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To ensure delivery of your Active Gourmet Holidays emails, be sure to add
info@activegourmetholidays.com to your Address Book or "Known Senders" list! The Holidays are over so now it's time to relax! Start
planning your 2007 Culinary Escape to Italy, France,
Portugal or Spain. Active Gourmet
Holidays is now offering over 80 delicious escapes to some
of the most beautiful world destinations. Choose from active holidays such
as "Yoga and Cooking in Umbria" or
"Trekking for Wine in Tuscany", or more
relaxing getaways such as "The Foods and Wines of
the Languedoc-Roussillon" or "Painting in Provence." Whatever it is
that you are looking for, Active Gourmet
Holidays can make the best recommendation. Just give us a
call at 1.203.732.0771 or email us at
info@activegourmetholidays.com.
NEW!
The Wines of Sicily
- Sicily, Italy - 6 nights  Discover Sicily through a unique tour including visits to the wine estates of
Planeta, Donnafugata, Ceuso, de Bartoli, Cusumano and more. Witness sea salt in
the making, see the ancient Greek temple at Segesta and the Byzantine mosaics in
Palermo and Monreale. Enjoy unforgettable meals at an olive oil farm and four
wineries. This ancient land is now Sicily's hot spot for wine so come visit to
see what all the chatter is about, all the while staying in a charming hotel
with enough time to relax.Available May and October NEW! Hiking and Cooking in Italy - Tuscany/Umbria, Italy - 7 nights Interested in good food and good wine while still staying fit, art, history, beautiful landscapes and learning how to cook? This is the vacation for you! This hiking and cooking tour takes you to Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza, Montalcino, Assisi - with even more stops along the way. Hear the Gregorian monks chant at the famous monastery, Sant'Antimo Abbey, taste incredible gelatos, enjoy beautiful accommodations and create memories that will last a lifetime. This is an ideal trip for those that want to experience Tuscany and Umbria firsthand, by exploring what each region has to offer. Available May, June and October - Saturday to Saturday NEW! Classic Tuscan Cookery Lessons - Tuscany, Italy - 7 nights  Learn authentic Italian cooking while staying in a magnificent villa located in a secluded part of Tuscany. Immerse yourself into the culture and ways of this very special countryside. Your week will consist of cookery lessons, visits to food producers and the finest food and wine the land has to offer.Available April to October - Saturday to Saturday NEW! Yoga and Cooking in Umbria - Umbria, Italy - 7 nights  Active
Gourmet Holidays and the renowned La Pregheira in Umbria
bring you a week of yoga, cooking classes and delectable cuisine. Spend your
week in a luxurious 12th century country house estate located in the lush
Umbrian hills. Take yoga classes, visit a truffle farm and a local market and
spend an afternoon getting pampered at a thermal spa. For a week you will be
Umbrian and will learn the secrets of this very special cuisine through hands-on
cooking classes and by immersing yourself in the flavours of this very special
region of Italy.Available May to September - Saturday to Saturday NEW! The Sicilian Gourmet - Sicily, Italy - 7 nights  Explore Sicily's extraordinary ruins, ancient towns
and not to be missed attractions with a professional guide. Learn to prepare
traditional Sicilian dishes with fun hands-on cooking classes, sample vintage
wines at local vineyards and relax each evening in wonderful accommodations.
Savour the splendour of Sicily in this unforgettable journey where you will
become a Sicilian for a week.Available March to December NEW! A SPECIAL WEEK IN TUSCANY! Active Gourmet Goes Tuscan - Tuscany, Italy - 5 nights  Active Gourmet Holidays is offering an unforgettable getaway to the luxurious and renowned Villa San Michele Cookery School in Florence. Nourish your senses, refuel your body and replenish your spirit with a savory array of food and wine tours, paired with culinary education, visits to Chianti wine cellars, shopping in Florence with a personal shopper and visits to the artistic treasures of Monteriggioni, San Gimignano and Siena.
LIMITED AVAILABILITY!ONLY AVAILABLE September 23-28, 2007 - Sunday to Friday NEW! Umbria for Singles - Umbria, Italy - 6 nights This week has been created for single travelers wanting to experience an unforgettable week of fine cuisine, outdoor activity, relaxation and discovery. Don't keep waiting for your friends who keeps saying they are going to join you in your travels, but are never able to make the commitment. Go yourself, and join other single travelers at a luxury villa in the Umbrian hills to experience the tastes and perfumes of this wonderful region of Italy. Villa recommended by Karen Brown's Guides. Available March 25-31 and April 15-21 - Sunday to Saturday (Inquire about other dates)
IN THE NEWS
Active Gourmet Holidays was recently mentioned in the
December/January issue of Food and Wine Magazine highlighting our "Cooking
with Port Wine" tour. Click here for
more information on this tour.
Suite
101, an online magazine with over 2 million monthly readers, chose to
mention Active Gourmet Holidays' "The Foods and Wine of France" tour in
their
2006 Gourmet Gift Guide. Click here for more
information. Active Gourmet
Holidays is now listed in the Languedoc-Roussillon, France CADOGAN Guide 
NEW! Cycling and Cooking in Provence 
Looking for a way to fit serious "cycling on-your-own" around a cooking program? Active Gourmet Holidays is now partnering with a Provence cycling
company in an effort to bring you Cycling and Cooking options in
Provence. You will be provided with custom cycling routes and bike rentals. Ride
routes detail a wide variety of options, all using the best local roads to avoid
traffic and take in the best scenery and cycling challenges. Why take a week to
find the best roads? The rental bikes are top quality carbon-aluminum and full-carbon frames with Campagnolo ten-speed groups -- you'll be happy you didn't drag your bike to
Europe! Your bikes will be delivered to most locations in Provence. For more
information, please inquire.Available weekly from May 20 to September 30 (3 day minimum) NEW! Rhode School of Cuisine - Le Mas des Oliviers - Provence, France - 7 nights 
Spend a week in a luxury villa in Provence overlooking the breathtaking views of the Mediterranean on the Côte d'Azur, French Riviera. Learn how to prepare wonderful French dishes such as foie gras, frog legs and creme brulée as well as some new and creative recipes like tea sorbet with sautéed peaches and caramel ice cream on almond brittle. You will also learn about local and regional wines and famous cheeses.Available April to May, September to October - Saturday to Saturday NEW! French Lessons and Cooking in Arles - Provence, France - 13 nights  Come join us for two weeks as a resident of the ancient Provence city of Arles, and enjoy 30 hours of intensive French instruction. Alongside the French instruction will be cooking classes, wine tastings, tours of the city and the region, and much more.
During your time with us, we will have visits to our friends the archeologists, the wine-makers, the bee-keeper, the baker, and many more to join us at the table to stimulate your ears and put your new-found language skills to immediate use. There's nothing like a leisurely meal well lubricated with local wines for loosening up your tongue and getting you to speak (and perhaps debate) like a native. Also included is a wine tasting at a local winery, an outing to the wild beaches and marshes of the Camargue by horseback or jeep, a free pass to the Arles monuments. Available March 4-17 and June 10-23, 2007 RECIPE OF THE MONTH
COOKING IN VENICE WITH GIULIANO HAZAN
Aromatic Salmon in a Pouch
Salmone Aromatico al Cartoccio Cooking in a pouch is one of the best ways to prepare fish. It keeps the fish moist while delicately infusing it with the flavors of other ingredients in the pouch. Using aluminum foil makes it easy to create a well sealed pouch.
12 ounces ripe tomatoes 1. Preheat the oven to 400° on convection heat setting, or 425° on the regular bake setting. 2. Peel the tomato, remove the seeds, and cut into 1/2" dice. 3. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Finely chop enough of the parsley to measure 3 tablespoons. Coarsely chop enough of the oregano leaves to measure 2 teaspoons. Mix the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the oregano, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Butterfly the salmon fillet by slicing horizontally along its thicker side so that the fillet opens like a book. Do not cut all the way through to other side. 5. Tear a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around the fish completely leaving enough room for the steam to circulate around the fish as it cooks. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the center in the center of the foil and place the fish over it. Spread the herb mixture on the inside and outside of the salmon fillet then close it like a book. Add the white wine. Spread the tomato over the fish and sprinkle the remaining parsley on top. Season with salt and pepper and seal the pouch making sure not to leave any openings. 6. Place the pouch on a baking sheet and put it in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on how thick the fish is. If you are unsure whether the fish is cooked or not, partially open the pouch and check with a fork. It should be slightly pink in the center and flake easily. When it is done, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Gently open the foil taking care not to spill the juices. Slide the contents onto a serving dish. Serve at once.  Cooking
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Preparation
time: 25 minutes