Taste Lebanon: 7-Day Culinary Journey

Food is a wonderful means for one to delve into the soul of a culture and learn more about its people, their customs & traditions. Sitting down and breaking bread with a total stranger is a beautifully unifying and enriching experience. It is our endeavor with this journey, to share this experience with you.

If you’ve always wanted to learn more about Lebanese food and experience first hand what it’s really like to enjoy and make an authentic, lavish, Mediterranean spread then this is the journey for you.

This seven-day culinary journey across Lebanon will leave you with a well-rounded taste of Lebanon through each of its region’s specialties. You will visit six different regions: Beirut, Batroun, Tripoli, the North, Mount Lebanon, and Ba’albeck, savoring each local specialty and learning the process and technique that goes into making that certain dish that each area is renown for.This will be a very personal tour and you will be invited into people’s homes across the country to learn the authentic techniques behind their specialties. This is an opportunity and an authentic experience you would not have traveling on your own.The tour cost includes hotel, breakfast everyday, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, refreshments during the tour, culinary activities, transport to and from the airport as well as all locations on the tour itinerary, visa, and our English speaking services. Our affiliated hotel of choice is the 5 star Regency Palace.

Tour activities depending on season and availability:
Fish your own- boat trip (optional)
Harvest your own- short discussion on local farming
Demonstration on Arabic bread and the extra-thin mountain bread on Saj
Demonstration on sujuk & basterma (Armenian sausage & cured meat)
Demonstration on Kebbeh making (national dish)
Demonstration on baklawa/and or halawet el jebn (Lebanese desserts)
Kitchen Workshop on Lebanese mezza
Visits to Souks- ancient and new
Visit to a seven-story Middle Eastern sweets castle
Visit to a dairy farm
Visit to a butcher & bakery (watch process of sfiha, miniature minced lamb pies, from to start to finish)
Visit to olive groves & olive oil pressing
Visit to a vineyard with wine tasting
Visit to a Arak distillery (Lebanon’s national drink, similar to ouzo and pastis)
Visit to wild za’atar fields
Mouneh demonstrations; kishk, burghul, awarma, etc.

More info and reservations

Pilar Rodriguez Food & Wine Studio: I Love Food & Wine – 5-Day Workshop

In five days, including eight demo cooking classes, you will learn the
fundamentals of cuisine that will allow you to explore and create delicious easy
recipes with all the flavors of Chile – from basic techniques, salads, pasta and rice, fish and seafood, poultry, meats to Chilean recipes for exceptional meals.

In each session we prepare at least 3 dishes with the finest local produce in season, plus dessert, in an approximately 3-hour class. Also includes two specially
selected wines to accompany and taste with each course.

This program also includes a two vineyard tours, where you will learn the
process of vinification in Colchagua Valley and tasting of the most famous wines
this Valley produces. Also visit to local markets, as well as Viña Viu Manent
vineyards that surround the studio through an unforgettable horse ride.

Max: 10 pax, min: 2 pax
Cooking class times:
10:00am- 13:00 pm / 5:00pm-8:00 pm
Winery tours:
12:00 and 3:00 pm

Includes:

• 1 Portfolio with full sets of recipes
• Wine tasting of 16 different wines from Colchagua; 2 wines per class
• 2 winery tours: Viu Manent and other Colchagua Winery
• Transportations between the studio, wineries and local markets
• 1 horse ride at san carlos de cunaco estate
• 1 farmers market visit
• 1 apron

More info and reservations: contacto@pilarrodriguez.com or go here

About Pilar Rodriguez

Pilar attended the prestigious school of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. After completing her studies, she worked with the prominent French chef Christian Le Squer at the restaurant Ledoyen, which is awarded three Michelin stars.

However, her professional career began years earlier in the fashion industry, where she served as Marketing Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for Tommy Hilfiger USA for nearly 10 years.  Throughout her life and career, Pilar has lived and traveled around the world, including stints in the United States, Panama and France. These international experiences have given her a deep knowledge of other countries and a genuine empathy for other cultures, which is clearly reflected in her philosophy of life and culinary style. All this, added to her perseverance and passion for anything she undertakes, have combined to make this professional one of the respected chefs of the local and regional Chilean circuit.

Cooking is clearly a life’s calling and has also inspired in Pilar a desire to contribute to the cultural development of her country and region through her work. Her cuisine is committed to including ingredients Chile produces and reflects a philosophy of thoroughness, flexibility and balance, while striving to achieve a harmony of flavors, textures and colors. All this, she does while respecting the origins of each ingredient.

Though what certainly distinguishes Pilar’s career is her great passion for wine, which together with the Chilean terroir are her two inspirations. From her charming beautiful studio in the Colchagua Valley – Food and Wine Studio; she works closely with the Wine and Food Industry, whose mission is to sell and promote the table of Chile to important international markets.

Pilar Rodriguez Food & Wine Studio: Chilean Flavors 3-Hour Cooking Class

In a three hours class, we will prepare a menu of three courses plus a dessert with recipes inspired by what Chile produces, high quality and seasonal ingredients mostly from local farmers. While we cook, we will taste each course with a fantastic selection of wines from Viña Viu Manent.

Max: 10 pax, min: 4 pax
Cooking class times:
10:00am -13:00pm
5:00pm – 8:00pm
Winery tour: 12:00 and 3:00pm
Includes:

• complete set of recipes
• 3 glasses of reserve wine

More info and reservations: contacto@pilarrodriguez.com or go here

About Pilar Rodriguez

Pilar attended the prestigious school of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. After completing her studies, she worked with the prominent French chef Christian Le Squer at the restaurant Ledoyen, which is awarded three Michelin stars.

However, her professional career began years earlier in the fashion industry, where she served as Marketing Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for Tommy Hilfiger USA for nearly 10 years.  Throughout her life and career, Pilar has lived and traveled around the world, including stints in the United States, Panama and France. These international experiences have given her a deep knowledge of other countries and a genuine empathy for other cultures, which is clearly reflected in her philosophy of life and culinary style. All this, added to her perseverance and passion for anything she undertakes, have combined to make this professional one of the respected chefs of the local and regional Chilean circuit.

Cooking is clearly a life’s calling and has also inspired in Pilar a desire to contribute to the cultural development of her country and region through her work. Her cuisine is committed to including ingredients Chile produces and reflects a philosophy of thoroughness, flexibility and balance, while striving to achieve a harmony of flavors, textures and colors. All this, she does while respecting the origins of each ingredient.

Though what certainly distinguishes Pilar’s career is her great passion for wine, which together with the Chilean terroir are her two inspirations. From her charming beautiful studio in the Colchagua Valley – Food and Wine Studio; she works closely with the Wine and Food Industry, whose mission is to sell and promote the table of Chile to important international markets.

 

Israel Food Tours: Jerusalem and the Ella Valley – Culinary Exploration of the Region

Trip Itinerary

·        Pick up from hotel
·        Drive to Jerusalem
·        Shuk Mahane Yehuda scavenger hunt followed by breakfast
·        Authentic Moroccan food and workshop, vin
·        Tour of ancient agricultural terraces in Sataf – just outside of Jerusalem
·        Tour and wine tasting of a boutique vineyard in the Judean Hills
·        Shopping at Israel’s premier Israeli foods and spices store
·        Drive back to hotel

On this tour we will visit some of the best food sites in the Jerusalem and Ella Valley region. We will start the tour by  finding different foods in the city’s main market and having breakfast. This is followed by an authentic Moroccan lunch where we will help prepare our lunch. A visit to Sataf will demonstrate some of the ancient agricultural practices of the region before we visit one of the newest and most modern vineyards in the country.

*Itinerary will vary based on the group’s requests and availability of activities.
**This tour requires a minimum of four people, and is offered upon request.

More info and reservations

Artisans of Leisure: Wine Tour of New Zealand

(10 Days – Departs Daily on a Private Basis) Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, Waipara Valley, Central Otago Our New Zealand experts have a passion for the country’s outstanding wines and cuisine. They regularly travel throughout New Zealand, discovering the country’s most interesting people, places and enogastronomic experiences. On this private luxury tour, your expert guides will introduce you to New Zealand’s top wineries, and take you behind the scenes to meet local winemakers and sample delectable farm products. Stay in exclusive luxury lodges, all of which are set in stunning locations and feature gourmet cuisine pairing the best local wines and food. Begin in Hawke’s Bay, the Tuscany of New Zealand, a region of wine, farms, sun and beaches, and home to some of the country’s oldest and most acclaimed wineries. Stay two nights at a historic 19th-century hilltop villa. During private touring with your expert local guide, visit local vineyards with spectacular settings and sample fine Merlot and other varietals from the Gimblett Gravels, the region’s premier terroir. Visit small local food shops and fruit stands to taste locally produced cheeses, preserves, honey and fruit. Perhaps also visit Napier, a town filled with Art Deco architecture. Next, fly to Blenheim, a town surrounded by the vineyards and hills of Marlborough, New Zealand’s largest wine region and producer of some of the world’s most renowned Sauvignon Blanc wines. Spend two nights at a lodge, surrounded by 25 acres of landscaped English gardens. During private touring, visit important wineries and sample Sauvignon Blanc and other varietals from world-renowned winemakers. Transfer with your private driver through the seaside town of Kaikoura and the olive trees, lavender fields and vineyards of Canterbury to a country estate for two nights. En route, stop to sample Pinot Noir, Riesling and other specialties of the Waipara Valley wine region. Spend a day exploring Claremont’s vast ranchlands, see unusual geological formations, and end the day with a gourmet meal of locally produced lamb, venison and other treats. Next, fly to Queenstown, one of New Zealand’s most beautiful towns, set on shimmering Lake Wakatipu. With your private guide, visit Central Otago’s leading wineries to taste excellent Pinot Noir and other varietals. Also, visit Arrowtown, a charming historic village filled with Victorian cottages and excellent restaurants. Transfer along the shore of Lake Wakatipu to a magnificent luxury lodge in a stunning lakefront setting with views of mountains and glacial-fed rivers. Meals at Blanket Bay are also a highlight, with excellent, fresh local products transformed into gourmet creations by leading chefs. Enjoy local touring including a flight excursion to Milford Sound for an unforgettable experience of one of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes. Itinerary Overview Day 1 Arrive Hawke’s Bay Private transfer to hotel for 2 nights Day 2 Hawke’s Bay Full-day private food and wine tour Day 3 Hawke’s Bay – Blenheim Private transfer to airport for flight to Blenheim. Private transfer to hotel for 2 nights Day 4 Blenheim & Marlborough Full-day food and wine touring of Marlborough Day 5 Blenheim – Canterbury Private tour of Kaikoura and Waipara wineries en route to country estate for 2 nights Day 6 Canterbury Morning private farm tour Day 7 Canterbury – Queenstown – Glenorchy Private tansfer to airport for flight. Private wine and culture tour upon arrival. Transfer to hotel for 3 nights Day 8 Glenorchy Private morning helicopter excursion to Milford Sound Day 9 Glenorchy Morning Dart River safari Day 10 Depart Queenstown Private airport transfer Hotels and Lodges Hawke’s Bay: Greenhill the Lodge Blenheim: Timara Lodge Canterbury: Claremont Estate Glenorchy: Blanket Bay Cost $14,110 Per person (double occupancy)

 More info and reservations

Travel with Taste: Culinary Escape to Salt Spring Island, BC

This is a very special getaway to quaint and colorful Salt Spring Island. Start the day with an early morning ferry ride and get away to the real island life. Visit with the entrepreneurs that make Salt Spring a favorite delectable island; a baker, a cheesemaker, and a wine maker. Lunch at the exclusive Hastings House where Chef Marcel Kauer and team will prepare a private lunch to enjoy overlooking the ocean and pastoral views. Please inquire for dates, timing and prices.

More info

Travel with Taste: Cowichan Valley Cuisine & Wine Day-Tour, BC

Depart at 9:00am from your Victoria area hotel. Drive 45 minutes north to the Cowichan Valley enjoying spectacular scenery. Visit local wineries and taste outstanding wines made from the plentiful vineyards of the island chatting with wine makers, strolling through vineyards, and tasting the abundance of flavors our Vancouver Island wines have to offer.

Begin with a private guided tour through a vineyard along with a private structured tasting at our first stop. Next, meet an artisan cheesemaker and sample his delicious offerings on our way to a gourmet three course lunch paired with Island wines. Try wild BC salmon, Cowichan Bay Farm chicken, or Salt Spring Island lamb.  Return to Victoria about 4:30pm.

Cowichan tours generally run Wednesday through Saturday and are a huge hit! Guests never seem to want to leave each stop as we sip our way through the valley.

All tastings, a three course lunch, wine and transportation including pick up and drop off is included $349 CAD + GST/HST per person for 4-6 persons. A private tour for two persons is $499 CAD + GST/HST per person.

Reservations and more info