Well, I leave for France in three days.  I will be attending  Lydie Marshall's cooking school (http://www.lydiemarshall.com).  In addition, I will visit Chateauneuf de Pape and tour many of its local wineries.  There is supposed to be internet access at the Chateaux, so I intend to write and post about each day's experiences.  A sample of our class menus is as follows:

Tarte Nyonsaise—a savory tart made with cheese, tomatoes and Nyons olives
Braised lamb shanks, Arlesienne style— Lamb from our region, braised with potatoes
Ratatouille— Provençal braised eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes
Vacherin— a meringue cake with raspberries