5 Tips for Dining Out in Italy
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips
Food, of course, is a staple wherever you go. But the customs that come with dining are different just about everywhere you go too. For starters, when visiting Italy, it's worthwhile to know that dinner tends to be later there than in the U.S., and often starts anywhere between 7:30 and 9pm. (And this is true of much of Europe too). It's also important to make reservations whenever you can… Read
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How Do I Choose a Cooking Vacation?
Filed Under Travel Tips, What's Up at TIK
One of our favorite ways to discover a place: through it's food of course! We know that when it comes to travel and food there are so many opportunities to explore, so much so that it can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to deciding on a trip! But with more than 20 years of experience in culinary tourism, we're happy to help you figure out what YOU are… Read
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Christmas Eve Memories and Traditions Around the World
Filed Under Special Occasions, What's Up at TIK
While the Christmas season begins well before December 24 in many parts of the world -- December 8 in Italy, the Day of the Immaculate Conception; and December 6 in France, the Feast of St. Nicholas, for example -- it's Christmas Eve that marks the beginning of the major Christian holiday for many. For my family growing up, it meant heading over to my Irish grandmother's house where she'd always… Read
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Christmas Muffins from Chef Katerina in Greece
Filed Under Recipes, Special Occasions
We love our Greek cooking vacations, and think anything Greek is sure to please. And when it comes to the Christmas holiday in Greece, there are traditions galore -- and many of them surround food! Many of them too relate to keeping bad spirits -- known as "kallikantzaroi' - away. These kallikantzaroi, as the stories go, get in through the chimney and make trouble by doing things like putting out… Read
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Praline Macaron Recipe
Filed Under Cooking Videos, Recipes
Macarons aren't only delicious, but they're also a beautiful dessert, one that often graces tables around France come the holiday season (and all year round for that matter). They can be used as part of other desserts, like a Buche de Noel (Christmas log) or enjoyed all on their own. While they may take some time to master, they're well worth it… Here's just one of our favorite recipes come… Read
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Le Réveillon in France for Christmas Eve and a Roasted Fig Recipe
Filed Under Destination Features, Recipes, Special Occasions
The French know gourmet cuisine, which is why we feature so many culinary vacations in France. This is no more evident than on the holidays. Le Réveillon is one of the biggest meals of the year, and it's served on Christmas Eve following midnight mass. Yes, you read that right - it takes place after midnight; hence the word 'réveillon' means 'awakening' as the dinner often goes into the early… Read
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Ile Flottante (or Floating Island) Recipe on a French Cooking Vacation
Filed Under Recipes, Special Occasions
When it comes to Christmas celebrations in France, a lot of traditions revolve around food, and you can learn them on a French cooking vacation with The International Kitchen. A lot of those French food traditions revolve around dessert. After all, Provence has their 13 desserts for Christmas Eve! In terms of classic French desserts come the holidays, it's often the Buche de Noel (or Christmas Yule Log) that's talked… Read
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Five Things You Shouldn't Do While on a Culinary Vacation in France
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips
There are some stereotypes when it comes to the food of France… that it's inaccessible, that it's hard to replicate back home, that it's all gourmet cuisine. While the French do offer some gourmet delicacies - like foie gras - don't let any of those stereotypes stop you from experiencing the cuisine firsthand on a culinary vacation in France. It's true that the French love and appreciate their food, and… Read
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Pane Rustico (or Rustic Bread) Recipe from Italy
Filed Under Recipes, Special Occasions
While the Thanksgiving table is often packed full of a variety of dishes, don't forget about the bread, whether it's roll or a loaf (or even cornbread)! One of the reasons we love bread on the table with a meal, whether it's Thanksgiving or not, is to clean our plates of gravy and sauces with the bread. Plus the bread is good to have on hand for after Thanksgiving when… Read
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Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers Recipe from Abruzzo, Italy
Filed Under Food History, Recipes
The turkey isn't the only thing that can be stuffed come Thanksgiving. If you're looking for something fun and different to serve on the holiday, here's one idea: a hearty dish of stuffed peppers like we make on our culinary vacations in Abruzzo. Just as stuffing recipes vary in the U.S., so too do stuffed pepper recipes in Italy. Stuffed pepper recipes are often passed down from generation to generation,… Read
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