Dear Food & Wine Lover,

Europe is calling.

Looking for a fantastic getaway? Here are two special summer offers for spontaneous travellers!

Seville on Sale, Bueno!
Savour the Tapas Capital of the World! Our A Taste of Seville culinary vacation is on special for a gastronomic week from June 11th to 17th. Join us in Seville in June, the home of the ever-popular Tapas and save an additional $200 per person. 

Here's Your Passport to Provence!
Cooking and Hiking at an 18th-Century Guesthouse. We still have space available for our week-long Passport to Provence gourmet food and hiking adventure coming up from June 9th to 16th.  Join us in Provence and cook with our fabulous French Chef Patrick Payet for a full week at his guesthouse for just $2,700 CAD ($2,430 USD). 

Contact us for more details if either of these offers tempts your palette as space typically sells out fast for the summer.

Recipe of the Month.

To inspire you we thought it would be a great idea to share a delicious Tapas recipe from our A Taste of Seville culinary vacation...trendy Tapas are the perfect way to entertain - turn an evening into a fiesta!

Canapés of Spanish Quesuco Cheese with Caramelized Onion

Liébana Quesuco is a rare, semi-sweet, mild cheese made from three milks.

1 brioche-type loaf of bread

1 smoked Liébana Quesuco cheese (or Mahón,Tetilla or San Simón or Manchego as a substitute)

Caramelized onion:

1 lb 2 oz onions

4 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt

How to make it:

1) Caramelized onions: Finely slice the peeled onions and place in a pan with the sugar, vinegar, oil and salt.

2) Simmer until all liquid has evaporated and the onions are beginning to caramelize (don't allow onions to over-cook). 

3) Slice the bread into medium-sized slices, trim any rind off the cheese and cut it into wedges.

4) Place one wedge of cheese on each slice of bread then top with a spoonful of caramelized onion.

5) Place the canapés in a hot oven 360 degrees F for 5 minutes to quickly melt the cheese. Serve hot, direct from the oven.  

You can even make these on the grill if it's barbeque season where you are...I did and it turned out deliciously.  Buen provecho!

Trendspotting.

The Trend to Tapas.

In Spain, tapas are traditional bar snacks that help create a relaxed and convivial atmosphere.  They can be as simple as bowls of olives and almonds, thinly sliced ham, wedges of Spanish tortilla (a thick potato omelette) and a selection of cheeses spread out on the bar.  Fancier tapas can cover the gamut from marinated vegetables, garlicky shrimp and other seafood, to spicy meats in sauces.  All dishes are eaten in small portions, although they can be quite hearty, and are meant to be shared. 

Tapas are definitely growing in popularity in many of the trendier establishments as the trend becomes almost main stream.  The concept has grown to encompass many types of appetizers and finger foods of different cultures, from Asian spring rolls and Thai satay, to Mexican quesadillas, plus exciting creations from the world of fusion cuisine.

Bring the concept home, a selection of tapas is ideal for an informal meal and can turn an evening into a fiesta!  The beauty of tapas is that they can be made ahead and served at room temperature, while others can be partially prepared then finished off as served...just keep 'em coming!

Try out the Canapés of Spanish Quesuco Cheese with Caramelized Onion recipe above, it's delicious and you can't go wrong with this hit!

Uncorked!

Sommelier go away!  Food pairing made easy.

For those of you who aren't interested in delving into a wine's expressiveness or pinpointing whether a Mourvèdre's hints of blackberry are outweighed by its overtones of black pepper, what matters most is how well the wine goes with your food. Making it as simple as possible, the Amazing Food Wine Company has launched a fool-proof line of Wine That Loves. Each wine is specifically suited to one dish, which leaves no room for error; these are wines that singularly 'love' pizza, grilled salmon or pasta with tomato sauce. The dishes were chosen based on popularity in American households.

Wine That Loves takes the guesswork out of food and wine pairing, while promising "world-class quality, distinctive character and winning style that will also delight wine aficionados." The wines were picked and paired by Ralph Hersom, a wine expert and professional wine taster, who was Wine Director at New York's Le Cirque restaurant for seven years.   Website: www.winethatloves.com  Source:  Springwise

To find out more about any of our culinary vacations please feel free to call me at 416.238.9987 (Toronto) or 1.800.839.5795 (in North America).  Email works well too at jackie@gourmetsafari.com.

Gastronomically, Jackie

Gourmet Safari supports BREAKFAST FOR LEARNING - proceeds from every culinary vacation go to this special charity.

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