Twelve people gathered in the kitchen of La Mirande to hear their cooking instructions. The ingredients, the dishes, the methods were all coming from Thomas Longuesserre, the Provence-born chef of the Avignon hotel’s restaurant La Table Haute is also director of the école de cuisine and instructor of private classes. Wearing their white aprons, the participants, some hotel guests, others enrolled just for the day, listened in English as Longuesserre issued his friendly—and inspiring—instructions. Prior to describing the courses they were to make, the chef emphasized that what everyone was preparing was a simple, representative menu that respects the local ingredients of the season.

“We’ll start with asparagus prepared three ways—raw, cooked, and in a creamy velouté,” he explains. “The second course is a roast wild duck, bred here in the south and not available in the States, so people there can use chicken. And for dessert: strawberries with tarragon, olive oil and Pastis, which gets the spirit of Provence in the dish.”

To read the complete story or to see all photos, visit the MILIEU Newsstand to purchase this issue in print or visit Zinio.com to purchase this issue in digital format.

WRITTEN BY LAURIE WERNER

This story appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of MILIEU.