Munch On This

[thepiranha]

I took a cooking class along with my family at Quinta Las Acacias, a Luxury Link property in Guanajuato, Mexico. It wasn't part of the package, but we decided to take the class as a fun family activity. The four of us were the only ones in the class. My daughter and I took a cooking class at the Cook and Taste Cooking School on the Ramblas in Barcelona. Lucky for us, we were the only two who had registered for the class so we had a lot of personal instruction.



Cooking classes can be a lot of fun if you enjoy cooking. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed, you can learn some new techniques, and you get to eat what you cooked at the end of the class. I far prefer hands on classes rather than being just an observer.

[kapper]

kapper wrote:

jsattapr2 wrote:

mountie and kyshel, the reason I wanted a clarification of the implication of foodie in the original question is based on my experience of many people using the term to describe elitists or food snobs. On the other hand, foodie when used in the context you describe, kyshel, takes an entirely different meaning. So, to me, it is a term used as a positive and a negative.



I have enjoyed and explored food and drink in all of the countries I have visited. Although I don't feel being able to enjoy a luxurious accommodation required excessively expensive food or wine.



So, my opinion is luxury travel and luxury dining can and often do go hand in hand, but once can and is often experience without the other.

This is an interesting question and I like the fact you have asked for some clarification of the use of foodie. Certainly for our family, there has been and continues to be a symbiosis of luxury travel and food. I use luxury in a description of travel which has taken us to distant places and more or less down back roads and byways. In that regard, we have also ventured into foods and drinks probably not encountered in more traditional vacation destinations. So with us, we are foodies in that we have in the past and will in the future add to our growing collection of tasting experiences.

There is another aspect of travel, luxury or otherwise, which I have always related to food experiences.



That is exposure to new spices and herbs.



I am thankful to our travel experiences, domestic and foreign,for introducing us to more than salt, pepper and ketchup; although we still use a large amount of all three of thesein our kitchen.

[kyshel]

Kapper--I'm with you on the spices/herbs!! Memories you can taste!

I am down to my last 1/4 kilo of peppercorns I bought on a trip. Total I think was about 1 1/2 K mixed pink white black which I froze.

I have since used ALL of my dried Thai bird chilis, whole cumin, galangal (who knew?) and too many to recall...

I still have my homemade Ky Bourbon Vanilla (made with beans from Bali and the Sudan) but, alas, it is running a wee bit low. I feel a luxury foodie trip coming on...
Puri Wulandari?? I am so smitten by the pics on the website, tripadvisor reviews, some forum comment from frequent Bali-goers, etc. The LL offering is almost too good NOT to buy. It sounds like the perfect re-charge--for soul and pantry!!
The roast pig at Ibu Oka is a treat--Tony Bourdain DOES know pig (even if he is a bit of a jackass!) and I have yet to keep durian fruit in my mouth, so maybe anotehr attempt is in order (glutton for punishment??)

[Mountie]

kapper, you've got the spirit of this thread and I can relate to your ideas of spices.



I am usually able to stock up on my basic spices at Wal-Mart, there was a special there about a year or two ago and I am still only about half way through the Morton's container I bought.



As for herbs, I more or less ceased trying to bring those back into the country, especially when returning from the islands.



Anyway, got a lot of good ideas about travel and food from your guys.

[omegaet]

mountie...now that you are talking about possiblytaking a trip to Peru, you willprobably encounter a commonly usedherb (you mentioned herbs in previously)called huacatay. Certainly, if you venture outside Lima into Cusco or the Sacred Valley, youwill oftennotice a small bowl of green sauce on restaurant and cafe tables.



Locals and visitors alike use the "aji de huacatay" as a dipping sauce and/or spread on bread. It isalso called"Amazon Black Mint" and has a very distinctive flavor....hard to describe, but very addictive.We purchased huacatay leaves, at a local market outside Cusco, and packed them in our luggage for our return trip to the US. No problems at US Customs.


When you are ready to depart Lima airport, be sure to stop at Duty Free and pick up several packages of Helena Tejas www.helenachocolatier.com Always a hit with friends for gifts or keep and eatthem yourself(pecan chocotejas are our favorites).

Remember to purchase a bottle of pisco at Duty Free...spend some extra money fora premium brand. Peru really does produce better pisco than Chile, although the two countries still argue the point!

Doing this may not make you a "foodie", but you will be exposed to some different taste experiences.

Enjoy.

[travel2fun]

mountie, how about this



http://www.trendhunter.com/youtube/pnVHNZaoSPc