BookCulinaryVacations

South Africa is the motherland of melktert, malva pudding, and koeksisters, smoked snoek and sosaties, chutney and chakalaka, waterblommetjie bredie and bobotie, potjiekos as well as the birthplace of biltong and droëwors.

Travel can take its toll on you. I know firsthand as I have been traveling around the country with my family for years now. Every few months, we decide on a place to visit and spend some time there. It is a great way to reboot your mind, body, and soul. With that, one of the most important things that you need to pay extra attention to while traveling is nutrition. 

Wine tasting is a delightful journey that can take you around the globe experiencing the wonderful varieties of wines and their links to their natural and cultural heritage.

From lowering cholesterol levels to weight management, the health benefits of mushrooms are abundant. Classified under the Kingdom Fungi (and therefore are not plants) aside from being delectable, mushrooms can also deliver a tremendous boost to your immune system!

Thanks to its geographical positioning, the United Kingdom is blessed with all kinds of natural and man-made beauty. You know you are in the UK when you have the choice of either waking up to the buzz of vehicles and pedestrians pacing through the streets of London or to the melodious psalms of birds and rustling of leaves in the countryside.

They say that “Travel is the healthiest addiction”. Those of us who love to explore the world and are always on a quest for the next great adventure would likely to agree. Stepping out of our comfort zones to destinations that are unfamiliar allow us to be exposed to people of different cultures and varied backgrounds. Most of the time, this leads to a wonderful and mind-blowing experience that we can’t seem to get enough of!

Summer is harvest time for many fruits and vegetables which means that we can get fresh ingredients in larger quantities. You may notice that in the spring, it already starts with the strawberries. Rhubarb, apricots, cherries, a variety of berries, and plums usually follow. Knowing this, we can make the most out of these seasonal ingredients by using them to make mouthwatering ice cream, popsicles, sorbets or fresh creamy cakes!

There is an old saying “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”, which we should all live by in order to stay healthy. As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s also a crucial part of a healthy diet and comes in handy when it comes to improving our metabolism and to help us lose weight!

Italian cuisine is extremely popular in the United States. As a matter of fact, it is tied with Mexican food as the most popular ethnic food served in the US. It also happens to be one of the most popular cuisines that we whip up at home. 

It can be hard figuring out what to eat when you’re backpacking. You never know what food is available or what the hostel kitchen will be like (if it has one) until you get there. Add that to not wanting to carry a ton of food around, plus it may be your first time without parents cooking for you, not to mention you’re most likely to be on a tight budget! With all of this put together, you can easily end up with a poor diet. 

When trying to lose weight, two things go together to produce the best results: diet and exercise. In order to get the results you desire, you ought to give both equally intense focus.

Alongside spicy curries, naan breads, and delicious onion bahjis, one of the most popular dishes to come out of the India is the scrumptious & savory dhal. 

The town of Sapa in Vietnam is a popular stop for most tourists who arrive from Hanoi on the overnight trains. With the surrounding mountains and tribal villages, not to mention the mighty Mt. Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina, it is quite understandable why Sapa is so popular with hikers, climbers, and travelers looking for markets and cultural immersion with the hill tribes.

In Texas, where brisket is king, burnt ends are made when they smoke a whole brisket. Many people think they are the best part of a brisket smoke. Well, I have great news, you don’t have to go to Texas to get great burnt ends and you don’t have to buy a whole brisket, you can make it with a pork shoulder or pork parts and prepare a delicious roast! 

From Victoria to Newfoundland, Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia, the nearly 10,000 square kilometers of Canadian territory truly have food in all shapes and forms. 

There is an old adage that goes something like, "Cooking is not only about making the perfect balance and combination of fat, acid, sweet and salt together, but it is an art that brings soul to the food." And what is more exciting and brings some ‘soul’ to food than perfectly pairing wine with your meal? 

While there are many healthy options in the form of coffee shops and restaurants in London, few are edible – let alone mouthwatering. If you’re a bonafide food lover like me, you would agree that healthy eating does not and should not need to be boring, especially when you are paying to have it made for you! 

Given current society’s love for instant food, it’s not surprising why most of the population is living unhealthy lifestyles. Eating healthy can be a huge challenge especially if you experience food cravings. But if snacks are the problem, there’s a quick solution – change the way you snack. 

Tom Yum soup is undoubtedly the most popular soup in Thailand, and possibly even in Thai cuisine. You’ll hear locals refer to the steaming dish as Tom Yum Goong (shrimp) and you’ll see it being sold at many food carts on the side of the street.

Most of us look forward to those long days of summer when we can spend a lot of time outdoors and soak up the sun’s energy. But with summer also come hot days which require a bit of extra attention from our part to make sure we stay properly hydrated.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more mouthwatering dish than the taco. It's cheap, it's portable, it can comprise a wide range of ingredients—meats, veggies, cheese, salsas—and textures (if you've never had crunchy chicharrón atop your taco, drop everything and go find some). I love the tacos I’ve found all across the U.S., but admittedly, nothing beats the motherland. 

Summer is here and it is essential to keep yourself healthy and hydrated in the sweltering heat. The great news is that eating healthy is not as complicated as you think. There are endless dishes that are meant to be enjoyed in the summer and are actually healthy! 

Contemporary Greek cuisine makes use mostly of vegetables, olive oil, fish, grains, and some meat. Rabbit and beef are popular occurrences, while pork is not used as much. The local cheeses and olives also make up a big part of the diet, as well as yogurt, greens (horta), and herbs (oregano, rosemary).

Fish and other seafood are highly perishable commodities. In order to maximize their value, the freshness quality must be maintained. It is not uncommon to find fish at the point of sale exhibiting off odors and flavors.

Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, maintaining a healthy diet while on the road can be a challenge. Travelers, especially those traveling for the first time, tend to underestimate the detrimental effects poor dietary choices can have on one's health.

With a mountain of delectable cheese, fresh veggies, tasty sauces and a mixture of meats placed into the multiple consecutive slices of belt-loosening elation, a yummy pizza never fails to spectacularly make us drool.

As summer is just around the corner, it’s time to pack bags and travel to beautiful places. And if you have yet to pay India a visit, this is a great time for you to do so! The months of May, June, and July are known to be the ideal for traveling in India. Railway stations, airports are flooded with people as millions of people travel from one place to another, but you’re guaranteed to have lots of fun! 

Whether you are preparing a gourmet spread or a simple salad, most of the time, cooking involves some form of chopping or dicing. For anyone who would like to become a great cook, knife skills are part of the basics to be mastered. 

Did you know that in 2015, France had the most international tourist arrivals in the world? A year later, it still ranked as the most visited European country, with 81 million foreign visitors traveling to this magnificent country. 

There are a lot of things you can do in order to stay healthy. Daily exercises, for example, is an important aspect of keeping your body in great shape. However, one should note that exercise alone is not enough. In order to establish and maintain a healthy body, mind, and soul, a healthy diet is key. That said, I happen to believe that it is best to keep your tummy full while watching your diet at the same time. 

The combined effects of the biochemical process that occur in your body on a cellular level are called metabolism. They make it possible for you to digest food, think, move and perform all the functions of a living being. Your metabolism is the powerhouse that keeps your body going. Genetics have a large role to play in determining your metabolic rate. But eating right can also speed it up naturally.

Ah, summer! With this ‘hot’ season just around the corner, many of us are on the hunt for cool desserts recipes – from ice creams to frozen yogurt to popsicles –  to whip up right in our own kitchen. Why should you make it yourself – you asked? Because making it at home offers control over the ingredients (and quantities) making for healthy versions of our favorite summer treats!

There are few things in life more refreshing than luxury wine tours of picturesque wineries offering quality wine. However, if you haven’t been on wine tasting tours before, you need to know a couple of things before you plan one.

The ruling opinion is that only overweight people are turning to vegetarianism under the pretext to lose weight. Perhaps some part of it is true, but the fact is that there are many reasons why someone would give up meat and/or products from animals. Perhaps it comes to health reasons, perhaps ideological, maybe material, but most often it is a great love for animals.

There's much more to coffee than cheap filters and sell-by beans one can easily pick up at their neighborhood grocery store. In fact, some countries have gone above and beyond when it comes to their java.

This year, I celebrated my ninth year of veganism. It’s been a wild ride, filled with yummy food, from, salads, soups, and stews, to delicious veggies, awesome fruits, but also greasy vegan burgers, French fries and candy. 

I’ll admit it: I’m a bit of a coffee fanatic. It’s the first thing I need when getting up in the morning and it’s also my go-to in the afternoon when I need a bit of a boost. But, it’s not just the caffeine content that I love. Talk to any barista that has dedicated years of their life to coffee, and you’ll start to understand how this humble bean can root itself in your memories, relationships and your creative pursuits. I say this not to pontificate, but to draw attention to the fact that coffee is much more than just a quick buzz.

My love for Greece dates back to my first years as a freelance writer and was a direct result of my years working in a travel agency. My job used to involve meeting and talking to service providers in Greece. It didn’t take very long for me to fall in love with the country and, once I set foot there myself, my love became even deeper.

They say that the best experiences are those that catch you by surprise. Well, on my recent visit to Bali, the breathtaking destination dubbed as ‘the Island of the Gods’, I was treated to an unexpected yet unforgettable culinary adventure. 

Did you know that about 1.6 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day?

Most of us ‘geek out’ on coffee daily but never realized the reasons behind it. People all over the world enjoy coffee, and for many, it is their ‘go-to’ drink. Sometimes, there’s simply nothing as amazing as enjoying cup coffee accompanied by good music, especially on a first date. That said, sipping coffee in a café or a restaurant is not the only way one can enjoy the full taste of this incredible drink.

The snow is melting, the flowers are starting to bloom, and the farmer markets are starting to burst with fresh produce. Spring is around the corner and the buzz of the new season gets all of us excited! For us, there’s simply not better way to kick off this delightful season than with a culinary vacation!

Confession time: I have never been a fan of breakfast. In the best case, “breakfast” to me meant a cup of black coffee before heading out to classes or, later, before I start to write. Sometimes, “breakfast” actually ended up being “lunch” because I would end up eating my first meal after the clock strikes noon. That’s basically how my eating habits have been since my University years. 

Are you looking for awesome ideas to help you plan your next great adventure? In order to truly make the most of your travels, keep in mind that you can only grow and enrich your life by doing something you have yet to try. So instead of setting yourself up for yet another touristy sight-seeing trip, why not try something different for a change?

With so many things to do in a day, many of us are left with very little time to cook. So if you’re looking for quick and easy home cook meal ideas, on this post, Mamma Ornella of Villa La Rogaia is sharing an incredibly simple pork roast recipe that makes a delicious dinner to be enjoyed with family and friends.

The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in any home or restaurants. With this busyness come a number of items and appliances which are almost recyclable and which should not fill landmines or be disposed of aimlessly.

Turns out that this winter is proving to be quite feisty, hitting European countries with days on end of below-freezing temps during the day. It’s certainly not a pleasure to have to go out.  

Have you got something special planned for Valentine’s Day? If your answer is something like “yes - dinner and a movie” or “yes – we’ll order pizza and watch a marathon of our favorite show”, then this article may just come in handy.  

While almonds have a high content of antioxidants and a lot of nutritional benefits, you might not want to supplement your diet or healthcare program with handful after handful of raw nuts. Fortunately, almonds are highly versatile. They can be used in a huge number of dishes, from western chickens to eastern style stir fries and curries.

Having just spent five marvelous weeks in Italy enjoying (a bit too much) cheese, learning to make pizza, and spending (a whole lot of) money on olives at the farmers’ market, it comes to no surprise that I talk about visiting the country every chance I get. 

Having a bad day? Whatever it is that ails you, sometimes, there’s nothing that will soothe your soul quite like comfort foods.

Are you tired of cooking the same old dishes? Are you bored of eating at the same restaurants? Maybe you’re simply not in the mood to cook at home, or you just don’t feel like having anything in particular. 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ―Hippocrates

Did you know that the immune system’s army is in the stomach? And to keep the army healthy, you need to feed it good nourishment.

Talon Windwalker is a single parent, author, writer, former hospice chaplain, Zen monk, ultra-runner, snowshoer, endurance cyclist, certified endurance running coach, scuba instructor, photographer, and lover of travelling, languages, and cultures. 

In this digital era, posting and sharing photos of food on the web and/or social media platforms is considered the norm. Whether it is sharing their own food creations or dining out at a hip and happening restaurant, self-proclaimed food lovers always make the time to update and share their food posts to their friends, families and even strangers!

Another year has come and gone, leaving quite a lot of useful lessons for everyone. And we, at BookCulinaryVacations.com, learned – more than ever before – that it’s important to find joy in the simplest of things – especially when it comes to food. Whether it’s whipping out our favorite dishes, discovering a new recipe or exploring a charming farmers’ market, as food lovers, we adore it all.

Whether you plan to travel with your loved one for your honeymoon, a special anniversary or Valentine’s Day, why not mix your affinity for food and love for travel in a culinary vacation for couples?

Food. Oh, Glorious Food! Like many other travel bloggers, I plan much of my trip around finding and tasting interesting local foods. And with each trip, I’ve found at least one dish to “fall in love” with.

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” – George Bernard Shaw

Good food creates memories, and makes the heart grow fonder. Food is an intimate affair and many couples make it a big part of their travels. Whether you plan to head to the beach together, explore a cultural destination, or plan a weekend getaway, finding a destination which offers excellent food choices and romantic things to do may be a bit challenging.  

Affordable culinary destinations are an excellent choice for travelers that don’t really enjoy luxury travel. But, on the other hand, they want to get the most out of their vacation and experience interesting things to do while not burning holes in their pockets. Don’t think it’s possible? Think again!

Thinking of going on a culinary vacation? Here’s a great tip that might just save you the hassle of planning! Put your phone to good use and load up a couple of apps to make vacation planning a smooth affair!  

Between accepting invitations to parties, planning visits to relatives, and deciding what to prepare for the Holiday meals, that little nagging voice comes to the surface and reminds us that unless we are careful, Santa may also bring us some unwanted pounds.

Did you know that there are more than 200 million food blogs out there? And a lot of them are pretty amazing. If you haven’t figured out by now, we love to scour the world wide web to find food blogs that make us drool onto our keyboards (rhetorically AND literally). Afterall, somebody has to do the ‘grunt’ work, right?. Lucky for you, we decided to put our heads together to come up with a list of our top 50 favorite food blogs! 

If you are hosting a New Year’s Eve party, you will want to have some easy cocktail recipes handy to entertain your guests.  

Gone are the days when travelers were looking only to tick off sights from a travel guide. Now it’s all about experiences, and in particular, culinary experiences.

In a survey by BookCulinaryVacations.com, where more than 300 travelers were asked about their travel habits in the summer of 2016 and 15% of respondents said their next vacation would most likely be a culinary focused experience!

All over the world, Christmas traditions of a country often reflect its culture. While there are similarities between countries located within the same region, there’s always something unique to each destination and this usually includes food.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The lights adorn the cities, the Christmas markets are in full swing, and the search for easy to make Christmas cookies and sweets is on the way.

Find out the latest news on various food, wine and culinary travel as well interesting related content on our blog!

Italy is heaven for foodies. However, it is also easy to fall into a tourist restaurant in places like Rome, Florence, or Venice and have a meal that might have been better at an American-Italian restaurant.

If you’re looking to experience authentic traditional food and drink in Italy, there are both well-known and off-the-beaten-path destinations to add to your itinerary. 

Fall is a colorful and exciting season. With the onset of the first signs of fall foliage in Umbria, you can hear the echo of the hunters’ calling from hill to hill. That marks the start of the high season for typical fall dishes.

Though it’s not exactly a new trend, the vegan diet has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Veganism has been practiced for centuries as part of religious fasting. Followers eat a plant-based diet, avoiding all animal products.

Dating back to the European Middle Ages, Christmas Markets are now a common occurrence in most European cities. The tradition also moved to North America and Asia, so Christmas fairs open each year in USA, Canada, Japan, and China.

Ask any food lover and chances are their bucket list includes eating pasta in Italy. One of the most well-known and probably the best cuisine in the world, Italian cuisine, has its roots dating back to ancient times.

Need inspiration for some easy yet delectable Halloween treats that you can whip up yourself? Looking for recipes to make you the star of the neighborhood?

Have you always wondered what ingredients are included in curry powder? Or what the most expensive spice in the world is? And what exactly is the difference between chopping and dicing? If you answered a resounding “Yes!” to any (or all) of these questions, you’re in for a treat! 

If there's one thing to be learned from a lifetime spent traveling and enjoying good food from all cultures and countries, it's that foods cooked on a stick hold universal appeal no matter where you roam. There's hardly an inhabited place to be found on this planet that doesn't count some sort of skewered delight among the hallmarks of its cuisine. Aside from the fact that bite-sized food just tastes better, expediency and convenience are usually the main draws with edibles of this nature. They can be eaten quickly, don't require table setting or flatware in order to enjoy them, and are so easy to transport that one can even eat while walking! 

Let’s face it, we’re all busy. It appears that being busy is the ‘plague’ of the 21st century. So, it’s no wonder that many of us are constantly looking for ways to speed up various tasks – including cooking. But alas, speeding up the cooking process in the kitchen isn’t always an easy task. That said, just because you can’t really cut down vegetable cooking times, or decrease the time it takes to bake a pie doesn’t mean that you can’t become more efficient in the kitchen! 

Claire and Rosemary of Authentic Food Quest have a mission that we at BookCulinaryVacations.com can’t help but believe in. Through their globetrotting adventures, they’ve set their eyes on transforming travelers’ experience through the discovery and knowledge of authentic foods. These lovely ladies have lived in Chicago, Paris and Los Angeles and have visited a total of 27 countries and 29 states in the U.S thus far. These days, they’re living it up as digital nomads discovering authentic food all around South America and South Asia and sharing plenty of delectable discoveries with their readers along the way. 

One of the most beautiful and culturally rich European countries,Greece has always charmed us. The birthplace of democracy, the capital of Athens is a mix of old and new, with a heavy sprinkle of Greek hospitality. Pristine beaches, rugged mountains, monasteries which seem to float in the sky, and mouth-watering dishes, all come together to create the Greece we love to explore.

Ask travelers what their ideal holiday looks like and you get an array of answers. Some may enjoy the day at a beach on a tropical island, others may love to explore bustling cities, or cycle through incredible scenery. Romantics may want to ride horses on a deserted beach and foodies love going on a street four tour.

If you’re a wine and travel enthusiast, chances are, you’ve already made your way to France, Spain and/or Italy on a wine-themed holiday. If you be looking for a new destination that offers excellent wine, why not consider Bulgaria? Here are 7 great reasons that ought to convince you! 

Cooking is an activity that is often viewed as fun and relaxing so it’s no surprise that many food lovers around the globe consider it as one of their favorite hobbies! That said, others may prefer to cook for a variety of reasons such as: to maintain a healthier lifestyle, to lose some weight, or to save money by preparing their own fresh meals at home instead of dining out.

Admittedly, we at BookCulinaryVacations.com would salivate over the mere thought of Thai food! We adore the myriad of exciting flavors harmonized within each Thai dish. Afterall, who could ever say “no” to the experience of having sweet, salty, spicy, and sour flavors all on a single plate?

For many food lovers, Anthony Bourdain may just have one of the coolest jobs ever. He gets to explore different countries, learn about their culture, meet interesting people, and constantly enjoy tons of scrumptious food. Though we’re more than envious, it’s fair to say that Bourdain deserves to have his awesome job. He appears to have his very own ‘super power’ that help us comprehend why food is one of the most important elements in creating a true human connection. 

The wonders of Italy are no secret to the world: mouthwatering food, astonishing art, avant-garde fashion, selected wines, and spectacular landscapes… the list seems to be endless! But you may not know what the Italians truly have to say about their beautiful country and its gastronomic treasures. The foodie team of BookCulinaryVacations.com chatted with Casa Laura, a culinary travel organizer based in the Amalfi Coast about the highlights of a culinary experience in Italy. Get ready to discover the local perspective of an authentically stunning destination!

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and if you have yet to get your mom and/or the mother of your children a gift, you’re in for a treat because we have delicious ideas to share with you! 

As an enthusiastic vegan and traveler, Maricel Lukkanit​, from Vegan Crush, created an extraordinary event where scrumptious food, good company, and comfortable ambiance come together in one memorable dinner. At the Supper Club events, the menu is never the same, but you can expect a tasty surprise on every dinner. Even vegan versions of international dishes that would conventionally include meat as part of the ingredients. 

After a long and stressful week, nothing spells out relaxation like a fine glass of wine. As the say “wine a bit and you’ll feel better” – indulging in a couple of glasses of wine at a lounge or at the comfort of your living room is one thing, but to enjoy them where they are made is an experience that will spark your senses to life!

Earth Day is a special day where we celebrate and thank our planet for providing us with all life’s necessities – and this certainly includes food! This day also acts as a reminder of a call to action for all of us to be kinder and gentler to this beautiful planet we call home. 

It’s no secret that fruits and vegetables are good for our health, but knowing the exact benefits of each food we consume enables us to be more aware of how we are nourishing our body (even our brain) and giving it what it needs. As hard as it is to believe, it is possible to take care of your health and well-being while enjoying delicious foods that you can easily find anywhere around the globe.

If you’re planning to go on a holiday in Europe, we highly suggest for you to consider heading to these two European hidden gems: Slovenia and Croatia! These two wonderful destinations are famous for their breathtaking landscapes, fine wines and delicious world-class cuisines. The great news is you can enjoy them all in just 11 days!

Time flies and before we know it, we are now already well in March and spring, one of our favorite seasons, has arrived! If you have yet to plan your spring getaway, it’s definitely not too late to start planning your trip! Lucky for you, we’re here to help.

In order to lead a healthy lifestyle, it is crucial for us to eat right. When it comes to a healthy meal, the key to getting it right is all about balance. In other words, we should be consuming a large variety of foods with the right proportions for each meal as different foods provide different types of key nutrients that are required for your body. 

At first glance, Easter may appears to be a holiday exclusively to be celebrated by Christians, but similar to Christmas, it can be a holiday that everyone - regardless of beliefs - can embrace and partake in. Easter festivities present a great opportunity for your family and friends to gather, enjoy each other’s company and indulge in plenty of delicious food!

Two years ago I had a very rude awakening. The first time I measured my glucose levels, I found out I was pre-diabetic. I was age 45, had been a nutritionist for 5 years and was eating what I thought was the healthiest diet on the planet: all organic, local, home cooked and Paleo foods. But something was not right. I was gaining weight. I was always hungry. I also had joint and lower back pain.

Renowned for their fine wines, vibrant culture and delicious cuisines, it would be easy for one to fall head over heels for the beautiful country that is France. Though most would already be familiar with its major cities and provinces such as Paris, Burgundy, and Provence, many of us may not have heard of the more subtle yet equally as wonderful regions like Loire Valley (located in Central France).

With the myriad of cuisines around the world, hands down, Italian food has been a favorite to many. Hence, it’s no surprise that you probably can find Italian dishes being served on the dining table in nearly every household.

There’s no better way to experience a city’s beating heart than by visiting the local markets. Wherever I travel to, whether it be Croatia, Turkey or Vietnam, I always make sure that a visit to a local market is a feature of my stay. The markets are always a hive of activity and I love watching the locals bargaining, sampling and socialising in their communities. I’ve just returned from five days in London and managed to experience three iconic London markets during my time there; ones that any traveller to London shouldn’t miss.

If you too are a big fan of “MasterChef”, one of the most popular cooking shows on television, chances are you’d remember its first and only blind contestant, the formidable Ms. Christine Ha. You may also recall that this lovely Vietnamese American chef, had defied all odds when she was named the reigning champion of season 3.  

With Cupid’s favorite day fast approaching, you probably end up finding yourselves buying the usual flower bouquet or a heart-shaped box of chocolates for your loved ones. Don’t get us wrong, though we agree that it’s the thought that counts most, perhaps this time around, we can be a little less predictable and give our loved ones a gift that is a bit more unique.

A kitchen is a magical place where all the amazing and delicious food we love were created. It is also a place where all great chefs got their start. It is where they first discovered their gift and passion for cooking which changed their lives forever.

Several years ago, I quit my job, sold everything I owned and since then, traveled around the world to over 70 countries and territories. I have flown hundreds of thousands of miles and slept in all sorts of places. The experience has turned my life upside down and made me who I am today.

With the brand new year, we are given another opportunity to turn over a new leaf. It’s a fresh and clean slate for us to kick our bad habits to the curb and replace them with habits that will take us closer to the best and happiest version of ourselves. For many, this most likely includes shedding excess weight, becoming healthier and getting in a fitter shape.

As big time foodies, my hubby & I love to try different vegetarian cuisines. With that passion, I loved and enjoyed cooking. The main reason for starting my food blog is to primarily keep a record of all sorts of the recipes that I’ve tried. Instead of writing everything that I have learnt down in a notebook, the perks of publishing it on the internet would help not only me, but to others who are looking for new and interesting recipes.

Do you consider yourself a food enthusiast?

If you do, what if we were to ask you to help yourself to a hearty serving of haggis, muk tuk, and/or Balut as a part of your meals today? Are you brave enough to take up the challenge?

It’s finally that special time of the year again; the familiar Christmas tunes and holiday jingles playing on your favorite radio stations, and for the much of western hemisphere, gone are the warmth of the sun as the chilly breeze starts to kick in. With the increasingly dreary and cold weather, it becomes harder to resist the temptation of staying at home - only to come out of “hiding” when the season ends.

It's no secret to food lovers that Japan is home to a vast array of wonderful cuisine. Not everyone knows, however, that some of the best eating can be found not in glittering rooftop lounges, but in the labyrinthine subterranean department store levels that house the food halls known as depachika. While many exist throughout Japan, here are seven located in Tokyo that simply must be experienced on your next visit.

With Halloween came and gone, the holiday season is now officially in high gear and here at BookCulinaryVacations.com, we are simply riddled with excitement. 

Next up, it’s time to celebrate [American] Thanksgiving, a holiday which traditionally represents a significant meaning in giving thanks for the year’s blessings. It’s a cherished day where those who celebrate it would gather with their family and friends to express their gratitude with a joyful heart, and of course, with an abundance of scrumptious food!

Though many people still perceive veganism as a type of diet, those who had chosen to become a vegan insist that it is far beyond that – it is a way of life. The reasons for people to adopt the vegan lifestyle greatly vary – from an effort to improve their health and wellness, to contributing to the end of exploitation of animals, to helping to protect the environment and many more.

One of the things I love about the Caribbean is enjoying the exotic authentic flavors of the local street food vendors. And Barbados is queen of the crop when its comes to authentic local street food or as we say in the Caribbean "food made pon de road side". These foods are made by local cooks all over the islands who sell their scrumptious delights on the local beaches, street corners, rum shops, and farmers markets. 

I had a rather clumsy entrance into the world of gluten-free diets. For a while, it would be apt to say I full on rebelled against it. You see, I found out that gluten was the enemy right after I discovered my true calling in life. As luck would have it, I had landed my dream career in a charming little cake boutique as head pastry chef, and all of a sudden, my life started to fall apart.

Unless you have been living under a rock, chances are, you’ve heard of Bali, one of the world’s most renowned and popular tropical destinations. To quote the Lonely Planet, the preferred go-to-guide for travelers around the globe: “The mere mention of Bali evokes thoughts of a paradise. It's more than a place; it's a mood, an aspiration, a tropical state of mind”.

With countless choices of great culinary and wine blogs available on the web, the team at BookCulinaryVacations.com had recently put our heads together to narrow down a collective list of the top 50 of our favorites.

The Vegan way of life has surged in popularity in the past few years thanks to A list celebrities - the likes of Brad Pitt, Ellen de Generes, and Anne Hathaway, as well as respected public figures such as Bill Clinton, who have been very much vocal about their commitment to a lifestyle of zero consumption of animal products.

It is not every day that you get the opportunity to win a week long cooking holiday in Umbria, Italy while enjoying the beautiful nature that this scenic region has to offer. Fortunately for me, a couple months ago BookCulinaryVacations.com and Podere le Olle joined forces with IENS to hold a giveaway that enabled me to do just that!

When one finds themselves searching for vacations or holiday ideas on the web, countless images of blue oceans and white beaches would likely to pop up - redefining the mainstream idea of what a typical holiday should look like.

In today’s digital age, it comes to no surprise that posting food photos across social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google + and even Pinterest has become an all out trend. Many food lovers around the world seek to share their gastronomic experiences to their family and friends. Whether they are cooking, eating, or dining at a newly opened or popular restaurant, they want to savor the experience and tell share their experience to their network, with emphasis on “you should try it out too!”.

Cave Dining is all the rage these days, however any initial search for global locales to channel your inner Flintstone is likely to turn up the same handful of restaurants. Because there’s a big, juicy world out there just begging to be tasted, let’s dig a bit deeper, shall we? The following establishments may not be as ubiquitous as a select few have become, but the restaurants listed here offer up ambiance and menu selections that seem destined to change that soon enough. 

Renowned for its rich flavors, colors and ample use of spices, Indian cuisine can now be easily found and enjoyed without having to travel all the way to its origin country. Indian dishes such as kebabs, chicken tikka masala, biryani, curries, masala dosa and the humble naan bread, for example, are now so immensely popular that for many foodies, they’re no longer percieved as foreign.

The world loves Italian food. With Italian restaurants easily found all over the globe, it's safe to say that Italian is among the most widely eaten cuisines on the planet, and experts say it’s also one of the healthiest! Yet when we think of popular dishes such as pizza and pasta served at restaurants outside Italy, they are often loaded with rich toppings, dripping with heavy sauces, and packed with calories and carbohydrates that it hardly seems like a healthy option! It really got us thinking that perhaps what we recognize as “Italian food” overseas isn’t real Italian food after all?

As you probably already gathered, the BookCulinaryVacations.com’s team is a tad obsessed with all things food related, this certainly also rings true when it comes to words of wisdom! In fact, we've scoured all over the web for quotes that resonated with our proud foodie souls - we even created some of our own! Now that we've rounded up quite the collection of "Food for thoughts" over on our Pinterest board, we would love to share it with you. 

Started in 2001 by writer, Marty Martindale, as “Food Site of the Day”, Foodsite Magazine aims to share its comprehensive food knowledge to the cooking challenged. Unlike many of today's food blogs and websites which often focus upon gourmet cooking and "making fine cooks finer", Marty and her site opt to empower those who feel less than confident of their skills in the kitchen by providing useful food related information including nutrition, cooking methods, serving ideas, and even links to other food sites that offer delicious recipes for readers to give a go.

Let's face it, it's highly unlikely that Father's day will be as hyped up as Mother's day is ever going to be. In our opinion, it's definitely one of the most understated holidays of the year. Whether we are talking about our own dad or the father to your children, remember that he's a dad 365 days out of the year and only gets this one special holiday to truly "rule" the house. These special men in our lives deserves to be pampered so this year, let's make sure that Father's day doesn't slip under the radar and make sure we have a perfect father’s day gift on hand.

With more and more people opting for the Vegetarian and Vegan way of life, there are still some who wonder whether such lifestyles are merely fads. 

If you’ve been considering of making the shift from eating out and purchasing fast or processed food to preparing more of your own meals, you are in luck! We at BookCulinaryVacations.com are avid fans of the culinary arts. 

Because we believe that sharing is caring, we'd like to share our list of partners who love food, wine, travel, and simply living life to the fullest as much as we do!

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands - Travellers today demand more. They want more than the usual run of the mill sightseeing tours and heritage walks. They want to be involved not only with the location, but also with the people who built it, to experience the culture through the eyes of the locals. What better way to be immersed in a foreign culture than to learn the secrets of its cuisine and taste the food that the locals pride themselves for.

Before the turkey, poultry was imported in Greece. Each region of Greece had its own food for Christmas time. Some dishes with pork, and others with duck, goose, wild boar, or rooster. In the Cretan Christmas table, pork was mainly used and this was due to the Choirosfagia (sacrificial pork). The butchering of faltered pig, brought up with particular care from households of Cretan and Greek rural areas, was certainly the most generalized custom in Greek cooking, with roots from the antiquity.

By Gin - My sister and I were looking for a special vacation for my 60th birthday. I found BookCulinaryVacations.com and the first cooking vacation I looked at was Ann's Point Inn. We had the best time and the food was spectacular! The whole culinary experience was beyond my greatest expectations.

Schiacciata is a classic Tuscan bread that is made with simple ingredients. Historically, women in Italy bake this bread for the miners to bring as their meals. It is a good source of energy and easy to preserve.

Our food and wine tour in Crete was amazing and George was the most generous host and excellent cook. At least ten different plates served at breakfast, totally over the top lunches, and we cooked dinner every night with George, except for the cave dinner. We were treated to an ancient shepherds’ mystical cave dinner serving ancient Minoan foods. This has to be the most amazing food experience ever, certainly up there with anything we've experienced.

Cretan cuisine is one of the most tastiest and healthiest cuisines in the world. From historical evidence and mythology, we learn about Cretans’ nutritional preferences throughout the centuries as well as their fondness for basic products. Cretan food is said to be the ideal diet which ensures good health and long life. Research shows that people who eat according to Crete’s traditional ways, have less chance of suffering from heart disease, and are generally healthier even than people living in the neighboring Mediterranean countries.

Our Italian cooking holiday at Podere le Olle in Umbria was fabulous. The venue is stunning and the couple who run it are really wonderful, genuine and welcoming. We enjoyed good food and wine, good company and great scenery. It gets a gold star from both me and my husband. We would go back in the blink of an eye. We could not have made it more perfect a holiday if we had designed it in detail ourselves!

Gozo is truly a gem in the treasure trove of the Mediterranean. I've lived here all my life, although Maltese, I do consider myself to be a true Gozitan and having traveled in the name of food for many years I know and understand the importance of finding the indigenous dishes and food of the area you're visiting. When you live and eat like a local you fall in love with the place you visit and the whole experience moves up a level.

In March 2012, we went to Taveuni island in Fiji for a family vacation. As soon as we landed, our driver, Babu, greeted us by name, loaded our bags, and whisked us around the corner to Taveuni Palms. When we arrived, the staff was singing, clapping, and smiling. Kelly was there to meet us and gave us a giant hug. A lovely refreshing coconut drink was placed in our hands and flowers were hung around our necks. It was such a lovely warm welcome. Kelly walked us to our villa where chilled champagne and gorgeous flowers awaited.

When I think of Wildwood Valley in Yallingup, the first thing that springs to mind is the gorgeous views across the valley, and all the way to one of my favourite beaches, Smiths Beach. The Honeybee Cottage, the accommodation we had booked for the weekend, is self-contained and there really is not anything you could want for. I love a place that displays personal touches like flowers placed in the room from the garden and fresh milk in the fridge, it is like coming home. I have stayed at Wildwood many times before but really wanted to try one of their weekend cooking class and I was happy my partner Rob was keen to try it out.

Galenus, the Roman inventor of pharmacology, knew it already: in the 2nd century AD he wrote that Sabina olive oil was the best in the ancient world. Not much has changed today. The green, rolling hills of Sabina are dotted with olive groves and still produce very special extra virgin olive, which is light but full of flavour at the same time. Sabina is a beautiful region of central Italy, very close to Rome yet completely unspoilt, which produces great cheeses, cured meats, organic fruit and vegetables, excellent wine, and even ancient varieties of wheat and lentils.

We love to receive your culinary holiday pictures. Our guest authors have sent many pictures to us, some of them were used for the articles but some of them did not make the cut. We would like to show some of those unpublished photos here. These pictures were sent by Stella, Fran, and Maria while they were enjoying a culinary holiday in Fiji, Chile, and Bangkok respectively. Enjoy!

I was planning to go to Bangkok for the first time to visit a good friend of mine and at the same time take advantage of learning authentic Thai cooking. I was eager to know how to prepare authentic Thai cuisine and the different herbs and spices that they use. The ingredients for the chillies in Thai recipes is available in supermarkets, but for me, it is much more fun if you're going to do it yourself! I can just imagine my students taking turns in pounding and grinding all those chilli peppers and tasting it if it is hot enough. I browsed the internet for a good cooking school in Bangkok and saw Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy website. I emailed its owner, Mr. Ronald Estrada and asked him if he can reserve a slot for me on the Thursday and Friday classes. Mr. Estrada was gracious enough to accommodate my requests and looked forward to seeing me in class.

On Sunday, my family, which included my husband and me, along with his brother and his wife, arrived at the Casa Gregorio in Castro dei Volsci, Italy, along with ten other Americans, to learn to become Italian cooks in five days. Casa Gregorio is a restored villa in a beautiful walled town on top of a hill midway between Rome and Naples; the house has been made into a comfortable and cozy hotel that was perfect for our four husband and wife combinations, one mother-daughter set, one pair of women traveling together, and two women traveling solo. We ranged in age from mid-twenties to seventies, united in the desire to cook like native Italians.

Walking into the kitchen at Casa Carmelita, one is instantly drawn to the imposing cursive inscription on the wall: “Acercate al amor y a la cocina con desenfreno imprudente,” which translates to: “Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.” While the Dalai Lama should be given credit for the original quotation, it seems Estella and Jon, the proprietors of the Mexican Home Cooking School, have found a way to embody those sentiments at their tranquil Bed and Breakfast in Tlaxcala, a state in Central Mexico.

I booked this break with my stepson in order to learn more about Italian cooking. Ever since I retired fourteen years ago, I have developed an interest in cooking and I am continuing to improve my skills. I enjoy a variety of tastes namely Indian, Thai, Chinese, and Moroccan. But Italian has been a favourite of mine for many years. I wanted to improve from our ‘Britalian’ way of cooking and get down to the authentic Italian way! Convivio Rome gave me that experience. 

The Groupon/Social Living offer arrived in my mailbox in June, just the day after I had given up on trying to plan a trip to Sicily. Well! My traveling companion speaks Spanish and is a very good cook. Would she be equally agreeable going to La Villa Bonita instead? Yes, she would. We made our reservations for October and booked our flights. Five months later, we boarded our flights on to our culinary destination! Robb, Chef Ana’s husband, met us at the airport in Mexico City with the couple’s youngest son. The drive along the tollway was swift and beautiful, and we soon arrived in the small town of Tepotztlan. Its narrow cobblestone streets and colorful buildings were charming but not surprising, as both Shirley and I have lived previously in various parts of Mexico.

I went to India from June to October 2012 for a volunteering project. My final week in India was spent in the Kerala midlands, quite off the tourist trail, at a place called The Pimenta. I planned the time here with the intention of learning how to cook delicious vegetarian Keralan food, which I definitely feel like I did, though having not been back in my own kitchen yet I haven’t tested out whether any of my new skills have been retained. It was a busy week, with mornings out exploring the local area, visiting food markets and buying ingredients, and afternoons cooking up a feast for the evening meal.

Mapuyampay is the creation of Belgium-born chef Ruth Van Waerebeek and her Chilean husband Vincente Escobar. They bought the land fifteen years ago and laid every stone and planted every rose bush themselves. Labor of love doesn’t begin to describe Mapuyampay. As vineyards grew up around them, Mapuyampay developed into an oasis of calm and relaxation. A secret garden with dangling vines and fragrant flowers, plush pillows and French doors that lead out onto an expansive lawn, a brook that really does babble and arching footbridges.