Recipes

      A taste for fabulous food runs in the ExperiencePlus! family. Paola's brother and father both owned restaurants, so we know how to find the best cuisine wherever we travel! On our tours we are always looking for memorable culinary experiences to provide our customers. That’s why so many of our tours include food-related activities and fantastic meals. We carefully chose and catalogued each savory experience on our tours – from your wine tasting in France to your visit to the Balsamic Vinegar cellar in Modena and your meal at a local Trattoria or Taberna. (Just to be sure we’d found the best meals for you, we tasted them all twice!) With ExperiencePlus! your culinary experiences don’t stop when you fly home. On a cold winter night – while you plan your next cycling trip – you’ll warm your heart and stir wonderful memories with a bowl of Aunt Angiolina’s classic bean soup, a super easy bruschetta, or breakfast of authentic crepes.

• Summer Couscous with Seafood

  This recipe comes from the kitchen of Paola's nephew, Claudio Malpezzi and staff at the Titon Restaurant in Cesenatico, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

• Chicken Provençal with Olives and Anchovies

  This dish uses seasonings and products that are associated with the French region of Provence and the Mediterranean region in general. It is very tasty, especially if you use the anchovies!

• Peperonata or Pepper Stew

  This dish is now found in every Italian region, but especially in those where red and yellow peppers grows throughout the summer.

• Spanokopita or Greek Spinach Pie

  Comfort food with a Greek flair.

• Chocolate Mousse, Perfected by Tour Leader Michele Boglioni

  We have the perfect combination to wow your Valentine this year. A delicious and easy to make Chocolate Mousse to impress and help set the romantic mood and an ExperiencePlus! bicycle trip for two as the big surprise! Not to mention having a bicycle trip to train for will also help alleviate the guilt of consuming copious amounts of Mousse!

• “Cacciucco alla Livornese” or Fish Soup, Livorno Style

  Here is a recipe that tastes like the Mediterranean and speaks Tuscan, the mother language of Italian, thanks to Dante’s influence.

• Risotto with Peoci (Risotto with Mussels)

• Spaghetti alla Carbonara (Carbonara Spaghetti)

  Carbonara is one of the simplest sauces yet harder sauces to make. A traditional roman sauce it is much like what we call Alfredo sauce in the U.S.

• Lasagne or Lasagna

  At a recent Foreign Languages Department dinner Paola was asked for her lasagna recipe, which made her realize in all these years she has never included her recipe in ExperiencePlus's Rambler newsletter.

• Ciorba - Romanian Soup

  A delicious and hearty soup from Romania.

• Pastelitos

  We have a number of departures that take you through (or across!) Argentina and the recipe for these delicious pastries comes to us from a colleague of Paola's from Buenos Aires. Pastelitos are fried and have lots of butter so they will not quality for a heart healthy diet, but splurge and you'll find divine inspiration to book a trip to Argentina!

• Nonno Bruno's Crema (Vanilla Custard)

  Paola's father was a restaurateur for years and one of the recipes I remember him making was his vanilla custard.

• Fichi Caramellati or Caramelized Figs

  Though you can easily find caramelized figs in most grocery stores, try this recipe for an authentic homemade Italian treat that is guaranteed to delight your taste buds.

• Eggplant Mediterranean Style

  During a recent visit to Greece and its islands in our Bike, Walk and Cruise Tour, Paola rediscovered, among other things, the great flavor of eggplant with Mediterranean spices.

• Arugula Salad with Lemon Dressing and Pine Nuts

  Rick and Paola are in Italy for a couple of months, but before leaving they planted some Arugula seeds and then left me (Maria Elena ) to take care of them. One of my favorite recipes for arugula is this quick and simple salad.

• Baked Fennel

  I grew up eating fennel, raw in salads or cooked. My mother especially liked to serve it baked with béchamel sauce and Parmigiano cheese. Here is her recipe as best as I can reproduce it.

• Monica's Ricotta Mousse

  If you tried last month's homemade ricotta cheese recipe and have been looking for something to make with your fresh ricotta recipe, you might enjoy this light and versatile dessert from Monica Malpezzi Price.

• Homemade Ricotta Cheese: So Easy a Child Could Do It

  Homemade ricotta is probably the simplest cheese to make with delicious results - so easy, a child could do it!

• Pear Clafouti

  This recipe features the delicious comice pear from the Loire Valley of France, now the state fruit of Oregon.

• Kolokithokeftethes (Greek Zucchini Patties)

  This month's recipe comes to us from Greek tour leader (and olive grower) Yorgos Paraskevopoulos. It's a traditional holiday food you'll see throughout Greece and Turkey.

• Rick’s Famous Sardinian Pork Chops

  Rick’s famous pork chop recipe dates from a trip he took to Sardinia in the fall of 1984. He's taken what he learned in the small town of Jerzu and tried many variations over the years. Read on to learn his secrets for easy and delicious pork chop sauces!

• Keftethakia (Greek Meatballs)

  Meatballs are popular in all of Greece: the small ones are used as appetizers and the bigger ones as main dish.

• Maccheroni Alla Bersagliera

  On their tricycle ride from Florence to Rome in 1884, Elizabeth and Joseph Pennell ate this dish in a ‘trattoria’ in Spoleto in the region of Umbria.

• Sopes (Corn Flour Patties)

  Since much of this month's newsletter focuses on Latin America, we decided a recipe from the same region would be appropriate! Try this recipe for Sopes (Corn Flour patties), and stuff them with a delectable chorizo and potato filling!

• Grilled Vegetables with Paola's Mediterranean Dressing

  With all the barbeques going on during the summer Paola's grilled vegetables provide both respite from and a great addition to all that grilled meat.

• Fragole al Limone, or Strawberries with Lemon

  Maria Elena noticed at a dinner party last week that her American friends were unfamiliar with a simple Italian dessert that she grew up with. This being strawberry season, she felt it would be the perfect easy & delicious recipe for July.

• Tiramisu

  This delicious dessert recipe come to us from Michele Boglioni, one of our tour leaders and an honorary member of the Price family. “Tiramisu” in Italian means “pick-me-up,” so we think that means it’s the perfect mid- or post-ride snack---far better than any energy bar around!

• Ireland: Move Over, Guinness - When It's Hot, Hard Cider Hits the Spot

  When I was in Ireland last summer, I noticed an interesting thing: as it got hotter, people were drinking less Guinness and more hard cider.

• Italy: Polenta

  Polenta is a simple, even modest dish, yet it occupies an important place in the cuisine of Venice and the Veneto region.

• Torta Negra Galesa (Black Welsh Cake)

  Rick and I recently returned from our ExpeditionPlus! tour in South America from Coast to Coast across Patagonia. It was a great experience, and a great way to get to know in depth several aspects of the geography, the history, and the culture of the two countries we visited: Chile and Argentina.

• Sicilian-Style Pizza with Focaccia

  Our new intern, Jacey, wanted you to have a taste of Sicily this month. She has not been to Sicily or even Italy herself, nonetheless she had this wonderful recipe on hand in her own kitchen. She thinks, and we agree, it is a great-tasting, quick, and easy way to make a Sicilian-style pizza.

• Dios Kalacs (Walnut Roll)

  This festive coffee bread was suggested by our good friend Donna Bathory, whose family hails from Hungary. It is made throughout Hungary, Romania and the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe.

• Creamy French Pumpkin Soup

  In France, pumpkins are considered a vegetable always used for "salted" preparations and the idea of sweet pumpkin pie is regarded as a funny combination!

• Putting on the Pot - Pasta in Brodo

  Whenever I would return to Italy from the US (or elsewhere in Europe where we might have been traveling), my mother would welcome me with a first dinner of “tagliolini in brodo.” After that dinner, I knew that I had, once again, come back “home.”

• Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage

  This month's recipe from Paola for Hungarian stuffed cabbage recreates the wonderful traditional cuisine which Rick, Paola, and the participants of the first ExpeditionPlus! tour from St. Petersburg to Istanbul enjoyed.

• Dulce Argentino

  This recipe combines a traditional roll cake with the sweet Argentine paste, dulce de leche, which can also be used as a treat on pancakes, toasted bread and crepes.

• Gazpacho Andaluz

  Maria Elena Malpezzi-Price, our Director of International Operations, brings us a wonderful gazpacho recipe from her host family in Spain. It's a cold soup/drink served either in a bowl or in a glass. When served in a bowl it usually has toppings – either onion and cucumber, or in northern Andalucia they put ham, hardboiled egg and some toasted bread - on it.

• Mushroom Soup or Zuppa di Funghi or Soupe aux Champignons

  Tuscany and the Loire Valley are quite different, but one thing they do have in common is this flavorful mushroom soup.

• Mussels in 'Sauce Poulette'

  A delicious recipe from the Provence region of France for fresh mussels in a sauce with eggs.

• Pane di Noci / Pain aux Noix / Walnut Bread

  You are sure to find this kind of bread wherever there is an abundance of walnuts, like in some parts of Northern Italy and in the French region of Dordogne, among others!

• Bagna Cauda ("Hot Bath") - A Garlic and Anchovy Sauce

  Our recipe this month is the home grown method for bagna cauda that my sister-in-law (Massimo's mother) inherited from her Piedmontese family. Massimo, or Max as many of you know him, is our nephew and Director of Italian Operations for ExperiencePlus! His mother's family was in the restaurant business for years so this recipe comes from the "heart of the Piedmont."

• Latin American Caramel Flan

  This flan is a traditional recipe from Mexico. It is an excellent finish for a spicy dinner. Emma Wells and Corey Odell made this recipe for the ExperiencePlus! Christmas dinner party. Because the staff all loved it so much, we are publishing it for you to enjoy as well.

• Roast Pork, Porchetta Style

  In Italy, porchetta (por-KET-ta) is prepared as a whole pig stuffed with garlic and herbs and roasted over a wood fire. This recipe for a seasoned roast is easy enough to prepare after a day at the office and elegant enough for a special occasion.

• Skordalia (Garlic Spread)

  The Greeks traditionally serve this tasty and versatile garlic spread named Skordalia with cod or bread, but you'll find many more uses for it!

• Lentil salad with bell peppers and vinaigrette

  Experienced hiker Julie Horton finally shares her recipe for one of her favorite trail lunches - this simple and delicious lentil salad. Served on a bed of greens, it's very popular back home at potlucks, Julie reports.

• Angela's Ciambella or "the Farm Dessert"

  Several of our bicycle tours visit our headquarters in Italy - a farm not far from Ravenna and Faenza. We often stop for lunch among the vineyards where we take a tour of the farm and meet Paola's cousins and other relatives. One of the highlights of this visit is cousin Angela's fresh baked coffee cake - a "ciambella." Here is Angela's recipe.

• Risotto alla Primavera, from Northern Italy

  Risotta alla Primavera is a favorite spring recipe, especially in the Northern regions of Italy, where rice is on an almost equal standing with pasta

• Tarta de Santiago

  Tarta de Santiago is a traditional cake from northern Spain. The tarta is dense and rich in flavor and is well-known in Santiago, Spain as a delectable treat used to lure passers-by into restaurants or cafés.

• Pâte à crêpes salée - Savory Crêpes

  Crêpes: This recipe was always convenient because I could prepare the batter, go milk the goats and make the evening's cheese, and then quickly cook up the crêpes when I got back home. It's really quick and easy.

• Classic Italian Minestrone Soup with Pesto

  Here is Paola's favorite recipe for minestrone. Every family in Italy makes its own variation of minestrone. Minestrone literally means "big soup".

• Parmigiano-Reggiano Cocktail Wafers

  Parmigiano-Reggiano Cocktail Wafers are 'cheese crackers for grown-ups' - the perfect accompaniment to enjoy with a before-dinner glass of wine or champagne.

• Luigi's Limoncello: Lemon liqueur

  Homemade lemon liqueur from Capri, Italy.

• Ratatouille - A Provençal Specialty

  A Provençal Specialty, from the south of France

• Gnocchi Alla Romana

  Gnocchi 'Alla Romana' differ from regular potato gnocchi, because they are made with semolina and they are baked. Usually they are lighter and puffier than their potato cousins.

• Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

  The recipe for Whole Wheat Irish Soda bread, from Paola's kitchen.

• Fava Bean Salad with Fresh Sage and Lemon

  Unlike kidney beans or black beans, fava beans aren't well-known in the United States, though they deserve to be! They're a big, buttery, flavorful bean beloved all around the Mediterranean. They pair well with garlic and any fresh herb (or roasted cumin seed). Experiment with your own favorite herbs.

• Beet and Feta Salad with Honey-Oregano Vinaigrette

  This recipe pairs the full-bodied Mediterranean flavors of feta cheese and an oregano-mustard vinaigrette with the earthy flavors of beets and roasted walnuts, all on a bed of crisp salad greens.

• Light and Filling Salade Nicoise

  Salade Nicoise is a "classic" dish from Southern France, taking the name from the Mediterranean town of Nice. You can, however, find it, in slightly different versions, all over France.

• Mamma Elena's Recipe for Eggs with Tomatoes

  A delicious, yet simple, Price family favorite!

• Mediterranean Fennel Salad Orange Slices, and Walnuts

  April is a transition month, between winter and full spring. So I thought that a salad that mixes some winter fruit, nuts and a vegetable that announces the cornucopia of summer vegetables would be a good choice for this month's recipe.

• Tuscan-Style Baked Cannellini Beans with Rosemary and Garlic

  Beans are the basis for many Tuscan dishes. White or cannellini beans are the favorite choice of Tuscan cooks. They are used in soups, on toasted bread flavored with fresh garlic, as an alternative to bruschetta, and they are widely used as side dishes.

• Italian Vegetable Soup à la Farm

  Soup made on Paola's family farm in Italy. Enjoy it on cold winter evenings.

• Greek Christopsomo (Christmas bread)

  Recipe for Greek Christmas Bread, or Christopsomo.

• Cordero con ajo: Lamb with garlic

  Lamb for Christmas dinner party fare!

• Rødgrød med Fløde (Danish Red Berry Pudding with Cream)

  A favorite Danish holiday dessert recipe from staffer Katie Erslev's home.

• Sicilian Caponata

  Sicilian Caponata can be served as a dip with pita bread or other kinds of bread, as an antipasto with another dish, or as accompaniment to a main dish or as pasta sauce!!! It also keeps well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days!

• Gallo Pinto

  This blend of rice, beans and herbs & sauces makes a fine meal when served with warm tortillas and scrambled eggs.

• Panzanella, a Tuscan Salad

  Here's a creative way that the local farmers use the famous Tuscan bread when there's actually some leftover!

• Zucchini e melanzane sott'olio' or "eggplant and zucchini marinated in olive oil"

  Delicious zucchini and eggplant prepared Italian style!

• Sommerkylling, or Summer Chicken

  A hearty main dish from Denmark!

• Tsatsiki, or Greek Spread

  The classic taste of Athens!

• Pasta with Kale

  This has been our favorite pasta dish this winter, as a newly found recipe which blends so many interesting and rich flavors! Since kale was not part of my 'culture' as I was growing up, I was pleasantly surprised to realize how well it mingled with more familiar Mediterranean ingredients!

• Baba Ganoush (Eggplant & Tahini Dip)

  A recipe for a Mediterranean favorite - Baba Ganoush, (or Eggplant & Tahini Dip). This delicious vegetarian dish goes well with pita bread or tortilla chips, and makes a great, low-calorie hors d'oeuvre, or light dinner.

• Ribollita

  One of Tuscany's most famous bread-soups, Ribollita is so-called because it is always re-boiled before being served the first time and is often saved for the next day and boiled yet again.

• Risotto Con Scampi

  This particular recipe is the result of a bit of adaptation on my part of a couple of recipes with rice and shrimp.

• Galette des Rois

  Traditionally the French celebrate "la Fête des Rois" ("Festival of the Kings," or Epiphany) by eating a special dessert. Epiphany is often the pretext for a gathering of friends -sometimes even several gatherings since the guests return the invitation.... Sometimes it can last all of January!

• Panettone, Italian Christmas Bread

  As with most Italians, I grew up eating Panettone during the holidays. Here is my favorite recipe for baking your own Panettone.

• Tapenade

  Celebrate the olive and the olive harvest with a delicious, Provençal, Tapenade recipe. Enjoy this classic Mediterranean dip with pita or on toasted French bread.

• Aunt Angiolina's Bean Soup

  Many of you have met Aunt Angiolina at the farm between Faenza and Forlí, in Italy, where we have our European headquarters. Those who haven't can get to know her through this special dish.

• Super Easy Bruschetta

  Bruschetta is really just another use for day old (or week-old bread!). After all, in the good old days on the farm, the family only made bread once a week. By late in the week you had to toast the bread to make it edible.

• French Béchamel Sauce

  Bechamel sauce, a recipe from France.

• An Easy, Fresh Pasta Recipe

  This fresh pasta recipe requires few ingredients, only 15 minutes of cooking, and makes great-tasting, noticeably fresh pasta.