Gourmet Global

Our unique Malaysia Culinary & Culture Tour Itinerary is a 14 day in-depth excursion into the fusion cuisine and myriad of cultures represented in Malaysia.

Just a few highlights:

3 days with the Iban people of Borneo

Cocoa and rice plantations
Kuala Lampur’s night markets
Cameron Highlands
Penang’s Hawker Cuisine
Two Hands on Cooking Classes

Our All-Inclusive Tours include:
Roundtrip Airfare from NYC
Inland Flights
Lodging
Meals
Hands On Cooking Classes
Ground Transportation
All Tours
24/7 Available Guide

Our escorted tours are a combination of cuisine, culture, adventure, relaxation and variety. $4000 all inclusive gives you a lot of bang for your buck!!
Please email culinarytours@globaltastesinc.com today to receive the detailed itinerary and feel free to call with any questions at 347-419-3206.
Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
http://www.globaltastesinc.com
mireille@globaltastesinc.com
Become a fan on Facebook!!

Selamat Petang!!

We will be running a Culinary and Cultural tour to Malaysia in August.
14 days and you will have the vacation of a lifetime!

This tour will take you from the cocoa plantations and rice fields of Borneo to the night markets and Orchid Garden of Kuala Lampur to the rolling hills of the Cameron Highlands to the hawker cuisine of Penang and two days of cooking classes for the foodie in you!!

You can view some of the sights you’ll see and the foods you’ll taste on this amazing trip here.
For an introduction to Malaysian cuisine in order to whet your appetite for this amazing trip, try this delicious recipe:
Roast Sugar Cane Chicken
2 teaspoons galangal, chopped (you may substitute ginger, if you can’t find galangal)
2 tablespoons lemon grass, chopped, bottom 6 inches only
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 fresh red chiles, seeds removed, chopped
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon fennel powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup sugar cane juice
1 2-2 1/2 pound chicken

Pound or process the galangal, lemon grass, garlic, shallots and chiles to a smooth paste. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the paste mixture and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes on moderate heat. Be careful not to allow the mixture to burn.

Add the turmeric, fennel, cumin, bay leaves, lime juice and sugar cane juice. Bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce by half, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Rub the chicken inside and out with the cooked sauce, reserving any extra sauce.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Place the chicken breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 10 minutes. Brush the chicken with the sauce and turn the chicken over. Baste the breast with the sauce and roast for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Brush the chicken with the sauce. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes. Turn over the chicken and brush with the sauce. Continue cooking the chicken for another 15 minutes or until tender and juices run clear when the chicken is pierced by a fork.

Serve with steamed rice. (Jasmine rice would be ideal)

Practice your Malaysian and join us in August - Selamat Malam!!

Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
http://www.globaltastesinc.com
mireille@globaltastesinc.com
Become a fan on Facebook !!

I have been away in Paris, which is why I have not been blogging. It was a culinary tour, of course and although the food was great and I had a great time, I think Paris is overstated by most people.

Don’t get me wrong - I had a really good time and enjoyed some great meals but I have known people who return from Paris and just oooh and aaah over everything. Paris is a very diverse city as it has always been because of their colonization of many African/Middle Eastern countries, as well as the Caribbean. Unfortunately, due to the limited time I had there, I did not have time to try the Ethnic cuisine of Paris.

If you are part of the foie gras and beef tartare loving community, I am sure you will think Paris cuisine is out of this world, but for this chef, whose culinary preferences lean towards Caribbean and Asian foods I felt the food in Paris left a lot to be desired. For example, I was eating at a very nice restaurant, sort of an upscale Applebee’s enjoying some fabulous lamb chops and on the table next to me, here comes the waitress with a large burger of raw, ground meat and a raw egg is cracked in the middle of it and here is this young man mixing it all together and eating a raw burger. Thank God his table was a little behind me so I did not have to look at it, while I enjoyed my dinner.

Some things the French do fabulous - like hot chocholate not the mediocre instant chocolate made with water you get here, the choocolate here reminds me of the hot chocolate I would get as a child from my mother - fresh cocoa grated and boiled with milk and in France it is topped with chantilly whipped cream - heaven on earth! and mashed potatoes (see attached photo) might seem like something so simple but there it is so light and buttery it just melts in your mouth

With the Euro, expect to spend a lot of money on food and pretty much everything else - a small bottle of water will cost you about $5 US.

Overall, Paris is worth a visit to see things that are unique to Paris - the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, the Eifel Tower at night and if you are into raw beef and duck liver - it is definitely worth the trip! For me, the trip was worth it more for the sights than the food.

I still plan to return to France - hopefully to do the south of France next time - I think I will enjoy that cuisine better - with Coq Au Vin and the like! - Hopefully, you all can join me on that tour!!

All comments are always appreciated!!

Come with me to Taste T & T, an amazing 2 days of culinary exploration that will have your taste buds bursting with excitement.
This takes place in the capital city of Port of Spain on the island of Trinidad the last weekend in May every year. The island of Trinidad is very diverse due to Asian immigration and colonization. Their cuisine is heavily influenced by Indian, Chinese, African and Spanish. This culinary festival lets you experiment with all of these, in addition to getting the opportunity to taste the foods created by some of the top chefs on the island.

I am organizing a culinary tour to Trinidad for next year - You will be able to partake in Taste T & T as well as 2 days of cooking classes in native cuisine, a few days of sightseeing and a few free days for you to explore the beauties of the island on your own or take a ferry and visit Tobago for the day. I am still in the process of organizing the logistics, however the estimated cost of the tour will be approximately $2500. This will include airfare, lodging, 80% of meals, entry into demo kitchens as well as gourmet sample tastings at the festival, ground transportation, cooking classes, sightseeing tours for 10 days.

It is going to be a small group of about 20 people, so if you are interested and would like to be given first opportunity once all the logistics and final price is available, please send me an email with your contact information so you can be given first choice.

Thanks!!