SWT Tours: Travel By Knife & Fork: Venice & Friuli Cook-in Plus

4 cooking classes:
Montreal has an amazing number of cooking classes. The trick for us was to find classes taught in English. They are few and far between. However, perservance paid off and our schedule includes schools with interesting and innovative approaches to food.

Ecole de cusine Mezza Luna, a highly respected school, is not on our list. In the class I took a few months ago, I was promised that English would be spoken. In a group of 30, I was the only American, mostly ignored as far as English explanations were concerned.

Class no 1…Lunchtime Gourmet Presse a one hour capsule class of lunch with tips On recreating the menu. A novel cooking class approach that participants love.

Class no. 2…At Academie Culinaire…this school has impressive facilities. One of their few classes in English Thai Cooking.

Class No. 3…Appetite for Books…a combination book store and cooking school. Highly recommended by Nick Malgieri, whose tenth book on baking will be published in Sept.2010 and who gives baking classes at Appetite for Books. We will book a private class where we can choose the topic. At the moment, I’m thinking of The New Vegetable Cuisine…recipes from the new Simon Hopkinson cookbook, The Vegetarian Option, with a sub view of cooking vegetables you’ve never tried before.

Class No. 4…A Workshop Course at Ateliers & Saveurs…Topics are not available till mid-August but I assure you all of their offerings are outstanding. Previous workshops have included :Secrets & kinow-how of a great Quebec Chef, Follow the Chef at the Market which includes a visit to the Atwater Market.

In addition to our classes: Tastings of The Best Tastes of Montreal. These will include some of the following:

Fairmount Bagels, I think their bagels are the best I’ve ever tasted, far better than the New York current addiction to monster bagels, Cheskie Hermishe Bakery …Babka and poppy seed rugelach, Le Fromentier…Gourmet says their “bread isn’t just the best breead we’ve had in Montreal, it may be the best bread we’ve ever had, period”. High praise indeed. Maple syrup…Coombs Family Farms…another Gourmet recommendation. 80% of the world’s maple syrup is produced In Canada. Qui Lait Cru…an outstanding selection of Quebec cheeses at the Marche Jean Talon Market featuring over 100 producers Kitchen supply store at Ecole Mezza Luna…outstanding store but far from the center of town. One half of the store is a very good selection of cooking tools, the other part of the store sells guns and ammunition. Unique!

Other Best Tastes of Montreal will be added. Some of the above will be items I will pick up for tasting in my room. Each room is a suite with kitchen facilities. Distances are quite far unless the group wants to make a morning of dashing from place to place by shared cab rides.

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY:
Day 1…
Arrive in Montreal, check in at our hotel, The Embassy Suites. Each single room will be a suite with living room area and a full kitchen. Location is excellent, just a few minute walk from Vieux Montreal and the location of a couple of our cooking classes.

5pm..Meet in lobby for a short shared taxi ride to Academie Culinaire Thai Cooking class.
According to your arrival time, I will plan to introduce you to Vieux Montreal before our class with perhaps a stop at Marche Bonsecours, a small upscale mall in a beautiful building.


Fred, one of owners of Joe Beef, top notch Montreal restaurant, sometimes behind the bar	Oyster blackboard in Liverpool House same owners as Joe Beef, they specialiize in Oysters

Day 2…
9:30 am Walk to Pointe-a-Calliere…Montreal Museum of archaeology and history.
18 minute video presentation chronicling the founding of Montreal, then see interesting archaeological ruins underneath the building.
Noon … Gourmet Presse Lunch at Ateliers & Saveurs
Market Visit…
6pm…Dinner at Au Pied du Cochon…perhaps Montreal’s most famous restaurant
For some Quebecois specialties: foie gras, poutine (fried potatoes smothered in cheese curd), a bit daunting, but a local favorite. The restaurant is famous for its foie gras offerings, 10 in all.
Day 3…
9 am Leave for City sightseeing tour…A 3 hour bus tour that includes drive bys of Montreal’s most famous landmarks including Olympic Park, Montreal Harbor, University of Montreal etc. This is included in the tour but is an optional activity. You may want to use this time to wander on your own.
Schwart’z …for lunch.No trip to Montreal is complete without a visit to Scwartz’s to sample its smoked meat, mainly brisket. This is a small storefront where we will more than likely have to stand on line but it’s worth it.
6pm…Private cooking class at Appetite for Books…two to three hours
Day 4
Museum of Fine Arts (optional) or morning free…
Noon…Meet at Liverpol House for lunch, the sister restaurant, same owners as Joe Beef, one of Montreal’s hippest restaurants.
After lunch visit nearby Atwater Market…
6pm Ateliers & Saveurs Workshop
Day 5…
Leave for home or other destinations.

Cost: $2350 includes 4 night hotel suite room single occupancy with no single supplement, breakfast is included, 4 cooking classes, entrance to Ponte-a-Calliere, city sightseeing ,food samplings, lunch at Liverpool House.

Not included lunch at Schwartz’s, dinner at Au Pied de Cochon, wine or alcholic beverages at any meal, coffee stops. Transportation by taxi or metro. Taxi is shared cost, in other words 3 or 4 to a cab will share cost.

Activities on each day may have to be rescheduled to a different day due to School schedules.

Early sign up important so we don’t get shut out of any class.