You’re stuck at home, right? No romantic getaways or imminent departures in sight. No one feels your pain more than we do. (Trust me on this one.) While we are all in a holding pattern for a return to Europe and some of the most romantic places in the world, we have some Valentine’s Day…
Tracy, who has been welcoming travelers to Tuscany for years, has a gift for sharing the region’s culinary traditions with warmth and authenticity. Eggplant (Melanzane) Parmigiana is not just a dish; it invites us to appreciate simple ingredients and their stories. Tracy shares her beloved recipe for this Tuscan classic—perfect for recreating a…
Our Provence On-Site representative, Anne Plomb, is also a highly trained wine guide who leads winery tours in the region for us and others. She is an expert on all things wine and food in Provence and will be hosting a wine chat as part of our upcoming Virtual Event Series: Artists and Flavors of…
Anyone who has been following our exciting Virtual Events on Zoom knows that our Tuscany UnTour staff person Tracy has become a regular. As she teaches the Italian classics in fun lessons broadcast live on Zoom from her kitchen, she has developed a loyal following. You can check out her upcoming classes here. In the…
If Italy is the king of wine in Europe, then Tuscany is the jewel in its crown. Tracy Hyde is our on-site staff person for the Tuscany UnTour. She is also our cooking teacher for UnTours at Home Virtual Events, with a loyal following of Zoom students. But better still, she is a wine expert and…
Wine is on the agenda for our upcoming Weekend in Spain event! Our very own wine expert in Spain, Isa Calviche, will walk guests through a primer on Spanish wines, along with some tasting notes as guests sip along. Here is the list of wines she recommends. We’ve included links to wine.com. Some may also be…
There is no sweet treat so distinctly Portuguese as the Pastel de Nata, a simple egg custard tart that has become a Portuguese favorite. The confection goes back over three centuries, to the active days of the historic Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon’s Belém district. The monks and nuns there used egg whites to starch their vestments….
Sometimes a bowl of soup is more than a bowl of soup. Goulash is Hungary’s national dish for some good reasons. Aside from being deeply satisfying and spectacularly red, its development speaks to the development and history of a nation. Given its interesting history and cultural significance, here is a little context on the dish…
Semifreddo is Italian for half-cold, and it is a favorite traditional dessert for warm weather. This is one of the dishes Tracy has taught in her online cooking classes, live from her kitchen in Tuscany. This recipe uses crunchy Torrone (Italian almond nougat), but you can put almost anything in this ice cream. Try chocolate…
Over our many years running the Provence UnTour, we have fallen in love with this part of the Vaucluse. The wine villages that surround the Dentelle mountains, nestled at the foot of a château, fort or church, are memorable for their ancient and medieval character and wonderful countryside views. The Dentelles will be a…