Story by Linda DonahueRichard Nahem, owner of Eye Prefer Paris Tours and a Parisien Salon contributing author, has recently taken on a delicious new venture in the City of Lights. In his past life (the 25 years before moving to Paris a few years ago) Richard was a chef, caterer, pastry chef and chocolatier. He’s teamed up with professional chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook, to offer French cooking classes to Paris visitors.Nahem and Puckette teach students how to make French food with an ethnic twist including flavors and accents from Vietnam, Morocco, Lebanon, Senegal, Tunisia, West Indies, and Cambodia. Each class includes at least one recipe from The Ethnic Paris Cookbook.
“Paris holds virtually limitless possibilities for food lovers, but so many visitors overlook the diversity of cuisine and the many ethnic influences,” says Nahem, who has prepared culinary feasts for Vanity Fair, Vogue, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Justin Timberlake, just to name a few. “Our classes go beyond cooking. They’re about experiencing the city as a Parisian would, shopping for ingredients and spending the afternoon in a French home over a meal.”
Puckette has lived in Paris for twenty years but still considers Charleston (South Carolina) home. Her love of ethnic flavors may stem for the three years she spent in East Africa, working with the Task Force for Child Survival for the Carter Presidential Center. That’s where she developed a passion for cooking and, after moving to France, graduated from the prestigious Cordon Blue cooking school with top honros and the Grand Diplôme. She briefly worked at L’Oasis, in La Napoule and later at Fauchon, before starting her own catering business Cuisines et Traditions du Monde, introducing people to ethnic cuisine. Charlotte wrote The Ethnic Paris Cookbook with Olivia Kiang-Snaije and published BY DK books in 2007.
The five-hour, multi-faceted experience begins with a tour of one of Paris’s acclaimed fresh food markets, like the one at Saxe-Berteuil, where clients learn to shop for seasonal – and sometimes exotic – ingredients. The class then moves to Puckette’s private five-story townhouse in the upscale 7th arrondissement off the rue Cler, just minutes from the Eiffel Tower, where everyone gathers in the full professional kitchen. The group talks about the menu over coffee and light snacks before Puckette leads everyone through the preparation of a three-course feast. The best part just may be when the group gets to enjoy the delicious lunch that was just prepared, served alongside French wine from a local shop that was specially selected for the meal.
Some sample menus of the tempting feasts that students learn how to prepare:
Asparagus and goat cheese tart
*Monkfish cooked in caramelized nuoc mam (fish sauce) from Vietnam
Almond Macaroon Galette with Strawberries
*Two-salmon tartare with bulgur and walnut oil- Lebanon
Roasted duck breast with pomegranate sauce
Warm chocolate Tarte
Zucchini carpaccio with roasted red peppers and pine nuts
*Chicken tagine with Apricots and Almonds- from Morocco
Peaches and Blueberries with Honey Cake
*Recipes are from Charlotte Puckette’s The Ethnic Paris Cookbook
This delicious experience costs 185 euros (approximately $240) per person, which includes the tour and class, food and wine. Courses are offered Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 AM until approximately 2 PM. Course sizes are limited to between three and six guests, giving everyone the chance to ask questions and savor the experience of spending the day with two Parisian insiders.
For more information on the Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes, contact Richard Nahem at Eye Prefer Paris Tours.
