One of my most memorable experiences was preparing a full Vietnamese meal in the home of a young family, playing with their children, and gaining a deeper understanding of modern Vietnam.
But, Vietnamese food can be salty, and I am on a low sodium diet. Before I booked the cooking tour, I knew what dishes to ask for, and the meal was scrumptious. Do you have food restrictions, like vegan, vegetarian, or, like me, pescatarian, religious dietary requirements, or foods that are counter to your medication?
One of the values of The Ageless Traveler community is that I think about these issues and collaborate with experts who can answer your culinary travel questions. Our growing community is the perfect place to get answers. Text me or send me voicemail through our FANLIST.
In this Food and Wine newsletter you will find:
Ask Adriane: Smart Eating on Cruises
News You Can Use: Michelin Expands into Oceania, Award Winning Sparkling Wines, New Trends in Wine Clubs
Culture Vulture: How to Make a Turkey Sandwich Like A Brooklyn Deli Pro
Luxury Travel for Less: Eating Through the Marais in Paris, A New Orleans Cooking Class, Vietnam on the Menu, A Spitalfields Food Tour in London, and The Argentine Experience and my favorite Halal Truck in NYC.
On this week’s The Ageless Traveler Podcast, I take you to Italy to explore the remarkable Veneto wine region and learn how to enjoy the wine tasting experience of a lifetime. My guest is Stefano Zanoncello, Certified Italian Wine Specialist, Certified Sommelier, Project Specialist for Angelini Winery and Estateand author of Trails to Vines.
Whether you have already traveled through Italy or are planning your first wine adventure, you’ll learn practical tips that will make every vineyard visit, cellar tour, and tasting more memorable.
Never stop traveling
Cheers,
Adriane
This Week’s Highlights
On This Week’s Podcast
Adventures and Wellness on the Italian Wine Trail
Take a mouthwatering journey through Italy’s wine country. All the great places you can now travel on wine routes. And discover Stefano Zanoncello’s book Trails to Vines which takes you through Europe on your own wine adventure. PLUS, I posted a bonus episode for true wine lovers. Learn why wine barrels matter, how different woods influence flavor, and why aging techniques affect the taste, quality, and story behind every bottle you enjoy.
This week’s culture vulture is devoted to my tutorial on How to Make A Turkey Sandwich like a Brooklyn Deli
I know you have all tried the $25-dollar piled high sandwich from the great delis of the world, but here’s the truth. None of them taste like a real deli sandwich from my aunt’s kitchen in Brooklyn. Here’s why. If you know top chefs and food aficionados, you know that one essential for culinary delight is to argue. Mexicans argue red chiles versus green chiles, Indians argue about 100 spices, and Australians about the fuel for the BarBQ. And don’t get me started with Parisians. So, when someone tells me, they had a deli sandwich, I wince and ask, “How Did You Like It?” They always answer. “It was delicious.” Probably, but it’s not MY sandwich.
How To Make A True Jewish Deli Sandwich
First roast a turkey, a kosher turkey, halachically butchered and drained of blood.
Then argue about whether to use rye bread with or without seeds (I opt for seeds.) Then argue about whether to toast the rye or leave untoasted. If toasted wins, leave for a Chinese restaurant.
Next, decide on mustard or mayonnaise. Very hard. After half an hour of arguing split the sandwich and put mustard on one side and mayonnaise on the other.
Why argue?
Now you have a two-faced sandwich. Each side looks skimpy, so put on more turkey, about three-quarters of the amount for a whole sandwich on each side. Try to make it even. Add Coleslaw and tomatoes in large slices, maybe two. Make sure someone has picked the RIGHT tomato from the store by touching at least a dozen. Although, even if fresh picked, or grown under your kitchen chair, someone will always ask, “Where did you get these, they don’t seem fresh”. And here there is room for creativity. Some people add lettuce on the bottom, others on the top, some not at all. If anyone asks for microgreens, cut them out of the will.
OK. If you want your sandwich from a deli consider: Katz’s Delicatessen where a sign hung during WWII still reads: “send a salami to your boy in the army,” or try Shermans Deli and Bakery or Manhattan in the Desert in Palms Springs, Langer’s Delicatessen in LA. When in doubt in any city, opt for any Deli that names its sandwiches after Danny Kaye, Groucho Marx or Totie Fields. If you don’t know who they are, “Can we Talk?”
Luxury Travel for Less
Five Culinary Experiences I’ll Never Forget
These five culinary adventures gave me memories that have lasted a lifetime without emptying my wallet.
The Marais, Paris: Kosher and Classic French Side by Side The Marais is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris. Every block offers another delicious surprise. I wandered between traditional French bakeries, artisan cheese shops, and the historic Jewish Quarter, sampling everything from fresh pastries and falafel to classic French specialties. Try a guided food tour, The Original Marais Food Tour and Original Food Tours Paris, or stroll from shop to shop at your own pace.
Scope outLearning to Cook Jambalaya and Bread Pudding in New Orleans-The first time I went to New Orleans, it was to eat. Commander’s Palace had just opened under the Brennan Family ownership, and all the great names were in full bloom, I ate crawfish, po’boys, and of course Beignets. By the time I returned I was a prissy non-meat eating shellfish avoiding pescatarian. I decided to learn how to make food I could eat. During a hands-on cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking.
On our own in Vietnam with a free day for exploration, Stu and I decided to go online and find a cooking class. We took an Uber to the home of two locals, meeting their children and loving their hospitality. Check out the Hoi An Cooking Experience which has really grown since we were there. Meals featured fragrant curries, grilled fish, fresh herbs, tropical fruits, and delicious bánh xèo and fresh spring rolls. More memorable than the food itself was the generosity of the people who welcomed us to their table and shared family recipes passed down through generations.
Speaking of kids…give to our charity Good Grief.
Good Grief is an extraordinary organization that helps children, families, and schools find hope and healing after the loss of someone they love. I know firsthand how important that support can be. That’s why I’m asking you to make a donation today.
Iguazu Falls. I love Iguazu so much that it’s always part of my presentations on cruise ships about adventures for every age. My best culinary delight, despite all the great food in Buenos Aires and Rio, was near Iguazu at The Argentine Experience, a communal table where we enjoyed an unforgettable Argentine culinary experience featuring locally grilled meats, fish for me, regional wines, fresh empanadas, and traditional desserts. We truly bonded with our fellow “chefs” and a great intergenerational experience.
London: My long-time friend Risa and I ate our way through Spitalfields, London’s East End. It is one of the world’s great food neighborhoods. Around Spitalfields Market I sampled legendary salt beef sandwiches, Bengali curries, artisan chocolates, pastries, and international street food from every corner of the globe. Every stop reflected another chapter in London’s immigrant history. Eating Europe London Food Tours and Old Spitalfields Market.
A word about Halal, the cuisine of religious Muslims. For me, in NYC, I like the ubiquitous Halal street food trucks. Like NY, pizza there is a fight over which is best. My vote is on 2nd Avenue and 83rd street where there is both a great morning coffee, bagel and muffin truck (get the CORN muffin and ask for jelly) and a Halal truck with my favorite falafel sandwich and rice dishes…it’s all good.
Award-winning author Jane Leder and guests take a deep dive into the joys and challenges of being an older woman.
“Older Women & Friends: Stories of Aging Well” is a podcast that sets the record straight, dispels myths, explores the many contributions older women make, and the wisdom they’ve earned and are anxious to share. Older women know a thing or two about living with a keen sense of wonder and an abiding appreciation for the gift of longevity. So, it’s time to change the perception that the gig is just about up when, in truth, the second wave of the journey has just begun.
Congratulate Jane on supporting Good Grief. You’ll love the way she gets the most interesting guests to tell the most interesting stories.
Another Champion of Good Grief and a powerhouse podcaster:
Attention The AGELESS TRAVEL WOMEN:
Want no boundaries advice from a savvy lady who knows how to craft success?
Host Beverley Glazer, Reinvention Strategist and Empowerment Coach, is honest and grounded. Beverly tackles everything from grief and identity shifts to ageism, sovereignty, and libido with confidence and depth.
