Reading Room Blog

Food

Recipes

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

As spring approaches we look forward to fresh and filling salads. Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are one of the most versatile bases for a salad and can be found in... Read More »

Recipes

Half and Half – Mushroom and Beef or Elk Burger

Adapted from this New York Times recipe, I’ve always wanted to perfect the home made hamburger. Especially since I often had elk meat to use which is hard to work... Read More »

Recipes

Pasta with Sugar Snap Peas and Asparagus

We know it’s spring when asparagus and sugar snap peas hit the grocery stores! We have the perfect recipe to combine these two treasures. Ingredients: 1 pound farfalle pasta prepared... Read More »

Squash Blossom Quesadillas

Recipes

Squash Blossom Quesadillas

Along with the bounty of zucchini and yellow squash, the blossoms of these plants are delicate, colorful and oh so delicious. If you do not have a garden, make friends... Read More »

Destinations: Italy

Cycling Italy’s Culinary Delights: A Taste of Emilia...

 Italy’s Culinary Capital 4 Foods Not to Miss! Italy is a country synonymous with world-class cuisine, Emilia Romagna is a region of Italy that stands apart as a culinary superstar,... Read More »

Travel Tips

Culinary Considerations

Culinary Considerations Adventures In Breaking Bread And Routine One of the many things I love about traveling is the way it allows me to insert myself into a new culture... Read More »

Recipes,  Destinations: Spain

Spanish Tapas

Simply Spanish Tapas: Entertaining Made Easy The first time I traveled to Spain I ordered a glass of wine in a bar and along with it came a tiny assortment... Read More »

Travel Planning: Food and Meals,  Destinations: France,  About ExperiencePlus!: Rider Spotlight,  Travel Stories

Seeking Supper: Adventures in Sète

New Friends And Local Favorites ExperiencePlus! Riders Find The Perfect Dinner Though it may sound counter intuitive, one of the most important elements of tour design and pre-trip planning is making... Read More »

Destinations: Italy,  Recipes

Recipe: Insalata Di Farro (Cold Farro Salad)

Umbria’s Great Grain A versatile and easy addition to summer meals. Walk through a farmers market in Italy and you’ll experience the country’s deeply rooted passion for fresh food. Noses... Read More »

Cappelletti - from Romagna

Recipes

Cappelletti in Brodo

Thanks to my parents’ crazy idea that maybe – just maybe – people would want to travel the world by bike, I grew up spending May through September in Italy from when... Read More »

Grandma Zoisa's farm in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains

Recipes

Recipe: Paczki or Polish Donuts

In between the rolling hills of Sierockie, Poland, Grandma Zoisa lives quietly in a tiny village with a population of around 500 residents. The Tatra Mountains watch over her small... Read More »

Afternoon at an outdoor cafe

Recipes

Franzbrötchen

I am beside myself with excitement about our new cycling tour that goes from Copenhagen to Berlin! One reason is a food item you will undoubtedly encounter along the way... Read More »

Romesco Sauce - photo courtesy of wikipedia

Recipes

Romesco Sauce

Tour leader Joan Escosura shares this recipe for Romesco Sauce which is a specialty of  the Catalonia region of Spain where he lives (and leads bicycle tours!) Joan also wisely... Read More »

Acetaia Cavalli

Destinations: Italy

Two Delights from Italy’s Culinary Cycling Tour

Bea Tassinari has been working with ExperiencePlus! in various capacities including tour leader, country coordinator, Italian office manager since the 1990s.  She is the go to person if you have... Read More »

Cucumber, Radish and Parsley Salad

Recipes

Cucumber, Radish and Parsley Salad

This salad is always a hit as we jump into the spring and summer growing seasons. It is crunchy, nutritional, easy to make and attractive to serve. Many simple variations... Read More »

A typical lunch spread.

Travel Planning: Food and Meals

Managing Your Food Intake on a Bicycle Tour

One of the most important things in life is FOOD, we can’t live without it!  Food can be one of the best parts and biggest challenges in a day; did... Read More »

Flavor Your Olive Oil

Recipes

Flavor Your Olive Oil

ExperiencePlus! tour leader Yorgos Paraskevopoulos is from Kalamata, Greece and has been leading tours with us since 1999. He lives in Kalamata, Greece where he harvests and cares for his... Read More »

Recipes

Winter Vegetable Soup

Here’s a toasty winter vegetable soup to keep you warm as you wait for spring to finally arrive. Serves 4 1/4 cup diced carrot 1/4 cup diced celery 1/3 cup... Read More »

Riserva dello Zingaro Sicily

Recipes

A Sicilian Feast

I just came back from an hiking trip on the eastern side of Sicily that included Catania, Siracusa, Val di Noto, Ragusa, to name just a few of the gorgeous... Read More »

Photo by ExperiencePlus! traveler Alan Razak

Recipes

Straccetti with Arugula and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

This recipe comes to us from the Scuola di Cucina Bologna which we visit on our Whole Journey’s Culinary Delights bicycling tours in Italy. Ingredients: 1 pound of veal thinly... Read More »

Sweet Crepes

Recipes

Breton Crêpes

John Giebler (our Director of Tours, and occasional tour leader in France and Italy) shares his favorite crêpe recipe in honor of the new ExperiencePlus! tour in Brittany and Normandy.... Read More »

Recipes

No Knead Flatbread/Pizza Dough

About 2 years ago I decided I wanted try my hand at making some quick pizza or flatbread style dough. As I was looking for recipes I ran across a... Read More »

Starr and another rider enjoy the views in Patagonia's Lakes District with ExperiencePlus!

Destinations: Argentina,  Destinations: Chile,  About ExperiencePlus!: Rider Spotlight

Bicycle Patagonia: It Doesn’t Get Better Than This

By ExperiencePlus! travelers Starr and Phil Teague The Patagonia Lakes District Plus! the Island of Chiloé bicycle trip was one of our best vacation experiences ever. The biking was challenging... Read More »

Tarte Tatin

Recipes

Tarte Tatin

Two sisters, Carolina (1847-1911) and Stéphine Tatin (1838-1917), from Lamotte-Beuvron, a small village in the Loire Valley of France, are considered the creators of this wonderful tart. The sisters owned and... Read More »

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