Cooking Classes in Nice

Cooking Classes in Nice

Nowhere in France is the food more seductive than along the Côte d'Azur and Provence. No wonder southern French cooking holidays à la Patricia Wells are so popular—yet, except for the most dedicated cooks, a full week can be too big a time and money commitment. That's why longtime food writer and Cordon Bleu-trained cook Rosa Jackson created the home-based cooking school Les Petits Farcis (7 rue du Jésus, Nice. 06-81-67-41-22. www.petitsfarcis.com) in the Vieux Nice neighborhood, a minute's walk from the celebrated Cours Saleya food market. In the yellow-and-burgundy kitchen of her renovated 17th-century apartment, complete with wooden beams and a handmade chandelier of chili peppers and silver cutlery, Jackson teaches students the classics of Niçois cooking: les petits farcis, of course (a local stuffed vegetable dish), but also pissaladière (caramelized onion tart), poulet à la niçoise (chicken stewed with tomatoes, bell peppers, and eau de vie), daube à la provençale (beef stew with wine and herbs), local fish dishes, and fruit-based desserts.

A class always begins with a trip to the market, where Jackson explains the origins of Niçois cooking—Nice belonged to Italy until 1860. After visiting a centuries-old wine cellar and choosing their cheeses at the local fromagerie (cheesemonger), students head back to the kitchen for an informal, hands-on class where they learn as much about local culture as cooking techniques. Following a four-course lunch, those who wish can continue with an olive oil tasting and food walk through the Old Town, ending at 6 PM with an ice cream at the legendary glacier Fenocchio. Classes run from EUR 200 to EUR 290.