How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut and Fermented Carrots: Fermenting 101
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, What's Up at TIK, Wines & Spirits, USA
Fermentation is all the rage in foodie circles. From kombucha to kimchi, yogurt to sauerkraut, it may seem like the next new food fad. Fermented foods have been getting press lately as doctors and dietitians promote it as a path to better gut health. Instead of taking a probiotic pill, why not try naturally fermented foods that you can make at home? It is easy, delicious, and good for you.… Read
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Highlights of our Tuscan Villa Culinary Vacation in the Chianti
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips, What's Up at TIK, Italy
Have you dreamed about renting a luxury Tuscan villa and exploring the wonderful gastronomy of Italy on a Tuscany food and wine tour? How about cooking with a friendly and accomplished local chef to learn to make traditional Tuscan and Italian dishes? We're very excited to show off our recently revamped Tuscan villa cooking vacation in the Chianti. Of course, we have a lot of amazing culinary tours in Tuscany.… Read
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The Best Labor Day Menu for 2021
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions, What's Up at TIK, Wines & Spirits, USA
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. Kids start back to school, the weather starts to turn, and fall is just around the corner. Every year Labor Day is one of my favorite holidays. Sure, my garden by this point looks horrid, as I've invariably let the weeds take over. And my kids are usually as unruly as the garden at this point, and I am ready to send… Read
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What Is It Like to Travel to Europe Right Now?
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips, What's Up at TIK, Greece
After more than a year with no travel, the experience of being on vacation in Greece felt like a breath of fresh air and gave us a newfound gratitude for being able to go abroad once again. Binging travel shows while stuck at home is no substitute for the rejuvenation you get from the real thing! What It's Like to Fly to Europe Right Now Our journey from Chicago to Athens was… Read
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5 Great Things to Do with Watermelon: The Ultimate Summer Food
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions, USA
Today is National Watermelon Day, and in honor of one of our favorite summer foods we're featuring five amazing ways to use this summer staple. Of course, the best way to enjoy watermelon might just be the old fashioned way - slice by slice - but we've found a number of ways to jazz it up on a hot summer day. #1 Watermelon Salsa Ingredients: 2 cups watermelon, cut into… Read
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Tips for Teaching Children to Cook
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, What's Up at TIK, USA
It should come as no surprise that food and time in the kitchen are a big part of not only my work life, but my family life as well. I was raised with the whole family around the table at dinner time, TV off, no exceptions. I learned to cook first from my mom and grandma, then from friends, chefs, and experimentation. And while I have worked in restaurants and… Read
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Piña Colada Recipe for National Piña Colada Day
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Wines & Spirits, USA
Tomorrow, July 10, is national piña colada day, and in honor of it we're all about piña coladas, including an authentic recipe straight from Puerto Rico. Did you know that the piña colada was invented in Puerto Rico? That much is certain, although there is still a lot of debate over who specifically invented it. Most people think it was invented at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in the 1950's, but… Read
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Fourth of July Dessert: "Red, White, & Blue" Ricotta with Lavender Syrup and Berries
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions
Fourth of July is one of our favorite holidays. For us, it's the kickoff to deep summer, to pool days, barbecues, and get togethers at the lake. We've written before about amazing recipes and ideas for this classic American holiday, but today we have a new recipe especially for the Fourth of July. Growing up, we had a lot of flag cakes on July 4th. This was because it's my… Read
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How to Make Homemade Ricotta & Making Cheese on a Cooking Vacation in Italy
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Italy
One of our culinary travelers' favorite activities when they participate in our Italy cooking vacations is making cheese. This is not part of every itinerary: it depends on the region and the specific cooking vacation. But many of our culinary tours in Italy include cheese making, or at least a visit to see how cheese is produced. But did you know you can easily replicate the thrill of cheesemaking in… Read
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5 Best Things about Our New Flavors of Puerto Rico Culinary Vacation
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips, What's Up at TIK, Wines & Spirits, USA
We always love expanding our culinary tours into new destinations, and we could not be more thrilled with our newest culinary tours in Puerto Rico! What could be better than a top culinary destination with a European feel, a ton of history and culture, miles of coastline, and part of the US? US travelers don't even need a passport, and it's a quick plane ride away. Yes, you do currently… Read
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