If you’re an avid traveller, you’re likely to have taken all the ‘usual’ vacations – from beach breaks and mountain retreats to spa getaways. And if you don’t get the opportunity to travel much, you’ll undoubtedly want your trips to be extraordinary and well-worth your time. The reality is that while there are countless types of fulfilling recreational pursuits out there, travellers are always looking for new and interesting ways to spend their vacations. After all, everyone wants to come away with a holiday experience that’s not only unique, but unforgettable.

A gem in the realm of vacations has long been the culinary tour. Yet this type of getaway has kept a perpetual sense of novelty, quite simply because there are so many ways to relish it. When you go to a beach, you can expect sun, sand and waves; but when you take a tour reflecting all the cultural and culinary influences upon the cuisine of a region, you might come away with much more than you bargained for. Simply put, if you love travelling, enjoy trying new things and can’t get your fill of good food, a culinary tour is the perfect type of vacation for you.

No matter where you go these days, there’s something delicious to eat. But there are certainly parts of the US which boast a rich culinary history. One of these is undoubtedly New Orleans, Louisiana. Sure, New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras celebration and Jazz Fest; but the city, known as “The Big Easy,” is also world-renowned for its culinary customs. New Orleans is noted for its mix of cultures, each of which has held on to its past traditions in some way – and food, like music, just happens to be one of the most prominent of these traditions.

Tour the city’s most famous kitchens and dining rooms – particularly in the French quarter and along Bourbon Street – and learn about the many ethnic influences that have helped shape its history and unique cuisine. Pick up on the culinary contributions of historic restaurants in the area, dating from 1840 to present, and learn the distinctions between Creole and Cajun foods! No matter how you go about it, you can’t go wrong with a culinary tour in New Orleans.

Alternatively, why not combine a culinary tour with a wine-tasting excursion? Napa Valley, California is undoubtedly the ideal destination if this idea strikes your fancy. Napa Valley is the American capital of food and wine, and a region which attracts countless visitors from around the world each year. By touring a winery, you can come to appreciate the various processes involved in producing an exquisite wine – from harvesting and fermentation to ageing. And aside from all the fantastic culinary treasures and premium wines, you can expect stunning, picturesque scenery. Whether you’re a novice or an accomplished wine connoisseur, a wine and culinary tour in Napa Valley is guaranteed to delight you. Moreover, Napa Valley is just 30 miles north of San Francisco, so you could easily make your way down to try the culinary treats of the “Golden Gate City” – which includes those in America’s largest Chinatown.

If you’re considering a culinary tour, rest assured that you’ll find a number of fantastic options for accommodation – regardless of whether you’re off to the east coast, west coast or deep south. A culinary tour is truly one of the best ways to become acquainted with a city’s culture and unique character – so why not book a culinary tour today and prepare to have your taste buds dazzled!

Martin Mcallister
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/the-culinary-tour-a-gem-in-the-realm-of-vacations-90949.html

Is the seafood safe to eat after the biggest oil contamination in US history has been mixed into the Gulf of Mexico and is now invisible to the naked eye. Would you serve it to your children? What about at a rally against the temporary ban on new Deepwater Drilling at the Cajundome in the heart of Cajun Lafayette Louisiana where traditional Cajun cuisine usually is pungent with the flavor of seafood and fishing is part of the state motto.

Duration : 0:1:37

In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make a zesty dish from the Deep South, Cajun Red Beans and Rice. This recipe makes a large amount, and it can be used as the main course of a meal. It is composed of a sauce made from red beans, vegetables, and spices, and it is served over a hot bed of white rice. Add a wedge of hot, tasty cornbread, and it tastes wonderful!

Ingredients:

(2) 15.5 oz. cans red beans, undrained (You may use pinto beans, kidney beans, chili beans—but no beans that have been already flavored with spices.)
½ stick butter or margarine, melted
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup sliced green onion
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 oz. diced cooked ham (I used Hormels canned smoked ham, but you may use leftover ham chunks.)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
¾ teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco or any type of hot pepper sauce may be used.)
1 cup water
2 cups hot, cooked white long grain rice

Saute 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped onion, ½ cup sliced green onion, and ½ cup chopped green pepper in ½ stick melted butter or margarine until tender. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 cans of red beans, 5 oz. diced cooked ham, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, ¾ teaspoon hot sauce, and 1 cup water. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. While the red bean sauce is cooking, prepare your white rice. When ready to serve, arrange 2 cups of hot white rice on a large serving dish. Spoon bean mixture over the top, and serve immediately. If you like red beans and rice, this is a very flavorful version that you are sure to enjoy!

Duration : 0:7:47

Haitian food is similar to the rest of the Latin-Caribbean (the French and the Spanish-speaking countries of the Antilles) however it differs in several ways from its regional counterparts. Its primary influence derive from French, and African cuisine, with notable derivatives from native Taíno and Spanish culinary technique. Though similar to other cooking styles in the region, it carries a uniqueness native only to the country and an appeal to many visitors to the island. Haitians use vegetables and meats extensively and peppers and similar herbs are often used for strengthening flavor. Dishes tend to be seasoned liberally and consequently Haitian cuisine tends to be moderately spicy, not mild and not too hot. In the country, however, many businesses of foreign origin have been established introducing several foreign cuisines into the mainstream culture. Years of adaptation have led to these cuisines (ie: Levantine from Arab migration to Haiti) to merge into Haitian cuisine.
Rice and beans in several differing ways are eaten throughout the country regardless of location, becoming a sort of national dish. They form the staple diet, which consists of a lot of starch and is high in carbohydrates. In the more rural areas, however, at great distances from the major cities, other foods are eaten to a larger degree such as mais moulu (mayi moulen), a dish comparable to cornmeal that can be eaten with sauce pois (sos pwa) [a bean sauce made from one of many types of beans such as kidney, pinto, or garbanzo beans, or pigeon peas]. Mais moulu can be eaten with fish (often red snapper), or alone, depending on personal preference. Tomato, oregano, cabbage, avocado, and red and green peppers are several of the many types of vegetables and fruits that are used in Haitian dishes. Banane Pésée (Bannan Pézé), flattened plantain slices that are fried in oil (known as tostones in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico), are eaten frequently in Haiti as both a snack food and as part of a meal. They are frequently eaten with tassot and/or griot, deep-fried goat and pork respectively.

Duration : 0:4:40

List anything (but no political stuff please, I am anti-americaned out just now) Positive rather than negative.

For example, Jazz, the electric guitar, Rock and Roll, Gospel Music, Barbeque sauce, Creole cooking, Blues music…etc…
Aussie Joe – no need to be so rude. I expect a fair number of wrong answers but seriously, sit out the questions that annoy. Look up the word positive and learn how to be so.

Most inventions EVERYWHERE are built upon the past – that’s how life and history works.
You know, pick on Americans all you like. It makes you look great. What a bunch of rude answers. And you call Americans arrogant and rude. Your governments have done horrible things as well, but I imagine it feels good to point the finger at someone else.

Probably blues and jazz. Although the United States is credited with the invention of rock and roll music, I’d have to say it’s roots probably run much deeper than U.S. culture. Come to think of it, The United States hasn’t brought very much to the world other than the first successful aircraft. Most of the inventions we use today came from a culmination of trials and experiments performed by different people from different times in different cultures.

It’s the food I grew up with- grits, fried green tomatos, sweet tea, biscuits and gravy, and all that.
Maybe you could share you’re favorite, it doesn’t matter if it’s deep south home cooking or cajun/creole.
I’m going to make a huge meal of southern food and want a lot of variety. thanks

SOUTHERN BEEF & BEANS CASSEROLE

1 lb ground beef
1 28 oz can Bush’s Baked Beans
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 6 oz tomato paste
1 8 1/2 oz package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1/2 cup package shredded Cheddar cheese

1. In a skillet, sauté ground beef, onion and green peppers until meat is browned. Drain excess grease.
2. Combine meat mixture, Bush’s Baked Beans and tomato paste. Spoon into a lightly greased 8 inch square baking dish.

3. Prepare muffin mix according to package directions. Spead evenly over bean mixture.

4. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking 5 minutes more, or until cheese melts.

SOUTHERN CORN CHOWDER

1/4 lb lean salt pork or pancetta
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
2 potatoes, cubed
3/4 cup diced celery, strings removed
1 1/2 cups boiling water or stock
1 cup undiluted evaporated milk
1 medium can whole kernel corn (or 1 1/2 cups frozen)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or 1 chicken bouillon cube)
1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)
2 teaspoons flour

Cut salt pork or pancetta into 1/4 inch dice and brown in bottom of a saucepan. Add onion, garlic and pepper; sauté 5 minutes.
Add potatoes, celery and boiling water or stock. Add salt or bouillon cube. Cover and simmer over low heat until potatoes are tender. Add corn and evaporated milk (Fresh milk or Cream may be substituted for evaporated milk). Blend together butter and flour evenly and gradually add to chowder.

Cook, uncovered over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until soup is thickened. Be careful not to scorch bottom (it’s best to use a heavy bottomed pan and watch heat carefully).

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with milk crackers.

Note: Creamed corn may be substituted.

Variations:

Add 1 package frozen chopped broccoli for cream of broccoli soup.
Add 1 can chopped clams or 1 cup chopped fresh clams for a quick New England clam chowder.

Which American cuisine do you like the best? Here are the options:
~ New England (clam chowder, boiled dinners, baked beans, lobster, maple syrup, etc.)
~ New York Deli style (mostly German/Jewish cuisine)
~ Pennsylvania Amish (doughnuts, egg noodles, etc.)
~ Southern (Chesapeake seafood, BBQ, Smithfield ham, Low Country, Cajun/Creole, Appalachian, cornbread, biscuits, grits, blackberry cobbler, etc.)
~ Southwestern (AKA Tex-Mex)
~ Midwestern (basic meat and potatoes type dishes, Chicago deep dish pizza, Pierogies, etc.)

This is done out of boredom, just curious.

Southern all the way! I love me some BBQ sauce! And potoatoes. And cornbread. And biscuits. And steak. And butter. And corn. And blackberry stuff. And cotton. And grits.

I have the desire to cook some deep South foods. I have a lot of rice and some basic creole spices. Someone throw me a recipe for some jambalaya or gumbo or something tasty.

You can find all that stuff and more on the Gumbo pages… written by a New Orleanian.

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/basics/

a new film by Tao Ruspoli

Once upon a time there was a world full of meaning, focused by exemplary figures in the form of gods and heroes, saints and sinners. How did we lose them, or, might they still be around, in the form of modern day masters, in fields like sports, music, craft and cooking.
Are these masters able to inspire us and bring back a sense of wonder, possibly even of the sacred?

Join world renowned philosopher Hubert Dreyfus as he takes us on a riveting journey of ideas, tackling some of the deepest philosophical issues of our time. In this enlightening trip, Dreyfus explains what is unique
about human beings that allows us to take the risks necessary to learn skills, and how an appreciation of mastery can help us recover a meaningful world. Travel to New Orleans to meet the Queen of Creole
Cuisine; travel to Spain to meet the legendary poet and flamenco master Manuel Molina; enter the world of Hiroshi Sakaguchi a Japanese master craftsman, and meet a master athlete (TBD).

Humans acting at their best respond faster than they can think. They converse, experience “flow”, “play out of their heads”, and in general are responsive and receptive to the demands of their unique situation. Masters don’t deliberate and reflect, but “straight away do
the appropriate thing at the appropriate time in the appropriate way.” Given that spontaneous actions can reveal people at their best, why is that today people feel that, in order to act well, they must always reflect and then, like a machine, choose the most rational response?

Being in the World is a celebration of human beings, and our ability, through the mastery of physical, intellectual and creative skills, to find meaning in the world around us. In this film, Hubert Dreyfus takes us on a gripping and surprising journey around the world meeting extraordinary people, showing how we go from following rules to proficiency, to becoming masters in the form artists, craftsmen, athletes, and, ultimately, unique human beings attuned to the sacred.

The Filmmaker:
Tao Ruspoli is an award winning filmmaker, photographer, and musician. He has directed a number of documentaries, short films, and music videos. In 2008, he received the Heineken Red Star Award for “most progressive and innovative film director” for his feature narrative debut, FIX. Fix was also awarded the Best Feature Film prizes at the Vail Film Festival and the Twin
Rivers Media Festival. Tao is represented by CAA and Aperture Entertainment. His work can be seen at www.taoruspoli.com.

Duration : 0:2:26

Cajun sauces are heavily influenced by French cooking… Cajun are of French ancestry – buerre blanc and or bernaise is quite common.

If you want to kick the sauce "up a notch" add a couple pinches of ground cayenne peppers to the sauce.

Here’s a typical sauce that’s served in New Orleans… Also, remolades are popular as a "dipping" sauce for deep fried coated seafood.

MEUNIERE SAUCE
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 cups fish stock
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
In a saucepan, melt the butter and cook until beginning to brown. Add the stock, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Add the cream and cook to reduce for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN FOLSE’S SHRIMP REMOULADE
1 1/2 cups heavy-duty mayonnaise
1/2 cup Creole mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (Chef Folse likes Louisiana Gold, but Tabasco will do)
1/2 cup finely diced green onions
1/4 cup finely diced celery
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
3 dozen 21-25 count boiled shrimp, peeled and deveined
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the above ingredients, whisking well to incorporate the seasonings. Once blended, cover and place in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. A minimum of four hours will be required for flavor to be developed. When ready, remove from refrigerator and adjust seasonings to taste.

Note: Creole Mustard is a whole grain mustard… If you can’t find Creole Mustard, you can use a whole grain dijon mustard.