Posted on: Sunday, December 4, 2005
Culinary vacations offer diverse menus
By Irene Croft Jr.
Foodies have always sought out temples of gastronomy on their travels. Now, they are seeking new culinary frontiers — at the stove. Cuisine-oriented travelers are increasingly replacing guidebooks with cookbooks.
Instead of sampling the gustatory delights of a region, today's gourmet is signing up for cooking classes offered in some of the most inviting destinations on earth. In the 2005 (17th annual) edition of "The Guide to Cooking Schools," published by Shaw Guides of New York, there are 708 vacation cooking courses listed, eight times the number represented in the first edition. And on the publisher's Web site, www.shawguides.com/cook forfun, you'll find nearly 3,250 programs worldwide available to recreational cooking and wine enthusiasts.
Options range from demonstrations by chefs on cruise ships to courses taught by celebrity cooks at culinary institutions like the Cordon Bleu in Paris. The cost of most residential vacation programs, worldwide, is in the $2,000- $3,500 range for five to seven days, including accommodation but not air transportation.
Vacation is the critical term. A basic requirement is a well-equipped kitchen with an overhead mirror, but the setting and locale are significant factors. Some courses are held in particularly alluring settings amid historical and cultural attractions. There are more programs in the cities and countryside of France and Italy than elsewhere, but cooking vacations can be arranged in nearly 70 countries, including the U.S. and Europe and destinations such as Brazil, Cambodia, Morocco, South Africa and Hong Kong.
Some important considerations:
The best courses are hands-on, not merely demonstrations.
Some involve all-day cooking, while others offer side trips, visits to markets and ample free time.
Ask tour or school operators about the level of instruction, class size, and whether each student has a workstation.
Request sample recipes, book titles by celebrity cooks, if applicable, and names of previous students to contact for referrals.
Determine what kind of lodging is available and if it's included in the price. Are meals and side trips included?
Does the school accommodate noncooking companions? If not, what kind of nearby lodging can be arranged?
Should you bring your own knives?
Will you be met at an airport or train station or do you need a car?
Are credit cards accepted?
Tour operators that specialize in culinary programs worldwide:
Cuisine International, (214) 373-1161 or cuisineinternation al.com. This Dallas-based company takes reservations for many of the better-known programs in Italy, France and other countries. Among the offerings are Villa Table, Signora de Medici's school in Italy; the World of Regaliali, Anna Tasca Lanza's excellent program in central Sicily; Mas de Cornud in St.-Rémy-de-Provence, France; French cooking at Raymond Blanc's luxurious Manoir aux Quatre Saisons near Oxford, England, which includes rooms at the Manoir; and lively classes by Yara Castro Roberts at her Brazilian Academy of Cooking in Ouro Preto, about 140 miles north of Rio de Janeiro.
The International Kitchen, (800) 945-8606, www.theinter nationalkitchen.com, a leader in booking culinary vacations, currently more than 70, at irresistible locations in Italy, France and Spain. From simple farmhouse stays to deluxe resort getaways, these educational culinary tours are planned with meticulous attention to detail.
London-based Gourmet on Tour, (646) 461-6088 or www.gourmetontour.com, offers elegant "culinary adventures" with world-class chefs and wine masters for one or more participants. They will match travelers with a day or weeklong cooking course, gourmet vacation or wine tour in Europe, America, Morocco, Bali, Thailand, China or Australia.
To whet your appetite, here is a sampling of popular recreational cooking schools:
Cooking With Friends in France, (800) 236-9067, www.cookingwithfriends.com. This "culinary immersion" program is offered at Domaine de Bramafam, famed as the property in Provence that chef royalty, Julia Child and Simone Beck, once owned. The course, limited to eight participants, is run by Kathie Alex, whose mentor was Beck. Six-day courses include rooms in private houses on the grounds, visits to local markets, dining at fabled restaurants, cooking with renowned chefs, and introduction to the gorgeous environs of Provence.
Giuliano Bugialli's Foods of Italy, (646) 638-0883 or www.bugialli.com. Among the preeminent stars of the stove, American television host Giuliano Bugialli has been conducting weeklong classes in Italy for more than 30 years. His scope has broadened beyond his school in Tuscany to include "traveling courses" to other parts of Italy. His programs cover tuition, lodging and all meals.
Jane Butel's Cooking School, (800) 473-8226, www.janebutel.com. Foremost authority on vibrant New Mexican and Southwestern cookery, Butel is an experienced teacher who oversees her program at La Posada de Albuquerque, a charming, historic hotel in the Old Town of this New Mexico city. She offers weekend and one-week classes that include accommodations and most meals. Her popular new Satellite Cooking School is operated at the Fairmont Princess Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Oriental Thai Cooking School in Bangkok, (800) 526-656, www.mandarinoriental .com/hotel/510000256.asp. Across the Chao Phraya River from the lovely Oriental Hotel stands a complex of white and green buildings, one of which houses a well-run, beautifully presented program of authentic Thai home cooking. First, students learn the ingredients, then proceed to the preparation. Single sessions as well as a six-day, hands-on tutorial are taught by the nation's top chefs. Fancy fruit and vegetable carving are part of the course.
Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.
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