Ischia Island Cooking

This looks do-able and interesting. Here is their blurb: Experience the culinary delights of traditional Ischian cuisine in our hands-on, cooking classes at the Augusto. The professional kitchen, led by our team of award-winning chefs, is the setting for your cooking experience. Traditional recipes are prepared with typical regional and island products.

• Coniglio all'ischitana, the island's most famous dish, is rabbit in white wine, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and chili pepper.
• Mackerel, the herring family, squid, octopus, and anchovies are among the many varieties of fresh seafood that are abundant in this fishing community.
• Broad beans, peas, tomatoes, artichokes, peppers, potatoes, and zucchini are the foundation of the local cuisine.
• Ischia also produces fresh, aromatic herbs such as basil, oregano, sage, parsley, rosemary, and chili peppers.
• Oranges, peaches, cherries, figs, grapes, walnuts, apricots, lemons, and prickly pears are among the many varieties of fruits that grow sweet and ripe in the fertile volcanic soil of the island.
• Used in everything from jams and marmalade to pasta, biscotti, and chocolate, the lemon plays a significant role in the island's cuisine and is what makes the famous Limoncello liquor.

Program includes:

• * 8 days/7 nights accommodations
• * Daily breakfast
• * 6 hands-on cooking classes, followed by lunch or dinner on the foods prepared in class
• * Island Tour by land
• * Visit to Limoncello maker and wine producer
• * Visit to Sorgeto /bath and thermal springs
• * Boat tour~ tour the Island by sea
• * Half-day visit to the Poseidon Gardens, entrance included.
• * Round trip transfers to Naples Airport or Naples Train station

Program Prices Rate per person/based on double occupancy: $2,900.00. Single supplement $250.00 airfare ~1,100 week in Naples at Hostel of the Sun (http://www.hostelnapoli.com/languages/english/) 50Euro/night=75*7=$525 food $200 transportation= $100 total would be $4085 for two weeks.

Tuscan Cooking Vacation

A great Tuscan Cooking and Wine vacation in the Heart of Tuscany with Chef Paolo Monti. In this comprehensive "Hands On" cooking and wine tour, you will learn the best of "Tuscan Cooking and living" with 4 exciting Italian cooking classes: traditional, Tuscan, pasta and fish Cooking Classes with effervescent Chef Paolo Monti, all together more than 45 recipes! Fish and vegetable market visits, 2 winery visits, excursions to Lucca, Parma, Modena and Siena. -A great Tuscan Cooking and Wine vacation in the Heart of Tuscany with Chef Paolo Monti. In this comprehensive "Hands On" cooking and wine tour, you will learn the best of "Tuscan Cooking and living" with 4 exciting italian cooking classes: traditional, Tuscan, pasta and fish Cooking Classes with effervescent Chef Paolo Monti, all together more than 45 recipes! Fish and vegetable market visits, 2 winery visits, excursions to Lucca, Parma, Modena and Siena. - 7 nights full board "All Inclusive" program. The Cost For the 7 day all inclusive cooking package with hands on Tuscan Cooking, with 4 cooking lessons, all meals, wines and tours included is as follows:

From November to end March:
• Euro 1490,00 per person in double room (USD $2,156.38)
• Flight to Pisa (round trip transfer 100 Euros ... USD$142) plus ~$1000 US for flight
• total: $3,298 plus 1 week in Lucca ~$800

French Culinary Institute

I am hankering for a basics course. I am self taught and poorly butcher a chicken. After working on web sites for ten years I went to school for two years and got a associates degree in Digital Media. I learned the basics of html, php, photoshop, illustrator, word, excel, java etc. Ah, what a difference in how I approached the art and craft of web design. Seems like with my cooking it would be of great benefit. So I took a look at the French Culinary Institute, a New York school that has a "Fine Cooking" course for @2500, lasting for too long a time (8 weeks), too short a time (1 day per week) and too expensive, but worth looking at.

Whether you're a confident cook or a total neophyte, Essentials of Fine Cooking will help you become a star in your own kitchen in just eight sesions. You'll learn everything from how to deftly slice an onion or gently poach a fish to creating 25 classic recipes, and you'll love the entire experience. Our Total ImmersionSM approach is the reason. You learn up close and hands-on in small classes taught by the same dynamic, passionate chefs who train our career students. Lessons are as fun as they are intense, and you'll find yourself picking up new techniques, skills, and recipes faster than you ever thought possible. Best of all, you'll leave with memories of an exciting, inspiring experience, and culinary gifts which you - and your very lucky guests -- can enjoy for a lifetime.

Sounds pretty good. Good marketing. I imagine that most people who are interested in something like this are like me ... a little nervous at being yelled at, but want something rigorously instructive. However I wasn't thrilled by this:

Students prepare twenty-five delicious recipes, great dishes designed to impress your guests and let you practice your skills.

Sounds fluffy. Recipe specific. This isn't what I am looking for. see the next post for drooling over ICE and their super intensive Fine Cooking 1.

San Miguel de Allende Cooking Vacation

As our Mexican Cooking Vacation student You will receive the following Complete Package: * FREE VAN or CAR TRANSPORTATION to and from Leon/Bajio BJX Airport (90 minute trip)! * 6 nights' accommodations at the school site, Arcos Del Atascadero Bed and Breakfast » (Sunday through Friday night) * 26 hours Mexican Cooking instruction from Patricia Merrill Marquez and native guest instructors * 1 Daytrip to Guanajuato for shopping and a fine Mexican restaurant for lunch * 6 days' Breakfasts and Lunches and evening snack * WEEKLY SCHEDULE » * Afternoon and evening freetime to explore San Miguel de Allende and eat at your choice of fine restaurants featuring Mexican cuisine * Guided Tour of the people's mercado for fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs & spices * "Kick-up-your-heels" musical & culinary nights-on-the-town costs: $2,000 U.S. for the lodging and school, Sunday through Friday flight $700 7 days in San Miguel at Hotel Quinta Loreto @35$/night =$245 meals= $200 transportation=$100 Total=$3245

France?

Mas de l'Hermitage Cooking Vacation in Provence.

This one looks good because it is near the ocean, has pleasant accomodations and plenty of cooking. A bit too much touring around for my taste, but sounds relaxed.

In your first day, you’ll be picked up from Nice, Marseille or Toulon airports, or from our local high speed "TGV" Train station: "Les Arcs Draguignan". Arrival at the Mas mid-afternoon, with time to settle in to your accommodation and get to know your surroundings. 7:00 aperitif and 8:00 dinner. At 8:30 breakfast, then visit to the market at le Muy, shopping for fresh ingredients for dinner, late lunch in le Muy, 5:30 cooking class, aperitif and 8:00 dinner. Monday morning at 8:30 breakfast, you will visit to "la Bastide de Fonteye", renowned local Fromagerie. Followed by several visits to "Cotes de Provence" wineries &domaines with lunch en route at the "Domaine de la Maurette". 6:00 cooking class, aperitif and 8:00 dinner. Early morning you will visit to the famous market in ST Tropez, lunch in ST Tropez, then some time to explore the village, port and of course window shop! Back to the Mas, at 6:00 - cooking class, aperitif and 8:00 dinner. Next day you’ll have the possibility to visit to the «Moulin de Callas» traditional family run Provençal olive mill; see how olives are pressed and processed into oil, followed by trip into Draguignan for the market, late lunch in Draguignan, 5:30 cooking class, aperitif and 8:00 dinner. Then you’ll have the chance to go at the colorful market in Lorgues, light lunch, from there onto Entrecasteaux, Salernes (ceramics), Tourtour (11th century church) and finally Flayosc, where we will have our aperitif in the village before the final dinner at "La Vielle Bastide". Finally at 8:30 - breakfast, departure, with transfers to onward transportation.

2590 US Dollar (USD) Price Includes: - Airport pick-up, return, - Accommodation, - Cooking lessons/demos, - Most visits and meals.

	$1461			ASE 8:20a NCE 7:55a	NCE 8:45a ASE 6:58p	(16h 25m)3 (19h 03m)2

Transportation cost ~$75 1 wk lodging in Nice ~$560 Then for the week in Nice there is another cooking school Five Day Intensive Cooking Course in Nice

Other Chang Mai Schools

This is a four day course in Thai cooking in Chang Mai.They provide the transportation to and from town. That would leave 8-10 days in Bangkok. Or more time in Chang Mai for other cooking schools. The reviews look good, the facilities look inviting, and it is, after all, in Thailand. 4 days of cooking lessons cost ~$30/day. Then there is a fancy one:

The Cooking Class Enjoy 5-Star luxury accommodation, professional Thai cooking lessons and culinary field trips to top restaurants.

that is way expensive.~$2500, not counting airfare.

I have done other posts about Thailand. Check out the page that deals with other Chang Mai schools.

ticket cost ... ase-bkk-ase $1832 bkk-cnx-bkk $135

Aspen Food and Wine

These pictures from last year's Food and Wine in Aspen. I get to see Jacques Pepin again. That alone makes me smile. The coamera isn't that great, but you can see the enthusiasm on their faces.

Dana Cowin, editor of Food & Wine.

Ming Tsai

Jose Andres was wonderfully entertaining and informative.

Jacques Pepin

El Masroig and Barcelona Spain Cooking

OK. Here is the dream. Fly to Barcelona, Spain get picked up by the Catacurian Cooking School, leisurely driven to their location, cook like crazy for 6 days, return to Barcelona and cook more.

The 6 day school school sounds intriguing, even though there are several "excursions". There is cooking every one of the six days.

6 - Day Gourmet Food & Wine Experience in El Priorat This culinary vacation program will really allow you to discover first hand why Catalonia and its food have become so popular. With six or seven hands-on classes of approximately three hours each and a combination of restaurant meals and class preparation meals, a very good knowledge of Catalan cuisine is attained. Four visits to local Priorat wine producers and vineyards, along with wine tasting will allow you to discover and appreciate the fantastic DOC Priorat and DO Montsant wines. An official olive oil tasting presentation will let you discover the incredible DO Siurana olive oils. A trip to a local ceramics producer, the Scala Dei monastery, and the Gaudi architecture in Reus will enable you to learn of the areas history as well as indulge in the landscapes of this beautiful and unspoiled region.

Sounds good. Then after that back to Barcelona and stay at the Barcelona Rambles Hostel. A single room is ~50 Euros/night. There is a cooking school, Cook and Taste, with half day courses at 60 Euros. Also, the Catacurian people also teach in Barcelona.
Now, the details:
Costs: pretend dates: Oct 18-25th for school ... Oct25-Nov02 Barcelona

• misc-$200
• flight ~$1000
• 3 cooking classes in Barcelona $250
• Catacurian Cooking School cost 3,400€
• hostel 350€
• Total=~$6,382

Yes, I could do New York for that.

Looking forward to next year

I don't know if I will be able to get to go anywhere, but I can dream. Check out the dreamers blog, about cooking vacations.

An Italian Culinary Glossary

The Italian Culinary Foundation saved my sanity with their Italian Culinary Glossary. I was trying to tag and label the pictures I took of the cooking courses in Florence and couldn't remember what the heck "faraona" was, and I had this picture of the market that I wanted to include. But how could I include it if I had no idea what that bird was. Not chicken ... what? Guinea hens. Thank you Italian Culinary Foundation.

Cooking in Mexico

 

This was the view from my room for a one week course at Mexican Home Cooking. This was an ideal cooking vacation for me. There were extensive hands on cooking courses every day, no pressure to attend "excursions", no fanciness, plenty of details, tequila to drink. Ahhhh. I love Mexican food, from the Yucatan to the Tex/Mex of the border. The small town of Tlaxcala, where the classes were held, is just north of Puebla. It was Puebla nuns who started mole. This is a rich culinary area. And there were oodles of lessons, great atmosphere, wonderful food and entertaining stories. If you would like to see the pictures of this trip go to Picasa

Naples cooking

Oh dear. I found another ideal one. In Sorrento, Italy. Mami Camillo's is a cooking school and B&B in Sorrento, Italy. They will pick you up and deliver you from the Naples airport. They have all kinds of cooking courses, including a whole week on pizza.

"You learn about the wood stove and it's function, how to prepare the oven and obtain the correct temperature for the cooking of the pizza. You will learn the proper preparation of the pizza dough, the correct way to make it and also how to manipulate the dough to make the perfect pizza shape and crust. The different toppings as well as the tomatoes and mozzarella used with basil in the making of the famous Margherita pizza. The correct method used for transporting the pizza into the oven, the use of the different size pala for either the long pizza or the transporting of several pizzas, and the ways of ensuring the complete cooking of that perfect pizza. This is a completely hand on course, in fact at the beginning students start by making 10 pizzas an hour. Three of the main practical activities in this class are manipulating the dough, shaping it, dressing, and the cooking time. Because of this the maximum numbers of students allowed per class is three. Basically in one week the students learn the basic knowledge of the Neapolitan pizza and its importance in our cuisine, as well as a complete range of pizza toppings, and how to produce a perfect pizza crust.

"

Cooking school lodging

Here are the costs involved:

• To stay at the school is 50 euros/night (USD 1,365 for 15 nights) in a single room, with breakfast. The room doesn't look like great shakes, but there is wi-fi in the place.
• cooking course "camilla" intensive 1 week (30 hours)€583
• cooking course "pizza" 1 week €480
• transportation airport/school €164
• airfare $1300
• Miscellaneous expenses $400
TOTAL:~$4,290

Contact: Mami Camilla Cooking Class Italy Via Cocumella 4, 80065 S. Agnello di Sorrento Naples, Italy Phone: (39) 0818770667 Fax: (39) 0818774574 E-Mail: info@mamicamilla.com

Florence again?

COOKING COURSE AT "ALLE MURATE" This exclusive one-to-one cooking course is recommended to those not looking for a classical cooking course but for a real full immersion cooking experience. The cooking course "Alle Murate" is very practical and provides the opportunity to get trained in the upperclass Italian cuisine by participating in the daily work of a professional kitchen team. The cooking course at "Alle Murate" is very practical and open only to one student at a time. A rare opportunity is provided of getting to know the life of a professional kitchen by participating with the team of cooks in the daily preparation of the restaurant's menu, from preparing the ingredients to completing the presentation of the dishes. This program covers all the dishes of the menu: starters, first courses of homemade pasta and soups, second courses of meat and fish, and desserts. The cooking course is taught under the supervision of the restaurant director, a well-known chef and sommelier. The course has been designed to satisfy both the simple curiosity which some people have for Italian food, as well as the high motivation of those who want to learn the secrets of Italy's best traditional plates. The lessons take place from Tuesday through Saturday starting at 16.00 and continue with a dinner. There is some flexibility in the day of the week that a course can be started.

1950 Euros for 2 weeks 1200 USD for flight 1300 Euros for hotel (also cheaper, nearby, is a woman only b&b ) total=$4,123.86 one of the nice things about this course is that it takes place in a restaurant that I know from my last trip to Florence, and it is only 3 blocks away from the B&B I stayed in, and liked. that was the Tourist House Ghiberti

How does January 13 to Feb 2 sound?

Corander Leaf Cooking School in Singapore

"Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all" - Harriet Van Horne
That is the "tag line" for the Corainder Leaf Cooking School in Singapore. What a great melting point for Asian cooking. And that tag line says much about their food philosophy. Examples of different cuisines taught are - South Asian : Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi South East Asian : Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Burmese, Malay, Indonesian. Middle Eastern : Eastern Mediterranean, Lebanese, Persian. Chef’s Interpretations : a mix of cuisines from individual & varied experiences. Number of students is 8 - 10 all classes include complete table & food presentation along with the meal. ~$130 for 6 classes in 2 weeks. The Summer Tavern Hostel is nearby with a double room costing ~$43/night flight costs around $1200, if I am willing to have only 40 minutes to transfer in Denver. Reasonable cost (under $2,000, not counting land transportation and food), exciting part of the world, and temperate climate. Sounds doable.

Martha Sherpa's Cooking School in Hong Kong

Full Day Hands-on Chinese Cooking Classes In this series of 1 to 8 days Chinese cookery course, you'll learn the genuine Chinese cooking technique which is different from those mentioned in the cookbooks or cooking shows. Class Schedule: From 10:30am to 6:00pm

The cost would be about $3862 for flight and hotel, then another $1200 for the course. There could be two courses, one on Thai cooking. Another $1200. Then there is transportation. Ride from the airport will be about $50. So tacking on another $100 brings the total to $6362. I know I have said this before, but I could do New York for that.

Native American Cooking Schools and Alinea

Looking around I found this link that has a list of culinary schools teaching Native American cooking.Most were for 1 day demo courses, and many of the links didn't work But still, how interesting. Talk about interesting ...

I am addicted to Alinea at Home. She did the Keller French Laundry cookbook at home and wowed me, so I followed her to the Alinea. What chutzpah this woman has. What dedication. What humor! She cooks to an eclectic music selection, also.

Granada, Spain

There is a two week "cooking vacation" in Granada, Spain that is emphasizing Mediterranean cooking.

For a select time each year the Granada Cooking School in this historic centre of Andalusia opens its doors for invigorating cooking classes to a limited number of students eager to share in the food, wine, and gastronomic culture of one of Spain's most diverse and vibrant regions. Participants also have the unique option of taking morning Spanish language classes from neighboring Escuela Carmen de las Cuevas. Guests cook with wild Mediterranean herbs gathered from behind the house, salad greens and vegetables from local markets, olives from the abudant groves, and prepare unique Mediterranean, Spehardic, and Mozarabic dishes. Included is a field trip to Europe's highest viticultural region, the up-and-coming D.O. Vinos de la tierra Norte de Granada. The two-week English language program includes hands-on cooking sessions and seminars in gastronomy led by Vaughn Perret & Charles Leary, PhD, as well as guided visits to markets, vineyards, shops, and local restaurants. All cooking programs take place in the afternoons, allowing for morning Spanish classes if desired. Each day’s program offers something different; the prepared menus shared while taking in views of the Alhambra Palace, the insider’s guide to the regional production of olives and oil, and cheese, and tastings from the rich selection of local and regional wines, including the famed Sherries from Jerez and Montilla. The class is limited to 8 guests. The week begins with dinner on Sunday night and ends after lunch on Friday. The fee is $2,990.00 and includes market visits, all tastings, transportation for local visits, lunches on Wednesdays & Saturdays, and dinners Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The fee does not include lodging or transportation. (A list of recommended hotels and apartment rentals is sent to enrolled guests.)

The hotel/hostel availability looks very good, with the Oasis Granada hostel offering dorm beds for 18 euros, with every 9th day free. The picture seems to advertise cute young women as their main guests.The big plus is that it is only a 12 minute walk to the school. A little more grown up seems to be the Mochi Guesthouse. Same price and ten minutes walk away. A more upscale location are some apartments,El Numero 8, ranging from 50 to 65 Euros per night. Only a 8 minute walk to the school, and the plus here is the free access to the laundry facilities. The flights aren't too bad, running around $940. So it would be about $5600 plus some for transport and food. I could almost do NY for that.

Club Med

Oooh. This looks tempting. The cost for two weeks, all food and transportation included (from Chicago) would be around $5000, booking ahead.

Cancun Yucatan, November 15 - 22

November 15-22, 2008 the culinary weeks headed east to Club Med Cancun Yucatan.

There, Five Star Diamond Award winner, Cindy Hutson and James McDevitt, a Food and Wine Magazine Best New Chef, collaborated with a stellar group of top chefs and sommeliers to create new culinary experiences for Club Med guests. Discover the program of the week.

Columbus Isle, Feb 28 - Mar 7

Club Med’s culinary week February 28-March 7 in Columbus Isle, Bahamas holds a special surprise. Top Chef Winner, Stephanie Izard, will unveil her signature Club Med recipe at a cooking demonstration, lead a private cooking lesson for a lucky sweepstakes winner, and prepare a four-course dinner.

Learning on Line 2

The Free Culinary School has great moments. He just put out a video on Knife Honing and Sharpening that is not professional in the cinematographer sense, but really is a wonderfully clear instruction. Hooray. Just what I was looking for. His technique for finding the proper angle was very useful for me. Each lesson is a podcast, but since I learn by reading or doing I haven't tried them yet.

I Could do New York for That

The last entry talked about the high cost of the nice looking school in Spain . I realized that I could do NY for that amount. Really. Either ICE or CIA (added cost of a rental car and added stress of driving in New York ) would cost $3000, flight about $500, hotel for 2 weeks ... AGGH! Still undecided on a place to stay. First choice is the Chelsea International Hostel for the ICE.

• 14 nights for $560.
• Only nine minutes walking from the hotel to the school
• They have a women only dorm.
• No bathroom (down the hall, shared with other dorms)
• It has a kitchen. Big plus.

The other choice is luxurious, for me. The cost: $4,414.00

• One Sweet Double Bed.
• With good reading lights and
• sleek storage and
• work space.
• iPod docking station,
• flat-screen TV;
• in-room safe.
• rain-head shower, sink, WC.
• long trip to school some subways quit at 10pm, last class ends at 10pm.

Spain

I typed in

fish "cooking vacation" Spain

for a Google search and came up with what looks like a winner. Here's what their website says:

6 nights in elegant boutique hotel in Madremanya
5 lunches, 5 dinners, all breakfasts
4 cooking classes with chef
1 cooking class in private home
Winery and olive oil mill visits in Alt Empordà
Catalan cava and wine tastings

Catalan cuisine is characterized by the wide variety and incredible freshness of its often local, traditional ingredients. Ingredients commonly used include prawns, shrimp, squid, sea urchins, salt cod, anchovies, wild game, sausages, veal, free-range duck and chicken, rabbit, peppers, tomatoes, wild mushrooms, artichokes, eggplant, rice, and broad beans. The northern Catalan cheese landscape is diverse featuring artisanal goats and cows cheeses.
The cuisine is centered around four principal sauces: alioli, sofregit, picada and samfaina. After learning to make these sauces you will go on to incorporate them into a number of Catalan dishes. Typical dishes include suquet, a Catalan bouillabaisse, an enormous variety of fish and shellfish, escalivada (roasted vegetable salad), mar i muntanya (surf and turf)–pairing lobster or prawns with chicken or rabbit–escudella i carn d’olla (Catalan stew), pa amb tomàquet, and esqueixada.

The cost looks like ~$4000. Flight will be about $1,400. Then back to Barcelona for a week, about $1500. Almost $7000. Heck I can do New York for that.

Leaning towards Italy

This place (Ciaolaura) has a bunch of different cooking vacations, ranging from one day to eight. The eight day one caught my eye. It looked pretty good, but only available April through October (my emphasis) and only 4 cooking classes in 8 days.

Eight-Day Package: Cooking Lessons + Accommodations
April through October
Eight-Day Package includes the following:
Price per person is 1200 euro per person (based on double occupancy)
Roundtrip transfer to/from Naples airport
4 hands-on cooking lessons
4 meals on the school’s premises
Beverage included
Recipes of the lessons
Cook apron
Shopping bag
Certificate of participation

Not exactly the place I am looking for (prices good, only four cooking lessons), but getting close. I'll keep looking.

Of Course there is Always Paris

Whenever I think of food and cooking, France pops up first. But I don't speak French. If I could spend a few months in France I would feel more confident about navigating around. Getting off the plane and trying to get a taxi, find an address, buy stuff, AGGH. But we are taking France, the home of haute cuisine. Can i work up the courage to do it? Don't know, but dreaming is free. This school looks very promising. Here is what the web says:

I offer five-day classes in Patricia Wells's Left Bank Paris studio in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près. I conduct the hands-on classes in Patricia's airy studio and focus on (my emphasis) specialty oils, chocolate, cheese and wine, with special emphasis on organic ingredients. Each day begins at 10 am with a demonstration, followed by a class and multi-course lunch. The class is limited to 7 guests. The week begins with class on Monday morning and ends after lunch on Friday. The fee is Euro 2,760 and includes instruction and five lunches. The fee does not include dinners or lodging. A list of recommended hotels is sent to enrolled guests. An apron and detailed recipe booklet will be yours to keep.

Hmmm. How much do I care about the "focus". Not much. And hotels in that area are very expensive. And the 5 day class costs $3,479. Anyway, they don't have classes in Jan or Feb. I will continue looking.

Learning on Line

Yes, you can learn about cooking in the wild web world.

Try some Jacques Pepin videos.

I made the chicken and dessert with one, learning not only about the recipe, but learning from Jacques Pepin's comments as he prepared the dish. I also have watched :

I confess to watching this video several times before I tried pizza. A great person-to-person instructional, that was free. It enabled me to do a decent pizza.

I took a look at this: Learn to Cook Online

Whether you're a serious home cook or a culinary school hopeful looking to sharpen your cooking skills at home, our 10 week online cooking class will put you on the right path. Written by professional chefs, each lesson features up-to-date culinary tips and advice, not to mention tasty recipes. Topics include basic cooking techniques, seafood, meat and vegetable preparation, wine, and more.

Sounds interesting. Another on-line happening is the Free Culinary School I will report on both of those places soon.

Billingsgate

My peeps love seafood. I have fished and prepared fish, but would love to have some real professional training. And I found Billingsgate

Our free introductory events include 'Get into Fishmongering!' and 'Get into Fish frying!' We have recently produced an Introduction to Fishmongering developed in conjunction with the Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish). We work closely with Seafish, City & Guilds and Fishmongers' Company to offer a range of tailored and open courses. City and Guilds and Fishmongers' Company sponsor courses for individuals wanting to work or develop their career within the seafood industry, on two annual City & Guilds Retail Certificate courses.

They have lots of interesting things online, for free, like this "How to filet a Mackerel" So, where to stay? The Hotel Ibis is only a 9 minute walk away from the school. The cost is around 80GBP/ night. The airfare will be around 800USD.

ICE

ICE and CIA I even hate to write about these two schools, as if by writing about them I might jinx going there. These schools are, for me, the epitome of learning the basics of cooking. Let me drool over ICE first. CIA will come on later posting. ICE (The Institute of Culinary Education) has Fine Cooking I and Fine Cooking II.

Fine Cooking I: Each class culminates with a student-prepared meal. Each course consists of five five-hour classes. Fine Cooking 1 is a prerequisite to Fine Cooking 2. Lesson 1: Knife Skills, Sauteing, Sauce Vinaigrette; ex: Sauteed Lamb Chops Lesson 2: Stocks, Roasting, Working with poultry; ex: Roasted Tarragon Chicken Lesson 3: Braising, Storing, cleaning and cooking shellfish; ex: Mussels Steamed in White Wine Lesson 4: Egg Cookery, Souffles; Salad Nicoise; ex: Chocolate Mousse Lesson 5: Grilling
Fine Cooking II: Lesson 1: Sauces, Crepes; Ex: Crepes with Shrimp and Scallops Lesson 2: Boning, Stuffing and Breading Chicken Breasts; Sweet and Savory Tarts; Ex: Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Herb Goat Cheese Lesson 3: Poaching; Quiches, Pastry for Quiches; Ex: Poached Salmon with Three Sauces Lesson 4: Working with Squid, Deep Frying, Handling Shellfish; Ex: Cajun Crab Cakes Lesson 5: Working with Emulsified Sauces, Making Custard; Ex: Filet Mignon with Sauce Bernaise

On the 2-3 days when there are no scheduled Fine Cooking classes there are other 1 day classes : Knife Skills, Essentials of Thai Cooking, Cuban Surf and Turf, ad infinitum.
Where to stay in NYC? Near ICE. I take a travel e-mail from JourneyWoman and several people wrote in with a recommendation of the POD Hotel and Chelsea International Hostel.

James Beard semifinalists

I love to eat out. I figure that this is another way of learning about food. I have fallen in love with D-19 in Aspen and have been casting around for my next trial. From the CulinaryColorado blog :

the James Beard Foundation unveiled its preliminary list of semifinalist nominees for 2009 chef and restaurant honors. Colorado contenders are: * Outstanding Restaurateur: Frank Bonanno, Mizuna, Luca D’Italia and Osteria Marco, Denver (Bones, Bonanno's latest venture, hasn't been open long enough to have figured into the nomination process) * Outstanding Pastry Chef: Yasmín Lozada-Hissom, Duo, Denver * Best Chef, Southwest: Mark Fischer, Restaurant Six89, Carbondale; Ryan Hardy, Montagna at the Little Nell, Aspen; Kelly Liken, Kelly Liken, Vail; Alex Seidel, Fruition Restaurant, Denver

Carbondale? Really? I can understand Denver chefs appearing on the list. I can understand Aspen, they can afford to pay high. Whats going on with Six89 in Carbondale, and who is Mark Fischer?

The median income for a household in the town was $52,429 The population was 5,196 The town is located in the mid valley of the Roaring Fork River, downstream from Aspen and upstream from the mouth of the Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs. The town proper sits on the south bank of the river, at the confluence of the Crystal River. Carbondale's horizon is dominated by the 12,953 ft. tall Mount Sopris several miles to the south of town.

Carbondale is tiny, in other words. Here is a blurb from a local paper

Mark Fischer and Bill Bentley have been teaming up for the better part of a decade to bring it on home in this little below-mountain paradise. They literally set the standard in these parts, and made it possible for places like Russets and ella to follow lead and open their doors. Six89 was here first and has survived the increased competition by keeping to their mission: Mark creating plates full of complex flavors, using as many locally sourced ingredients as he can, and Bill pairing them with stunning wines, the best of both new- and old-world styles. It is not surprising the accolades that have been heaped on Six89; for the food, the wine program and the overall experience. Sitting outside on the back patio at the 'Niner are as good as it gets around here. It is grassy and garden-like, when so many other patios offer a little more concrete. Sitting under the big trees and lights takes you away from the present and into another realm, where the experience of fooding and wining are heightened.

How can I have missed this? Whats with all these restaurants naming themselves after their addresses or some obscure number reference? D-19. six89. WD40. Will report back.

Links to Cooking Vacations and Books

Most of the cooking vacations I have found have come from Shawguides . But I spend way too much time there looking for exactly what I want. Their search engine is sloppy or there is no oversight on how things are classified. I will put in January and hands-on and find places which have no hands-on courses available and they are closed in January. I have been spoiled by Google's advanced search. I found a young site which is collecting cooking vacations, and stories about your experiences. It is called the Traveller's Kitchen. You may want to drop them an e-mail about your experience in a cooking vacation.(I used to drop someone a letter in the letterbox. Maybe you fly an e-mail.). The next cool site I found was The Cooks Library. Good place to get reviews and good place to order from. They seem passionate and experienced in cookbooks.

Cooking at the Escuela Irizar

San Sebastion Spain

Oh, the idea of cooking so close to the ocean, in beautiful San Sebastion, Spain. I found this course: Escuela de Cocina Luis Irizar c/ Mari, Mari Kalea 5 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain

Program Description: 1-wk courses for professionals & amateurs (4 hrs/day). Instruction in Spanish, English-speaking courses available. Optional visits to markets & food producers, winery tours, sightseeing, dining in Michelin-star restaurants. Programs Per Year 8 Class Size10-15 Emphasis Basque, Spanish & French cooking Faculty Founder Luis Irizar has served as chef in Spain's leading restaurants. Staff includes 3 full-time instructors & part-time teachers for continuing ed Facilities Fully-equipped kitchen, separate classroom, TV & video Location Description Old part of San Sebastian, facing the port & beach

So, where to stay? This place looks do-able Pension Alameda Servicios en la habitación‎: baño frigo tele cofre @ Hora de entrada‎: 2:PM Description‎: en la mejor zona de San Sebastian en pleno centro Hora de salida‎: 12;PM 48,00 € / night Flight ~1400 USD

Sydney Seafood School

I love seafood and would love to immerse myself in a place that emphasises fish and shellfish. This school sounds great.

sydney seafood school

- Sydney's leading Cooking School Since 1989 Sydney Seafood School has pursued its mission of showing Sydney-siders just how easy it is to prepare a wide variety of seafood species at home. The School is now widely regarded as one of the country's leading cooking schools, with over 12,500 guests a year attending classes. From an initial goal of creating a demand for the more unusual varieties of seafood, the school has broadened its reach to teach local, interstate and overseas 'foodies' how to cook a huge variety of cuisines. While seafood is still its raison d'être, there's no longer any need to convince most people to try cooking with mussels, octopus or crabs, in fact abalone, sashimi, pipis and sea-snails don't daunt many of the food-savvy clientèle who now fill classes most weekday evenings and weekends. Asian flavours are in demand, with a class beginning in the Thai shops of Chinatown among the most popular. Leading Australian chefs teach classes, including Christine Manfield, Cheong Liew, Damien Pignolet, Matthew Moran and Guillaume Brahimi. All classes commence with a demonstration of the dish or dishes to be prepared. As anyone who's ever watched an expert in the kitchen knows: it may look easy when skilled hands do it, but recreating it later in your own kitchen is quite another thing. And this is where Sydney Seafood School is unique, after the demonstration guests roll up their sleeves, don an apron and, in groups of five, recreate the dishes they've seen demonstrated. Under the watchful eye of the demonstrator and assistants, each guest helps create a meal of which they feel quite proud. Then of course (most people's favourite part), everyone sits down to their seafood feast with a complimentary wine tasting.

flight ~1500 Where to stay? Everything looked very fancy and high dollar, but I found a hostel that offers a great price. hotel: Glebe Point YHA Sydney‎ 262 Glebe Point Rd Glebe, NSW 2037, Australia 4 share female AU$33/night (USD$22/night)

Aspen Food and Wine

Aspen Food and Wine is my exception to hands-on learning cooking. Mainly because I live 7 miles from Aspen and two years ago Thomas Keller was here. As wonderful as he was, it was three years ago Jacques Pepin who sent me home with recipes and enthusiasm. I keep looking at his "Quick and Easy my Way" videos. Had a dinner party for 12 the other night with two of his concoctions. The first was a roasted chicken with mustard and herbs de Provence. The second was the Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts for desert. The guests raved. So, I get to go back this year, and the first thing I did was to sign up for Jacques Pepin. I have a serious crush on the man. Year before last there was a cheese and wine pairing with Laura Werlin. Wow. I learned a lot. This was hands-on, as we tasted wine with cheeses. This woman is the cheese person in this world at this time. I have signed up for her presentation again. Also signed up with Nancy Silverton — Mario Batali. They, with Joseph Bastianich, have opened up Osteria Mozza in LA. Here are a few of their menu items:

Calamarata with guanciale, tomato & spicy pickled peppers $18 Tagliatelle with oxtail ragu' $19 Francobolli di brasato al Pomodoro basil & ricotta al forno $18 Ricotta Gnudi with cotechino & carrots $19 Spaghetti all'Gricia $17 Maltagliati with wild boar ragu' $18 Calf's Brain Ravioli with sage & lemon $18 Corzetti Stampati with eggplant, olives & fresh ricotta $18 Raviolini di Vitello with thyme $18

Yum. Just my kind of thing. Then I signed up for a lecture by Giada De Laurentiis, one by Michael Richards (entitled "Playing with your Food")one by Ming Tsai, and the fun one :In the Kitchen with Top Chef with Colicchio and Gail Simmons ... with the winner of the 5th Top Chef contest. (Could it really be Carla?)