Everyone who knows us or our friends has heard of or experienced first hand our love of food. So when better to expand our culinary expertise and delight our taste buds than on our honeymoon?
We wanted to sign up for a bootcamp style program. While the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in St. Helena offers these programs, the timing was wrong - once a year in June for the 2-Day Skill Development program we wanted (maybe next November in Hyde Park, NY?).
After reviewing the various other options available breadth versus cost, we decided to further our culinary education at Casa Lana's Gourmet Retreats in Calistoga, CA: 1316 South Oak Street, Calistoga, CA 94515, U.S.A.
Day One
We chose the 3-Day Culinary Learning Vacation (the 5-Day Cooks' Boot Camp, like the CIA's 2-Day Skills class, is in June). The first day we'll cover knife skills, stocks, soup and emulsion cooking methods and techniques, and pastry.
For our quest, we'll set up our home base in Calistoga at the Cottage Grove Inn (just under a mile away - 20 minutes if walking - from the kitchen at Casa Lana), recommended by Condé Nast Johansens: 1711 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga, California 94515, U.S.A. While here, we'll be treated to a continental breakfast from 7:30 to 10:00am and wine and cheese from 5:00 to 7:00pm. As we'll be arriving late our first night, we'll be treated to wine and cheese waiting for us in our cottage.
Image courtesy of Cottage Grove Inn's website
In our cottage, we'll be able to curl up in front of very own roaring fireplace and luxuriate in a Jacuzzi tub for two.
