Patricia in the Press     AT HOME WITH PATRICIA WELLS: COOKING IN PROVENCE Provence, France "Outgoing and blessed with a big personality, Patricia Wells is not a snob, and the food you learn to make is simple and delicious." At Home with Patricia Wells: Cooking in Provence WHAT IT IS: Limited to eight students, sessions start on Sunday evening with dinner at famous food critic and cookbook author Patricia Wells' farmhouse. This program runs through the week and includes a great deal of cooking and eating. During daytime and evening classes, participants cook directly with Wells. You make roasted chicken in a wood-burning oven out on her patio, cook roasted leg of lamb indoors, and learn the secrets of whipping up saffron, pear, and prune relish as a cheese accompaniment. Recipes are designed with the home cook in mind, and the quantities of food all make sense for small groups. Between (and during) meals, you drink Cotes du Rhone produced on Wells' property and indulge in some fabulous (locally made) goat cheeses. An affineur (one who buys and ages cheese for restaurants and shops) visits the farm and leads a tasting. Outgoing and blessed with a big personality, Wells is not a snob, and the food you learn to make is simple and delicious. WHO IT'S FOR: Home cooks, but you don't have to be super hands-on. lf you are more interested in the lifestyle of Provence (as opposed to the hardcore cooking), you can still sign on with Wells and have a good time (but, admittedly, you'd be missing out on a big part of the trip). SURPRISE HIGHLIGHT: In a relatively short period of time, you'll have an idea of what it is like to live in Provence - a dream for many of us. WHEN YOU'RE NOT COOKING: Visit a working olive press, sightsee around Provence, check out a local market, and tour nearby wineries. " ACCOMMODATIONS: Not provided, but Wells provides participants with a list of recommended hotels near her home in Provence. BEST TIME TO GO: Late spring and early summer (but Wells' classes fill up quickly, so make your plans far in advance). DETAilS: $4,000 for the week. cookingclasses@patriciawells.com, www.patriciawells.com 102 CL FALL 2006