As we welcome 2017 I am filled with great anticipation. This week I will be in transit as I embark on a trip of a lifetime. Here’s what is in store:
My upcoming trip takes me to Mauritius, (an island nation in the Indian Ocean) a place I call “Delicious Mauritius.” There I will be guided by a renowned chef, who will personally take me and my husband Dan around the island to explore the full cultural experience, from a local perspective. Of course staying with a chef has its perks, and as we cook together I will share our culinary creations as well. I have not forgotten that I owe you a great dessert recipe for Mauritius.
Next I will be in Zanzibar, another island that belongs to Tanzania, where I will be cooking with Swahili women in a small village called Jambiani. I will explore the main city of Stone Town, with its rich history dating back to antiquity. I will also be visiting the luxurious north end of the island, known as a honeymoon destination and famous for its pristine beauty and deep sea fishing.
I then make my way to Nairobi, Kenya where I will fulfill a lifelong dream of feeding a baby elephant with a giant bottle of milk at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Refuge. My husband and I are foster parents to two elephants; their named Esampu and Komak. I also will bring highlights of our stay at the Giraffe Manor. This is where the giraffes dine with the guests of the manor by sticking their long necks through the dining room windows for treats. This is also the place where Karen Von Blixen wrote her famed novel, Out of Africa.
After that, I head to the great Serengeti in Tanzania where I will meet with the local Masai tribe. My travels will include a week long photographic safari of the great wildebeest migration and all that an African Safari has to offer. I have been invited to cook at several local lodges along the way and will be preparing customary Tanzanian cuisine.
My next adventure will be in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. This is a place where the old and new collide in fascinating ways and where nearly every country in the world is represented by their cuisine. There I will trek through the desert on a camel and have an authentic Bedouin experience with food and dancing. I will of course explore the old souks, (markets) that still operate in the old city and where spices, textiles and gold have been traded for centuries.
Lastly I head to France, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, England and soon after, Cuba.
I can’t wait to share this adventure with you. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to sign up to join the journey, it’s free and that way you won’t miss a thing!
Warmest Regards,
Darlene
