| Spring 2010 Newsletter |
The bone-chilling winter of 2010 has certainly created the perfect atmosphere for comfort food! While we anticipate the spring thaw, now is a great time to chase away the winter blues and enjoy a class at The Cooking Cottage.
Join us for an island getaway, afternoon tea, or a day trip to New York City.
Next time you grab your favorite takeout, empty the bag on a tabletop, spread everything out, and really look at what you’ve purchased. There isn’t much there but ketchup, paper, and minimal portions of the worst quality food products.
A critical eye will reveal the same at many sit-down restaurants.
Treat yourself to some real food value, learn a few new skills, enjoy a terrific menu, take home the recipes and begin creating satisfying healthier food in your own kitchen.
Our Celebrate America Tour takes us to discover the Wine Trail of the Oregon Coast and California’s Wine Country. You may choose to do both destinations or just one! We are also planning a November Culinary Adventure to Argentina! Our trips are designed exclusively for us by Villas & Vines/Saveur of France – sure to be fantastic experiences – interested? Just let us know!
We look forward to seeing you at The Cooking Cottage – a great place for new ideas & inspiration…Bon Appetite!
Private Classes at The Cooking Cottage: Gather together of group of friends or co-workers and we’ll arrange a private class just for your group at a time that works best for you! Call us at 215-453-8186 or email thecookingcottage@yahoo.com
DAY TRIPS
New York City Gourmet Foodies Tour
Sunday, March 21 $57 “We’ll do it all”
Sunday, June 06 $57 “ With an Italian flair”
Includes visits to Zabars, Citarellas, Fairways, Dean & Deluca, The Chelsea Market and Little Italy/Chinatown or Bleecker Street - Departs from Quakertown & Phillipsburg, NJ. See Brochure for additional information.
NEW YORK CITY NOSHING TOUR
Thursday, May 14 8:00 & 8:30 AM $98
Departs from Quakertown and Phillipsburg, NJ.
See Brochure for complete information.
The Bounty of Oregon June 8th – 13th 2010
From Farm to Fork & Vineyard to Glass
Extraordinary Culinary Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
Oregon is a culinary paradise! A land of plenty set among rugged mountains, rushing streams and rivers, the powerful Pacific, and fertile vineyards. Join The Cooking Cottage for this 6-day, 5- night adventure to the delicious Pacific Northwest.
The trip begins with a 2 night stay at a chic boutique hotel in the center Portland. This vibrant city is one of America’s hottest new culinary destinations. Portland, “The Rose City”, is one of the greenest cities in America with century-old elms, inviting plazas, and cascades of water around every corner. While in Portland, we’ll have one of the local chefs share the secrets of the native cuisine; and we’ll enjoy this city’s innovative dining scene. Just an hour from Portland, we explore the Columbia River Gorge, where waterfalls cascade from the mountains, wild salmon swim upstream, and bald eagles soar overhead. Venture along the Columbia River to Astoria, where the Columbia meets the Pacific, and is the first permanent American settlement west of the Rockies (founded in 1811). Along the Oregon coastline, discover the picturesque resort village of Canon Beach, home to “Haystack Rock”, towering 285 feet out of the Pacific Ocean. Spend 3 nights in the heart of the Willamette Valley wine region, the most noted Pinot Noir-producing area in America. Here we visit and taste wines at award-winning producers of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines. The hands-on cooking lesson incorporates seasonal fruits and berries, fresh fish from the ocean and streams, and locally-raised meats. Other highlights include visiting a local cheese producer and the real Spruce Goose plane at the Aviation Museum. In true “Cooking Cottage Tradition”, there will be a variety of wonderful dining experiences, with free time to explore and shop on your own! Most meals, with wines, are included. Include the Cooking Cottage’s “California Wine Country” trip and get The Best of the West!
California’s Wine Country June 13th – 18th 2010
Wine, Food, Culture, and Adventure in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys
This 6-day, 5-night tour brings us to both the Sonoma and Napa valleys, giving us a taste of the diversity of the region, taking in a mix of wineries, culinary destinations, sights, and outdoor activities.
Our accommodations are in the village of Sonoma, the captivating heart of the region. The center of Sonoma is a beautiful square, among the prettiest and most historical in California. Highlights will include a visit and lunch at the famous “Copia”, The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts and the first museum in this country devoted to the culture of food and wine. We visit the Benziger Family Winery in the Sonoma valley, one of the few biodynamic wineries in California. Included is a stop and lunch at the picturesque St. Francis winery in the Napa valley. Our visit to tour and a cooking lesson at the California campus of The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone will certainly be a highlight. A Cooking Cottage favorite is a stop to sample the freshest oysters straight from the ocean. Wander among the tallest trees in the country at Muir Woods National Park. Explore the colorful bay-side resort village of Sausalito. Of course there will be a variety of dining experiences and time to explore and shop on your own! Most meals, with wines, are included. Combine your trip with “The Bounties of Oregon” and get The Best of the West!
Argentina - Buenos Aires and Mendoza November 6th – 13th 2010
Food, Wine and a Gaucho South of the Equator
For culture, food, and wine, Argentina ranks among the top! Join The Cooking Cottage for this 7-day, 6-night adventure to one of the world’s most amazing countries. During this week, we experience Buenos Aires and the wine capital of Mendoza, lying at the base of the Andes mountains and home to hundreds of wineries. The first three nights are in the heart of Buenos Aires, in the Palermo district, the city’s most elegant and fashionable neighborhood. Our guided tour includes the Plaza de Mayo, the pulsating heart of Argentina,and the Casa Rosada, home to historic moments in Argentina’s history and the site of Eva Perón’s rousing speeches. We’ll visit the exclusive Retiro and Recoleta, the Bohemian San Telmo, the stylish port area of Puerto Madero, and Argentina’s most famous cemetery, the Cementerio de la Recoleta. Enjoy a nautical adventure on the Panará River Delta in the district of Tigre and cruise back across the River Plate. Our day in the countryside on an Estancia, or ranch, is home to the famous Gauchos, or Argentine cowboys. Learn the techniques of an authentic Argentine Grill, while sipping the best Argentine wines!
After a short flight, we land in Mendoza, the Argentine wine-producing region at the base of the Andes Mountains. The towering Cerro Aconcagua, at 22,829 feet, is the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere (and second in the world only to Everest). Mendoza is geographically the world’s highest wine producing region. Our next three nights are spent in the hamlet of Chacras de Coria, a scenic area of vineyards and orchards on the outskirts of Mendoza. Mendoza is the culinary capital of Argentina with its leafy squares and peaceful parks, and is consistently voted as Argentina’s most livable city. The most famous grape here is Malbec, originally from France, which has put Argentina on the international wine map. We follow Los Caminos del Vino, The Wine Road, to the country’s most noted producers. Many of the wine-making families are originally from Italy or France, and experiment with new agricultural and architectural techniques, with fantastic results! We are privileged to visit and taste from among the finest. Argentina’s varied cuisine includes the famous beef of course, but also fish from the Atlantic and mountain streams, and fruits and vegetables from the fertile plains. Enjoy private cooking lessons with true masters of the cucina! Enhancing this extraordinary Argentine adventure are a variety of dining and cooking experiences, and plenty of free time for shopping and exploring!
COOKWARE AND GIFT CERTIFICATES
Our shelves and windowsills are filled with gadgets, kitchen tools and Gurgle Pots to make cooking a joy – not a task. Remember, we offer Gift Certificates in any denomination.
Cottage Chatter: thecookingcottage.blogspot.com