One has to look no further than Vinny D’Agostino’s homemade limoncello served at the King and Prince Resort's tavern to get a sense of how deep the passion runs here for locally sourced ingredients being incorporated into craft-made cuisine and beverages. Vinny, the resort’s new Food and Beverage Director, is just getting started here having been on staff less than year. But his previous 23 years in the restaurant business reads like a top who’s who industry profile. Crisscrossing the country wi

http://www.examiner.com/culinary-travel-in-national/dazzle-your-friends-and-family-make-your-own-seafood-cioppino

If you can’t get to Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, New York then try this award winning Chef Joseph Fire’s recipe from La Cascata Italian restaurant.

Seafood Cioppino

16/20 Shrimp                                   

20/30 Scallops    

20 Clams, littleneck                                                      

20 Mussels, PEI

1 teaspoon minced garlic                                  

Luxury spas and retreats are fun. After all, who doesn't like a great massage?

This type of travel is good for our physical well-being and also for our mental health - especially if we learn new behaviors that we can practice at home.

Over the years when I've visited spas, I've collected recipes that I can easily prepare in my own kitchen.

Here is one of my favorites:

Reduced Fat Carrot Peanut Butter

Ingredients:
peanut butter (smooth) 1/3 cup
carrot chunks, boiled    1 cup

Directions:
B

It all started when Savannah Bee Company owner Ted Dennard was 13 years old and met Roy Hightower, a renowned beekeeper who was scouting out a spot for his hives to harvest “Swamp Honey” made from the nectar of swamp dwelling White Tupelo tree blossoms. At first, the bee swarms intimidated Ted but when Roy twirled a frame of honeycomb with sunlight shining through like a stained glass window, Ted was hooked for life. He kept bees throughout his high school and college years. During his Peace Cor

I am not ashamed to admit it I like to eat. and I prefer to eat really great food. My nickname when I worked on cruise ships was the food scout, and my book Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships is filled with vivid descriptions of the wonderful meals I have eaten across the globe. So when I heard that there was an all you can eat lobster buffet at Valley View casino - a small casino set in the mountains north of San Diego I knew that I had to go there. I know some people don'

Cooking classes are an excellent activity to couple with your Barclay International Group apartment/villa/cottage stay! http://bit.ly/ndMV5t

It's apple harvest time, and it's another crisp Saturday night on Calle Gascona (below right) in downtown Oviedo, an old university city that's the genteel, postcard-pretty capital of emerald-green Asturias in north Spain, with happy-faced students and snazzy locals of all ages roaming the sloping three-block stretch and jamming the café and eatery terraces.

Looking closer, you realize this isn't just another restaurant row in yet another Spanish college town. I spot waiter after waiter execut

Traveling to a new destination is about learning more about the culture, by getting to know the locals. And you will mix best with them, by trying to eat what they eat. Unusual and different, trying these local drinks and dishes border with ‘extreme dining’ to many of us. Sure, we all get excited by trying something new and little bizarre, but read on and you tell us where you draw a line.

#1. Birds Nest Soup in China

A nest of twigs and leaves wouldn’t be edible, but the Swift’s nests, made of sa

Thies week is great for everyone who loves beer...Yeah, the October fest has started! So, I'd like to mention some interesting facts about October fest's home land: Germany - http://tours-tv.com/ru/german

There are over 82 million people in Germany. It is the most densely populated country in the world. The Germans have kept 31% of the country covered with forests and woodlands. There is the feeling of wilderness all around you. That is what makes Germany such a beautiful country.

There is cheese

We stumbled upon a very detailed step-by-step, illustrated guide on how to "crack, crunch and suck out the best bits" of Shanghai hairy crabs, on CNNGo. Couldn't have stopped for a second to wonder why on earth would anyone eat anything that looks like a mitten, from another planet.

A hairy crab is not exactly the prettiest creature to crawl out of Yancheng Lake into your plate, but they are certainly the most sought after, at this time of the year. When a slight chill can be felt in the air, an

California is known for its great restaurants and many of the best ones are in San Diego.

If you’re lucky (or were clever enough to plan ahead) your vacation will coincide with San Diego Restaurant Week, September 18-23.

As you’ll see from the map on the website, quite of few of the participating restaurants are in La Jolla, San Diego’s favorite coastal community.

Travelers who want an ocean view while they dine will head to The Steakhouse at Azul on Prospect Street (3 course prix fixe dinner, $40

The line on South Street wrapped around the corner. Once inside the chrome facade it continued to snake around in Disney-ride fashion. Each person mumbling to themselves as they tried to memorize their order. The line moved along one timid customer at a time. Each one blurting out their selection, as if on the soup-nazi episode of Seinfeld. “One, provolone, mushroom with" (The 'with' referring to onions). 

The line bumped forward. This placed reeked with the essence of grilled beef.  Jim's Steakh

Why is Munich's famous Oktoberfest called Oktoberfest if it's mostly in September?

The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to honor the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended after five days with a horse race. During the years, the celebrations were repeated and, later, the festival was extended and moved forward into September, for better chances of good weather. September nights are warmer and vi

Bistro de Leon

Tucked away on Cathedral Place across from the Plaza in St. Augustine's historic district, Jean Stephane Poinard serves up la cuisine de meres “French home cuisine”. To your left upon entering Bistro de Leon is a tantalizing display case filled with tarts and other fresh baked desserts. To your right and further into the dining area's interior, intimate yet unpretentious tables await.

Both Chef Poinard and his wife Valerie stand ready to serve either a quiet candlelit table for two

I stumbled across a Facebook page  called, "You Know You're from Oakland If ..."

There were comments about all sorts of local trivia, long closed restaurants, streets that have undergone name changes ...

Reading all of those comments brought back lots of memories and made me a bit homesick because Oakland, California, is my hometown. But I haven't actually lived there for 30 years, and I left the Bay Area 20 years ago to live in Hong Kong.

So I decided to research a post on the Top 10 Spots to T