Todd agreed to come and to bring his music. Both his presence and his art enriched the evening, especially the song he had composed for the event. Not surprisingly it’s called “Patricia,” and it’s a hit on Todd’s new album, “Stardust and Swing.”

If you weren’t able to catch Todd in his recent gigs around the U.S., here’s a YouTube sample from his performances at the Metropolitan Room in New York: http://www.youtube.com/toddmurraymusic

You can click here to listen to an excerpt from Patricia's favorite song:

For more information, check out ToddMurray.com, or search for Todd Murray on iTunes.com or Amazon.com.

Classes with Susan Herrmann Loomis

Cookbook author and cooking teacher Susan Herrmann Loomis will offer two five-day classes in Patricia’s Left Bank Paris studio in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près. Susan, who runs her own cooking school, On Rue Tatin, in Normandy, will conduct the hands-on classes, focusing on specialty oils, chocolate, cheese and wine, with special emphasis on organic ingredients. Each day’s class will begin at 10 a.m. with a demonstration, followed by a class and multicourse lunch..

2009 class dates:
September 21 to 25, 2009
March 9 to 13, 2009 (Completed)

Each class is limited to 7 guests. The week begins with class on Monday morning and ends after lunch on Friday. The fee is $3,250 and includes instruction and five lunches. The fee does not include dinners or lodging. (A list of recommended hotels is sent to enrolled guests.)

Click here for additional details

Susan also teaches one-day classes in Paris. 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 a instructive presentation of a more complex, multi-course dinner. Price per class is 195 euros per person. Each class is limited to 7 participants.

Click here for available class dates on Susan's website: