The Traveler's Table Winter 2020

WINTER 2020

SAILING SAFE WILD JUNEAU RETURNING TO HAWAII’S CULINARY ROOTS DELICIOUS CANADA EAST AND WEST MUST-TRY FOODS IN BELIZE

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WE’RE HERE FOR YOU BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER YOUR TRAVELS.

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OUR PROMISE: • To be your inspiration, insider knowledge, advice, answers, and right hand.

• A reliable relationship so you’re never traveling alone.

• Stress-free travel so you can enjoy your vacation.

• Added amenities, custom touches, and warm welcomes.

• With our expertise, we’re here to be your connection to the world.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR TRUSTED TRAVEL ADVISOR.

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WINTER 2020

11 TABLE OF CONTENTS

21

PALATE PLEASERS IN 24 SAVORING COSTA RICA

27 ESSENTIAL MUST-TRY FOODS IN BELIZE 30 GUATEMALA’S SWEET LIFE SOUVENIRS: DELICIOUS 32 CULINARY MEMORIES OF YOUR TRAVELS

34

8 SAILING COVID SAFE 11 DIG INTO WILD JUNEAU 16 A TALE OF TWO CANADIAN COASTS HISTORY: CHEFS IN PARADISE 21 MAKING RETURN TO HAWAII’S CULINARY ROOTS

34 TASTING QUITO

CREDITS Publisher: Ensemble Travel® Group Creative Director: Kimberly Buerkle Managing Editor Michele Sponagle Contributing Writers: Jill Gleeson, Ruksana Hussain, Tim Johnson, Ilona Kauremszky, Joanne Sasvari, Debra Smith, Janice Tober, Ali Wunderman, Kimberly Buerkle, Terrilyn Kunopaski

Art Direction: Cinzia Cammisa, Cherry Ann Valles Foxx Advertising & Design Inc. Production Management: Dalia Shamkhani, Danielle Ranieri, Joe Viecili Foxx Advertising & Design Inc. Marketing & Advertising: Kimberly Buerkle, Marketing Director kbuerkle@ensembletravel.com

©December 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be preprinted or otherwise duplicated without written permission of the publisher.

Photos by Getty or writer.

Ensemble Travel® Group

256 W. 38th Street, New York, NY 10018

Cover image: Getty ©AnnaIleysh

The Traveler’s Table is a publication of Ensemble Travel® Group

FOR ALL TRAVELER’S TABLE OFFERINGS: Prices are per person, double occupancy unless otherwise stated. Prices and terms are displayed throughout this catalog as received from individual suppliers. Certain offers carry restrictions and penalties to be advised at time of booking. Validity differs with each offer. Offers are subject to change without notice, subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Offers apply to new bookings only. Some blackout dates apply. Ensemble Travel® Group does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy of prices and terms. Ensemble Travel Group and its sub-agents act solely as agents for the companies providing services and facilities to travelers and have no responsibility or liability for loss of or damage to property, injury, or death due to errors, omissions, or intentional acts of the companies providing services.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Reader, Let your mind wander for a moment. Where do your daydreams take you? Perhaps you’re sitting outside at a beautiful restaurant in Costa Rica with a plate of fresh ceviche in front of you – views of a stunning volcano in the background. Maybe you’re in Juneau about to crack open steamed Alaskan king crab legs and plunk chunks of meat into a pool of butter. Or you may have thoughts of an oceanside dinner in Maui, sipping a Mai Tai and watching the sunset.

These days, dreaming about where to go next is comforting.

And hopefully, it is inspiring, too. That’s the goal of this special Americas-themed issue of The Traveler’s Table. We know readers are craving adventure and a taste of the world. You’ll find many delectable stories to get you ready to explore new places again, from Belize to Vancouver Island, and discover their history and heritage through food.

Indulging our wanderlust fully is closer to becoming a reality.

There are many reasons to feel hopeful about the future. Airlines, resorts, restaurants and cruise lines have done a splendid job instituting many new safety protocols that give guests peace of mind. Good things happening in travel that will have a positive, long-lasting impact. So much time, effort and resources are being put toward creating journeys we can feel confident about taking.

As 2020 comes to a close, we have developed a new appreciation for travel. Being able to explore and soak up local culture and taste global cuisines shaped by time and tradition is a true gift. In the pages that follow, you’ll find plenty of outstanding destinations well worth considering for your next vacation. So go ahead and dream big about where you want to go, then turn to your Ensemble Travel advisor to help turn your wish list into a reality.

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WHERE WILL YOUR NEXT CULINARY DREAM COME TRUE? When you close your eyes and imagine your next culinary enrichment whether its aboard a ship or ashore, Oceania Cruises brings you exclusive Culinary Discovery Tours™ which offer an insider’s experience of the local culinary scene and the secrets of authentic regional cuisine during your day ashore. Whether it’s joining a cooking demonstration at a Venetian master chef’s private villa or touring the unique and historic local kauppahallo (covered market) and kauppatori (open market) of Helsinki, Finland.

Back on the ship, Oceania Cruises invites you to master your cooking skills, at The Culinary Center, the first hands-on cooking school at sea on Marina & Riviera. Under the tutelage of master chefs, you can participate in a wide variety of cooking classes in which you actually prepare the recipes yourself in our state-of-the-art culinary center. Spend a delightful day at sea learning how to make fresh pasta, discovering all about the fundamentals of French cooking or immersing yourself in one of the many other popular cooking classes.

For more information, please contact your trusted travel advisor.

CHEF

Kathryn Kelly

AS THE EXECUTIVE CHEF & DIRECTOR OF CULINARY ENRICHMENT FOR OCEANIA CRUISES, KATHRYN KELLY HAS EVOLVED THE WAY TRAVELERS HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND GLOBAL CUISINES WHILE EXPLORING THE WORLD BY SEA. OFFERING HANDS-ON COOKING CLASSES AND SMALL GROUP, CHEF-LED CULINARY DISCOVERY TOURS, SHE GIVES GUESTS A TASTE OF PLACE THROUGH FOOD, WINE AND GREAT COMPANY. INTERVIEW BY TERRILYN KUNOPASKI TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH OCEANIA. The hospitality industry perfectly fits my personality. I feel so rewarded when I anticipate the needs of our guests and am able to implement what I do to make their cruise special and unique.

I also work around many other crew and officers who share that passion, which makes the Oceania team feel like a family and why I’m so happy working for this company.

DESCRIBE WHAT YOUR CLASSES ARE LIKE ONBOARD WITH OCEANIA. We are the only hands-on cooking school at sea which makes it a very special experience for our guests.

They put on an apron and for two hours are up to their elbows in pasta, knife work, regional recipes and culinary techniques. Unlike other cooking schools, we are not a demonstration kitchen – we are the ‘real deal.’

HOW DO YOU BRING DESTINATIONS THAT ARE ON DIFFERENT ITINERARIES INTO THE FOOD CREATED WITH GUESTS ONBOARD AN OCEANIA CRUISE? We have a very well-developed Culinary Discovery Tours program which are led by my chef team instructors in some of the most exciting destinations worldwide.

I have personally designed over 40 unique and immersive tours, all of which are well thought out with the local food and culture at the forefront.

WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR CULINARY DISCOVERY TOURS COME FROM? Eight years ago, guests started asking me where I would go when we were in various ports.

I started taking them with me to local markets and my favorite places, and that is where the idea of Culinary Discovery Tours was born. It’s so rewarding that they are now one of the most popular tour programs we offer. I think it’s important that they always stay small in size and be led by one of my chef instructors. This makes them quite a unique and prized experience.

WHY, IN YOUR OPINION, IS CRUISING AS A GOOD WAY FOR TRAVELERS TO BE INTRODUCED TO DIFFERENT FOOD, PLACES AND CULTURES? On Oceania Cruises, there are a lot of opportunities to learn from our diverse and experienced teams. As a culinary-centric experience, our culture is to encourage our guests to go out and explore. The best way to be introduced to different food, places and cultures is to experience them; Oceania makes it easy for guests to do just that.

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SAILING COVID SAFE

BY KIMBERLY BUERKLE

As cruise ships start sailing again, health rules and precautions will look a lot like they do on land with masks and social distancing. Since the vessels are contained spaces, expect cruise lines to go above and beyond to keep guests, crew and the communities they visit safe and healthy.

The Healthy Sail Panel, comprised of globally recognized specialists in public health, infectious diseases, hospitality and maritime operations, determined detailed practices across five key areas of focus to ensure a healthy return to service. Here are some examples of what cruise-lines are doing to protect the sailing experience for everyone.

Safety protocols cover all aspects of onboard and shoreside operations to protect everyone.

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WHAT TO EXPECT UPON ARRIVAL

Vacationers will notice the extra care taken as soon as they arrive at the ship’s port. Celebrity Cruises has put a mandatory, touchless temperature screening protocol in place at embarkation, when returning to the ship, and before entering onboard events and dining venues.

GUESTROOMS CLEANING AND SANITIZATION

Oceania Cruises has its 24/7 prevention schedule, including continuous disinfection of public areas and high-traffic touch points, as well as daily fogging of all public spaces and guest corridors. The fogging process uses a hospital-grade oxidant that is natural, safe and non-toxic. Guest staterooms and suites will receive intensive microbial disinfection daily, including fogging of the entire space inclusive of bathrooms and closets.

Cunard Line has enhanced its onboard ventilation systems to provide improved filtration and increased fresh air, added more hand-sanitizing stations throughout the ship and have plans in place, tailored for each ship, to manage medical needs, including dedicated cabin capacity for isolation, if required.

DINING EXPERIENCE & PHYSICAL DISTANCING

On Princess Cruises passengers of MedallionClass ships get a realtime view of attendance numbers, making it easier to practice physical distancing by managing the timing, size and flow of groups in onboard venues and for events. This will help guests make informed decisions about what to do onboard.

Technology, like that used on Princess OceanMedallion, allows passengers to order food and drinks using an app and have them delivered to areas without other passengers. And when you opt for a less secluded dining experience, be rest assured that social distancing standards are required at all times. Where and when physical distancing cannot be maintained, guests will be required to wear masks. When it comes to meals, there will be no self-service. Staff will do the serving for you.

Aboard Regent Seven Seas, no-touch food and beverage service is being implemented across all ships with service staff stationed ship-wide, including Coffee Connection, Pool Grill and all restaurants and lounges. Of course, all guests will be required to engage in frequent handwashing and hand sanitizer will be easily accessible throughout ships and prominently placed.

ON-SHORE EXPERIENCES

Avalon Waterways focus on safety extends off the ship, as well. Its shore excursions include expedited entry into must-see attractions, which means no waiting in long, crowded queues of people.

For moments when touch is necessary, hand sanitizers are at-the-ready throughout each ship and on transport vehicles.

With the AvalonGO App, you can find street directions, restaurant recommendations, entertainment venues, and local information at your fingertips. Take the available free time to lose yourself in the local atmosphere without ever getting lost.

With Silversea Cruises, guests enjoy Certified Shore Excursions.

These itineraries have been revised to include only low-risk destinations with approved contingency plans. Guests will be allowed to go ashore only through certified shore excursions, carefully curated to ensure they uphold onboard health and safety standards.

When you return to travel, whether it’s sailing the worlds vast oceans or meandering famous rivers, you can be confident that everything is being done to keep all passengers safe, ensuring a memorable travel experience.

To learn more about safety and health protocols for cruising, contact your trusted travel advisor today.

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DINE IN A DIFFERENT RESTAURANT EVERY DAY More space simply means more room for awardwinning, distinctive restaurants. With globally inspired cuisines, every menu crafted by our Michelin-starred chef, locally sourced ingredients, and dishes prepared fresh daily, your clients’ choice of fine dining on vacation just went from routine to extraordinary. We offer up to 18 distinctive restaurants on board, each with an ambiance as delicious as the dishes they serve.

•

Raw on 5, fresh seafood and sushi

•

Fine Cut Steak House, prime, dry aged meats

•

Murano, classic French cuisine

•

Blu, “clean cuisine”—classic favorites with a healthier twist

•

Tuscan Grille, authentic southern Italy fare

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Le Grand Bistro, Le Petit Chef (our twist on “dinner theater”)

•

Eden Restaurant, innovative, mouthwatering dishes inspired by nature

Just to name a few.

Contact Your Trusted Travel Advisor to Learn More.

©2020 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.

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DIG INTO WILD

BY ILONA KAUREMSZKY

GET A TASTE OF HOW PROMINENT CHEFS AND LOCAL INGREDIENTS ARE MAKING THIS ALASKAN CITY A SUMPTUOUS DESTINATION FOR EVEN THE MOST EVOLVED PALATE

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It’s lunch time in Juneau and Tracy’s King Crab Shack on the edge of the city’s cruise terminal is jam packed. In fact, the crowd spills onto the boardwalk before noon hits. But no one seems to mind. “It’s worth the wait,” chimes a local.

DECKHAND DAVE’S SPICY ROCKFISH TACOS

Here, most visitors arrive from Seattle after a twohour flight or extend their vacation after a cruise to hang out in restaurants and bars frequented by locals, with the intent of discovering the essence of Juneau’s wild food scene.

“About seven years ago, there was a joke in town that if you wanted to go somewhere nice for dinner, you had to go to Seattle. This is no longer the case. Juneau’s local chefs and restaurateurs have raised the bar for dining in our little town,” says Midgi Moore, owner of Juneau Food Tours, a local company taking serious foodies on culinary walking tours rated among the best in North America. Guests are treated as “new friends” and shown all the top spots where locals hang out and eat.

It’s no surprise that the Last Frontier state capital, home to Alaska’s biggest cruise port, has morphed into a culinary destination.

The wide-open waters as far as the Bering Sea are rife with seafood, while the remote wilderness that lies outside the city center, by the Tongass National Forest, has turned into a forager’s paradise.

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DELICIOUS SEAFOOD

TRACY'S KING CRAB SHACK

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More local delicacies await at the wildly inconspicuous SALT, which has caught Master Chef Gordon Ramsay’s attention, so much so that he has included its chef, Lionel Uddipa, in his Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted TV show. The ambiance here can compete with a trendy resto in New York or California, but the food, however, is typically Alaskan. My fresh, wild halibut is served lightly seared and paired with a New Zealand white wine with tangy notes that match the homemade kimchi.

As I stroll through downtown Juneau later, I pass The Rookery Café, a bistro hub created by three-time James Beard nominee chef Beau Schooler. A prominent name on the Juneau food scene, Schooler is also at the helm of a few other local eateries, including In Bocca al Lupo, located within Silverbow Inn’s old bakery space inside an historic 1898 building. The inn is the city’s only urban boutique hotel. It caters to eco-urbanists as a place as fierce and wild as Juneau’s gastronomy itself.

And in my escapade to find wild Alaskan cuisine, an overnight stay here perfectly completes the culinary circle.

© INBOCCAALLUPOAK.COM/TRAVEL JUNEAU

Locally sourced ingredients are exactly what’s on offer at Deckhand Dave’s. The action is hopping around this food truck, a taco shrine to the freshest catch in Southeast Alaska, as Dave jets past with an order of spicy rockfish tacos. This chemistry grad left behind ambitions in medicine to turn his attention to fishing and, later, to cooking fish. And he turns out to be quite the cook, as evidenced by my empty plate after I’m finished eating a delicious panko crusted wild salmon filet dunked in tartar sauce.

IN BOCCA AL LUPO

INSIDER’S TIP You’re planning an Alaskan cruise and want to get a taste of Juneau for yourself? Many cruise lines offer shore excursions exploring the city’s food scene. For example, Holland America Line has a culinary walking tour in partnership with Food & Wine magazine where you’ll discover a wealth of fresh seafood and other delicacies. Princess Cruises offers a Juneau Foodie Walking Tour where you’ll get to sample everything from crab bisque to hog wing and Alaskan game. Talk with your travel advisor to pre-book your excursion while there’s space.

VIEW OF DOWNTOWN JUNEAU AND WATERFRONT

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For more information, please contact your trusted travel advisor.

THE TASTE OF ALASKA

fish tacos from the Alaska Fish House in Ketchikan and seafood chowder from the Bonanza Bar & Grill in Skagway.

Princess’ award-winning North to Alaska program immerses you in all things Alaska. From local personalities and snuggling sled-dog puppies to thrilling shore excursions and of course, dining on fresh Alaskan seafood, Princess gives its guests ample opportunity to see, feel and taste the best of the Great Land right on board and ashore.

Plus, if you “catch it” Princess will “cook it” with their Cook My Catch program. From the ocean to your table – it doesn’t get much fresher than this!

For the foodies craving to try Alaska’s famed seafood, there is quite a treat in store. Princess has teamed with local hotspots to bring specialty dishes on board like crab cakes from Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau,

Sampling world-famous Alaskan seafood will be one of your favorite Alaskan cruise activities on board. From the succulent flavor of King crab and tender, flaky texture of a perfectly seasoned wild salmon fillet, your Alaskan vacation will be a true culinary treat.

For more information, please contact your trusted travel advisor.

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A TALE OF TWO

COASTS

BY JOANNE SASVARI

©SANDER MEURS

BOTH VANCOUVER ISLAND AND PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND OFFER TERRIFIC SEAFOOD, FARM-FRESH PRODUCE AND BEAUTIFUL OCEAN VIEWS, BUT WHICH REIGNS SUPREME?

KILDARE CAPES, PEI

COMOX FISHERMAN’S WHARF BOARDWALK ON VANCOUVER ISLAND

TW O COASTS. TWO I SL AN DS . T W O DELIC IO U S DEST IN AT IO N S .

Prince Edward Island is known, for good reason, as Canada’s Food Island. But across the country to the west, Vancouver Island is saying, “Hold my (artisanal, small-batch, hand-crafted) beer.”

Both islands are places of abundance with an exciting and evolving food and drink culture that can only be savored in these very special places.

PEI is Canada’s smallest province, a crescent-shaped piece of land cradled by New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Part of the traditional lands of Mi’kmaq, a First Nations people, the island is known for its fertile red soil, sandy beaches, and gently rolling hills.

Vancouver Island, meanwhile, is a mountainous sliver off the coast

of British Columbia. Its stormy western side faces the Pacific Ocean while its protected east coast is a place of booming communities (such as Nanaimo, Parksville, Comox) and bountiful farms.

This is the historic land of the Indigenous Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw and Nuu-chah-nulth peoples and their vibrant living cultures. Europeans only arrived in the 18th century.

By the time Captain James Cook sailed into Nootka Sound and claimed the island for Britain in 1778, PEI was already sheltering exiled Loyalists from the American Revolutionary War and had been settled by Europeans for 250 years, ever since the explorer Jacques Cartier first swung by.

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Even now, Vancouver Island is a wild and rugged place, its dark forests rich with wild mushrooms and berries. Its climate is one of the warmest and moderate in Canada. Almost everything grows here, even tea, truffles, lemons and figs. Victoria alone is surrounded by three agricultural regions, including the Cowichan Valley, which is also B.C.’s newest wine sub-appellation and produces elegant Pinots Noir and Gris at wineries like Blue Grouse, Unsworth and Averill Creek. Further north, the Comox Valley’s 400-plus farms are one of the reasons celebrated chef Andrey Durbach packed his knives and moved from Vancouver in 2017 to open his Italian restaurant, Il Falcone.

“You have a lot of access to really great ingredients on Vancouver Island,” says Durbach. “Come out here and you have so many people supplying a much, much smaller marketplace.”

© JOANNE SASVARI

He’s not alone. Chefs from all over Canada, many of whom have worked or staged in Michelin-starred restaurants, are flocking here – to Victoria, to the Gulf Islands, and especially to Tofino, the foodie surf town on the island’s west coast where Sobo’s Lisa Ahier makes her famous salmon chowder, and to its rugged neighbor Ucluelet, where chef Warren Barr offers “food that speaks to where we are” at the tiny, award-winning Pluvio Restaurant + Rooms. “In Ukee, there are no beaches,” Barr says.

WILDSIDE GRILL FRIED OYSTERS IN B.C.

B.C. SEAFOOD FEST

“It’s gnarly and my food reflects that.” His food, like that of almost every chef on Vancouver Island, is of its place – quintessential farm-to-table, forest-to-fork and boat-to-bowl cuisine.

B.C. SEAFOOD FEST

© STEPHEN HARRIS

© JOANNE SASVARI

Coincidentally, that is something Barr learned in PEI where he began his career at The Inn at Bay Fortune. The inn is where superstar chef Michael Smith led the kitchen in the 1990s and launched his TV and cookbook career. He is now the proprietor and oversees the inn’s family-style restaurant, FireWorks Feast.

Farming and foraging are essential to his cuisine and that of PEI in general. Chefs and home cooks alike forage for bar clams, spruce shoots, chanterelles and seaweed.

“If you go back 50 years or so, this was what every family on the island did,” says Smith. “You used every resource that was available to you.”

PEI CHOWDER

This is a small place, where everyone knows each and supports each other. Menus in Charlottetown are proud to feature local lobsters, potatoes, organic produce, award-winning cheeses and grass-fed beef – not to mention craft beer and cider – at eateries like Sims Corner Steakhouse and Oyster Bar, Slaymaker & Nichols Gastro House and the new-ish Founders’ Food Hall on the waterfront.

© JOANNE SASVARI

Seafood, not surprisingly, is the star ingredient on both coasts.

PEI is almost as famous for its mussels as it is for its Malpeque oysters and lobster. It also produces snow crab, rock crab, scallops, mackerel and herring. Vancouver Island, back on the other coast, offers sweet Dungeness crab, as well as scallops, spot prawns, sidestripe shrimp, mussels, five kinds of salmon, albacore tuna, regular clams and the giant clam known as geoduck.

STEAK AT II FALCONE IN B.C.

On both islands, the best food is the simplest – creamy chowder, crispy fish ‘n’ chips, a lobster roll, boiled crab dipped in butter, steamed mussels or clams. Above all, consider the oyster, which, as locals on either coast know, is best enjoyed shucked on a beach or a dock, knocked back with only its own juice, just as nature and both these beautiful islands intended.

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A CUNARD BREAKFAST FAVORITE,

BY POPULAR DEMAND. It’s our pleasure to share with you one of our signature Cunard recipes. There have been many requests for several of the much-loved dishes from the galley, but none more so than our Bircher muesli.

Coming from Swiss origins, Bircher muesli is a healthy choice to start any day, and the perfect fuel for an exciting day on board your balcony looking out at the glaciers on your 2022 Alaska voyage or ashore at home. The nutrient rich oats, which are soaked overnight, help to keep you fuller for longer, while the grated fruits provide a dose of vitamin C and fiber. The addition of yogurt and honey, is what gives our dish that unforgettable sweet taste and creamy texture that our guests have come to love.

Follow the simple recipe, courtesy of Queen Elizabeth’s Executive Chef, Mark Oldroyd, and re-create your breakfast from on board at home.

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HOW TO MAKE CUNARD BIRCHER MUESLI. This recipe serves four people.

INGREDIENTS 6 oz rolled or quick oats 7 fl oz milk 1 small apple, cored and grated 1/2 a pear, cored and grated (skin off) 1-2 tablespoons honey 7 oz Greek yogurt Sprinkle of cinnamon Suggested toppings: Fresh or dried figs, fresh or dried banana, raisins or sultanas, dried cranberries, dried apricots, hazelnuts, toasted almonds, toasted coconut, fresh berries, sunflower or pumpkin seeds Method: Combine the oats and milk in a bowl and place in the fridge overnight.

For more information, please contact your trusted travel advisor.

MAKING HISTORY:

CHEFS IN PARADISE RETURN TO HAWAII’S CULINARY ROOTS

BY TIM JOHNSON

IT’S ALL VERY GREEN, AND BLUE, AND BROWN, AND RED, RICH SOIL SPROUTING ALL SORTS OF GOOD THINGS, AND THEN THE VIEWS FROM THESE FERTILE EIGHT-AND-A-HALF ACRES SWEEPING PAST THE WEST MAUI MOUNTAINS TO THE ENDLESS BLUE OF THE PACIFIC BEYOND. LOOKING OUT, YOU CAN ALMOST IMAGINE THE SHIPS, SAILS FULL, SKIMMING HERE ON THE TRADE WINDS, BRINGING CULTURE AND CULINARY TRADITIONS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND TRADERS, WORKERS AND EXPLORERS MEETING WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALWAYS FISHED, FARMED, AND SURFED. HERE ON THE ISLANDS OF HAWAII, ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS HAVE CREATED A MELTING POT THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE DELICIOUS THAN RIGHT NOW. MAUI COAST

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CHEF MARK ELLMAN

KO FOOD TABLE

Here in Maui, O’o Farm rests on the flanks of Haleakala, a 10,000-foot volcano, surrounded by other farms, ranches and even a winery. It’s a part of the island that feels about halfway to the sky, sometimes bathed in clouds.

Supplying two upscale restaurants closer to the beach, the small spread at O’o grows dozens of different fruits and vegetables, from leafy greens like sorrel and shungiku to broccolini and chayote squash, carrots and cauliflower, plus herbs and even edible flowers.

It’s part of a larger movement to return Hawaiian cuisine to its roots.

It has been decades in the making.

Long-time local chefs remember when restaurants on these islands focused on classic crowd-pleasers tailored to the vacation crowd without regard for heritage, or freshness (sometimes even serving fish frozen and brought by slow boat). And then, about 30 years ago, and over the following

CHEF PANG’S POKE FROM MAKANA MARKET

decades, an increasing number of kitchens started to prioritize the ingredients and dishes that make Hawaii so unique — volcanic, super-fertile crossroads of the Pacific with a strong Indigenous culture.

Born and raised on Oahu, executive chef Tylun Pang, who began his professional career in the kitchen in 1974, was part of the change. Ko, one of the restaurants he oversees at the Fairmont Kea Lani, means “sugarcane,” and brings together hardworking legacies from Hawaii, the Philippines, China, Korea, Portugal and Japan. “In the plantation days, immigrants moved to the islands and left their homelands behind,” he says. “What they carried with them was their cultural traditions, a few cooking tools, and recipes from their families.”

Set under palm trees, bathed by sea breezes, Ko’s menu is a melange of those influences.

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“Cooking was their lifeline to their culture. Here, we share family recipes, passed down through the generations.” It was no different for Pang himself, who grew up in the Chinese kitchen of his grandmother and father, which, he says, built his foundation in food and culture.

These recipes, combined with those sourced from international cooks in his kitchen, now make up the menu at Ko. His favorite? Lau lau, a traditional Hawaiian dish dating back centuries, made from pork and salted fish, wrapped in taro and ti leaves and steamed for hours. At his restaurant, they give it an updated twist, adding fresh seafood and greens sourced nearby, not far from O’o Farms.

Hop across the Hawaiian islands, and you’ll see the long legacy of harvesting. On a remote stretch of coastline on the North Shore of Oahu, stop at the He’eia Fishpond, dating back 600 to 800 years,

88 acres of brackish water enclosed by a long basaltic wall curving from the shore through the ocean, where generations feasted on a steady supply of fish, crab, shrimp and eels. On the quiet island of Molokai and the garden island of Kauai, tour taro fields, a root vegetable and staple of early Hawaiians, a crop that once covered 35,000 acres of these islands, brought here on canoes by the original Polynesians, who navigated here by the stars. And on the Island of Hawaii (the Big Island), pass by cattle connected to a herd that once belonged to King Kamehameha I, back in 1793.

Chef Mark Ellman was one of the pioneers in the movement restoring heritage dishes and local ingredients in the ’90s. He notes that vital connection between the natural environment – land and sea – and what you eat on your plate. His favorite dishes include the taro-derived poi, and poke, diced fresh fish, a Hawaiian sushi. He owns two restaurants on Maui (Honu, named after the Hawaiian name for a green sea turtle, and Frida’s) and sources his seafood from three local fishermen (as well as the fish market on Oahu). Both restaurants sit right on the water. “When you’re sitting on Honu’s patio and looking out at the sea turtles, it just tastes better.”

SEARING TUNA ON A HEATED ROCK

Back at O’o Farms, Decio Dacosta says he spends plenty of time in the fields.

The executive chef at Pacific’o, a seaside spot in the picturesque town of Lahaina (and one of the two restaurants the farm supplies), he talks about the connection between the two as symbiotic. “It is a fluid line – everything grown on the farm gets used as the restaurant,” he says, working with the on-site farm chef and other staff on what crops to grow, and how to best utilize them.

The farm’s coffee cherries are used as a spice rub on the Pacific’O shoyu chicken, finished with honey from O’o. Their steamed fish is local, and served with sweet potatoes from Molokai, just across the way. It’s all fresh, and diverse, and delicious. “Here on Maui, we have so many micro-climates,” Dacosta points out. “I am truly blessed and inspired by the culinary crossroads we have here.” A melting pot that you can eat.

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SAVORING PALATE PLEASERS IN

COSTA RICA

BY RUKSANA HUSSAIN

Homemade packets of sweet and savory treats line the glass display at Soda La Negrita, a no-frills, family-style eatery serving local fare. A drenched touchdown in Costa Rica warranted a piping hot cup of coffee and a warm meal at the roadside spot, perched on a bend along the way to La Fortuna from San Jose. My Spanish is restricted to “si” and “no,” so I point to the first thing listed under the house specials on the menu – chorreada dulce con natilla. A few sizzles emanate from the kitchen and in seconds, a steaming hot yellow pancake made from sweet corn is in front of me, accompanied by local sour cream. A bite and a sip, and I know this sumptuous welcome sets the tone for my visit to La Fortuna.

Located in the agricultural province of Alajuela in central Costa Rica, La Fortuna is a small town with a big reputation. It is the gateway to the beautiful Arenal Volcano National Park and mineral-rich thermal hot springs flowing through the Tabacon River – a welcome respite any time of year. The elevation and climate here is well-suited for bountiful harvests, which you indulge in when feasting on traditional cuisine in the area.

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© RUKSANA HUSSAIN

© RUKSANA HUSSAIN

The opportunity to dive into the all-encompassing casado presented itself within minutes of my mid-day arrival at my resort.

The hearty meal is a fond staple starring rice, beans, protein, and

TYPICAL CASADO FOR LUNCH

CHORREADA DULCE CON NATILLA

vegetables for a plate bursting with wholesome, locally sourced ingredients. Some salad, mashed yucca, fried plantains, and tortillas complete my enticing lunch spread.

With native American, African, Spanish and other influences, Costa Rican cuisine incorporates all of those flavors in its dishes almost always made from scratch, using fresh, locally grown produce to create nutritionally well-rounded meals. While seafood ceviche is the norm, I was pleasantly surprised to find equally tangy vegetarian ceviche options served as boquitas – appetizer-style small bites ahead of the entrée. Other options included yucca fries, empanadas and Tico-style tacos.

Guaro, a liquor made from distilled sugarcane juice, is the suggested libation to accompany a meal. I enjoy it most in its mixed drink form as a guaro sour in the evenings, alternating it with daytime non-alcoholic drinks such as batidos, made from fresh fruit and milk or water. These dishes add to my culinary dictionary – all highlights, of course, as my taste buds begin to appreciate many new flavors.

To enjoy other highlights of the region and to burn off some

TRES LECHES IN HANDMADE TULIPA

calories, a horseback ride to the top for prized views of Arenal volcano, the most active of all volcanos in the country, and ziplining across the green blankets of La Fortuna’s forests are must-do activities. I also participated in an adrenaline-inducing whitewater river rafting experience, another must-try in these parts and well worth the effort. I followed it up with an adventure of another kind – a night-time guided jungle tour to observe local flora and fauna in its after-dark glory.

Rest assured, a splash in the hot springs was what I was focused on heading to Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa for that Costa Rican brand of relaxation I’d heard so much about. Tabacon’s selling point is its proximity to the Arenal Volcano, offering the largest and only completely natural network of thermal mineral springs fed by the Tabacon River. They are naturally heated by the magma found inside the volcano.

grand finale, a tres leches dessert and fresh fruit salad compete for my attention. But never one to discriminate when it comes to a sweet ending, I opt for both, as is the encouraged behavior when deriving maximum pleasure from a trip to Costa Rica. A few days reveling in gastronomic adventures of a similar caliber and I count myself truly fortunate to savor the natural bounty of these green expanses.

On the last day of my visit to La Fortuna, I stop by the soda eagerly anticipating one more challenge to my palate. I am pleased to report a bag of cajetas, coconut fudge macarons with condensed milk, and agua dulce, a drink made with raw cane sugar dissolved in hot water, presented worthy memories for the trip back home.

An outdoor bungalow dining experience provides another avenue to take in the natural beauty of La Fortuna as I dig into an exclusive chef’s tasting menu that exploits the locally sourced vegetables, fruits and edible flowers to full effect. For the

© RUKSANA HUSSAIN

GUARO SOUR

TABACON HOT SPRINGS

DELIGHT

IN EVERY BITE Amazing is Served

From morning breakfast to elegant dinners, Avalon frees your taste buds from the ordinary. Using the freshest local ingredients, our talented chefs prepare mouthwatering recipes from the region through which you're traveling and present them in a variety of inspiring settings.

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© ALI WUNDERMAN

CEVICHE

FRY JACKS

ESSENTIAL MUST-TRY FOODS IN BELIZE MAKE SURE YOU BRING A BIG APPETITE TO THIS SMALL, YET FLAVOR-PACKED, COUNTRY

There are certain staples found throughout the country, while other dishes are at their best when served closest to the ingredients and their origins. But with so many options to choose from, it can be hard to know exactly what to eat. To help visitors on their culinary journey of Central America’s only English-speaking country, consider this list of essential dishes everyone should try when visiting Belize.

CEVICHE Fresh seafood, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice – ceviche in Belize has it all. Though not necessarily a Belizean dish originally, the country has made it their own with local ingredients and flavors. Ceviche is an excellent vessel for sampling some of the country’s most famous seafood, including conch and spiny lobster, depending on what is in season.

FRY JACKS Ask just about any local, regular visitor, or even first-timer what is the one absolute must try in Belize, and the answer will undoubtedly be fry jacks.

These fried pockets of dough are not particularly hard to make, but they take skill and experience to perfect. Made using the same ingredients as flour tortillas, fry jacks are typically cut into triangles before being tossed into ultra hot oil until they puff up and turn golden brown. Then they can be filled either with savory ingredients like refried beans and cheese, or enjoyed as a sweet indulgence with jam or honey. Either way, you will be wanting more.

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© PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE

Despite its diminutive size, Belize packs a huge punch when it comes to food.

The gastronomy can generally be described as Caribbean-meets-Central America, but it also features plenty of flavors reflecting the country’s Maya, Mestizo, and even Lebanese populations. Thanks to its abundant coastline, plus healthy pockets of productive agriculture, access to fresh, diverse ingredients is standard at eateries throughout Belize.

BY ALI WUNDERMAN

HUDUT

GARNACHES

STEW CHICKEN

STEW CHICKEN Served up alongside the equallyubiquitous rice and beans, stew chicken – Belizean Kriol for stewed chicken – is considered the country’s national dish. To make it, tender chunks of chicken are stewed slowly alongside spices, onion, garlic, ginger, and a myriad of other fresh ingredients, resulting in a hearty meal you’ll find on just about every menu.

LIONFISH The beautiful Belize Barrier Reef is a perfect home for tropical fish, which unfortunately has come to include the insatiable and invasive lionfish. With no natural predators and an impressive breeding speed, it has wreaked havoc on Caribbean waters since 2008, causing problems for the ecosystem and those who depend on it. Fortunately, the solution is a delicious one.

“By eating lionfish you aren’t just enjoying a fresh local catch, you are helping Belize to control our the local lionfish population and protect its reefs,” explains Dasha Shivers, managing director at Ray Caye Island Resort.

Head to restaurants along the coast to try exotic dish with this tasty fish.

FRIED LIONFISH

HUDUT In Southern Belize, the Garifuna people frequently eat and serve hudut, a traditional meal consisting of fish cooked in coconut broth served alongside mashed plantains called fufu. Local herbs and spices make hudut stand out from other similar dishes from around the world, as well as the fact that it’s closely tied to one of Belize’s most unique cultures. Head to seaside village of Hopkins to sample this delicious dish.

TAMALES

TAMALES Wrapped in hand-ground corn and filled with chicken, tamales are a Belizean staple, tasting like a Yucatan version of what is typically found in Mexico. “People in Belize get up at the crack of dawn to make tamales,” says Tanya McNab of the Belizean site CaribbeanLifestyle.com, though she explains they are more typically consumed for lunch. The most famous – and arguably best – place to try them is at Miss Bertha’s Tamales on the Hummingbird Highway. Add a little homemade hot sauce and this dish will not easily be forgotten.

Garnaches are crispy corn tortillas covered with refried beans and Dutch cheese. A big debate among Belizeans is whether they are better with ketchup or salsa on top, though in both cases it’s common to add onion sauce, too.

Belizean Habanero Sauce Recipe The Belizeans have created a very distinctive style of sauce which is characterized by the addition of carrots.

If you can get organic, or even better homegrown then the carrot influence will be all the more pronounced.

1 small onion – chopped 2 cloves garlic – chopped 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup chopped carrots 2 cups water 4 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, seeded and fine chopped 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon salt Remove stems and seeds from peppers.

Take the necessary precautions when handling hot peppers.

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft but not browned. Add carrots and water.

Bring to boil, reduce heat, add vinegar and simmer until the carrots are soft.

Remove from heat. Add chilies, lime juice, and salt to the carrot mixture. Place in processor and purée until smooth.

Put into sterilized jars and refrigerate.

GARNACHES This popular street food can be found at the other end of someone calling out, “Three for a dollar!”

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HABANERO SAUCE

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THE SWEET LIFE –

SAMPLING CHOCOLATE FIT FOR A QUEEN

ANCIENT MAYAN ROYALTY, A MONARCH, AND A MODERN TRAVELER CONNECT THROUGH A LOVE OF CHOCOLATE

BY DEBRA SMITH

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COCOA BEANS, CACAO NIBS AND COCOA POWDER

The rumbling roar of a howler monkey reverberates through the tall green canopy of the Guatemalan forest as I stand on the balcony of the Temple of the Masks of Tikal in Guatemala. The temple was built by ruler Jasaw Chan K’awiil I, also known as Lord Chocolate, in honor of his wife, Lady Kalajuun Une’ Mo’. From this vantage point, 98 feet above the Great Plaza of this UNESCO World Heritage site, she would have had a magnificent view as she sipped her hot chocolate.

At Tikal, I learned that cocoa played an essential role in Mayan religion and life. Hot chocolate was integral to religious ceremonies performed by the royal family.

Lady Chocolate may well have sipped it during rituals on her temple balcony. Back then, cocoa beans were also used as currency, making ancient Mayans the original bean counters. The precious seeds were traded for jade, decorative feathers, and maize across Central America.

Lady Kalajuun Une’ Mo’ would still recognize the chocolate I tasted at Ajaw Chocolate and Crafts in San Ignacio. The owner, Elida Choco, teaches the art of chocolate-making using a family heirloom, a triangular volcanic grinding stone from Guatemala.

Ajaw means “elite” in the Mayan language. That’s fitting, since cocoa was forbidden to all but the highest-ranking members of ancient Mayan society. Hernan Cortes introduced cocoa beans to Spain in 1528 and chocolate eventually reached England through European courts.

PREPARING CACAO ON A STONE GRINDER FOR A CHOCOLATE DRINK

As she grinds the cocoa beans into a paste, Elida tells me how the plump beans in their sweet white coating are fermented for several weeks, then spread on screens to dry, and roasted. The natural fat of the dried beans slowly turns to liquid on the stone, as she rhythmically pushes and pulls.

Then she adds hot water, a pinch of chili, and a spoonful of honey to a dollop of the velvety cocoa syrup, preparing the beverage in the authentic Mayan way. One sip and I’m transported back to an ancient jungle world.

VIEW OF TIKAL

Later that night, back at my hotel, dessert is the most incredibly delicious disk of chocolate mousse, covered in a dark chocolate ganache. I wish that Lady Kalajuun Une’ Mo’ was here to share this gift from the Mayan past.

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CULINARY DELICIOUS MEMORIES SOUVENIRS OF YOUR TRAVELS

BY JANICE TOBER

IT’S ALWAYS A SAD DAY WHEN YOUR VACATION ENDS, BUT ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO KEEP THE MEMORIES ALIVE IS THROUGH YOUR TASTE BUDS. HERE ARE A FEW TREATS TO TAKE HOME WITH YOU TO REMIND YOU OF THE TROPICAL BEACHES, EXOTIC LOCALES AND DINING SPOTS YOU VISITED.

ALASKA If you’re a pickle lover, try kelp pickles, a product produced in Juneau that takes fermented food to the next level of brininess.

They are made from wild bull kelp pulled in from Alaska’s cold, clear ocean waters. Referred to by food fans as ‘the next kale,’ seaweed is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and iodine, and the mammoth bull kelp — which can grow up to 80 feet long — is full of all that good stuff.

Juneau’s Barnacle Foods cuts the kelp into strips and pickles them.

They offer three versions dill, spicy dill, and sweet & tangy to suit a variety of tastes.

HAWAII Banana bread is one of those foods pretty much everyone likes. When it’s made well, it’s a balance of warm spices, sweet and tropical banana flavors. Maui could likely claim the award for world’s best banana bread. Why? It’s made by local mom-andpop shops that have picked bananas fresh from their backyards. Some bakers add macadamia nuts, coconut, or pineapple, but the original loaf with large banana chunks is still considered the best. You’ll find it at the Upcountry Farmers Market and food stands along the Hana Highway, including local faves – Wailele Twin Falls farm stand and Aunty Sandy’s.

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BELIZE No matter where you dine in Belize, chances are good that there’s a bottle of hot sauce on the table. Likely, it’s Marie Sharp’s. No meal is a good meal without the fiery kick that the company’s sauces bring, whether it’s added to a local dish like escabeche from the north or the popular cohune cabbage from the south.

Don’t be scared. There are enough variations of the sauce to please everyone, from the subtle Original Mild to the burn-the-roof-of-yourmouth of Beware.

GUATEMALAN DANTA CHOCOLATE

GUATEMALA Chocolate lovers, this one’s for you.

While Guatemalans traditionally enjoy drinking chocolate from this cocoa bean-growing country, award-winning Danta Chocolate makes some of the world’s best chocolate bars and bon-bons.

The chocolatier, based in Guatemala City, sources all of its ingredients locally, from cacao to cocoa butter.

Artisan single-origin bars, chocolate-covered fruit, such as mango and pineapple, and ganache-filled chocolates are delightful little works of art, found in the Danta store.

BELIZEAN MARIE SHARP’S HOT SAUCE

COSTA RICAN LIZANO SALSA

COSTA RICA Americans have ketchup and Costa Ricans have Lizano Salsa. This tangy, slightly sweet sauce is put on everything from breakfast fare, like gallo pinto and eggs, to hearty rice and beans. It was developed by Prospero Jimenez in 1920, but it wasn’t until Prospero Lizano came along to mass-produce it in the ’50s that it grew to its current fame. Now, Lizano Salsa can be found in almost every restaurant and home kitchen.

Its unique flavor comes from carrots, chili peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, dry mustard, celery spice, turmeric, and molasses.

QUITO, ECUADOR Although not as famous for coffee as its Colombian neighbor, Ecuador brews a mean cuppa joe. If you manage to stay away from the instant stuff often found at local restaurants, you’ll get to taste the unique flavor of Ecuadorian coffee. It’s a bit fruity and sweet and has a hint of chocolate.

Although it’s not the most expensive, Café Cubanito coffee is often considered to be among the best. Locals often brew it using a chucho, a sock-like cloth filter, but it is equally good using a French press or prepared as an espresso. Bring some home, and each morning will bring you back to sunny Quito.

ECUADORIAN CAFÉ CUBANITO

CANADA’S P.E.I. SEA SALT CO

CANADA Some of the world’s purest sea salt can be found off the coast of Prince Edward Island. The P.E.I. Sea Salt Co. is an ethically run business that hand-harvests and dries unprocessed sea salt along the island’s north shore. Infused with local products found or made on the island, salt flavors include black garlic, a sweet and savory blend to sprinkle on almost everything, even desserts, and coffee, made with a local roaster’s Burka Gudina organic beans from Ethiopia. Another favorite is the Rossignol red wine sea salt made from the winery’s Marechal Foch grapes. Once you’re back home, you’ll recall the island and all it has to offer with every sprinkle.

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TASTING

BY JILL GLEESON

THIS GATEWAY TO ECUADOR IS AN ENTHRALLING PLACE TO DELIGHT ALLYOUR SENSES, ESPECIALLY THAT OF TASTE I’m embarrassed to admit my recent, abbreviated stay in Quito was an afterthought; a few days I tacked on to the front of a Galapagos trip with no more consideration or anticipation than the half-formed notion, “since I have to fly into there anyway…”

But the sights and sounds – and the tastes, too – of the Ecuadorian capital remain cherished in my memory.

QUITO

Before I arrived, I only had the barest of plans for my time in the city – just a room in a boutique hotel tucked away within a beautifully restored colonial house in La Mariscal. I was happy to find in the morning that it served a nice selection of dishes for breakfast, but I only had eyes for the fruit. Mango, papaya, starfruit, passion fruit… There were also several I was unfamiliar with, including granadilla. A member of the passion fruit family, it has a hard, shiny orange-colored rind, with strangely gelatinous flesh filled with black seeds. But its sweet, subtle taste is far more enjoyable than its texture. Apparently, it’s good for digestion, as well.

That was excellent news because I was slightly queasy, no doubt a result of Quito’s soaring elevation. Located in the Andes mountains nearly 6,560 feet above sea level, it’s the world’s second-highest capital. It’s also built on the ruins of an ancient Inca city, my guide Pablo told me, with a historic center that dates back half a millennium to the time of the Spanish conquistadors.

We started our tour with a stroll through the curving, pedestrian-only La Ronda, a long-time magnet for the city’s bohemians. The cobblestone street’s brightly hued, 18th-century buildings have been restored to their former glory, and contain a festive assortment of galleries, craft shops, restaurants and bars.

I could have lingered on La Ronda for hours, but Pablo ushered me on toward Plaza de la Independencia, Quito’s biggest and oldest public square. Bordered by the Cathedral and the Presidential, Municipal and Archbishop’s palaces, with an impressive central monument celebrating Ecuador’s independence from Spain, the plaza was even more notable for the fascinating mix of humans within.

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TRADITIONAL FANESCA STEW

© KSENIYA RAGOZINA

TEXTILE MARKET, QUITO, ECUADOR

Students, businessmen, buskers and other locals selling everything from peacock feathers to boiled eggs all loitered peaceably together under the palm trees. I had a moment to grin at the glorious spectacle before following Pablo into the Centro Cultural Metropolitano, housed in a restored building that was once, variously, Jesuit headquarters, a prison, a tobacco factory, and a mint. Today, it provides space for the municipal library, art exhibits and, most crucially to my growling stomach, a café.

I asked Pablo what the best Ecuadorian dish was on the menu, and without hesitation he replied, “Fanesca.”

“It’s a stew, or thick soup, really served only at Lent, so you’re lucky that you get to try it,” he explained. “They do a really good version here. Of course, just about everyone makes it a little bit different, and it takes days to do it right.”

According to Pablo, there are 12 different legumes or grains in the soup, which represent the 12 apostles – although the dish pre-dates the arrival of Christianity in the region and might have been prepared during harvest as a way of giving thanks to Pachamama, or Mother Earth. Typically, it includes salt cod and a milk base, as well as peas, beans of several sorts, lentils, and corn.

Mine came laden with hard boiled eggs, empanadas, parsley, and peanuts. I thought I detected a very slight pumpkin taste, as well as the flavor of fried onions and garlic, though no seasoning overwhelmed the others.

When I think of all the activities I managed to undertake during my short time in Quito, there was none that gave me a better peek at the Ecuadorian culture than eating fanesca with Pablo.

ECUADORIAN GRAIN MARKET

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Tailored according to each region Silver Moon will sail, S.A.L.T. will incorporate culinary enrichments, including market trips, winery visits, and dining experiences in regional restaurant and bars; food and wine tastings; special dinners with guest hosts; insightful food lectures; cooking demonstrations from local guest chefs and food experts; and numerous other exciting enhancements. A dedicated S.A.L.T. Lab will provide the perfect setting for guests to explore culinary cultures from around the world, while a new S.A.L.T. restaurant will serve regional cuisine that will adapt according to the sailed destination.

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