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Founder and Executive Director
Email: hpartain@epicopia.com
Website URL: http://www.epicopia.com
Unless you’ve made a stopover in Reykjavik on your way to Europe you probably would never think of Iceland as a great destination or even a culinary destination. I certainly had not.
But memories of a three-night weekend jaunt from New York City to Iceland back in the spring of ’70 lingered in my mind. Was that oh-so-fresh fish really as good as I thought it was? After all, I was really young back then. What did I know about fish anyway?
I do remember those hot bubbling springs, the geysers, and that most of Iceland even back then utilized the natural hot waters to create thermal heat through the city and even in some small villages. The waterfalls, snow-covered peaks, the blue ice. That was my first experience with a glacier. I do remember some pretty impressive farmlands as I was myself recently ‘fresh off the farm’ in Arkansas.
And if my memory serves me right, it was in Iceland where I first tasted and fell in love with lobster. Seafood stews and soups were served up daily. It was still pretty cool weather but I noticed wildflowers I had no idea what they were called. They were low growing and the moss covered rocks fascinated me.
Flash forward forty years… Iceland, a taste-sational experience! Yes, I am happy to report this unique and wonderful island has become a gastronomes secret delight. The cold waters offer up an abundance of shellfish to reward the hungry traveler. Those thermal waters have been diverted into greenhouses where the freshest of organic vegetables are grown year-round. Rye bread baked in underground thermal ovens… or how about cucumber schnapps? What meat is in that centuries old soup recipe? What is Icelandic hardfisk?
I am not sure if Anthony Bourdain has been to Iceland yet but I expect it is on his horizon. Traditional, historical and modern adaptations by inventive and extremely creative chefs are propelling Iceland into the culinary traveler’s sights.
Be the first among your group of friends and culinary aficionados to gird up your loins and join the Vikings from centuries before and discover the gastronomical wonders of Iceland.
Epicopia is proud to offer you the opportunity to experience unique and memorable Iceland. Iceland is designed for the adventurer and nature lover… and now offers a taste-sational experience.
Check out our specially designed itinerary with several date options from late April through September. The special culinary programs will operate with a minimum of 6 persons and a maximum of 15. For itinerary and further details click here.
Iceland is also closer than you think. Reykjavík, Europe's northernmost capital, is nearer to New York than Los Angeles and only 2-4 hours flying time from almost all major cities in Western Europe.
Back in July, I posed the question, “Why Not Turkey?” and invited you to consider the wonders of this exotic and unusual destination.
Today I invite you to come along with us as we introduce you to the wonders and culinary delights of exciting Turkey. This October 1 – 16, you are invited to join acclaimed chef and author, Aliza Green as she shares with you the Aegean and Ottoman influences on Turkish cuisine.
We begin this discovery on the Greek Island of Chios located only seven miles off the coast from Çeşme (Izmir region), Turkey. Why here? Chios is the only place on earth where mastic is intentionally grown, harvested and turned into a prized ingredient for foods, soaps, and a host of other products enjoyed by nearly everyone from Morocco to the Arabian Peninsula and north through all of the Middle East and into Turkey.
Early Aegean influences are strong in Turkish Cuisine and offer a tremendous base from which to explore culinary flavors and historical archaeology. From Ephesus to Troy, Pergamum to Mt. Ida, you will experience Greek and Roman settlements that played a heavy hand in local culture and cuisine.
With the arrival of the Ottoman Empire in 1299 you experience the influences of a dominant force that reigned throughout Turkey until 1922. At the height of its power (16th-17th centuries), the empire spanned three continents, controlling much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa.
The empire was at the center of interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for six centuries. With Constantinople as its capital city, and control of extensive lands around the eastern Mediterranean, including some islands in the Atlantic, during the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent (ruled 1520 to 1566); the Ottoman Empire was, in many respects, an Islamic successor to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
This extensive domain introduced a wide range of foods into the courts and upper class culture. These influences are readily available and are nowhere more profound than in modern day Istanbul. Your senses are overwhelmed as your mind travels back to exotic times of flying carpets and magic lanterns. On January 16, Istanbul launched its year as European Capital of Culture.
From humble homes to elaborate Palaces, from fragrant fields to exotic gardens, from ancient history to modern Istanbul, from coffee introduced to the Ottomans in 1543 to the refined wines of today, Turkey is THE exotic culinary destination.
An old Turkish Proverb states...
“Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love.”
Celebrated TV host Anthony Bourdain says…
"In keeping with the ‘wallowing in my own ignorance’, let me say that any preconceived notions I might have had about Turkey being mostly about meat on a stick have been proved terribly wrong. Istanbul is a freakin' foodie paradise. It's downright brain bending how much good stuff is to be found at even everyday eateries—how difficult it is to walk down the street—any street—and not want to eat everything in sight. Table service is stunningly good as well—something of a rarity on this scale. "
Download the 
day-by-day itinerary for this Turkish Cuisine Experience and you will be salivating to get on the plane and join Aliza Green for this truly unique and memorable journey through the diverse treasures of historical and culinary Turkey.
Turkey straddles East and West culturally, historically and literally. It's the only country to sit on two continents, Europe and Asia. The whole country is like an open-air museum with remains of successive empires and cultural movements on display at every turn. Turkey is a modern, secular country with an old soul, the meeting place not only of East and West but of past and future as well.
The surest way to capture the essence of a country's culture is through its cuisine. Turkey, like no other country, is the crossroads of many cuisines. Turkish cuisine features lamb, eggplant, and pilafs. Vegetables are often stuffed with aromatic meat preparations, and desserts usually combine fruits, nuts, and pastry.
Acclaimed Philadelphia Chef and Author Joins Epicopia as Experience Director and Culinary Travel Specialist
For Immediate Release
Dallas, Texas February 18, 2010 – Philadelphia based chef and culinary author, Aliza Green, joins Epicopia: A Collection of Food & Wine Travel Experiences to develop and host culinary travels to Turkey, Greece and other Mediterranean countries. Green, a James Beard Award-winning author of ten cookbooks, specializes in Italian and Mediterranean cuisines with expertise in ingredients. She travels extensively in pursuit of recipes and the stories behind them for her books and articles.
At the age of 27 Aliza earned a four-star chef rating and was acclaimed “a pioneer woman chef who has influenced and trained many others.” The Philadelphia Inquirer named Green as one of the city's ten most influential people on food, because of her work with local farmers and her near-fanatic commitment to authentic, made-from-scratch food.
Aliza’s work in launching and organizing events and culinary organizations helps her to excel as an Epicopia Experience Director. Green was the founding chair of the American Institute of Wine & Food’s Delaware Valley Chapter and served on the AIWF national board for three years. She was a chef delegate to Slow Food’s Terra Madre Torino, Italy in 2006. As Vice-President (and 25-year charter member) of Les Dames d'Escoffier International Philadelphia Chapter, Green helped organize its national conference in 2009 and now serves as Director-at-Large on its National Board.
“We are very pleased to have Aliza Green join our team of specialists. Travelers are eager to explore the culinary history of the eastern Mediterranean. Aliza’s knowledge of regional foods will enhance the hands-on and behind the scenes visits to local producers and farmers,” declared Harold D. Partain, Founder and Executive Director of Epicopia and Vice-Chairman, Board of Directors International Culinary Tourism Association. “Cooking classes, dining in a wide range of restaurant venues, along with visits to cultural and archaeological sites become a seamless adventure with Aliza along to share her knowledge and passion for the local cuisine.”
Epicopia: A Collection of Food & Wine Travel Experiences is headquartered in Rockwall just outside Dallas, Texas. With 40 years in the travel industry, Epicopia is dedicated to providing journeys in support of the local people, regional food and wine – always adhering to Slow Foods’ philosophy of “good, clean and fair.” Each culinary itinerary is designed to educate, entertain and give guests a hands-on approach while enjoying the most authentic culinary experiences.
Contact:
Harold D. Partain, CTC, CCTP
Epicopia: A Collection of Food & Wine Travel Experiences
5042 Rabbit Ridge Court
Rockwall, Texas 75032
Tel: 972.771.3510
Email:
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Website: www.Epicopia.com
Our aim is to create unique Bordeaux Wine Experiences. We don't organize many tours each year, it’s just four! The first three tours are already sold out. So if you were thinking about touring with us, you have to start acting right now. It is still possible for six couples to tour with us in 2010. These last spots are highly sought after. So if you really are interested you should
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, because you don’t want to miss out on this great Wine Experience. So check out our tour schedule, or contact us now for a detailed itinerary and more information! Call 972.771.3510 
Congratulations to The Restaurant at Meadowood Team and Chef Christopher Kostow for earning two stars in Michelin's 4th annual San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurant Guide 2010
The Restaurant at Meadowood is one of four San Francisco Bay Area restaurants to earn the prestigious two-star rating – as well as the only two-star establishment in the Napa Valley. The honor follows The Restaurant's recent accolade of being named the #1 Best Food & Wine Resort in the 2009 "Reader's Choice Special Awards" in Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report.
Chef Kostow's menu offers dishes that draw on the bounty of the seasons, while taking a disciplined approach to modern French fare. The Restaurant's prix-fixe menus are also paired with expertly selected wines by Sommelier Rom Toulon, with overall service overseen by Restaurant Director Nathaniel Dorn.
The two-star rating indicates "Excellent Cuisine, worth a detour," based on five criteria: the quality of the products; mastery of flavor and cooking; the "personality" of the cuisine; the value for the money; and consistency between visits.
The Restaurant at Meadowood is open for dinner Monday through Thursday 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. For additional information or to make a reservation, please call (972)771.3510.
Celebrate the holidays with Meadowood! The Twelve Days of Christmas is a Meadowood signature event celebrating wine, cuisine and the world's great holiday traditions. We invite you to join in as twelve of the country's most renowned chefs collaborate with twelve of Napa Valley's preeminent vintners to present holiday feasts on twelve December evenings. The event benefits Share Our Strength, the leading national organization working to ensure no child in America grows up hungry.
You'll find the Twelve Days schedule and the featured chefs and vintners at www.meadowood.com/events.
Give us a call at Epicopia/McCabe Travel Group. We highly recommend a few days at Meadowood. It’s like ‘Summer Camp’ for gourmet aficionados! Call 972.771.3510 or 877.661.3844
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