My, what a heady past few weeks its been. I kicked off October with my first culinary tour in France, where 16 of us languished in the sun kissed Provencial landscape outside Aix-en-Provence, ending the week in high style with a gourmet picnic in Paris in one of her most beautiful gardens, Jardin du Luxembourg. The experience was thrilling and has sent me into a cloud of inspiration whereby I am residing most days. The environment was so profoundly intoxicating and the flavors and aromas of the markets were cause for a few small tears of delight. Needless to say I am busily preparing for the next 3 weeks of classes in late Feb and early March where we will also be trekking along on a truffle hunt. Yippee! Oh to be a dog in the south of France ! I honestly think its the ultimate reincarnation of the furry and four legged kind. The ingredients in Mediterranean cooking are found overflowing here in baskets, fields, farms and markets such as Olives, Almonds, Honeys, Herbs, Goat Cheese and wildly fresh fruits. The bleached landscape of lavenders, oranges, yellows and greys remains an iconic match against the topaz blue of the Mediterranean Ocean. The most wonderful aspect was to see the continued dependence on the daily markets for everything and anything one might need to cook, entertain or dress themselves. I was incredibly humbled and greatly moved by the circle of support and reliance on the regions farmers and purveyors by the village- In the coming weeks I will seek to download the gems and recipes I developed and enjoyed whilst being in the great and culinary muse that is Provence.