The old grey goose is dead...

I stand corrected. Mint and licorice are not the ingredients I dislike the most. Foie gras and duck are - hands down - the two dishes I never, ever want to see or taste again. And, trust me, I have seen them a lot the past several days. I am sure our hosts think they are being generous and providing us with an outstanding cooking and dining opportunity. But I was (literally) getting a little sick.


















They did inquire about food "issues" when we arrived and i confessed we were not meat eaters. They nodded their understanding, saying that was important since we would be eating what we cooked. That night, we were served duck for dinner. We both took one, tiny bite - followed by discreet little heaves - and left the rest. Fortunately, there were potatoes and dessert. The next day, we arrived at class to find the starter we were preparing was foie gras (the liver of a goose, fattened specifically for the purpose of consuming the liver) that was cigar-rolled in - what else - duck breast. Okay. I do think I should win an award of some type for the most creative cutting of duck breast to hide the fact that it has not been eaten..at all. The following day, duck and foie gras were served again. I feel horrible about it. I know they consider this a delicacy and an extravagant meal and we are really not weird Americans with neurotic eating habits or an uneducated palate. But it was time to be more direct. If for no other reason, to avoid wasting food. (that, and we had run out of creative cutting techniques and our fellow hotel guests from the Netherlands had stopped bringing their dog to dinner with them. Mademoiselle Fifi, as Susan and I refer to her, seems to eat everything dropped on the dining patio.). As it turns out, the chef had finally caught on himself and fish and vegetables became the focus during cooking classes and dining options. Just to be clear, duck is seen frequently at Le Cordon Bleu...and you do take what you cook home with you after class. But you can give it away to a meat-eating classmate and stop at the local cafe for a dinner of your choosing. Here, what you cook is what you eat -- or you don't eat.









The lesson learned: the French clearly put a different emphasis on animals than Americans...or maybe it is just Susan and me? While I definitely would agree that extravagant birthday parties for pets are a little over the top and privately laugh when I see dogs in elaborate sweaters and outfits, I have a real attachment to my dog. One of the reasons I became a vegetarian at age 28 was a concern for animals. Over the past several years, I have added chicken to my diet, but fruits and veggies are my preference. The French, on the other hand, seem to consider most animals a potential meal and each sighting of a bird, horse, or other furry friend prompts a story of how that animal is best cooked. It can be a wee bit disturbing. As Susan put it, "the whole fatten up the goose, just to kill it and eat it, is a little Hansel & Gretel-ish for me".


















Duck/goose issues aside, I have cooked and eaten some great food this week. One standout, papeton d'aubergine, a dish made with roasted eggplant, olive oil, garlic, and cream and served with a tomato and pistou sauce. Wonderful! My favorite culinary experience in Provence: learning to make macaroons. Ours were not quite as pretty to look at as those at Laduree, but they tasted almost as good. Best dining experience was outdoord at a small, family-owned restaurant in a setting at the base of one of the Alpilles mountains, surrounded by olive trees and lavender. I had a delicious fresh fish, daurade, cooked with herb d'provence, fresh veggies, perfectly turned, and a dessert of dense chocolate, presented with berries and cream.



















We are on the TGV headed back to Paris after an enjoyable stay in Provence. The cooking classes were not quite as organized or intense as I had expected. But I came away with more experience. The staff at Domaine De Valmouriane is the best and were our favorite part of this part of the trip. They treat guests the way any business owner hopes his or her staff will treat customers. They make you feel you are their only guest and seem to take a personal interest in assuring you are enjoying yourself. If you ever find yourself headed to St. Remy, it is worth your time to stay there.