Dream on:Having been a food stylist, writer and editor for 20 years in Ireland, two years ago Petra Carter did what many of us dream about and never get around to: she moved lock, stock and barrel to the south of France and bought a big, old house in which to run cookery and art courses.
Her adventure hasn't all been plain sailing, but her dream has come to fruition and her first courses are set to take place in September, set in the small village of Cruzy, about an hour from Carcassonne. The food programme (September 5th-12th, Wednesday to Wednesday to tie in with flights from Dublin and Stansted) is a bit of a bargain at €1,050, including airport transfers, accommodation, all meals with wine, several varied excursions, plenty of hands-on cookery instruction, and tutored wine tasting. Sounds like you could just arrive and give yourself over to a stress-free, highly enjoyable week with seven like-minded cooks, with all the arrangements made for you. The kids will have gone back to school, the uniforms will have been purchased and the booklists filled, what are you waiting for . . . See www.petracarter.com for the full itinerary and details of this, and the creative art course (September 19th-26th), which includes writing, photography, painting and print-making. Marie-Claire Digby
Soap for cooks
We all know how important kitchen hygiene is, but how often have you washed your hands after cutting up some chicken, say, and then wondered how to get rid of the artificial pong from soap clinging to your skin before going back to the chopping board? The new Olive & Tomato organic liquid soap from L'Occitane (€17.95) should be on the gift list for everyone who cooks. It combines organic olive oil with extract of Provençal tomato, so it scores on the nourishing, protective and softening properties, without smelling like potpourri. There's a solid version, and a hand cream, too, and they're available in August.
Marie-Claire Digby