At the end of summer, Agron and I were fortunate enough to sneak away for a quick hiatus with the kids for a whirlwind tour of one of the world’s most romantic cities, Paris. While the weather was a bit dreary, the experience was wonderfully enlightening. While Agron went checking out the wineries and the children hit the sights and museums, I was able to realize one of my lifelong dreams – going for culinary lessons at the world renowned Le Cordon Bleu.

There were many ‘pinch me’ moments while I learned the intricacies of preparing Parisian fare from three formidable gastronomic gurus: Cuisine Chef Christian Moine, Pastry Chefs Olivier Mahut and Walter Daniel. Mostly, I was struck time and again about how wonderfully intertwined the cuisines of Northern Italy and Northern France are– both sharing striking similarities that can be traced back as far as the reign of Catherine de’ Medici, the Italian noblewoman who was Queen of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II.

Studying at Le Cordon Bleu was such a wonderfully profound and impactful experience. I returned to La Pergola bursting with ideas to best bring the terrific techniques, flavors and inspiration I absorbed there to our kitchen, menu and ultimately to your taste buds!

The artist Conrad Hall said, “You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.”

I’m constantly challenging myself to evolve as a chef – and I sincerely look forward to sharing my culinary journey with you.

Sincerely,
Driola Kaloshi
Owner & Chef