Recipes
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Summer Couscous with Seafood
This recipe comes from the kitchen of Paola’s nephew, Claudio Malpezzi and the staff at the Titon Restaurant in Cesenatico, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Some of you may be interested in the Malpezzi family background to this recipe. Claudio is the youngest… Read full article
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Panforte with Hazelnut & Almonds
“Panforte” means “tough bread” in Italian. It is somewhat similar to a Christmas fruit cake, American-style. Panforte and Panettone are the ultimate Christmas or holiday Italian dessert. Panforte is originally from Tuscany, and the Panforte di Siena is considered the… Read full article
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Nonno Bruno’s Crema (Vanilla Custard)
Nonno Bruno’s Vanilla Custard This quick and easy dessert comes straight from Italy My grandfather, Bruno (Paola Malpezzi Price’s father) owned and operated hotels and restaurants for most of his life. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of… Read full article
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Ireland: Move Over, Guinness – When It’s Hot, Hard Cider Hits the Spot
Ireland: Move Over, Guinness – When It’s Hot, Hard Cider Hits the Spot When I was in Ireland last summer for our Cycling the Emerald Isle tour, I noticed an interesting thing: as it got hotter, people were drinking less… Read full article
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Greek Christopsomo (Christmas bread)
Greek Christopsomo (Christmas bread) THE RECIPE: Ingredients: 1/2 c.milk 1 c. butter 2/3 c. sugar 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. crushed anise seed 2 pkg. active dry yeast 1/2 c. lukewarm water 1 tsp. sugar 4 eggs 5 1/2-6… Read full article
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Super Easy Bruschetta
Super Easy Bruschetta This is a quick and easy appetizer that is consistently pronounced wrong by wait staff in restaurants in the US. Say “brew-sket’-ta” not “brewsheta.” Note that the “ch” is a hard “k” sound in Italian, not a… Read full article
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Renaissance Cuisine in France and Italy
Renaissance Cuisine in France and Italy Italy’s Tuscany and France’s Loire Valley don’t have much in common as far as geography or climate are concerned, but they share a special place in the history of the European Renaissance. From Florence,… Read full article
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Leche Asada or Chilean Style Custard
Our Leche Asada or Chilean Style Custard comes to us from our Chilean Tour Leader Juan Pablo Mansilla. Juan Pablo tells us that one great thing about most Chilean recipes is that they can be expanded depending on how… Read full article
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Fichi Caramellati or Caramelized Figs
Fichi Caramellati or Caramelized Figs ExperiencePlus! cyclists on tour in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy are treated to an extraordinary lunch featuring traditional local cuisine at “The Farm”, our European Headquarters. It is an afternoon shared with our Italian staff,… Read full article
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Italy: Polenta
Italy: Polenta – The Italian Way Polenta is a simple, even modest dish, yet it occupies an important place in the cuisine of Venice and the Veneto region. It can be eaten hot or cold, broiled, grilled or cooked in… Read full article
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Cordero con ajo: Lamb with garlic
Cordero con ajo: Lamb with garlic I found this Spanish recipe in a French cookbook on Mediterranean cuisine. The chunks of lamb shanks got a bit tough with the cooking. So, careful on what kind of cut you choose! THE… Read full article
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French Béchamel Sauce
Ingredients: 3 tbsp butter or margarine 1/3 cup flour 2 cups milk 1/2 cup grated cheese or more salt and pepper to taste la technique Melt the butter or margarine in sauce pan. Add flour and stir with wisk, or… Read full article
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Mushroom Soup or Zuppa di Funghi or Soupe aux Champignons
Mushroom Soup or Zuppa di Funghi or Soupe aux Champignons As Paola says in her accompanying article on the tenuous connections between Tuscany and the Loire Valley, the two regions are quite different. But one thing they do have in… Read full article
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Ceviche a la Tica
This traditional dish is served, with different variations, in all Latin American countries with coast on the Pacific (Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Chile). It was popular in ancient Peru 2000 years ago, where the fish was marinated… Read full article
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Eggplant Mediterranean Style
Eggplant Mediterranean Style During a recent visit to Greece and its islands on our Bike, Walk and Cruise our, I rediscovered, among other things, the great flavor of eggplant with Mediterranean spices. Back in Italy I tried to reproduce the dishes… Read full article
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Rødgrød med Fløde (Danish Red Berry Pudding with Cream)
Rødgrød med Fløde (Danish Red Berry Pudding with Cream) Danes love to ask foreigners to say "Rødgrød" because it is nearly unpronounceable to those not familiar with this guttural language. The Erslevs coached their children to say it correctly… Read full article
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An Easy, Fresh Pasta Recipe
An Easy, Fresh Pasta Recipe A former tour leader, photographer, bike mechanic, and web guru extraordinaire came up with a quick pasta recipe. Ingredients: use about 1 cup of flour, 1 egg, and 1 tablespoon of water per person eating 3… Read full article
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Mussels in ‘Sauce Poulette’
Mussels in ‘Sauce Poulette’ Josette Smyrl, our French Hotel Coordinator, has sent me this recipe from her home in Provence. She had just prepared this dish for some friends, so she gladly passed it on to me to share with… Read full article