7/5/2023 0 Comments Cooking companions summary![]() You are on the doorsteps of the Brenne, famous for its bird life, lakes and endless walks. If you enjoy the outdoors, you have a swimming pool, tennis court and you are provided with canoes to explore either the Creuse or la Gartempe Rivers, or discover the area by bicycle on the numerous cycle routes which are also provided. The bar and lounge offer a comfortable area to relax with a Grand fireplace, or enjoy the calm of one of the two picturesque gardens with a glass of Loire wine. The beamed bedrooms are all of a superior standard and decorated in period style, with en suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, wifi and flat screen TV. Set in the small tranquil French village of Yzeures sur Creuse on the river Creuse in the Loire Valley it overlooks the village square and church, which includes a 15th century shrine and the Museum of ‘Mado Robin,’ France’s famous Opera Soprano as this is where she was born. However the owners have ensured it has retained its charm and character. Relais ‘Manor House’ is a charming 18th Century Coach Inn, just 3 minutes from the cooking school that has been renovated to the most modern standards of comfort to provide one of the regions finest hotels. All transport between hotel and nearby cooking school is provided by us at no extra cost. Your home for the week is a choice of two wonderful boutique hotels, who are simply the best in this region, ensuring comfort, service and attention to detail. You will leave our cooking school with a newfound confidence and enthusiasm, impatient to return to your own kitchen to experiment with your skills. They take traditional French cooking and introduce exotic flavours and traditions from around the world to create an exciting ‘culinary adventure’. The philosophy of this husband and wife team is ‘Balade Gormande sans Frontière’, Cooking without boundaries, or as our chef would like to say, lets take a walk on the wild side, and he would, as he was born and raised on the plains of Zululand. Our chef was Captain of The British Craft Guild Team for 2000/2001 when they achieved a record medal total. They have won recognition by major food guides and have won medals at international level. They have cooked for several heads of state which have included Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Richard Attenbourgh, Mick Jagger, Madonna, Cher, Sylvester Stallone, U2, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. After meeting at The Royal Swazi Sun Resort and Spa in Swaziland, they married and have enjoyed a colourful culinary career. Our two chefs are award-winning chefs with many years of international experience. The classes are limited to 8, which allow us to give personal attention to all guests. Leave Loire Valley with a new-found confidence and enthusiasm, impatient to return to your own kitchen to experiment with your skills.Stay in a charming 18th Century Coach Inn or luxurious spa boutique hotel.Taste artisanal goats cheese and chocolate, paired with extraordinary wines.Explore the area at leisure – cycle country lanes, hike through national parks or relax at the world renown spas in town.Marvel at Château de Chenonceau, one of the oldest and most beautiful castles in the France before savouring lunch at the Orangerie in the gardens.Perfect the Macaron and other quintessential French pastries with our patisserie chef.Visit Tours’ outdoor market, one of the finest in France enjoy people watching in the quaint pavement cafes, stroll the narrow streets and step back into the historic medieval city.Learn both, traditional and innovative recipes in our farmhouse kitchen and savour your creations in our old stables.Cook with our highly qualified chefs who won international awards and have cooked for heads of State, Celebrities and her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.The simple life contains simple, but profound, pleasure. A contrast is being made between external comfort and inner contentment: one can be satisfied and happy even among the rugged terrain of the open country, braving the cold of the early morning when the sun is barely above the horizon and camping in a tent in the valley while picking cotton. And the coffee, if anything, proves too warm, scalding their throats as they drink it down. Of course, the stove is literally warm and the food, the narrator tells us, warms him and his hosts through. Steinbeck uses temperature in interesting ways in this story: although it is a cold morning, and even the growing strength of the sunrise makes the air seem colder, the memory of the event creates an inner warmth, as he says at the end of the story. This element of mystery marks the end of ‘Breakfast’ as well, with the narrator opining that, whilst he knows some of the reasons why the encounter was pleasant, there was some other, more enigmatic ‘element of great beauty’ about it too.
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