That's What's Cooking

Hayman is Australia’s premier luxury nature-resort destination, located on the northernmost of the Whitsunday Islands in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland.  Hayman, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, covers 726 acres offering guests an experience of tranquility and natural beauty in the resort’s 210 stylish accommodations.

Spoil mom or a group of girlfriends with a special getaway, at the Hayman Spa as a celebration of Mother’s Day.  Enjoy a complimentary 30-minute Refresher Facial when booking a 1-hour Massage or Body Treatment and a complementary 15-minute Makeup Touch-Up when booking at 1-hour Facial. In addition to Hayman Spa’s full range of pampering indoor and outdoor therapies and treatments, acclaimed yoga specialist Skye Baird from Skye LifeStyle will be conducting tailored yoga classes over Mother’s Day weekend. From May 10-13, the Hayman Yoga Escape offers a line-up of activities, including daily 90-minute yoga and 30-minute meditation sessions, leisure time and healthy dining. The three-night Hayman Yoga Escape is priced from $1425 per person twin share or $2160 single which includes accommodation, return launch transfers from Great Barrier Reef Airport, scheduled yoga and meditation sessions, breakfast and 3-course dinner.  

Situated within separate locations throughout the property, are the stunning new residences—all with access to the turquoise waters and access to the Reef.  With four restaurants, Hayman Spa and fitness facilities, picturesque meeting and special event areas, and 24-hour butler and concierge service, leisure and luxury are offered in many forms throughout the island.

There also will be plenty of time for wandering at a leisurely pace through the Hayman Arcade’s boutiques featuring a range of designer wear and accessories from leading Australian and international fashion houses, as well as a selection of fabulous Hayman branded merchandise. During each weekend in May, a glass of sparkling wine will be available in all of the outlets beginning at 3 p.m. while everyone looks for that special purchase to take home. Packages are priced from $980 per person twin share including four nights’ accommodation and daily beachfront breakfast.

Please contact event@hayman.com.au for further information or visit www.hayman.com.au.

The feast of flavors takes place at the Truman Waterfront pier, located at the end of Southard Street past  Truman Annex.  Guests will enjoy culinary creations by Key West chefs specializing in local seafood, tropical and Caribbean fare, European/Asian cuisine, vegetarian dishes and more. Only on Monday, April 23, however, can they find them all showcasing their creations in the same place: the 17th annual Taste of Key West. The waterfront area will be transformed into a colorful open-air food and beverage market between 6-9pm. The event will features cuisine from more than 50 local restaurants, with vintages from 100 wineries and vineyards.
 

 Admission to Taste of Key West is free. Attendees purchase food and wine tickets for $1 apiece, and commemorative wine glasses for $6, then “spend” their tickets on beverages and delicacies. Each sample costs between three and eight tickets.
All proceeds from Taste of Key West benefits Key West’s AIDS Help.

Free parking is to be available at the Truman Waterfront. Free shuttle service between selected Key West locations and the waterfront is to be provided every 30 minutes by Old Town Trolley. Plans call for the last trolley to leave the waterfront at 9 p.m.

Grazie Restaurant satisfies the international demand for haute Italian cuisine and service that makes it one of the most popular fine dining restaurants in South Flonda.

Grazie is the brainchild of Moshe Petel and Spurgeon Solomon, two passionate hospitality professionals with more than twenty years combined experience in the restaurant industry. In 1997, Grazie originally opened as a smaller incarnation in South Florida’s Pinecrest suburb with executive chef Felix Pavon.

The 75-seat location offers diners a rare gem — an elegant yet comfortable space that eschews pretense and embraces a dedication to hospitality that turns every diner into a VIP. Fresh-baked varietal bread welcomes every guest as they arrive accompanied by house-made pesto oil and toasted garlic slices. Executive chef Pavone, blends the art of haute cuisine with the simplicity of Italian countryside fare. The location is personally designed as a warm, amber-lit space equal parts upscale restaurant and neighborhood oasis, where no detail has been ignored. “It’s family, it’s service, it’s location, ” Solomon says. “For that, there’s no better place than South Beach. And, we’ve been very fortunate with Grazie’s success”

At Grazie innovative options abound, including a variety of carpaccios — yellowfin tuna and beef cheek, as well as the delectable portobello fontina — grilled portobello served over grilled tomato, topped with melted fontina cheese and dressed with a balsamic vinegar reduction. Though the menu has its share of winning dishes, one must try their nightly specials. Offerings might include Chicken Rolotini (chicken prepared three ways) or Italian style lamb chops prepared with a parmesan crust and Borolo sauce, “out of this world”!

The wine selection at Grazie is vast and beautiful. Accompany your plate with a distinguished wine and your evening is complete. – Grisel Diaz-Ors

Grazie Restaurant is located on 701 Washington Avenue, South Beach, FL 33139 on the corner of Washington and 7^th.  For Reservations call: 305-673-1312

Holland America Line’s Culinary Arts Center Program hosting an all-star lineup of more than 60 celebrated chefs, cookbook authors and television personalities, including  “The Next Food Network Star” personality Serena Palumba, “Top Chef: Just Desserts” participant Zac Young and Chef Tony Maws, winner of the 2011 James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Northeast.” 

The Culinary Arts Center, enables guests to experience culinary demonstrations in a full show kitchen, tastings, question-and-answer sessions and hands-on classes conducted by top chefs, wine experts and leading cookbook authors.  “The Culinary Arts Center is at the core of Holland America Line’s enrichment program and each year we bring on board the most talented and entertaining culinary experts in their field,” said Richard Meadows, Holland America Line’s executive vice president of marketing, sales and guest programs. 

Celebrity Chefs featured in Holland America Line’s 2012 Culinary Arts Center Program include:  

Kaushik Chowdhury, executive pastry chef at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Ariz. Chowdhury has received numerous awards including first place in the Food Network’s Sugar Showdown competition and a gold medal at the 2009 U.S. National Pastry Championship. He is scheduled to sail aboard ms Amsterdam during the 18-day Grand World Voyage segment departing April 10. Chowdhury also is scheduled to sail Oct. 9 and Oct. 27 during segments of Amsterdam’s Grand Asia and Australia Voyage.  

Linton Hopkins,  owner and executive chef of Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta, Ga., and a multiple James Beard award nominee. He was recently nominated for a 2011 James Beard Award in the “Best Chef: Southwest” category. Hopkins is slated to sail aboard ms Eurodam’s 10-day Gems of the Baltic cruise June 14.  

Tony Maws, executive chef and owner of Craigie on Main in Cambridge, Mass. The contemporary French cuisine restaurant was named one of Boston’s “10 Most Influential Restaurants of the Decade” by The Boston Globe, and Maws himself was named one of America’s “10 Best New Chefs” by Food & Wine magazine. In 2011, he won the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Chef: Northeast.” Chef Maws is scheduled to sail aboard ms Ryndam’s Norwegian Fjords cruise May 6. 

Serena Palumba, teaching chef, television personality and recent finalist from season six of the Food Network’s hit show “The Next Food Network Star.” Palumba, created an instant-hit series of instructional videos on YouTube called “Cooking in Manhattan” teaching viewers to prepare meals with simple ingredients and limited equipment within the confines of a small urban kitchen. Palumba is scheduled to sail on ms Veendam’s seven-day Bermuda cruise April 29. 

Jonathan Sawyer, executive chef of Greenhouse Tavern, named one of the top 10 best new restaurants in the U.S. by Bon Appetit magazine and best new restaurant by Cleveland Magazine. Sawyer has appeared on the Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible” and “Iron Chef America,” and recently honored by Food & Wine magazine as one of America’s best new chefs. He is scheduled to sail on ms Zuiderdam’s seven-day Alaska Inside Passage cruise Aug. 18.  

Leslie Sbrocco,  wine expert, award-winning author and television personality. She is the host of the PBS series “Check, Please!” for which she won both the coveted James Beard Award and an Emmy Award. She has written two books, “Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine” and “The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide.” Sbrocco is slated to sail on ms Maasdam‘s 10-day Eastern Caribbean cruise Nov. 30. 

Denise Vivaldo,  culinary consultant, food stylist and celebrated cookbook author. Vivaldo has catered more than 10,000 parties and has cooked for notable guests such as U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, Prince Charles and Bette Midler. Vivaldo has styled food for nationally syndicated television shows including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Inside Dish with Rachel Ray. Vivaldo is scheduled to sail on ms Westerdam’s seven-day Alaskan Explorer cruise July 21.  

Zac Young, executive pastry chef of Flex Mussels Restaurant in New York City. He trained in France with renowned chefs Philippe Givre at Valrhona and Philippe Parc at Chocolate Michel Cluizel, where he developed his signature style of using French techniques and bold flavors for a creative spin on classic American desserts. Young finished in the final four of Bravo’s first season of “Top Chef: Just Desserts” and can be seen on The Cooking Channel’s new series “Unique Sweets.” Young is scheduled to sail on ms Volendam’s 23-day South Pacific cruise April 10. 

Other notable Culinary Arts Center guest chefs and cuisine experts slated to sail in the 2012 season include: 

• Hugh Acheson, judge on “Top Chef” season nine, culinary author, executive chef and partner of Five & Ten and The National in Athens, Ga., sails on ms Veendam’s May 27 Bermuda cruise.
• Timon Balloo, executive chef of Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill in Miami, Fla., sails on ms Noordam’s Riviera Romance cruise Oct. 15.
• Paul Carter, executive chef of The Phoenician in Phoenix, Ariz., sails on ms Zuiderdam Aug. 18 in Alaska.
• Jeffrey Elliot, director of culinary relations for Zwilling JA Henckels, Demeyere, and Staub, knife skills expert and executive chef of Zwilling JA Henckels – USA, sails on ms Eurodam Dec. 8 in the eastern Caribbean.
• Jason Franey, executive chef of Canlis Restaurant in Seattle, Wash., sails aboard ms Oosterdam’s New Zealand Discovery cruise Oct. 24.
• George Geary, culinary journalist, author and educator, sails on ms Rotterdam Aug. 4 in the Baltic.
• Matt Gennuso, executive chef and owner of Chez Pascal, a French-American bistro in Providence, R.I., sails on ms Amsterdam June 1 in Alaska.
• Paulette Mitchell, culinary instructor and author of 11 cookbooks, sails on a segment of Amsterdam’s Grand World Voyage departing March 21.
• Patricio Sandoval, executive chef at Mercadito Chicago, sails aboard Rotterdam’s 14-day Spring Panama Canal cruise departing April 3.
• Kevin Sbraga, executive chef and owner of Sbraga restaurant in Philadelphia, Pa., and Bravo’s “Top Chef” season seven winner, sails on Noordam July 17 in the Mediterranean.
• Angelo Sosa, executive chef and co-owner of Social Eatz, an “American-Asian” restaurant and bar in New York City and Bravo’s “Top Chef” season seven finalist, sails on Prinsendam Aug. 8 in Norway and the British Isles.
• Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, authors of the “Ultimate” cookbook series, sail on Amsterdam Nov. 17 for a segment of the Grand Asia & Australia Voyage.  

Holland America Line’s Culinary Arts Center

Holland America Line’s industry trend-setting Culinary Arts Centers are featured on each of the line’s 15 ships. A “world class show kitchen at sea,” the Culinary Arts Centers presented by Food & Wine magazine resembles the elaborate show kitchens used by celebrity chefs on television cooking programs.

In partnership with Food & Wine magazine, Holland America Line has schedule approximately 60 celebrated chefs and wine experts to sail in 2012. Holland America Line also offers a youth Culinary Arts Center activity program on select sailings to teach kids and teens how to cook. The program incorporates dishes from breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in complimentary 45-minute-long classes. 

For more information on Holland America Line’s cruises and cruise tours, consult a professional travel seller; call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425)

Hôtel Americano, an innovative boutique hotel recently opened in the fall of 2011in the heart of Manhattan’s West Chelsea… is where it’s at! This Steamy HOT 10-story building is located alongside the world’s best art galleries and New York’s famed High Line Park. The clientele is elite; the music sets a stylish euro vibe. The Americano restaurant is fab! Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is New York at its best; friendly staff and fantastic menu with dishes like Salad De Homard (main lobster, quinoa, avocado, cilantro, salsa verde, crème fraiche) Saumon A La Plancha (seared salmon, grilled vegetables, sauce vierge) all simply perfect. And if a burger is what you are in the mood for, well… Burger.MX (avocado, poblano, tomato, lettuce, chipotle mayo, jalapeno pickle, served with pommes frites) is packed with amazing flavors that explode and melt in your mouth. The cuisine mixes American with Mexican influences and it works beautifully! The wine list includes solid selections both by bottle and glass like Chenin Blanc, Savennieres Domaine de Deux Vallees 2009 which we enjoyed with a lovely cheese selection of Pleasant Ridge Reserve Extra Aged, Roquefort and Double Cream Crement. Dinner reservations required. 

 Hotel Americano truly IS all the rage. Outside, the building is a glass structure encased in a metal mesh façade capturing the industrial feel of the surrounding neighborhood. The rooms suggest an urban ryokan with wooden platform beds, warm lighting and natural materials. Custom Amenities and advanced technology provides a serene space to retreat from the City’s bustle. Indoor and outdoor private event space including outdoor rooftop terrace, pool and cabanas, Manhattan-made Bowery Lane Bicycles for guest use, Free wireless high speed internet service in all rooms and public spaces makes Hotel American a perfect spot for Corporate events. Hotel Americano 518 West 27^th Street, New York, NY 10001.  +1 212 216.0000.  For more information go to: http://www.hotel-americano.com/  The group has twelve boutique hotels throughout Mexico. http://www.grupohabita.mx/

Following a top-to-bottom renovation, this popular South Beach classic will reveal its new look and personalized approach to service and design-driven spaces that marry the eclectic style of European Bohemia with American front porch appeal creating an inviting and comfortable atmosphere. The newly Surfcomber hotel offers guests a retro, breezy atmosphere and a distinctive South Beach experience that is as cool as it is friendly, and as sexy as it is fun.  “The new Surfcomber brings to South Beach all the things South Beach visitors desire most – a sultry and stylish hotel that is dynamic and fun, yet inviting and authentic. Together with the enticing surf that inspired our name, it all makes for the ultimate playground under the sun,” said Sean McKeen, general manager at the Surfcomber. Surfcomber sits on the Atlantic Ocean’s edge along 200 feet of oceanfront property in the heart of the Art Deco District. The hotel’s heated pool and .outdoor deck surrounded by spacious cabanas remain a signature element and provide a sublime setting for sipping cocktails poolside. Surfcomber gives guests a place to relax and re-charge in its 186 inviting guest rooms with luxurious Frette bed linens and bath products by European fashion designer, Etro.  Enjoy the diverse mix of dining options, including a Southeast Asian street fair inspired restaurant concept.  

As with other Kimpton hotels, Surfcomber is pet-friendly, providing them with their own services and amenities at no extra cost, including VIP (Very Important Pet) amenity; pet bowl and pet bed. For guests traveling alone… request a live goldfish – fed and cared for by the hotel staff to stay overnight in their guestroom. Additional Surfcomber amenities include favorite offerings such as personalized guest preferences, Forgot It? We’ve Got It! menu of travel essentials, creative mini bars with healthful and organic options, complimentary Wi-Fi to Kimpton InTouch members, morning coffee and tea service in the living room, hosted evening wine hour daily, and health-minded wellness options, such as complimentary on-demand yoga, Pilates and meditation channels on television, and a yoga bag filled with accessories for use during a guest’s stay. Surfcomber guests can also take advantage of  the hotel’s 24-hour in room dining, 24-hour on-site business center, concierge service, same day laundry and dry cleaning service, and 24-hour valet service. In addition, Surfcomber appeals to those who wish to go green and stay green, having implemented Kimpton’s more than 100 environmentally responsible operational practices under the Kimpton EarthCare program, which has been proven effective in reducing waste, energy and water consumption nationwide. To book a stay at Kimpton’s new Surfcomber, and be among the first to experience the hotel’s new surf-splashed and sun-kissed appeal, a special grand opening rate has been created. Available for booking through January 31, 2012, rates start at $149 and $199 depending on dates of stay, with some blackout dates.

To book, visit www.surfcomber.com, call (800) 994-6101 or email FloridaSales@KimptonHotels.com and refer to booking code GRAND. Surfcomber Miami, South Beach is located at 1717 Collins Avenue, Miami, Florida.

Pizza Never Tasted So GOOD! And this promise comes with a Guarantee.  I decided to give this small pizza shop a try, and to my surprise it was the best pizza I’ve had in a very long time. Since 1994, Hot Tomatoes has been making the best and most creative pizza in the Berkshires. They start with the dough, which is stretched large and thin, like the best New York City pizza. Next they add delicious chunky tomato sauce and whole milk mozzarella cheese. Mine was topped with a combination of hand-grated cheeses and select herbs, then lovingly baked to a crispy bubbling brown, it was perfectly crisp, and tasted like a meal fit for a king.  There are traditional options such as pepperoni, black olives or mushrooms. Popular and unusual selections include  eggplant with goat cheese, spinach and feta, or fresh tomato and basil. Pizzas can be ordered by the pie or by the slice and you can’t beat the price.

Hot Tomatoes is family owned, so when you walk in you are likely to be greeted by the owners, John and Angie England along with one of there sons, always helping out.

Hot Tomatoes does more than just make “truly amazing pizza” try any of the Paninis which are served in their homemade Focaccia bread, Kalamata Olive, Herbed or Plain, design your own Crepe and sample their delicious Hand Cut Fries which are hand cut each day and cooked twice to a golden crisp (try them with one of the tasty dipping sauces!) Soups and Chili. They also have the best garden and Caesar salads in the area.  Enjoy TRULY OUTSTANDING hand stretched, hearth baked pizza, salads and more! You will not be disappointed here, order any item from their menu and enjoy.

The Hot Tomatoes Guarantee: If you should ever be disappointed, or we fail you in any way or let you down for any reason, please let us know. If we don’t make it right, we’ll give you your money back . . . every penny.

HOT TOMATOES  is located on 542 Tyler Street, Pittsfield, MA 413-443-6500

The second outpost of FPB (Francois Payard Bakery), a joint-venture between renowned pastry chef Francois Payard and London-based restaurateur and entrepreneur Marlon Abela of Marlon Abela Restaurant Group, is finally opened in Battery Park City offering varieties of freshly baked croissants, pain au chocolat, sugar brioche, scones and muffins, as well as rolled cakes (Le Gateau Roulé), traditional French pâtisserie selections, seasonal mini macarons, tarts, fresh breads, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, “grab and go” items, hot and chilled soups and savory tarts and quiches.  FPB also offers menu items BBQ chicken sandwich with balsamic caramelized red onions and mango chutney and a French Dip sandwich.  All items at FPB are prepared fresh daily for Battery Park City at the flagship location at 116 West Houston Street.  Payard’s collection of chocolates, gourmet coffee, teas and cocoas, artisan jams, homemade chocolate spreads, givrettes, fondues, and pastry-scented candles, and Chef Payard’s dessert cookbooks, are also available for purchase.  FPB is the third partnership from Chef Payard and MARC, whose portfolio also includes the A Voce restaurants in New York City, as well as other restaurants in the U.S. and London.

A third generation French pastry chef and cookbook author, Francois Payard is well known throughout the world for his mastery of the pastry arts and technique, his talent has made him one of the most sought-after pastry chefs both here and abroad.  Chef Payard will be seen as a judge on the second season of Bravo-TV’s “Top Chef: Just Desserts.”   In 1995, Chef Payard earned a prestigious James Beard Foundation Outstanding Pastry Chef award, and in 1997, his childhood dream became a reality when he opened a restaurant of his own, Payard, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side which closed its doors in 2009 after a 12-year run.  Branches of Payard have also opened in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Japan and Korea, and in December 2010, the chef opened FC Chocolate Bar in The Plaza Hotel on the Concourse Level. Now, both FC Chocolate Bar and all of Chef Payard’s other ventures are managed in partnership with Marlon Abela Restaurant Corporation.  

FPB is located at 210 Murray Street between North End Avenue and West Street.  Monday – Friday, 7:00am to 8:00pm and Saturday – Sunday, 8:30AM – 5:00PM. Orders can be placed over the phone as well as online.  Please call 212-995-0888.   www.FPBNYC.com

As awareness escalates that locally farmed food is good for our health, communities and local farmers,  for these reasons and more, championing the local foods movement is a good option in today’s world. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point food and nutrition professor and registered dietitian Jasia Steinmetz, is the author of the newly released  “Eat Local: Simples Steps to Enjoy Real, Healthy & Affordable Food” – a simple, step-by-step roadmap for improving diet and nutrition with local, sustainable and organic food choices (www.EatLocalSimpleSteps.com).  With the extraordinary amount of interest in local foods (statistics below) comes an inevitable array of questions and even concerns amid a marketplace hungry for information and insight.  Among other tasty tidbits, Steinmetz discusses an array of timely and compelling “local food” topics in her book including, but not limited to, the following:

 Economics: budget savvy local food shopping tips that save money

• Convenience: How purchasing local foods can be far more convenient than you think
• Children’s Health: How locally grown foods can be integral in the fight against childhood obesity, while also better promoting family traditions
• 10 ways local foods promote health and wellness
• Key benefits of local foods – health, economic, environmental, and otherwise
• Myth-busting – debunking concerns and challenges regarding sourcing, procuring and preparing local foods
• Step-by-step guidelines for finding and using local foods
• Seasonal local food eating strategies
• Local food cooking & preparation tips
• Menu transformations: top tips for making holiday and other family dinners a bounty of fresh, healthy foods with local, sustainable food choices
• The why’s and how’s of finding, purchasing, preserving and using local foods grown near your community
• Ways to change and improve our “runaway food system” for future generations, such as supporting school gardens or farm-to-school programs and hunger projects, farmland protection, etc.
• How to properly pick local produce and important questions to ask the farmer, grocer or other food purveyor

Just last month the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed a whopping  17% annual growth for the U.S. farmer’s market trade, alone, with its 2011 report citing, “more farmers are marketing their products directly to consumers than ever before.” Findings also reveal that several states have experienced rapid farmer’s market growth since 2010, with some states realizing a staggering 46% growth rate in one-year alone.  Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan underscores the implications and significance of this increase, noting, “The remarkable growth in farmers markets is an excellent indicator of the staying power of local and regional foods.  These outlets provide economic benefits for producers to grow their businesses and also to communities by providing increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods. In short, they are a critical ingredient in our nation’s food system.”
Steinmetz notes, “The way we produce food today has radically changed, and  we are increasingly becoming disconnected from our food supply. As well, resources such as soil and water are diminishing at alarming rates, compromising our future food supply. The good news is communities and citizens can partake in local foods and, in doing so, help reclaim control of our collective food system to make it safer and more dependable for ourselves and future generations. My book, “Eat Local: Simples Steps to Enjoy Real, Healthy & Affordable Food” a simple, easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide on finding and purchasing local foods, which benefit our food system, bodies and budgets.”

“Eat Local: Simples Steps to Enjoy Real, Healthy & Affordable Food” (ISBN: 978-0-9632814-5-6, Paperback, $12.95 U.S.) Learn more about Steinmetz’s new book, “Eat Local: Simples Steps to Enjoy Real, Healthy & Affordable Food,” online at www.EatLocalSimpleSteps.com. Find more information about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2011 National Farmers Market Directory findings online at http://tinyurl.com/DOAFarmersMarket

Fresh from its successful “Chefs on Bikes” tours with James Beard Award-winning chefs Susan Regis and Jody Adams, Italiaoutdoors introduces intimate custom ski and snowboard tours for the winter sport enthusiast. Like all Italiaoutdoors experiences, the small group tours are led solely by partners Vernon McClure, a one-time Airborne Ranger turned Defense Department mountaineering instructor, and Kathy Bechtel, a certified ski instructor and chef. Together, they customize unique tours that reveal their deep-rooted passion for the Trentino Alto-Adige region of Northeastern Italy. Programs can be designed for every budget, with each custom tour including daily wine tastings and activities tailored to all ski levels, from shorter trails and groomed terrain for relaxed athletes to classic climbs of the majestic Dolomite Mountains for the advanced skier.  Dates are available beginning December 2011.  Trips are all-inclusive, with the exception of air, and can be arranged from a mini-holiday of five days to a more comprehensive tour of two weeks. As an example, a week-long adventure starts as low as $2800 per person and can be customized to include all level of accommodations.  

Designed for small groups of friends and family, or ski clubs, Italiaoutdoors works with each group to craft a custom itinerary that provides a perfect balance of activity, rest and relaxation. The small group size (12 travelers maximum) allows for daily itinerary customization and refinement, based on participants’ interests, pacing, and real-time “finds.” Exploring the region’s well-known and undiscovered wines in and around the cities of Bolzano, Trento, Merano and Bressanone, and pairing them to the area’s fine cuisine, are itinerary staples. 

An avid researcher of and writer about the region’s wines, Bechtel carefully curates each day’s wine tasting selection, choosing wines from the world-renowned wine regions of Veneto, Trentino Alto-Adige and Friuli Venezia-Giulia, as well as some wines only familiar to frequent travelers within Italy, including Amarone, Valpolicella, Lagrein, Schioppettino and Vino Santo. In the evenings, the culture and rich Austrian-Hungarian history of the region come to life, as guests enjoy local cuisine in charming osterias and elegant dinners in more refined ristorantes. This small region boasts more Michelin star restaurants than any other region in Italy. 

By day, guests ski and explore the Trentino Alto-Adige region of Northeastern Italy, home to the majestic Dolomite Mountains and numerous winter resorts, where guests can enjoy some of the most stunning panoramic vistas in the world while skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing.  Italiaoutdoors partners Bechtel and McClure personally design and lead each tour. McClure, a trained ski and snowboard instructor and mountain guide, has more than 15 years experience designing, leading and teaching ski adventures in Italy and Europe. Bechtel is a trained ski instructor currently on staff at Sugarloaf, Maine.  She is also a chef with formal wine training and hosts a TV food and wine show at Sugarloaf where she shares recipes and tips inspired by her travels to these regions. Commented James Beard Award winner (and “Chefs on Bikes” special guest) Chef Susan Regis about her experience, “Italiaoutdoors supplies the framework for the trip of a lifetime leaving just the right amount of time and space to discover the unexpected and the authentic Italy. To feel as though you are part of the Italian culture is a testament to the insightful precision of a thoughtful journey, because in the end, it is all about the roads taken. I loved my journey!“

For more information on custom ski or bike tours or to receive Italiaoutdoors’ newsletter with recipes and wine information, visit http://www.italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine.com or Chef Kathy Bechtel’s blog at www.chefbikeski.com. For ski clubs and other groups, discounts are available for trip organizers, with a free trip earned for as few as eight guests.