Celebrate Bastille Day in Luxury in Paris, FRANCE.
Last July, I hosted a Bastille Day tour to coincide with an invitation by Paris bookstore, Shakespeare & Company, to host an Author Discussion and Book Signing for my book, PARIS By The Numbers.
We were “gourmet cooks” during our private cooking class in the kitchen of Le Violon d’Ingres with Chef/Owner Christian Constant and rising-star Chef Stephane Schmidt who instructed us during preparations for our three course lunch. Imagine the fun we had going to Chef Constant’s favorite green grocer to shop for the freshest ingredients and then heading back to don aprons and chef hats while dicing, chopping, and sautéing our way around the kitchen.
Chefs Constant and Schmidt then hosted the lunch paired with wines from the private cellar. And, we didn’t even have to do the dishes!
Our first night’s “Welcome to Paris” dinner was a six course culinary treat crafted for us by Chef/Owner Giles Epie, named one of the top young chefs of Paris by Travel and Leisure. Elizabeth Epie, his lovely wife, was our convivial host and also selected special wines that highlighted each course. We laughed and toasted our way through dinner and didn’t count one calorie. By the way, Chef Epie is renowned for his inventive light dishes.
And, if the culinary people out there aren’t impressed so far, we enjoyed an amazing Bastille night’s dinner on board a yacht while floating down the Seine to settle in front of the twinkling Eiffel Tower for the fireworks. Chef Jean Pierre Vigato is well known for his haute cuisine at Apicius and he orchestrated a sublime five-course gastronomic dining experience.
For more information and pictures, visit Parisbythenumbers.com.
You may also buy my book PARIS By The Numbers on Amazon.
Ooh la la! My tour this year is July 9th - 16th. Go online and click Tour Events for more information. Et voilà, the menus:
Le menu de cooking class á la Chefs Constant and Schmidt:
