On a Food & Wine vacation, you’ll enjoy plenty of hands-on experiences. Take a cooking lesson that reveals the secrets of Italy’s timehonored dishes. Learn about the climate, soils, and grape varieties in France’s celebrated Bordeaux region. Indulge your senses at the Biarritz Museum of Chocolate, tour a maple sugarworks in Vermont, or find out what makes California’s sparkling wines bubble— and that’s just the beginning!

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1. Place vinaigrette ingredients in jar or container with tight-fitting lid. Close top & shake vigorously until dressing looks creamy. Set aside & shake vigorously before using.

2. Place all greens in bowl. Remove garlic clove from dressing, pour dressing over salad & toss.

CHICKEN WITH BLACK OLIVES
Yields 4 servings

1. Season chicken with half the salt & pepper. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven. Brown chicken over high heat, skin side down, about 5 minutes.

2. When chicken is golden brown, turn it over, pour wine & chicken broth into pan, scatter garlic, herbs & olives over chicken; add remaining salt & pepper. Shake pan to distribute olives & herbs evenly. Reduce heat & braise chicken over medium-low heat, 25-30 minutes, basting with pan juices while cooking.

3. Heat broiler. When chicken is done, transfer it to an oven-proof platter & cook under broiler for 1-2 minutes to crisp skin. Raise heat under braising pan & simmer juices for 2 minutes to thicken. Spoon olives & juices over chicken & serve.

ZABAGLIONE
Yields 6-8 servings

1. Set up double boiler or set medium-size stainless-steel bowl over pot of simmering water. Make sure bottom of bowl is not touching water or eggs may scramble and overcook. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, marsala & Grand Marnier together and place in pot or bowl over simmering water. Whisk vigorously until eggs increase in volume and thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to move whisk around the bowl so eggs cook evenly. If edges of eggs start to scramble, remove bowl from over water & continue to whisk. Zabaglione should be like an airy pudding.

2. Whisk zabaglione over bowl of ice to cool, then set aside. Whip cream over ice until it stands in soft peaks, then sift in confectioners' sugar. Fold whipped cream into cool zabaglione & refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Can be prepared a day ahead. Serve with panettone or pound cake.

Tuscan Recipes

SPINACH ROLLS
Yields 4 servings

1. Squeeze liquid out of cooked spinach, finely chop & set aside. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add chopped spinach & blend thoroughly.

2. Divide mixture into 12 small pieces. Using palms of both hands, roll spinach mixture to form ovals, 1½"-2" long. Repeat process until all 12 ovals are shaped. If mixture sticks to your hands, dust your hands lightly with flour.

3. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.

4. While water comes to a boil, prepare sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic & cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil & salt. Simmer sauce for 5 minutes.

5. Add pinch of salt to boiling water, then add spinach rolls, 4 at a time. When water returns to a boil, remove spinach rolls with a slotted spoon & transfer to a warm serving platter or dinner plates. To serve, top with sauce. Three rolls equal a single serving.

TAGLIATELLE WITH CHICKEN SAUCE
Yields 4 servings

1. In large sauté pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add ground chicken or turkey & cook until brown, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt & pepper.

2. Add carrot, onion & celery; cook for 5 minutes more. Pour in wine, chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary & broth. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour.

3. In a saucepan, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta & cook according to package directions. Put 2 tablespoons of pasta cooking water into sauce. Drain pasta.

4. Remove bay leaf & rosemary sprig from sauce. Add drained pasta to pan with sauce. Toss pasta with sauce & heat through. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

PEAR TART
Yields 8 servings

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8" loose-bottom tart pan with one prepared crust. Trim pastry so it overhangs by ½".

2. In sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add pears & sugar; cook until edges start to turn brown, about 4 minutes. Pour in red wine & cook for 2 minutes more, until liquid is absorbed. Set pears aside to cool.

3. In small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg yolk, confectioners’ sugar & vanilla. Spread mixture evenly in bottom of prepared tart shell.

4. Place pound cake slices on top of ricotta mixture in tart shell, then place pears on top of pound cake.

5. Cover tart with second pie crust. Pinch bottom & top crusts together to seal, making slightly raised rim. Brush top with egg white.

6. Bake tart in lower third of oven for 50 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned. Cool tart on a wire rack. Serve warm.

French Recipes

WATERCRESS & PARSNIP SOUP
Yields 4 servings

1. Trim & separate watercress leaves from stems; set aside.

2. In large non-reactive soup pot, set over medium-low heat, melt butter & sauté leeks and watercress stems until tender & sweet, about 7 minutes. Add parsnips, milk, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until parsnips are very soft.

3. While soup is simmering, bring small pot of water to a boil. Set aside a couple of watercress leaves for garnish. Boil remaining watercress leaves, 3-4 minutes or until tender. Drain & rinse under cold water to set color of the leaves.

4. For a smooth result, pass soup through a food mill to purée & strain out fibrous parts of stems. For thicker texture, leave stems in. For creamy texture & bright green color, purée soup with watercress leaves & stems in a blender. Return soup to pan, add vermouth & reheat gently. Serve in warmed bowls with watercress leaves as garnish.

GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEMON & PEPPER
Yields 4 servings

1. Cut sprouts in half through their base, keeping leaves intact. Bring pot of water to a boil & add 1 teaspoon of salt. Boil sprouts until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Drain & rinse under cold water to stop the cooking & set sprouts’ color.

2. When ready to serve, heat sprouts in a medium pan with butter, lemon juice, water, sugar, remaining salt & pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes, turning gently, until sprouts are lightly glazed & heated through. Serve immediately.

ROAST VEAL WITH TARRAGON & ONION SAUCE
Yields 4 servings

1. Preheat oven to 500°F. Brush veal with oil & season with salt & pepper. Place roast on rack in roasting pan. Cook for 20 minutes.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. After 1 hour at lower temperature, add white wine to pan. Continue to cook another 40-60 minutes, or until internal temperature of roast is 150°F.

3. While roast cooks, prepare sauce. In medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter & cook onions, with ½ teaspoon salt, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir onions so they don't brown during cooking. Add rice, tarragon & chicken broth; cover & simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is soft. Purée sauce in blender with remaining salt & pepper. Set aside.

4. When roast is finished, remove from oven & let meat rest in a warm spot, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes. To deglaze pan juices, heat roasting pan on a burner. Add ½ cup water and scrape up any browned bits & juices with a wooden spoon. Add sauce to pan juices; bring to a boil.

5. To serve, remove string from roast & slice veal against the grain into thin pieces. Pour some sauce onto heated platter & lay sliced veal down center of platter. Garnish with vegetables & serve extra sauce on the side.

Austrian Recipes

MUSHROOMS WITH GARLIC & PARSLEY
Yields 4 servings

1. Pop stems from mushroom caps & dice stems. Heat oil in medium skillet & brown mushroom caps, rounded side down, over high heat, 2-3 minutes. Turn caps over & brown other side. If mushrooms are still firm, reduce heat, cover mushrooms & cook, 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add diced stems to pan & brown for 3-4 minutes.

2. Season mushrooms with salt. Add shallot & garlic; sauté over medium heat until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add parsley & toss to coat mushrooms. To serve, place mushrooms on warmed plate & spoon diced stems into caps.

WATERCRESS & PARSNIP SOUP
Yields 4 servings

1. Trim & separate watercress leaves from stems; set aside.

2. In large non-reactive soup pot, set over medium-low heat, melt butter & sauté leeks and watercress stems until tender & sweet, about 7 minutes. Add parsnips, milk, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until parsnips are very soft.

3. While soup is simmering, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Set aside a couple of watercress leaves for garnish. Boil remaining watercress leaves, 3-4 minutes or until tender. Drain & rinse under cold water to set color of the leaves.

4. For a smooth result, pass soup through a food mill to purée & strain out fibrous parts of the stems. For a thicker texture, leave stems in. To get a creamy texture and bright green color, purée soup with watercress leaves & stems in a blender. Return soup to pan, add vermouth & reheat gently. Serve in warmed bowls with watercress leaves as garnish.

New England Recipes

WILD MUSHROOM & RICE SOUP
Yields 6-8 servings

1. Tuck ingredients for bouquet garni into fold of green part of leek & wrap it closed with kitchen string. Set aside.

2. In soup pot, sauté bacon over medium heat until brown & crisp. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Set crisp bacon aside to sprinkle on finished soup.

3. In rendered bacon drippings, sauté leeks, carrots & red onion over medium-high heat until wilted, 7-10 minutes. Add garlic & sauté for 1 more minute. Add sliced mushrooms, salt & pepper. Add sherry & simmer to flavor the mushrooms. Add chicken broth, bouquet garni & wild rice; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 35-45 minutes until rice is tender.

4. To serve, remove bouquet garni, ladle soup into bowls & garnish with bacon & sliced scallions.

SWEET POTATO HASH
Yields 6 servings

1. Place diced potatoes in medium-size pot & cover with 2" of cold water. Generously season with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 5 minutes. Drain & set aside.

2. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, melt butter & heat oil. Add onion & celery; cook for 10 minutes until onions are soft. Add garlic & cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add red & green peppers and red pepper flakes, if used; continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes & cook until just heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve hot.

HORSERADISH-CRUSTED FILET MIGNON
Yields 4 servings

1. In a medium-size bowl, cream butter with wooden spoon. Once butter is light & fluffy, add horseradish & season to taste with salt and pepper. Add breadcrumbs; mix until blended. Use your hands to shape butter & breadcrumb mixture into 4 flat disks the diameter of filets. Place on plate & cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. In a non-reactive medium-size bowl, mix together the horseradish & sour cream until smooth. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Wrap each filet with a strip of bacon & secure bacon ends with wooden toothpicks.

4. Preheat broiler or oven to highest temperature. Place oven rack on top third of oven. Over medium-high, heat a large, heavy, ovenproof frying pan. Season filets with salt & pepper. Sear bacon by standing wrapped filets on their sides until bacon just begins to brown & becomes crispy, about 30 seconds per side. Sear filets until dark golden, 2-4 minutes on each side. Place horseradish breadcrumb topping over each filet & place in broiler until crust becomes golden.

5. Allow filets to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve filets with horseradish sour cream on the side.

Napa Recipes

WARM RADICCHIO SALAD
Yields 4 servings

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Set round whole slices of pancetta on nonstick baking sheet, cover with foil & set another baking sheet on the foil so the slices remain flat and do not curl. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove top baking pan and foil & bake for 5 minutes longer, until pancetta is crisp & brown. Cool & pat with paper towels to remove excess grease.

2. In non-corrodible saucepan over medium-high heat, place figs, port, cracked peppercorns & bay leaves; bring to a simmer. Cover partially & simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. With skimmer, remove figs from liquid & cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, reduce remaining port & spices until 2 tablespoons remain. Transfer to a measuring cup & add 2 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar; this will be your balsamic syrup to garnish each plate.

3. In large mixing bowl, whisk together chopped fresh sage, tarragon & thyme with shallots, vinegar & olive oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Marinate radicchio in this mixture until ready to finish & serve.

4. Preheat grill or grill pan until very hot. Add radicchio to pan & grill just enough to char outside while keeping inside raw. Roughly chop radicchio into bite-sized pieces & return to marinating vinaigrette. With a swivel peeler, shave 16 strips of cheese into radicchio & toss. Center some radicchio salad in middle of each plate & garnish rim with 3 whole poached figs and 3 slices of baked pancetta, leaning against salad to form a teepee. Drizzle balsamic syrup around perimeter of salad. Serve immediately.

MARINATED PORK CHOPS WITH BRAISED RED CABBAGE
Yields 6 servings

1. In large bowl, mix all ingredients together & set aside ¼ cup of marinade for basting. Add pork chops, stir to coat meat & marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

2. Set up double boiler or set medium-size stainless-steel bowl over pot of simmering water. Make sure bottom of bowl is not touching water or eggs may scramble & overcook. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, vinegar & mustard together over simmering water for 4-5 minutes or until sauce is twice as thick. Remove sauce from heat & set aside to cool slightly. Once sauce has cooled, use flexible spatula to fold in crème fraîche or sour cream. Regrigerate until ready to use.

3. Prepare outdoor grill or heat broiler. Drain pork chops of excess marinade to prevent burning. Arrange pork on grill or on large pan. Cook meat over medium fire for 5 minutes on each side or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Baste during last minutes of cooking.

4. Place mound of braised cabbage in center of dinner plate, then place a pork chop next to the cabbage & a serving of mashed potatoes. Drizzle pork with mustard sauce & serve immediately.

BLUEBERRY PEACH CRUMBLE
Yields 6 servings

1. Place flour, sugar & salt in large bowl. With your fingers, work butter into dry ingredients until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Chill topping until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In another bowl, toss together peaches, blueberries & sugar. Pour fruit mixture into an 8" ceramic ovenproof deep pie dish & cover fruit with crumble topping. Bake for 40 minutes or until topping becomes golden brown. Serve with ice cream.