Balmoral’s Serge Dansereau shares his top travel and cooking favourites in the lead up

Jan. 24, 2012 - PRLog -- Commencing in April 2012, Tastes of Burgundy will run a series of cooking schools in the iconic gourmet region of eastern France, La Bourgogne (Burgundy).

In a country with a worldwide reputation for restaurant excellence, Serge is at the forefront. He is considered one of the trendsetting and leading chefs of Australia. In 1999 he helped design, rebuilt and open the iconic Bathers’ Pavilion. An imposing white building, with an exterior reflecting Moorish architectural influences and distinctive Islamic fretwork, Bathers’ Pavilion includes three Dansereau designed hi-tech kitchens that service a Restaurant, Cafe, Bar, Private Function Rooms, Terrace and Kiosk.

When the astonishingly beautiful and rejuvenated Bathers’ Pavilion opened in August 1999, it almost immediately became one of Sydney’s best and Australia’s most acclaimed restaurants. Serge as the sole owner leads his team of talented chefs and directs the kitchens and the business to maintain its place as an innovative and iconic food destination.  

Serge has in the past led many gastronomic tours to France and his deep knowledge makes him an ideal person to enhance everyone’s experience. His last book “French Kitchen” recently received the Award for Best French Cookbook (Australia) at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris and each booking for the Taste of Burgundy tour will receive a copy of his cookbook.

Favourite travel destination; “I love Burgundy for the wine, the ancient villages and culture of wine and food, I also love the Perigord region around the Lot river for its natural beauty and its old castles, the foie gras and the goat cheese of the many small cheese makers.”

Favourite meal; “If I am in the country side I like nothing better than the duck confit or any duck specialty of the region. In Paris I always go to my friend’s small and rustic restaurant Petrelle were Jean-Luc cooks beautiful simple French dishes.”  

Favourite dessert; “I had a lemon cheese cake at Café Marly at the Louvre and it was stunning, I told my Parisian friend how odd it was to have a cheesecake on a French menu and they told me it was now famous in Paris!”

Favourite ingredients; “I love yellow fin tuna, white asparagus, snow peas and ripe peaches at the moment.”

Who you would love to cook for; “Sylvie Guillem one of the best ballerinas in the world, she comes to Bathers’ on each of her visitst to Sydney and it is a joy to talk to her and I would love to cook a private meal for Sylvie with a small group of food lovers.”

Who you would love to cook for you! “Jacques Lameloise from Lameloise in Burgundy, he is now retired but his restaurant still carries on his traditions and sharing a friendly meal from what I think is a great person and friend would be a honour.”

Favourite place/wine/food in Burgundy? “Putting aside Lameloise I love the simplicity of Ma Cuisine in Beaune were Pierre Escoffier and his wife Fabienne cooks and also serves as sommelier for their small restaurant, it is a great terroir restaurant with the most classic of French dishes and an unpretentious little gem to eat in and drink some great wine.”  

Favourite thing about Australia; “The sun, the beaches, the warm water and the simple lifestyle combined with the great fresh produce that we have.”

Each Tastes of Burgundy weeklong experience will be individually led by the crème de la crème of the industry;

• Serge Dansereau from one of Sydney’s best and Australia’s most acclaimed eating establishments, Bathers Pavilion on Sydney’s Balmoral Beach;
• Andrew McConnell, Executive Chef and co-owner of Melbourne’s Cutler & Co. Dining Room & Bar, Cumulus Inc and the recently opened Golden Fields in Melbourne;

Both of the renowned foodies have signed up to teach the one-week Tastes of Burgundy school experience commencing in April 2012. Each week will include three “cooking days”, involving market visits (Dijon, Beaune and Chalon or Autun), menu design and afternoon cooking classes, culminating in an exquisite dinner each evening.

The non-cooking days will be packed full of trips and experiences including; barrel tastings in a stunning 14th century cellar; a visit to local artisan farm – one of France’s finest produces of cherve, and the must see Hospice of Beaune.

The week is all-inclusive, from first arrival and pick-up in Le Creusot, seven nights accommodation in a beautiful chateau, cooking classes, cultural visits, transport for the week, all meals, wine, champagne and the return transfer to Le Creusot for onward travel.  All Inclusive Tour - AUD$9,000 per person

Tastes of Burgundy is an opportunity to travel with one of three of Australia’s most acclaimed and recognized chefs to a region of the world that is eponymous for its produce, food and wine.

A complete culinary experience from the beginning to the end.

Visit www.tastesofburgundy.com for more information.