Featured Cruise

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

There truly is no place on earth quite like Italy. From the palazzo-lined canals of Venice to the fertile olive groves of Tuscany, from the spectacular ruin of Rome’s grand Coliseum to the pilgrim-packed Vatican, Italy offers enough historical, cultural, and natural wonders to delight even the most experienced traveler. Uniworld is proud to present a banquet of these wonders—a veritable feast for the senses—on their new 13-day “Splendors of Italy” itinerary. You’ll get an insider’s look at all the “must see” sights of Venice, Florence, and Rome, including the Coliseum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Uffizi Gallery.

You’ll also have a chance to venture off the beaten path, visiting romantic enotecas and Tuscan wine estates. The cruise will bring you to such places as Ravenna, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site; enchanting Verona—the home of literature’s most famous lovers—Romeo and Juliet; and you will be introduce you to Italy’s distinctive culinary delights by teaching you some of the tricks of the trade during a pasta-making workshop in Bologna, the culinary capital of northern Italy.

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Featured Vacation

Food Network Guided Vacation: Italy

Pack your bags! Food Network is ready to take you on a trip around Italy to experience the best culinary highlights and iconic sights in a country famous for its cuisine. You will get exclusive access and several opportunities that only Food Network can create. Visit historic attractions and sample wines and olive oils through Rome, Tuscany, Venice and more on an 8-night Food Network Guided Vacation.

You'll start in Rome, the capital of Italy, where our expert guides will take you to several can't-miss historical attractions, including the Forum, the Coliseum, St. Peter's Basilica, and Piazza Navona. Check out a gelateria visited by Rachael Ray in Rome, along with other food destination recommended by culinary professionals in Food Network Kitchens.

Your trip will continue throughout Tuscany, where you’ll taste a variety of wines and olive oils and learn to make pasta the traditional way at a wine estate in Chianti. After we head to Pisa and enjoy lunch at an authentic Tuscan restaurant amongst olive groves, we'll take you to Venice, where you will explore a fish market visited by Giada De Laurentiis. With several exclusive opportunities that only Food Network can create, alongside cultural highlights, this trip to Italy is sure to be magnifico!

Click here to find out more about this exclusive offer.

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Featured Hotel

Country Club Lima Hotel

Lima, Peru

Details that matter This unique and luxurious hotel was built in 1927 and declared a Cultural Monument. Completely refurbished and finely decorated with more than 300 pieces of art and colonial furniture on loan from the Pedro de Osma Museum, the Country Club Lima Hotel presents the perfect marriage of architectural charm, history and modern comfort..

Rooms & Suites The Country Club Lima Hotel has 83 rooms and suites, finely decorated in a classic style and provided with modern technology. All the rooms have high-speed internet access.

Restaurant and Bar The Country Club Lima Hotel offers a gourmet cuisine at the Perroquet Restaurant, awarded by Summum as “Best Hotel Restaurant” in Peru, ideal for executive breakfasts and business luncheons. Live music on weekend evenings; Tea Time in Los Vitrales with piano music and traditional English Bar offers the perfect environment for a memorable moment.

Facilities and Services We also have a spa, gym, pool, business center and an exclusive agreement with the Lima Golf Club.

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Featured Event

Hawaii Food and Wine Festival
September 6-9, 2012

The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival is the premier epicurean destination event in the Pacific. Set in the lush island paradise of O‘ahu, our four-day Festival features a roster of over 50 internationally-renowned master chefs, culinary personalities, and wine and spirit producers. Co-founded by two of Hawai‘i’s own James Beard Award-winning chefs, Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, the Festival in Honolulu and Ko Olina Resort will showcase wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, one-of-a-kind excursions, and exclusive dining opportunities with dishes highlighting the state’s bounty of local produce, seafood, beef and poultry.

Event chairs include Chef Roy Yamaguchi and Chef Alan Wong. Chef Roy Yamaguchi is the creator of “Hawaiian Fusion® Cuisine,” a combination of exotic flavors and spices mixed with the freshest of local ingredients, always with an emphasis on seafood. Born in Tokyo, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and opened his first Roy’s in Hawai‘i in 1988. Chef Alan Wong has made a name for himself internationally with his marriage of ethnic-cooking styles with the finest island-grown ingredients, creating local dishes with a contemporary twist. A James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Northwest, he was one of 10 chefs in the United States nominated by the Wedgewood Awards for the title of World Master of Culinary Arts.

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Featured Destination

 KENYA’S EXTRAORDINARY CULINARY EXPERIENCE

One of the most defining elements of Kenya’s cuisine is its varied and diverse flavors. Traditional Kenyan cooking draws upon a variety of local traditions coupled with the exotic seasonings and tastes of cultures throughout world, including India, Pakistan, and Western Europe. Most Kenyan dishes are savory, filling, and inexpensive to make. A typical Kenyan chakula (meal) often consists of ugali, which is similar to a cornmeal porridge, nyama choma, meaning, "barbecued meat" in Swahili, and sukuma wiki, a vegetable stew made of leafy greens.

Fresh and locally grown fruit is usually eaten for dessert in place of sweets. In Kenya, meals often focus on the experience of eating together and sharing stories with your fellow travelers. Camps and lodges throughout Kenya feature outstanding breakfast experiences, known as “bush breakfasts,” which allow travelers to dine amidst the country’s stunning wildlife, reflecting the true Kenyan safari experience. There’s nothing like an early morning game drive followed by the welcome sight of a beautiful breakfast table with assorted fruits, cereals, yogurt, freshly brewed coffee, tea, and egg dishes, made-to-order by the camp chef.

For more information on Kenya, click here

Featured Recipe

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

 Ingredients:

• 2 kilograms arborio rice
• 2 1/2 kilograms porcini mushrooms
• 500 grams shallots, finely chopped
• 500 grams parmesan cheese
• 125 grams butter
• 1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
• 5 liters Chicken Stock
• 375 Milliliters Champagne
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 bunch fresh basil, deep-fried for garnish

METHOD: In a saucepan, melt 1/2 the butter, and gently sauté the shallots until translucent (no coloration). Add the Champagne, and cook until completely reduced. Stir in the rice until well coated and shiny. Add 1/3 of the chicken stock, and cook until almost all liquid has been absorbed. Add the second 1/3, and cook until almost all liquid has been absorbed again. Add the remaining stock, and cook until almost all liquid has been absorbed once more (almost cooked at this stage).Add the mushrooms, remaining butter, parmesan and chives, and cook to a creamy consistency (should still be a little al dente); season to taste.

Spicy Culinary Travel Deals

From The Captain's Table

Another exclusive feature: interviews with popular captains of luxury cruise lines about their favorite dining experiences both on board and in ports of call.

Captain Angelo A. Corsaro
Master of M/V Silver Whisper

Captain Angelo A. Corsaro was born in Acicastello-a small town in Sicily, near Taormina. His love for travelling inspired him to enroll in Duca degli Abruzzi Nautical School in Catania. In 1974, at the end of his five-year course, Captain Corsaro continued his university education. He later joined the Italian Navy for his national compulsory military service. After completing his tour of duty, he was employed for two years as a Junior Officer on oil tanker ships sailing worldwide. He then spent 14 years working on passenger ships with the former Sitmar Cruises and with Princess Cruises. Advancing through the ranks, Captain Corsaro furthered his training and learned every aspect of the Deck Department. In September 1993, Captain Corsaro joined Silversea Cruises where he was assigned to supervise the final construction of the M/V Silver Cloud. He was thrilled to be the Master on her maiden voyage.

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