Food, Wine and Travel Blog

There can be no greater symbol of Valencian gastronomy than paella. Indeed, the phrase “Andar de paella,” or “to go for a paella” is heard frequently at every type of social occasion throughout the region. And why not? – Saint’s days, birthdays, weddings, every occasion justifies bringing out the famously oversized rice pan that gives […]

For many years, connoisseurs have been arguing over who makes the perfect macaron. What is ‘merely’ a moreish concoction of egg whites, sugar, ground almonds, and icing sugar has become something of a massive cult food item among patisserie lovers in recent times. Some would argue that this exquisitely formed, bite-size ‘meringue sandwich’ finds its […]

Chile is a magnificently diverse country with the mountainous Andes and rugged Patagonia regions, Santiago its cosmopolitan capital, wine country, and the countless coastal beach towns and busy ports. Despite being the most regionally diverse country in South America with an extensive variety of vegetables, countless forms of beef, lamb, goat, and even llama, not […]

The delights of Pairing Sea Bass with Chablis and more! For a long time, the accepted wisdom was that white wine goes with fish and red wine with meat. That was as complex as food matching needed to be. It was a useful rule of thumb when fish came poached or simply grilled, and red […]

A remarkable amount of knowledge has been shared, debated, and contradicted on the subject of food and wine pairing, useful albeit loosely defined principles and tips that can help us enjoy both the food and the wine rather than letting one suppress the other. Open an expensive bottle of St-Emilion, eat a flaming hot Mexican […]

What lovelier town to dine, Al Fresco, than the mythical wine hub of Bordeaux, a mini Paris! Bordeaux is far more than just the world’s most renowned wine region. It competes with the city of Lyon for the title of France’s most important gastronomic center, after Paris of course. Locals are justifiably proud of their […]

An essential ingredient in Spanish cooking Spanish paprika or pimentón is used in many dishes in Spanish cuisine: indeed, the use of home-grown varieties of peppers or Capsicum is ubiquitous in Spanish tapas, appetizers, fish and meat dishes. Just try to imagine the famed Spanish Chorizo (cured sausage) or patatas bravas, both staples of the […]

Here is a handy food glossary (translations from Spanish to English) that can be printed out and used on your vacation in Spain. We have included most of the ingredients you will see on menus, including seafood and fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, dairy, nuts, and more. Wine lovers, check out our Spanish wine glossary […]

Insiders Guide to Truffles in Italy- By Simona Piccinelli, Italy Specialist Truffles are a gourmet delicacy, one of the most expensive and desired in the world. Foodies swoon over them, international top chefs search them out and bid for them at auction, and truffles are without a doubt one of the priciest and most precious […]

Lisbon for Food Lovers, Cellar Tours recommendations: From small, family-owned restaurants offering delicious and inexpensive food to high-end cuisine, the capital of Portugal has enough options to satisfy even the most demanding of foodies. And although the Portuguese are known for sticking to their culinary traditions, Lisbon offers much more than the familiar staples of […]

The Ten Best Restaurants in Paris for Wine lovers- Cellar Tours Selection Paris is a city of over two million people and is today the undisputed economic, political, artistic, and gastronomic hub of France. Citizens of Lyon would undoubtedly disagree, but as far as we are concerned, no other city in France offers as much […]

Famous Italian Pasta Dishes by Nancy O’Neill Just the thought of pasta makes the mouth water! There are so many sizes, varieties, and sauces that it is challenging to choose only 10. It would seem that the widely held belief that Marco Polo brought pasta back to Italy from China is more myth than fact […]