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UNITED STATES
Walland, Tennessee
Blackberry Farm—Cooking Schools
www.blackberryfarm.com
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A pastoral 4,200-acre property, Blackberry Farm is set in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, and attracts some of the world's most celebrated chefs and vintners for its series of cooking schools. (Past participating chefs include Todd English, Dean Fearing and Richard Reddington.) The draw here is clear: a bounty of heirloom produce, artisan handmade cheese and free-range organic livestock are all produced on the farm. Blackberry Farm's back-to-nature approach is reflected in its signature Foothills Cuisine, rooted in the local ingredients from its farm as well as the region. As part of the cooking schools, guests observe as visiting chefs prepare signature dishes and share their recipes and culinary secrets. The dishes are then enjoyed at dinner, where the culinary treats of the chefs are combined with the farm's Foothills Cuisine. With each course and throughout the event, rare wine selections are offered from a guest vintner's private cellar. This is an experience made for nature-loving epicureans.
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ITALY
Florence
Villa San Michele—The Villa San Michele School of Cookery
www.villasanmichele.com
This 15th-century monastery on the hill of Fiesole overlooking Florence offers a stunning Renaissance setting in which to learn about Italian cuisine. It belongs to the swanky Orient-Express Hotel Group and operates a permanent culinary school with regularly scheduled classes offered on Mondays from April through October. Emphasis is on traditional Tuscan specialties, while additional multi-day courses concentrate on a specific element such as pasta (A Symphony of Pasta for Three Authors: Venice, Florence and Positano) or desserts (Life is Sweet). Guest chefs also highlight their unique techniques and approaches.
Venice
Hotel Cipriani—Cipriani Cooking School
www.hotelcipriani.com
Unlike the year-round classes held at the other hotels on our list, the Hotel Cipriani hosts its five-day classes once a year in the autumn, making them an event. Students/guests learn from a team composed of culinary experts and chef Renato Piccolotto, who has been with the hotel since 1970. The lessons find their source at the school’s Laboratory of Venetian Cuisine, which researches traditional recipes of the Veneto and introduces them in a contemporary way. Past teachers have included the late Julia Child and Giuliano Hazan, son of Marcella and Victor Hazen. Accommodations, meals and a Rialto market tour accompany the classes.
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UNITED KINGDOM
Oxford
Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons—L’Ecole de Cuisine at Le Manoir
www.orient-express.com
Although Raymond Blanc’s reputation stands firmly on the foundation of his singular talent, he did have some help from Lady Luck over the years. As a young French transplant working in England, he inherited the helm of—and gained great acclaim for—the Rose Revival Restaurant when its chef became sick. From this trial-by-fire beginning he moved on to Oxford to start this country house hotel and restaurant in a 15th century manor in 1984. Seven years later he established L’Ecole de Cuisine at Le Manoir. The cooking is serious, but the emphasis is on fun. Guests reap the benefits of the restaurant kitchen and two-acre kitchen garden. All levels are welcome, including kids who have their own La Petite Ecole.
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(Updated: 09/12/08 KR) |
