Cooking with C.C.

10/11/2026

Portugal Trip - Day 7
Well, we’ve reached the last day of our tour. This morning we rode to Sintra. After discovering that “guidelines” change almost weekly, we started our visit at the Quinta da Regaleira. This is a palace with some very interesting gardens. The Initiation Well is like an upside down tower wher you start at ground level and descend many many steps through 9 levels coming out through tunnels at the bottom. We then wandered the grounds climbing a tower and then to the palace.
We headed to the small downtown area where we had lunch followed by a TukTuk tour where we stopped at vistas where we could see a number of the other palaces we headed back to Lisbon.
After a few hours free, we went to Restaurant Sancho for our farewell dinner. Great food, great travelers and a great trip wrapped up.

10/10/2026

Portugal Trip - Day 6
(If you would enjoy our trip next year - we’d love to have you join us in Sicily… https://www.gogetlost.com/tour-destinations/southern-europe/sicily-at-the-table-a-culinary-journey-through-sicilian-kitchens-vineyards-and-villages/)

Today we spent the day in Lisbon. From our hotel Ricardo joined as our local tour guide. We walked through part of the historic district. Along the way, we passed the oldest coffee shop in Lisbon - Cafe A Brasileira, then the oldest operating bookstore in the world- Livraria Bertrand, stopped for Ginjinha in chocolate cups - Cherry Liqueur form Lisbon. We stopped in a museum where you can still see some of the Roman wall sections and where they would process fish. We ended the walking tour there and took our minibus to the cooking school for our lunch cooking class.
The appetizer was made with Alheira sausage (the sausage has a history back to the late 1400’s - created by the Jewish population to “prove” they were Christian in the purges of that day…). Two different stews for our main, Cataplana with fish and shrimp and also the second one with chicken. Dessert was a crème brûlée with orange zest and rosemary. They poured the whole pan into a platter and then torched the sugar. Lunch was again a success (even with us cooking).
The rest of the day was on our own - a few joined Ricardo for a best views of Lisbon tour. (Lots of hills and steps) Others wandered through Lisbon. Lori and I went back to the bookstore to buy a few books for the daughter (They put in a special stamp that you purchased from the oldest bookstore).
We went to the coffee shop we passed, then walked to the riverfront and stopped for a small dinner on our way back to the hotel.

10/09/2026

Portugal Trip - Day 5
After breakfast we loaded up and left Coimbra and headed south. We stopped at a very small goat cheese farm. They are on the third generation of cheese makers. While they don’t have that many goats, they make a many different variations of cheese and it was delicious!
From there we continued to Alcobasa. It was time again for lunch and we enjoyed the local (and creatively named) “Chicken in a pot of Alcobasa. The flavor was excellent and we enjoyed every bite.
We had time to visit the monastery, which was a very large one in its day. The buildings started building in the 1100s. It was added to and modified over the CENTURIES. The attached church was also old and massive with tombs including Peter the First, first king of Portugal.
We worked up an appetite from all the walking 😉- we went to the pastry shop across from the church.
We loaded back on the bus and drove to Lisbon. We had the evening on our own. We ended up at a restaurant with a few of our fellow travelers and Lori and I enjoys some Lamb Croquettes and Sea Scallops. Fun day!

10/08/2026

Portugal trip - Day 4
This morning we left the Duoro valley behind. A stop in Viseu in the morning then on to Coimbra. We did a walking tour of the old city and on to the university. We visited the royal palace rooms then to the Jonina library. Unfortunately no photos are allowed so I downloaded one to see.
We finished with dinner then back to the hotel.

10/07/2026

Portugal Trip - Day 3
After breakfast we left Porto headed for the Duoro valley - a top w**e region here. While much of Port W**e finds its way to Nova de Gaia (other side of the river from Porto) it’s grown, produced, and bottled up the Duoro river.
We headed to Quinta de Pacheca which is a w**e house, incredible hotel and restaurant. We toured the cellars. Since the harvest finished this past Sunday, a good bit was still in the fermentation tanks.The w**e is still made the old way, crushed by stomping the grapes. Our guide said they would line up 10 people across the tank and start crushing with their feet - they would go back and forth for 3 hours for multiple days before it headed to tank or barrel.
From there we had a tasting on the grounds before an amazing lunch. Our guide came back at the end of lunch with a special treat of a 40 year old tawny port to go with the dessert….
After a brief rest, we were back on the bus to Pinhao. We boarded a boat for a ride up the river enjoying the passing scenery including many of the top vineyards.
After we returned to the bus we headed back for dinner because you KNOW we haven’t eaten enough yet. We stayed at their amazing hotel for the night.
A very tasty day in the Duoro…..

10/06/2026

Portugal Trip - Day 2
Today we started with a walking tour of Porto (stopping for snacks along the way- of course!). We walked by many of the important sights of Porto and our guide regaled us with stories of the history of Portugal. We finished by walking across the Dom Luis I bridge where we were rewarded for our hard work,
Our next stop was a tour and tasting at Cockburn’s Port Lodge. They have a very long history including their last bottle of port from 1861….
After we finished we had the afternoon free until we met for our dinner cooking clas. A selection of traditional Portuguese small plates.Shrimp Bulhao Pato, Codfish and Chickpea Salad, Green Soup, Ovos verdes, Roasted Chorizo, and Rice Pudding. Enjoyed making and eating dinner. Now to rest up for the Duoro Valley tomorrow…..

10/05/2026

Tour Day 1
Sunday afternoon was our kickoff of the Portugal Food and W**e Tour. We met our group of travelers in the late afternoon then went for a stroll around before our welcome dinner. I did not do my job of taking pictures at dinner,so all I have is remains of my lemon tart dessert….. had option of burratta or carpaccio for appetizers, sea bass or chicken for dinner and chocolate mousse or lemon tart for dessert.
We walked to the imperial McDonald’s to see the chandeliers and stained glas then back to hotel to turn in for the night…

09/08/2026

Cooking, W**e, Villages & a Volcano — We’re Going to Sicily! - https://mailchi.mp/aa6765fcdcef/portugal2026-11051021 Join me Oct. 7–15, 2027, for an unforgettable culinary journey across Sicily—from Palermo to Mt. Etna and Taormina.

09/05/2026

Excited about the Fall 2027 tour in Sicily! We now have the details together. Trip will be October 7-15, 2027. The website has been updated and has the day by day plan!

Join us on a culinary journey across the island as we cook with locals, explore vibrant markets, visit celebrated w**eries and discover charming villages.

09/01/2026

Excited to share the plan for our trip to Sicily next October (2027). We've got the days together and are finalizing the actual date in early October.
It's going to be an incredible trip!
Check out the details and stay tuned for the final dates.....

Join us on a culinary journey across the island as we cook with locals, explore vibrant markets, visit celebrated w**eries and discover charming villages.