One of the activities I undertook during COVID, as did many, was an increase in home cooking. In my case, however, the undertaking had its roots in retirement planning.
I had begun researching and experimenting with charcuterie, the craft of salting, smoking and curing meat, several years ago. My guide for this journey was the book entitled, Charcuterie, by Ruhlman and Polcyn. In the book, there is a reference to a woman living in Agen, France who held charcuterie and cooking classes at her kitchen, Camont. I immediately began thinking what a great retirement trip it would be to take a week and spend it learning about French country-style cooking in the region of France famous for, among other things, its fresh vegetables, duck, cassoulet and truffles.
I reached out to this cook, Kate Hill, and asked her advice related to my plans. We began an email exchange to come up with a strategy. Then, COVID hit. Travel to France was shut down and Kate was no longer able to hold her classes. At least in-person.
While it took a while to figure out the logistics, Kate came up with a strategy to continue her business by selling memberships through which members would receive provide extensive monthly newsletters and frequent online cooking classes. The group on the live cooking classes was generally small, thereby allowing a great deal of direct interaction. I have now completed one year of membership with Kate and have gleefully signed up for another year in 2022. Why? First and foremost Kate is a practical, enthusiastic cook. But, she also has a flair for writing, photography and story-telling. She has caused me to fall in love with southwestern France from thousands of miles away! To quote Kate’s biographical information from Amazon:
“Kate Hill (1951-) is a published author and professional cook and teacher, mentor, coach, and fairy godmother. Thirty years ago she found ‘Camont’, an 18th century farmhouse laying in ruin alongside the Canal de Garonne. She sailed into this fruitful spot in France on her Dutch canal barge, the Julia Hoyt, beginning the first gastronomic charters in Gascony. Camont soon became a lively homeport to the barge and its 300-year-old kitchen became the focus for hundreds of hungry friends and guests over the years. Home, gite, and gardens—it wasn’t long before she started teaching cooking classes in that French Kitchen at Camont. From crafting globe-trotting Cassoulets to rolling out buttery Croustade aux Pommes, she teaches the basics of French cuisine, the fine points of Gascon cooking, and how to master the cooking of Southwest France while writing about her neighbors, the larger than life characters of Gascony, the beautiful villages and landscapes, and the great food in International Magazines like Saveur and on her website.”
Kate has helped me move beyond recipes and focus more on the combination of flavors and (gasp!) experimenting with the ingredients in a given dish. Beyond enhancing my ability to improvise in the kitchen, however, Kate has sparked an interest in French cooking generally. As a result, Amazon is benefiting from the exponential growth of the cooking section of my personal library. Further, Kate has reinforced for me the importance of dining as an experience, ideally with friends and family. As stated in the “20 Questions” newsletter article published at work before my retirement:
What’s your idea of perfect happiness? Being content with what you
have and using what you have to create enjoyment in the company of others.
For me, gathering together for good food, good wine, and good conversation epitomizes the sentiment of that statement.
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
J.R.R. Tolkien
If you’re interested in more, see Kate’s website. See also Kate’s page on Amazon, where you’ll find the newsletters and books written by Kate.
In a later blog entry I’ll discuss Vin de Noix, an aperitif made with green walnuts. Kate inspired my interest in this beverage, and I now make it using walnuts from our lake property.