Gourmet Safari wishes you a delicious 2007.

Here is some culinary inspiration for you...

Make it a New Year's resolution to take yourself and 8 of your closest friends, family or even work colleagues to Tuscany for a culinary experience you'll never forget.

If you have a group travelling for a special occasion, or no occasion at all - just for the sake of travel - let us know. We just love to cater to groups of friends or family celebrating birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduations, business meetings and other special occasions.  And our Farmhouse Cooking - in the heart of Tuscany culinary vacation is the perfect destination for small groups of 9-18 people. 

Close your eyes and imagine staying at a historic farmhouse overlooking the stunning hills of Tuscany.  Your group will have the entire farmhouse to yourselves for the entire week, as well as the beautiful studio in the restored barn for group events.  The owner, Maria Teresa loves to share her culinary expertise, and works with you to prepare delicious dishes, based on the fresh ingredients you easily find in shops and open-air markets nearby. The Tuscan cuisine is an ancient and skilled cuisine made up of tasty ingredients and never excessively elaborate...easily duplicated at home!        

What? Spend a week in Tuscany with your small, intimate group at a historic farmhouse

When? Anytime during 2007 (based on availability)

Where? Tuscany, one of the most beautiful places in the world

Why? Tuscan cuisine is both simple and delicious, made up of seasonal fresh ingredients        

Price Tag? The price for 2007 will remain the same as the 2006 price, at $2,210 per person (excluding airfare) how can your friends say no! 

How? Contact us to book now!

Final Call...Don't forget our A Taste of Seville Special Offer.

If you are planning a trip to Spain to celebrate the holidays or to bring in the New Year we have a special offer for a 3-night gastronomic stay in Seville only available during the months of December, January and February.

What? 3-night gastronomic stay

When? January, February

Where? Seville at the 4* Petit Palace Marqués Santa Ana Hotel, located in the heart of the city centre

Why? Seville is the Tapas Capital of the World!

Price Tag? $1,205 per person based on double occupancy (excluding airfare)

How? Contact us to book now, this incredible offer is only available for a short time.

2007 Gourmet Safari Culinary Vacation All Star Line-up.

Our 2007 culinary vacation dates and prices are now live on the web site, simply click on Tour Details for the culinary vacation of your dreams and you'll see all of the latest information for 2007.  Start planning your food adventure today!

Foodie's Corner.
"Comfort Food" is definitely a well-worn expression...but we still like to use it.  On a cold winter's day, indulging in certain foods is the culinary equivalent of slipping into a pair of your favourite slippers.  This month's Recipe of the Month, with its delicious warm flavours has the same homey quality. 

Recipe of the Month.
This month's recipe is brought to you by our Provencal Cooking in Style Culinary Vacation.  A savoury beef stew from Provence, the perfect comfort food for a chilly January...mmm.

Provençale Beef Stew
Daube Provençale
For 8 persons

2 kg/4 lbs beef for stew, cut into large cubes

6 oz. smoked bacon in one piece or cut into small cubes

2 onions, cut into quarters

3 carrots, diced

4 cloves garlic

6 bay leaves

4 cloves

1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, rosemary) (see Chef's Note)

1 1/2 tablespoon herbs de Provence

3/4 cup olive oil

5 cups red wine (Côte du Rhône)

1 orange, juice and rind/zest

18 juniper berries, crushed (see Chef's Note)

peppercorns, sea salt

Marinate all the ingredients, except the salt and 1/2 the olive oil, in the wine for at least 3 hours in the fridge, even better overnight. Drain the mixture in a colander, collecting the liquid marinade in a bowl. Separate the meat from the other ingredients and brown it in the remaining olive oil on all sides over medium high heat. At the same time, sauté the other marinated ingredients in the remaining oil in a cast iron pot or roasting pan. Add the well-browned meat to the iron pot, then the marinade and 2 tablespoons of salt. Place the covered cast iron pot in the oven at 250°-275°F and cook for 1 ½ hours. After one hour of cooking, check every 15 minutes to see if meat is done. Daube is usually slightly over-cooked. When meat is very tender, adjust the seasoning as needed and remove the bouquet garni.  Serve nice and warm, reheating the 'Daube' again only improves its flavour!

Chef's Note.  To make the bouquet garni, tie the herbs together in a little bundle with a piece of string - it adds nice flavouring to stews, sauces and soups.  Juniper berries are used to make gin, and to flavour meat dishes.  If you don't have berries, substitute gin - one teaspoon gin for every two berries called for in the recipe.                           Bon Appetit!

Suggested Menu. Serve with these delicious roasted Rosemary Baked Potatoes.  Preheat oven to 450°F.  Place 1 lb unpeeled new potatoes in a bowl, add 3 tbsp olive oil and stir to coat potatoes.  Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.  Arrange 3 branches of fresh rosemary on the bottom of baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and set the potatoes on top (the flavour from the rosemary will transfer to the potatoes).  Bake 20-25 minutes, serve hot potatoes and discard the rosemary branches.

Uncorked!

Ice, Ice Baby!
If you haven't already done so, treat yourself try Icewine today - particularly the Icewine from Ontario.  The Icewine harvest, done entirely by hand, commences once the temperature drops below - 10 to -13 degrees C and the grapes have naturally frozen on the vines. As the frozen grapes are pressed, the natural water portion of the juice remains within the grape skins in the form of ice crystals, and a tiny but precious ration of highly concentrated juice is expressed.  The finished  Icewine is intensely sweet and flavourful in the initial mouth sensation. The balance is achieved by the acidity, which gives a clean, dry finish. The nose of Icewine recalls lychee nuts. The wine tastes of tropical fruits, with shadings of peach nectar and mango. 

To Serve.
Icewine shows best when it is chilled but not cold. The ideal temperature is 10-12°C. Renowned as "dessert in a glass" it is ideal on its own, with desserts, particularly chocolate or a fresh fruit plate. Often, it is recommended that Icewine be served in small liqueur glasses but research has shown that stemware with a fairly large bowl (9 oz.) is better as it amplifies the nose and intensifies the flavours.

A Grand Canadian Tradition.
Canada today is the largest producer of this rare, rich and sweet ambrosia, with the lion's share coming from Ontario's Niagara Peninsula. There are 40 to 50 vintners in Ontario and British Columbia producing the liquid gold.  A 375mL bottle may sell for as much as $300. In Canada the average price for a 375mL bottle of  Icewine is around $45 (Canadian Dollars).  The volume of Icewine produced in Ontario has risen phenomenally commensurate with demand.

Icewine Medal Winners.
Inniskillin 1989 Vidal Icewine won the Grand Prix trophy in Bordeaux in June 1991.  In 2001, Reif Estate Winery won two gold medals at VinExpo in France for its 1999 Vidal Icewine.

Cheers!

Trendspotting.

Our monthly column that features information about new trends that we've spotted, read about or better yet...experienced for ourselves in the realm of food and travel.

After the spinach scare, arugula rockets to mainstream popularity.
The temporary spinach ban in North America has given rise to new popularity for the peppery arugula, as it becomes a mainstream green.  The bitter leaf - also called rocket, roquette, rugula and rucola - has been a fave of hardcore salad fans for years, but it didn't make name-brand appearances until now.  Palates are more sophisticated today. A love of dark chocolate and over-roasted coffee is carrying over into the bitter veg department.   Add this to your list of New Year's resolutions, it's very, very good for you!!

Wishing you a delicious 2007.

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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