Special Feature: Products Sally Recommends

March, 2010 eNewsletter

by Sally Bernstein

Culinary Travel & Specials | New Articles | Sally Recommends | March Is


Culinary Travel & Sally's Place Specials


March is Culinary Travel Month at Sally's Place. As food is a way to communicate and connect with local people, culinary travel has become quite popular in the last few years. One of the most fun ways to get a true feel for a local culture is to immerse yourself into the food of that country. We've gathered global companies offering unique, exciting, and creative Culinary Travel programs — several offering a discount to Sally's Place visitors.

Toscana Mia Culinary Programs
Experience real home style Italian cooking in an ancient home in the heart of the rolling hills of Chianti. Sisters Simonetta and Paola are passionate cooks and teachers, Italians who are fluent in English and happy to share their love of Italian food and lifestyle with their guests. It's nice to cook an entire meal together and then enjoy it at the same table, accompanied by delicious local wine and an Italian family. Daily, weekend or five-day cooking classes offer you a way to be immersed in wonderful Italian food. Toscana Mia is offering Sally's Place visitors a 10% reduction.
www.welcometuscany.com
info@welcometuscany.com
Ph. ++ 39 334 2476098

French Wine Explorers
Mention "Sally's Place" and benefit from a US$150 discount per person off French Wine Explorer's Bordeaux Harvest Tour September 27-October 3, 2010!*
September is an exciting time to be in Bordeaux. Experience the harvest first hand, the blending process and a well-deserved traditional harvest lunch. Enjoy luxurious accommodations in a wine-producing estate, hotel and vinotherapy spa, exclusive private wine tasting meals and some of the best tours and tastings of the region. French Wine Explorers is a boutique wine tour company specializing in luxury wine vacations in France and has become America's leading French wine tour company, featured extensively in Food & Wine magazine, Travel + Leisure, and Smart Money. Now's the time to reserve your space for your wine tour to France and benefit from savings at the same time. To view this tour and our selection of wine tours to France, please visit www.wine-tours-france.com. Contact us for more details at info@wine-tours-france.com or 1-877-261-1500. * Offer expires March 24, 2010. Subject to availability.

Poland Culinary Vacations
When you travel with us, you'll know that your Polish experience will be culturally rich, casually elegant, and truly unique. We travel to specially selected regions of Poland to learn about the roots of regional fare and explore how modern chefs are transitioning traditional dishes to contemporary cuisine. Our world-class vacations let you indulge your foodie side with hands-on and demonstration-style cooking lessons and trips to local markets, farms and festivals. Along the way we also visit with Polish bakers, farmers, shop owners and chefs to learn the secrets — and collect the recipes — of this outstanding culinary culture. To relax and rejuvenate each evening, you'll stay in comfortable, chic accommodations ranging from charming hotels to genuine castles and palaces. Each trip is personally designed and escorted by Malgorzata "Sarna" Rose, a native of Poland and founder of Poland Culinary Vacations. For 2010 Poland cooking tour dates and day-by-day itineraries please visit our website: www.PolandCulinaryVacations.com or call us toll free 888-703-8130 or 406-579-6435. Get 15% off on all 2010 tours and additional 10% off if you decide to pay in full when booking your Poland Culinary Vacation! Hurry! Space is limited to 12 people per week.

Cooking Courses. Wine tours. Culinary Adventures in Italy, France, Morocco, Asia, United States.
Discover the joys of cooking, using the finest local ingredients and learning the secrets of local dishes. Through hands-on instruction, trips, tours and tastings, we provide you with the skills and knowledge to cook creatively when you return home. Whether you are joining us for a half a day, a weekend or a week, we can arrange unique encounters most travelers couldn't have on their own — from private cooking classes to access of exclusive wine cellars. Our goal is to create one-of-a-kind experiences for foodies who want to see the world a little differently. Visit us on http://www.gourmetontour.com or email us on info@gourmetontour.com. Mention "Sally's Place" and receive discounts on selected tours.

Croatia Gastro Tours
Croatian gastronomy is very interesting as it consists of many influences from countries that were ruling the territory in the past. For that reason in traditional gastronomy you can find recipes of Roman, French, Hungarian, Italian, Turkish and many other famous world gastronomies. Enjoying the culinary specialties, smells and tastes of Croatian kitchens, fresh ingredients and wine tasting, which will enrich the visit of all who know how to truly enjoy food and wine. To become a part of our groups please contact us: mail@terratours.hr

Sullivan's Custom Tours
Sullivan's Custom Tours L.L.C. is a boutique tour operator specializing in custom designed travel packages for groups with a special interest. We also design exciting educational tours for college students studying culinary arts, fashion and interior design. The tours are customized by Donna Sullivan, who considers visits, workshops and cultural experiences that will interest the group. As an associate of Costa Rica Tours Ltd. (www.costaricatoursltd.com), we travel to the only cooking school in Costa Rica offering multi-day hands on classes combined with culinary excursions. As an associate of CulTOURinaria (www.cultourinaria.com) in Germany, we offer a variety of culinary, cultural historical and art and music tours.

Upcoming tours include:

  • Porcelain Painters Tour to Germany, June 3-17, 2010. Includes Berlin, Dresden and the Thuringian countryside, hands-on painting classes, museums, castles, wine tasting and river cruises. $3499
  • Tropical Cooking School and Tour in Costa Rica, June 6-11, 2010. Hands-on cooking classes, cultural tours, hacienda tour, coffee plantation, rainforest tour. Earn 12 CEUs from the American Culinary Federation. $1795
  • Culinary Getaway to Sicily, September 23 to October 1, 2010. Cooking classes, sea salt, Eolie Island caper tour, Palermo city tour. $3495

Contact Donna Sullivan at
donnabsullivan@aol.com
713-291-3492
www.sullivanscustomtours.com


Food N' Wine Vacations
Food N' Wine Vacations invites you to connect with a culture. Summer 2010 offers a special week of Cooking in the French Riviera. For foodies, try their Culinary Tour in the heart of Chianti. To add spice, Morocco is one hot destination. And for those who want to stay close, they recommend Mexico Culinary Expedition. If you are looking for a one of a kind experience — you have just found it! Contact: info@foodnwinevacations.com


Mediterranean Cruise
Donna Nordin and Kathleen Prisant Leonard invite you on a ten day Mediterranean Cruise with wonderful cooking demonstrations and private shore excursions for foodies. Seven ports include two days in Barcelona and day trips to Mallorca, Tunis, Sicily and Naples. Reserve quickly as there are limited spaces. August 29 - September 8, 2010. Prices begin at $1899 per person. For more information go to www.teamodyssey.com and search Cruises Vacations for Mediterranean, Holland America Cruises, departure date August 29, 2010. Mediterranean Enchantment.

Food in NapaDestination360
Napa may be famous for its wine tastings and tours, but it's more than just a destination for oenophiles. Many of the best things to do in Napa revolve around food, such as dining at the world-renowned French restaurants and attending cooking demonstrations at the Culinary Institute of America. Visit Destination360's guide to Napa, and plan the perfect foodie vacation to California's wine country.


Culinary Travel Articles on Sally's Place...

  • Great Guidebooks for Traveling Foodies: Sharon Hudgins suggests guidebooks for traveling abroad. Why eat nondescript food when you can enjoy tasty local cuisine?

  • Savoring Morocco: Kitty Morse takes you on a journey into the customs and flavors of Morocco. Includes a couscous recipe you won't want to miss!

  • Chicago's Ethnic Grocery Stores: You could say Evelyn Thompson knows a thing or two about grocery shopping. She can help you find that hard-to-find grocery item whether it be yautia, chutney or anything in between. Learn more about her Chicago tours.

  • Culinary Museums in Catalonia, Spain: Sharon Hudgins showcases culinary museums including bread, wine, olive oil, sausage, fish, chocolate and ceramics.

  • Parmesan Cheese & Prosciutto: Sally travels to Northern Italy and enjoys these two specialties.

  • Traveling with Kids
: Elaine Sosa Labalme shares her experiences as she travels with her son Steven.

  • Culinary Travel Journal: If you do decide to go on a culinary travel trip, here is the perfect companion for your personal notes, and a very helpful wine/food multi-lingual glossary. It makes a great gift, too!

If you cannot travel to Spain and Italy right now, you can make these authentic recipes using authentic seasonings...

For Spanish food, here are two Paella recipes:

If you want to buy the ingredients for Paella, the national dish of Spain, or the paella pan itself, go to: La Tienda.

If Italian food is your pleasure, we have an extensive listings of Italian recipes.

Gourmet Sardinia is a great place to buy Sardinian Italian products, such as olive oil, risotto, honey, breads and gift baskets.


New Articles


Food

  • Buffet Party Food: Think elegant home buffet table for your next event. The sky's the limit.

Wine

  • Learning About Wine: M. Dee Dubroff talks about some wine basics, such as regional, varietal and generic wines.

Travel

  • Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs:
 Sally enjoys the newly renovated Hyatt in downtown Palm Springs, California including the SHARE Small Plate Bistro restaurant and SHARE Wine Lounge.
  • Traveling to Peru: 
M. Dee Dubroff covers appropriate clothing, when to visit, and health issues when traveling to Peru.

Traveling with Kids

  • A Presidential Tour Of Washington, D.C by Elaine Sosa Labalme, who, with seven-year-old son Steven and husband Fen, visited the Theodore Roosevelt Island, the National Portrait Gallery, Mount Vernon and more.

Sally Recommends


Jelly Belly
Have you ever wondered where Jelly Belly candies come from? If you visit San Francisco, the Jelly Belly Factory Tour is a great stop right near the outlet malls. It's a unique and delicious stop that is a growing favorite with families around the San Francisco Bay Area.
Dave's Gourmet
Travel to the Mustard Festival in beautiful Napa, CA, where Dave's Gourmet's Hurtin' Habanero Honey Mustard just won it's seventh gold medal!
Macys.com
Save on new items that put a little spring in your style: Bakeware; Coffee & Espresso; Cutlery; Electrics; and Kitchen Gadgets. Macy's has it all.
Spanish Hand Painted Ceramics
The neighboring villages of Talavera de la Reina and El Puente del Arzobispo have established the benchmark against which all other Spanish hand painted ceramics are compared. La Tienda offers food-safe, lead free ceramics from "Puente": pieces made the traditional way; and a new collection of dishwasher safe pieces with a high-fired glaze. Both are hand-made, hand painted, and signed by the artists.
Lou Malnati's Tastes of Chicago
Indulge in a bite directly from the heart of Chicago with mail order meals from Lou Malnati's Tastes of Chicago. From pizza to Italian beef and ribs, Lou Malnati's has been tempting taste buds in the Windy City and across the country since 1971.
HotPaella.com
Whether you want to cook paella or just eat it, HotPaella.com brings you everything you need to enjoy the perfect paella dinner. You'll find paella cookware from pans to burners, essential paella ingredients and ready-made paella dishes that you can dig into without even turning on the oven.
Green Mountain Coffee
The Green Mountain Coffee Company knows good coffee, bringing you their easy to brew K-Cups and state-of-the-art Keurig coffee brewers that deliver cup after cup of rich and delicious coffee, hot tea and hot cocoa in a variety of tempting flavors.
The California Wine Club
Since 1990, California Wine Club owners Bruce & Pam Boring have personally hand selected and delivered the most exquisite, limited production handcrafted California wines. Experience hidden treasures from California's finest family-owned wineries and begin your wine-tasting adventure today with a membership to CWC.

In the mood for a lobster dinner delivered to your front door? We have 2 choices: Lobster Gram & Legal Seafood. Both offer much more than lobster, including...

Lobster Gram
Appetizers, Steak, Steak Knives, Desserts, Rack of Lamb, and Web Specials.
Legal Seafood
Appetizers, Steak, Desserts, Catch of the Month, and Gift Certificates.

March Is


National Frozen Food Month; National Noodle Month; National Nutrition Month; National Peanut Month; National Caffeine Awareness Month; and the 2nd week of March is Bubble Gum Week.

March 1: National Pig Day; Peanut Butter Lover's Day
March 6: National Frozen Food Day
March 7: National Crown Roast of Pork Day
March 11: Johnny Appleseed Day
March 14: National Potato Chip Day
March 17: St. Patrick's Day
March 19: First Day of Spring; Poultry Day
March 20: Great American Meat Out Day; National Agriculture Day; Corn Dog Day; Maple Syrup Day
March 23: National Chip and Dip Day
March 24: National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
March 25: Pecan Day: Waffle Day
March 29: Passover
March 31: Bunsen Burner Day; National Clam on the Half Shell Day



Happy March,

Sally Bernstein
Editor in Chief
sallybernstein.com
sally@sallybernstein.com


Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.

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