Thursday March 8th find out about “La belle Normandie” so close and yet so different…

Just a short way across the Channel, by ferry, train or plane, is the Normandy region which bears an uncanny likeness to the Southwest of England: it’s so green, so lush, so peaceful and the food is so good! Yet it is definitely a different world altogether, this region of France is not only famous for its local dishes of course, its verdant landscapes, its spectacular coast, and its architecture but also for its historical past. What makes it interesting particularly to English visitors is the connexion they can witness and feel with their own history. Further to being annexed by the Romans first then by the Vikings, it was disputed for centuries by English and French kings and it is where D-Day armies landed. 

Through the past centuries Normandy has been the home of numerous French celebrities, there’s even a tour called “La route des écrivains” that will lead you from the home of one author to another. On this "roadtrip", you will discover the lives of Flaubert, Maupassant, Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin and Victor Hugo, while setting your eyes on beauty spots along the River Seine, the coast between Honfleur and Deauville or further west the Mont Saint Michel (a larger version of Mount St Michael near Penzance).

As usual we will be carefully study the workshopt's recipes and you will get a chance to help cook some of the regional specialties for your dinner complete with the famous “trou Normand”! After the sacrosanct Aperitif we will learn to bake a Camembert as a starter, and prepare a traditional Poulet à la crème, Normand Chicken of course, served with a Salade campagnarde and the dessert will have to be a Tarte au pommes au Calvados. There will be a choice of cider and wines from the Pays de Loire. 

A few spaces are still available on Thursday 8th of March, for our next "French on your plate" workshop, so don’t miss this opportunity to practise your French! It's only £60 and includes the meal above, plus 4 hours of French conversation and tuition. Here's what previous participants walk away saying "Great food, great recipes and learning French at the same time"

And later in March we will be embarking on a trip to “Another Paris”. Contact us if you wish to join us and don’t forget to keep an eye on the next entry of this blog for more details.