Located in Wimberley, deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Blair House offers a variety of two- and three-day cooking retreats. Prices, which vary according to season and focus, include a stay a Blair House as well as 16 hours of hands-on culinary work. Participants help prepare two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners. Classes range from Southern Italian cooking to Hill Country holidays, from barbecuing with fresh herbs to country French.
Blair House Inn Bed and Breakfast
100 Spoke Hill Road
Wimberley, TX 78676
512-847-1111
blairhouseinn.com/home/the-inn
This three-day, two night excursion includes a room for two at The House on Bayou Road in New Orleans, a Creole/Cajun dinner for two, a half-day, hands-on Creole and Cajun cooking class for two and a culinary history tasting tour for two in the French Quarter. The package is available year-round and costs begin at $1,282. The House on Bayou Road is a B&B located near the French Quarter. Other classes are offered as well, beginning at $150 for guests.
The House on Bayou Road
2275 Bayou Road
New Orleans, LA 70119
504-945-0992
houseonbayouroad.com/
http://www.epitourean.com/master/14/New-Orleans-Culinary-Getaway
Located in the Finger Lakes region, Canadaigua is the perfect place to come up with culinary masterpieces of your own. The three-day, two-night getaway, priced at $559, includes hands-on time at the New York Wine and Culinary Center as well as regional wine tastings. The center is "an educational and experiential gateway to New York State's incredible wine, food and culinary industries," according to its website.
New York Wine and Culinary Center
800 S. Main Street
Canadaigua, N.Y. 14424
585-394-7070
nywcc.com
epitourean.com/package/1789/upstate-culinary-escape.aspx
Boot camp never sounded nor tasted so good. The culinary skills-based workshop held in Napa Valley is a three-day, two night experience is meant to improve rudimentary kitchen skills as well as enhance the home chef's dinner repertoire. It includes two nights at Westin Verasa Napa, a trip to the Jacobsen Orchards, which supplies fresh ingredients for The French Laundry, and a trip to a Napa Valley winery. During the two-day immersion training, participants prepare several dishes. Prices begin at $1,912.
Westin Verasa Napa
1314 McKinstry Street
Napa, Calif. 94559
707-257-1800
westinnapa.com
http://www.epitourean.com/master/38/Mini-Culinary-Boot-Camp
A true culinary vacation, these classes teach everything from pantry essentials, stocks, soups and sauces to cooking techniques for various cuts of meats, fish and vegetables. The three- and five-day courses include trips to area culinary points of interests, such as farmers' markets or winemakers. Accommodations are not included in the price. Three-day classes run about $650, while five-day classes cost from $1,150 to $1,450 depending on the difficulty level. Time is set aside for participants to explore the Napa Valley at their leisure.
Gourmet Retreats at Casa Lana
1316 South Oak Street
Calistoga, California 94515
877-968-2665
707-942-0615
gourmetretreats.com
www.casalana.com
Jane Butel, an American Southwest cookbook author, radio show host and TV personality, holds several cooking vacations in Albuquerque. Classes begin with a continental New Mexican breakfast and continue with a history of Southwest cuisine and its major ingredients. They also include a demo as well as hands-on instruction. The $1,950 fee for a weeklong does not include accommodations but does cover five individual classes, breakfast and lunch each day, two dinners, a get-acquainted reception plus a cookbook, an apron and a diploma, according to Butel's website. Butel also holds a weekend class for $1,050.
Jane Butel Cooking School
Suite F
2655 Pan American Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107
505-243-2622
janebutelcooking.com
