Caroline James – The French Cookery School

Today I am hosting an extract from The French Cookery School on behalf of Rachel’s Random Resources with an introduction from the author herself!

Hello Sharon and many thanks for inviting me to your excellent blog. This extract is from my new novel, The French Cookery School and here, cookery school guests are about to learn the art of preserving…


‘Can’t beat a bit of brawn!’

An enticing aroma of fresh herbs and spices greeted the guests as they returned to the kitchen following the break. Bridgette and Ahmed, who’d enjoyed coffee, sitting companionably together in the sunshine on a garden swing beside the vegetable garden, pulled out chairs and sat down. Bridgette pulled her face into a scowl as Chef Daniel rang his bell and explained that the session would cover the art of preserving.
As the chef described the need for a steriliser in good condition and Chef Tomas placed clean glass jars on the table, Bridgette held up her hand.
‘Excuse me for interrupting, Chef,’ Bridgette began, ‘but I am perfectly capable of making jam at home and know how to sterilise a bottle.’ She looked around at the group. ‘I am sure others will join me in saying that we are here to learn clever cooking tips from a Michelin-starred chef, not make marmalade?’
No one spoke, and heads bowed as Daniel looked up from his steriliser.
‘So, you know how to do this?’ His lip curled as he stared at Bridgette and pointed to the ingredients on the table. ‘You can make a perfect tomato sauce from scratch or a wonderful mushroom and olive paste?’
‘Well, I am sure…’ Bridgette stuttered.
‘And you know how to preserve the lemons used in Moroccan cookery or make a flawless herb oil and perfectly pickled cherries?’ Daniel’s eyes blazed. The chef, unused to having his skills questioned, was livid. ‘Perhaps you will explain how to pot pork or preserve goose,’ Daniel reasoned, ‘and I would be most interested to hear your thoughts on brawn.’
‘No one eats brawn these days,’ Bridgette retaliated, but her face was flushed, and she was already regretting her question.
Daniel pulled a tray of ingredients towards him and held up a pig’s tail, part of the animal’s head and a trotter. ‘Brawn is a delicacy on many fine-dining menus today and takes great skill to prepare.’
Jeanette and Pearl held their pens in the air and piped up, ‘We would like to know how to make brawn,’ they chimed.
‘Can’t beat a bit of brawn,’ Fran added, ‘lovely with a slice of gherkin.’
Daniel turned away from Bridgette and, smiling at the rest of the group, proceeded with his preserving master class.

I do hope that you enjoy The French Cookery School and I wish you and your visitors many happy reading hours. Warmest wishes, Caroline xx

Blurb for the book

Mix together a group of mature students:
A culinary Sloane, a take-away cook and a food journalist.
Add in:
A handsome host
Season with:
A celebrity chef
Bring to the boil:
At a luxurious cookery school in France!

Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors of La Maison du Paradis, his beautiful French home. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the ideal business plan.

Running away from an impending divorce, super-snob Caroline Carrington hopes a luxurious cookery holiday will put her back on her feet. Blackpool fish and chip café owner Fran Cartwright thinks she’s won the lottery when her husband Sid books her on a week working alongside a celebrity chef. Meanwhile, feeling she is fading at fifty, journalist Sally Parker-Brown hopes her press week covering the cookery course will enable her to boost her career.

But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?

Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis, then sit back and enjoy The French Cookery School!

Purchase Link   https://mybook.to/TFCS

Author Bio

Caroline James always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs. When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her books.
The French Cookery School is Caroline’s tenth novel. Previously, The Cruise, described as: ‘Girl power for the over sixties!’ was an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller. Caroline’s hilarious novels include The Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.
She likes to write in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred, her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the SOA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety of audiences, including cruise ship guests.

Books by Caroline James:


The French Cookery School
The Cruise
The Spa Break
Hattie Goes to Hollywood
Boomerville at Ballymegille
The Best Boomerville Hotel
Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me
Coffee Tea the Chef & Me
Coffee Tea the Caribbean & Me
Jungle Rock


Contact:

https://www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk
Twitter: @CarolineJames12
Facebook: Caroline James Author
Insta: Caroline James Author