Bon Appétit! Flavors of France with Executive Chef Nancy

LearningTours
Bon Appétit! Flavors of
France with Executive
Chef Nancy Verde Barr
Plus extension to Provence
S U N DAY, O C TO B E R 3 – S U N DAY, O C TO B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 0
P R OV E N C E E X T E N S I O N :
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Chefs at Le Cordon Bleu
E
xplore Paris and its legion of legendary culinary
landmarks that inspired Julia Child! James Beard Awardwinning cookbook author and renowned cooking teacher
Nancy Verde Barr, Julia’s executive chef and close friend for
24 years, will lead us on the tour. Nancy is the author of
Backstage with Julia: My Years with Julia Child, a memoir
that celebrates the adventurous, unassuming essence of
the chef who seasoned American palates and heightened
our appreciation of food.
T U E S DAY, O C TO B E R 5
Cordon Bleu & Left Bank
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll spend the day in Paris, beginning with a special visit and private tour of Julia’s alma mater, Le
Cordon Bleu, followed by a multi-course cooking demonstration
by a Cordon Bleu chef in the newly-named “Salle Julia Child.”
We’ll then enjoy a light tasting lunch prepared and demonstrated
by the chefs at the Cordon Bleu.
Following lunch, spend the afternoon strolling through the
winding streets of Paris’s Left Bank with a special focus on Paris’s
contemporary culinary treasures including local fromageries
(cheese shops) and boulangeries (bakeries) all while sampling
the stores’ delicacies along the way. We’ll visit chocolate maker
Jean-Charles Rochoux, whose whimsical molded chocolate
figurines of cows and garden gnomes fill the windows and shelves,
as well as the world-famous boulangerie Poilâne. The bread is
still baked in an antique wood-fired oven just downstairs. Enjoy
dinner and an evening on your own.
The boulevards of Paris are lined with illustrious restaurants,
splendid shops, and lavish open-air markets that embody the
centuries-old tradition of French cuisine and the glories of French
cooking! Experience a cooking lesson at the celebrated Cordon
Bleu, visit a renowned champagne house for a tasting of France’s
adored beverage of choice, and meander through the hidden
neighborhoods of Paris sampling an exotic array of spices,
chocolates, cheeses, and breads. This is a trip of a lifetime!
An optional three-day extension to Provence includes a visit to
“La Pichoune,” Julia and Paul Child’s former winter home.
W E D N E S DAY, O C TO B E R 6
Rouen & Home of Susan Loomis
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Depart Boston
Depart Boston on non-stop flight to Paris aboard Air France #337
at 5:40pm.
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We arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport at 6:10am, and take the
group transfer to the luxurious Hotel Pont Royal, where we will
be welcomed with champagne and fruit baskets in the rooms.
Julia and Paul Child’s first “home” in Paris, the Hotel Pont Royal
is located in the elegant Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood,
close to grand museums and the beautiful Seine. After an
afternoon of relaxation, we’ll meet for a welcome reception with
Nancy Verde Barr and fellow travelers. Then, we’ll convene at the
elegant Le Grand Véfour for a sumptuous welcome dinner.
STACEY HAINES
Bienvenue à Paris!
Following breakfast at the hotel, we depart for an excursion to
Rouen in Normandy. We’ll explore the open-air food market at
the Vieux Marché and sample the famous cheeses of Normandy
before visiting the Church of St. Joan of Arc, a 1979 masterpiece of
modern minimalist architecture and the famous Notre Dame de
Rouen cathedral immortalized by Monet. After seeing the sights,
we’ll enjoy a special lunch at La Couronne, the famed restaurant
where Julia experienced her first lunch in
France. Then, we’ll travel to the home of
celebrated chef and author Susan Loomis
in Louviers, en route back to Paris. Susan
knew Julia personally and will share
stories about Julia and French cuisine
over a late afternoon reception of wine
and canapés at her home on Rue Tatin.
We return to Paris for a free evening.
Garden at Susan Loomis’ home
T H U R S DAY, O C TO B E R 7
Right Bank & Escargot Lunch
This morning, you have the option of taking an early morning
(5am) trip to the world’s largest wholesale market, Rungis,
outside of Paris (at an additional cost) or of beginning your day
with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel followed by a private
culinary walking tour of Paris’s Right Bank. We’ll stroll along Rue
Montergeuil exploring this charming street, including its most
famous shop, Stohrer, a pâtissier/traiteur founded in 1730. We’ll
also explore the Detou, a store that has a little of everything! We’ll
tour the 16th-century Cathedral Saint-Eustache before visiting
Dehillerin, where Julia shopped for her cookware. Then, we’ll relax
over a lovely lunch at L’Escargot Montorgueil, famous for its snail
specialties. After lunch, we’re off to the Bastille Market, followed
by a return to the hotel and a free afternoon. In the early evening,
we’ll meet up for a special presentation in a private room at the
hotel with Nancy.
CO S T
Land Package, per person in double occupancy: $ 5,995
Single Supplement: $ 1,450
Extension: Price TBD
Organized air arrangements: See registration form
A deposit of $1,600 reserves your place
($600 contribution to WGBH, $1,000 deposit to ISDI)
Balance due June 25, 2010.
F R I DAY, O C TO B E R 8
Champagne and Sabrage
CO N TAC T
As Julia would tell you, champagne goes with everything French!
After breakfast, we embark on a full-day excursion to ChampagneArdenne to experience the beautiful city of Reims and the sparkling
white wine that the region is so famous for. Enjoy walking through
Reims, taking in the lively street-side cafe terraces, the famous
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, the Hôtel de Ville, and the Palais du
Tau. Then, we depart Reims for the village of Ludes for an extraordinary afternoon. Enjoy a guided tour and tasting at the champagne
house Canard-Duchêne. Savor a champagne-paired three-course
lunch with an exciting finale: a demonstration of sabrage in your
honor! Return to Paris in the late afternoon for a free evening.
Call Elizabeth Hagyard at 617.300.5747 to reserve your place
on the tour with a credit card deposit, or send checks for the
deposit amount to:
WGBH LearningTours–France 2010
One Guest Street • Boston, MA 02135 • Attn: Mary Toropov
Registration materials and further information will be
provided upon receipt of deposit, or can be downloaded from
wgbh.org/learningtours/france.
Questions? Call 617.300.3505.
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LearningTours
More of Paris’s Gourmet Shops
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Departure OR Extension
Following breakfast at the hotel, take the group transfer to CDG
airport. The non-stop group air flight is Air France #332, departing
CDG at 1:40 pm, arriving in Boston at 3:05 pm on the same day.
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For Provence extension participants, we’ll be based in Nice, the
capital of the French Riviera, with day trips planned throughout
the region to artisanal cheese makers, olive oil producers and local
markets, plus visits to the Fondation Maeght, Matisse Chapel and
other outstanding artist destinations in the area. To top off the
wonderful few days, we’ll visit “La Pitchoune” where American chef
Kathie Alex owns and operates a cooking school. Please indicate
on the registration form if you would like to take the extension.
(meals in bold included in price)
Nancy Verde Barr
SCOTT PHILLIPS, FINE COOKING
After breakfast at the hotel, we embark on a walking tour
including the following specialty shops: the coffee shop Torréfacteur Verlet, a specialist in the world’s finest coffee; Astier de
Villatte, a beautiful ceramic shop; L’Ecume Saint-Honoré, a fish
shop and oyster bar; and Jean-Paul Hévin Chocolatier, famous
for its cheese-filled creations. Enjoy a farewell lunch at L’Ardoise,
a lively bistro serving traditional French cuisine. Dinner and
the remainder of the afternoon are on your own.
The author of Backstage with Julia: My
Years with Julia Child (John Wiley & Sons,
May 2007), Nancy served as executive
chef to Julia Child for live demonstrations,
television, and the monthly features in
Parade Magazine. From 1980 to 1990,
Nancy was the culinary producer at Good Morning America
(ABC) for their weekly food segments and in Italy for their
well-received series, Julia Child in Italy. She consulted, wrote
and produced for the cable television Food Network and was
the culinary producer for Julia Child’s PBS series, Baking at
Julia’s. Nancy also was the on-air host for a series of short
television spots, Cooking with Common Sense, which aired on
Rhode Island Public Television in 2007. She also has arranged
and led numerous cooking tours to Italy to promote the
cuisine and culture. Nancy has taught cooking classes
throughout the United States and for eight years ran her
own non-professional cooking school in two Rhode Island
locations. The James Beard Foundation awarded her “One
of the Best American Cooking Teachers” in 1988.