ExperiencePlus! Blog


Food

  • Roasted Kale Chips

    Roasted Kale Chips

    In recent years kale has come into its own and this is a delightful, crispy side dish has little in common with the boiled, tasteless recipes of the past.  It’s a perfect side dish for casseroles, or better yet, let… Read full article

  • Cauliflower Calabria

    Cauliflower Calabria

    Cauliflower: a white, seemingly boring vegetable that unfortunately suffers from neglect in the grocery store and sometimes in the fridge has just received a facelift. And, no, it’s not cheddar cheese. Prepare yourself for a caramelized, nutty, and surprisingly light… Read full article

  • Rostinniana photo by Raul Bernardo

    Rosticciana with Fruit Sauce

    Rosticciana has become a favorite for our travelers on the Bike Across Italy: Venice to Pisa trips. In fact the serving plate always ends up empty which is rare given the quantity of food the Italian’s traditionally tempt us with.… Read full article

  • Belgian Endive and Pear Salad

    Belgian Endive and Pear Salad

    Endive was discovered in Belgium in 1830 and by the mid-nineteenth century it was being cultivated and sold as “witloof” or white leaf. Endive is now grown in a variety of places but many still consider genuine Belgian Endive to… Read full article

  • Panna Cotta

    Panna Cotta

    Panna Cotta Travelers on the recent Bicycling Sardinia – Alghero to Cagliari trip devoured a wonderful Panna Cotta which inspired Italian tour leader Lisa Merighi to share her grandmother’s recipe with us. It’s a simple recipe with just a few… Read full article

  • Chard Quiche

    Chard Quiche – From the Field to Your Plate

    Many of you may remember Josette Smyrl who coordinated our hotels and meals in France for years. Josette has retired and lives in Provence with her husband and gardener extraordinaire Sam. Her culinary expertise is well-known in Fort Collins, Colorado… Read full article

  • Fisherman's Risotto

    Fisherman’s Risotto

    “My wife’s a better cook than yours” was the common refrain on fishing boats plying the Adriatic Sea. These rugged men would leave home for three or four days at a time, each carrying a lunch toolbox of sorts. What… Read full article

  • Tortillas from Catalonia

    Spanish omelets or tortillas are one of the most common dishes in Spain and though most are made with potatoes the French influenced Catalan version uses chick peas instead. You can enjoy a tortilla for a snack, lunch or light… Read full article

  • Irish Soda Bread and The Boys and Girl From County Claire

    (Irish) Snacks and a Movie

    Looking for an opportunity to get some Irish culture, to savor the flavor and sound of traditional food and music of the Emerald Isle? Go ahead and rent a movie from our Ireland film recommendation page, or if this review… Read full article

  • Scottish Cranachan

    Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert and we are fortunate that our Scottish coordinators are willing to share their favorite recipe with us. Nowadays, Cranachan is typically made from a mixture of whipped cream, honey (we prefer heather honey), and… Read full article

  • Zucchini Salad with Mint and Provençal Rosemary Almonds

    With summer often comes an abundance of zucchini from the garden – and the ongoing challenge to find new ways to prepare them. Co-workers begin to avoid you and your zucchini cakes, muffins and breads. We understand the never-ending challenge… Read full article

  • Greek Kale Salad

    Kale packs a punch, many believe it to be a perfect food, packed with antioxidants, vitamin C and K, high in lutein and beta carotene. But, many folks just don’t know what to do with the stuff so since kale… Read full article

  • Provençal Melon with Beaumes de Venise Muscat

    The ExperiencePlus! Bicycling through the Best of Provence Plus! the Luberon and Aix-en-Provence tour now goes through Beaumes de Venise. A lot of France’s melons grow nearby around Cavaillon, and Beaumes de Venise is known for its sweet Muscat dessert… Read full article

  • Spring Salad

    This recipe comes to us from our friends at Cooking Vacations Italy and takes advantage of the spring harvest including fava beans, lemon balm, mint, chives, radishes, spinach, lettuce and peas. If you aren’t familiar with fava beans, sometimes known… Read full article

  • Crème Brûlée

    When you travel to France, chances are you’ve got some culinary must-tastes on your list. While crepes and the delicately-crafted pastries in the corner patisseries are delightful, one dessert you must try is crème brûlée. The translation of this dessert… Read full article

  • Neeps and Tatties

    A delicious twist on a traditional Scottish recipe which should technically be accompanied by Cock a Leekie soup, Cranachan,  and haggis all washed down with whisky, but we’ll leave it to you to decide how authentic you’d like to be.… Read full article

  • Dordogne Hazelnut Cake

    I, like most of you, find myself excited by local specialties while I’m traveling and I often come home with flavored oils, spices or syrups that then sit in my pantry or fridge for eternity. During our recent snow storms… Read full article

  • Vlaamse Stoverij or Belgian Beef Stew

    Tour leaders Michele Boglioni and Enrico Dal Monte were recently doing some reconnaissance for our Bicycling Belgium’s Best Brewery tours and stopped in for some authentic Belgian Beef Stew. They report that it is especially delicious when washed down with… Read full article