Viktorija Bašić: What I learned during my internship in Provence

Viktorija Bašić, a student of the final year of the private catering school Wallner in Split, the first scholarship recipient of the Mediterranean Women Chefs initiative, spent a month on professional training in Provence. She used her 5,000 euro scholarship, which was presented to her at last year’s conference and dinner Redefining Success powered by Fortenova group, in the best way: she learned about French cuisine from experienced and renowned chefs, and together with them she cooked dishes that she had never tried before. And she really enjoyed all of that.

First of all, I learned to respect food and connect with it, and make sure that as little as possible ends up in waste. I learned to prepare sardines in savoury, asparagus and saffron arancini, artichoke appetizers, Rum Baba dessert … At Le Grand Puech restaurant I felt at home because chef Basaldella and his team were always cheerful and smiling, and full of positive energy. The only thing that was bothering me was communicating in French. The restaurant worked in two shifts: the first was from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the second from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. I was not the only student on the internship: a colleague from India was there with me.  My mentor, Chef Basaldella, took me to Marseille for a grand Escoffier ceremony where 200 guests gathered for a dinner cooked by some of France’s most famous chefs. I am overjoyed because I had the opportunity to see the beautifully decorated hall, and even more so because I had the honor of helping renowned French chefs, some of whom have been awarded by the respected guides Gault&Millau and Michelin. When I won a scholarship for a culinary internship in Provence at the Redefining Success dinner, I knew I was in for an exciting experience. But everything I went through in those four weeks exceeded all my expectations. I visited Georgiana Viou, the chef who was a guest at the Taste the Mediterranean festival in Split and at my school held a masterclass for students. She’s the owner and the chef of 1 Michelin star awarded restaurant Rouge in Nimes, and I had the honor of trying a dish she cooked. I saw large vineyards and cellars where top quality wines are produced, a cheese production where traditional cheeses are matured, I visited a school where future chefs grow up, but I will remember this trip mostly for the good people who treated me with a great respect.

My mentor, chef Michel Basaldella, is a wonderful man who values his work and strives to cook delicious dishes that will please the guests of his restaurant. He is happy to talk with each of them, introduce them to the history of food and wine, and joke with everyone. I am sure that not a single guest left his restaurant without a smile on their face. I have to admit that after a month it was very difficult for me to separate myself from those wonderful people at Le Grand Puech restaurant. I hope that one day, when I improve my French, I will return to Mimet, so maybe I deserve to become part of their team.