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“ALL IN” – Gourmet Safari’s GOURMET ADVENTURE Blog

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Spreading the love, one recipe at a time.”

The back-story that led to the recipes that led to the menus!!

I love to write about food, I love to dream about food. I love to celebrate the really, really great meals and the cuisines that are king to me…and there are a lot of them!

If you’re a foodie like me, (or even if you’re not) you probably measure landmark events in your life in some way that involves food. I realized I could tell my story, and hence the story of Gourmet Safari, in stories punctuated by recipes, so join me on a trip, a safari if you will…

To me, food and travel go together like love and marriage (or peanut butter and jam). These recipes and stories go out to all you foodies out there. If you’re anything like me, you go to bed dreaming of your last meal and wake up thinking of where you’ll find your next one! I’m always on the ‘hunt’ for my next delicious dish as I go through life or travel.

My Wonderlust Travel Philosophy

I’m an avid world traveler with 54 countries under my belt! I love to get out there and experience the world…it’s a big one, with 196 countries to explore. My passion is to find the best dishes….one dish at a time. I am innately curious about the vast & expansive world in which we live. You will find me cooking in Thailand, to exploring the fragrant wine vineyards of France. Smile. Explore. Cook. Eat. Savour. Enjoy. Repeat. I have many future travel aspirations in the big world, especially the world of food – Chile, Lebanon, the entire Spice Trade Route, North Africa, Indonesia, Cambodia, Tibet, Nepal, Himalayas, Iceland, Greenland…the list is endless…142 countries left to explore! I’d better get goin’.

Welcome – Bienvenue – Hola

This is where I’ve been, my 54 countries! Where do you want to go? 

Argentina (loved the traditional grilled beef asado)

Australia (ate ‘bugs’ – not real bugs, the seafood)

Austria (sang my heart out for dinner)

Barbados (took a Barbadian cooking class, loved the fresh fish)

Bahamas (savoured seafood on land and cruise ship food at sea/swam and picnicked on the shore of a tiny ‘cay’ island)

Belgium (ate delicious frites, moules and chocolate)

Canada – 7 Provinces (LOVE Ontario’s seasonal foods the best)

China (Chengdu cooking class, spiciest Szechwan I have ever eaten)

Costa Rica (seafood and zip lined in the rain forest)

Cuba (delicious meal at a stranger’s home in Holguin)

Cyprus (seafood was epic)

Czech Republic (rustic comfort food borscht was delicious)

Egypt (mezes were mouth-watering, followed by apple-flavoured hookah pipe experience beside the pyramids)

England (born here, love Sunday’s roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding)

Fiji (the best seafood dinner ever at a table-for-two overlooking the Pacific Ocean)

France (lived here – loved all of the food, especially Foie Gras and Pain au Chocolat – too much of a good thing)

Germany (Black Forest Cake and traditional craft beer from a glass boot – my favourite experiences)

Greece (Saganaki and Horitaki salad – a perfect lunch)

Haiti (local chicken in open air market)

Hong Kong (dim sum experience Hong Kong Island)

Hungary (steamy goulash warmed the soul)

India (Southern India cuisine cooking was the absolute best)

Italy (rustic Italian bread drizzled with freshly pressed olive oil, simple and delicious)

Ireland (fish ‘n chips with Guinness spiked with berry cordial)

Jamaica (erie mon jerk chicken a flavour explosion)

Japan (sushi from a ‘dive’ was tantalizing)

Laos (cooking class steaming hot cooking over coals in banana leaves)

Malta (married here – pastries are melt-in-your-mouth esp with local cheese)

Mexico (cooked in Cozumel – loved fresh tortillas, cilantro, limes – brought an authentic press home)

Morocco (tagine is an amazing invention – ground beef and egg tagine dish intoxicating)

Monaco (dined like a queen at a casino event)

New Zealand (best lamb anywhere – stayed at a sheep station)

Portugal (best seafood ‘stew’ that I have ever tasted during a rainy afternoon just north of Lisbon)

Puerto Rico (stunning streets of architecture, colour and delicious sea food)

Russia (champagne and vodka to keep warm)

Scotland (the chill of Edinburgh)

South Africa (loved the evening’s Safari Food around the bonfire, carefully protected by the boma)

Spain (savoured every bite of traditional Sevilla and Logrono tapas)

St Kitts, WI (hot n steamy)

St. Lucia, WI (salty air)

St. Maarten, NA (hot n steamy)

St. Thomas, USVI (salty air)

Sweden (stayed at the Ice Hotel, drank warm lingonberry juice in the morning)

Switzerland (loved the chocolate and cheese fondue)

The Netherlands (loved the fondue and boat tour)

Turks & Caicos (beach-side gourmet seafood dinner)

Thailand (loved the pad thai, learnt to make it authentically)

Turkey (got lost in the spice market, LOVED the mezes)

United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi (took in the scene)

United Arab Emirates – Dubai (ate delicious seafood)

United States – 18 States (N’Awlins Cajun my fav)

Venezuela (beautiful sandy beaches, hot sun, stinging sunburn)

Vietnam (delicious spring rolls, almost hit by a motorcycle crossing a street)

Wales (loved the beach)

Grab life, pack your bags, what are you waiting for? Take your taste buds on a trip and explore the world’s dishes from HKG to DEL!

Wish you were here…and here…and here!

XO

Post Original Appeared on Gourmetsafari.com

My First Time In India

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I decided to finally take the trip to India’s Golden Triangle and travel between the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, and am I ever glad that I did. Join me as I explore some of India’s most historic and well known tourist attractions, from the Taj Mahal, to the Chandni Chowk, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Hawa Mahal and more. Find out about everything from the flight from Canada, to my accommodations and even travelling on the fastest train in India, the Gatimaan Express. It’s a trip well worth taking … Read All About My First Trip To India.

El Al Showcases its Forthcoming Boeing 787 Dreamliner Fleet

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Do you remember the line in the film Field of Dreams “If you build it, they will come”? Well, that was the past. Welcome to the future. El Al, Israel’s flag carrier, is excited about its future — really excited, thanks to its new Dreamliner aircraft. And you have a chance to step into the future in January 2019 when El Al introduces the Dreamliner service from Toronto to Tel Aviv.

The moment you set foot in the Dreamliner you will immediately feel something different, new and exciting. This is the feeling the airline was aiming for when it had EL AL’s latest aircraft in mind. It’s a combination of exceptional, warm service, along with a unique design that fully surrounds you as you come aboard the most advanced aircraft in the world.

Flying on the Dreamliner leaves you feeling refreshed and relaxed, thanks to advanced technological systems that directly affect you, providing a sense of tranquility and relaxation throughout the flight.Take a deep breath and feel the clean air flowing continuously through the advanced air purification system. The extra-large windows allow passengers to enjoy the view from every seat and easily dim outside light. The dynamic cabin LED lighting is adapted to different stages of the flight to help in the transition between different time zones, leaving you alert and refreshed as you arrive at your destination. And you can peacefully enjoy a smoother, more relaxed flight, thanks to a unique system that reduces the impact of moderate turbulence.


The Dreamliner consists of three service classes: Business Class, Premium Class and Economy Class

Dreamliner Business First Class redefines the concept of luxury. Enjoy the warm, personalized service from the Business First Class crew, who indulge you throughout the flight. Your luxurious, spacious seat provides maximum comfort and privacy, with personal space, so that you can relax, work and enjoy sleeping on the full-flat bed seat.

Premium Class is an intimate experience offering wider, more spacious premium seats and larger screens, complemented by premium, indulging personal service.

Economy Class is a service that offers a special design and advanced entertainment experience, to make you feel “home away from home”, from takeoff to landing.

The Dreamliner offers everything you need to have for a pleasant flight: rich content entertainment system, sockets for charging your mobile devices and soon, internet connectivity.If you are looking for something different, something new and something state of the art, you’ll want to give the Dreamliner service a try.


Cozumel’s Soul Tonic: Detoxify the Human Doing & Reconnect with the Human Being

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By Pollyanna Blanco, Retreat Leader, Author, Teacher, Energy Practitioner, Dancer ~

It’s time for your next vacation. What are you hungry for? Soul food extends beyond food as nourishment, touching a place deep inside of you, awakening aliveness and wholeness. Diving into your cravings will reveal insights. Do you need more sweetness in your life? Are you feeling unfulfilled in an area of your life? Do you need more spice and adventure in your life? So often when we travel we give ourselves permission to indulge and eat whatever we feel like. What if our salivating is about more than food?

Cozumel is an often overlooked hidden gem of a sweet spot on Mother Earth. I have a Mayan friend who explains that the ancients believed this island acts as an oracle, reflecting back to us the answers we seek. If we are open and willing to receive, this island holds a transformative magic, calling us to slow down, look within, and digest our new awareness. It also amplifies our soul’s yearnings so we can hear its revelatory messages more clearly. Many locals also describe Cozumel as being like a womb. Makes sense. The island is dedicated to the Mayan fertility goddess Ix Chel. Young women for centuries have made pilgrimages here to ask for her blessings around childbirth. So considering that the womb was the first place of nourishment for all of us; a place of being, rather than doing, visiting a magical island that can hold us in a similar energy can be very restorative.

This soul tonic is yours to receive when you relax the mind of your human doing. Yes, there are fun activities here, from scuba, snorkelling, water sports, horseback riding, yoga, dining, dancing, to shopping. If you stopped here on a cruise for a few hours perhaps you did as much as you could!

Yet the hidden gifts of this island lie beyond what the mind knows to do, and is accessed through the energy medicine of the spirit of place. Being and feeling are intensified here, and attending the Dancing the Creative Path Women’s Chakradance retreat can make it easier for you to taste it. Chakradance is a gentle creative process that involves moving meditation, with eyes closed, to sound healing music, and guided imagery. This practice guides you to detoxify the human doing’s compulsiveness, creating space and time your human being to expand. You will emerge resurrected and attuned to your inner flow. And then, instead of overthinking and overdoing, you will feel freer to be present as you join into the dance of life!

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