Cooking weekend in Burgundy. The one that happened

It seemed like they had just come, and they were already leaving. This group of truly beautiful people. 

The evening of our "last meal", I sent one of them a message asking how they enjoyed the restaurant in Paris that evening when I received a reply that they did not go, as they were so full from the weekend that there was going to be no food for a week now. I took it as a compliment, as we ate and drank a lot that weekend in Burgundy. And many of us - walked as well. 

The first three-day weekend (the one I could show) passed by in an instant. It felt like we just sat at the table for our first lunch when, five meals later, we had to kiss goodbye since it was time to depart La Maison de Pommard with around 23 new recipes to cook at home. 

From onion soup, pissaladière, oeufs mimosa and boiled shrimps to bœuf Bourguignon, chocolate mousse, remoulade and simple chicken roast, we cooked it all. From simple pastries to tarts, salads, sauces, meat and fish dishes, washing it all down with an outstanding selection of wines from Burgundy, ending one of the meals with a wine from 1984 just in time for Boeuf Bourguignon. 

Those three days showed how different Burgundy can be, from sunny and warm to nasty and rainy, with temperatures ranging from 6 degrees to 20. It also showed the mixture and lightness of French cooking and the possibility of turning simple ingredients into mouthwatering dishes. It showed how great the cheeses can be, how high the laughter and how deep the sleep can be. How big is one's appetite if the food tastes fantastic and the company is delightful.

Signe Meirane