Ready, steady, cook!

Robb Y    Expert Interviews, Food & Wine, Tours & Attractions     cooking classes, learn to, life lessons

There are few activities that bring people together better than cooking. But if your contribution is usually just drooling from the kitchen door, you really need to get more involved.

Eating it is one thing, preparing it another. And there’s massive satisfaction to be had from pulling of a tasty dish – and you get to enjoy it too!

Here, Raquel from A Pinch of Salt, a hands on cooking company, shares tips and experiences for the would-be cook.

New York Walking Tours

admin    Expert Interviews, Food & Wine    

The Big Apple has an even bigger reputation. It’s a complex place, full of character and the only way to really get close to it, is to walk it!

Forget the yellow cab: slip on a pair of comfortable shoes and get discovering. Susan Birnbaum from NYC Walkabouts explains the delights and surprises that await you.

Q: Which are your favorite New York City (NYC) sights?

A: Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Wall Street (including Ground Zero), Chrysler Building and Washington Square Park.

Q: Can you define the New York City identity? read more

Why Great Ingredients Matter

Robb Y    Food & Wine, Lifestyle Activities, Tours & Attractions     city tours, learn to

Why great ingredients matter

Master chefs don’t use a magic wand. And just by making inspired combinations, they can’t guarantee any dish will taste special. So how do they do it?

Ask any dedicated cook or restaurant chef and they will tell you: it’s all about the ingredients. You can make lasagna for next to nothing if you select the cheapest mince and powdered bechamel, just don’t expect it to taste good.

Most chefs start their day read more

Cruising our great waterways

Robb Y    Food & Wine, Water Sports     city cruises, city tours, dinner cruise

“Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink,” goes the saying. True perhaps if you are adrift at sea, but on a lunch cruise there’s wine, fine food, fantastic views and all the (bottled) water you could ever drink!

The US has so many natural waterways, its little surprise that cruising around them is a popular pastime.

Across the country, the major rivers wind between states. They flow from mountain plateaus, through deltas teeming with wildlife, and to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, as well as into the Gulf of Mexico. read more

It’s wine time

Robb Y    Food & Wine, Lifestyle Activities     city tours, things to do, wine tasting

California, thanks to its great climate and fertile soil, produces fantastic wines. With a tradition of harvesting great grapes dating back to the 1700s, it has real pedigree. But to ignore the rest of the world’s wine producing regions would be a foolish move. In fact, there is so much wine grown around the globe, it takes real experts to tell the difference between a Californian Chardonnay and wine from Chardonnay! read more

Food 101 Classes

Robb Y    Food & Wine, Lifestyle Activities     cooking classes, learn to, life lessons, things to do

Here’s some food for thought.

Do you usually find yourself relegated to potato peeling during family cookouts? Do you find the world of spices confusing? Fear not, help is at hand. Experiencegifts.com offers suggestions of dozens of cooking classes to help improve your kitchen skills, and impress your friends and family.

Fresh ingredients, master chefs, and a couple of hours of culinary boot camp will soon have your cooking up to standard. Are you in the mood for Thai, Chinese, Indian or French cuisine? Well, there are more than enough options to choose from. For example, the Philadelphia Asian Cooking Class will teach you the finer skills of sushi and dim sum. And if you want to wash this down with your own signature soda, there’s Barleycorn’s Craft Brew, in Massachusetts. read more

A Life Less Ordinary

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Food & Wine, Lifestyle Activities     learn something new, learn to, life lessons, self improvement, things to do

A change is as good as a rest. So why not learn how to do something new, something challenging, and see where it leads you?

We’re not talking about getting a new haircut or wardrobe: We’re going deeper – think of health and happiness; wish fulfillment; aspirations realized; and lives lived to the fullest – so much is possible, with just a little inspiration.

From flying lessons in a Cessna 172, to trapeze lessons or cooking classes, there are options to invigorate mind, body and soul. If planes and helicopters are too much to handle, sign up for the trapeze class – you’ll still be soaring above ground, only safely harnessed, and doing a couple of back flips while you’re at it. read more

Dinner and A Show

Robb Y    Food & Wine, Tours & Attractions     city cruises, dinner cruise, harbor

There are few things more romantic than watching the sun set as you toast your love with champagne, especially when it’s over a gourmet dinner on a beautiful boat. Experiencegifts.com can suggest a buffet of cities and cruises to choose from, making date night a perfect night. Whether it’s a customized cruise dinner, or a fun evening with a show thrown in, there is something to suit every palate.

For a stylish evening, the gourmet dinner cruise on the waters of the New York harbor is perfect, especially considering the fantastic views that complement the sensational food. New Orleans whips out a steamboat and lets you travel back in time, leisurely drifting on the majestic Mississippi river. read more