Planning guides: what is in season, which region to choose, and how to get there.
What to eat in Porto: the francesinha sandwich, tripas à moda do Porto, bacalhau and fresh seafood, the bifana and broa bread, and port wine from the Gaia lodges - the dishes to order, the Bolhão market, and where locals eat.
What to eat in Lisbon: pastéis de nata, bacalhau (salt cod), charcoal-grilled sardines, the bifana pork sandwich and petiscos, plus the Time Out Market, ginjinha and a Fado dinner - the dishes to order and where.
A flexible 3-day Lisbon food and wine itinerary: the Time Out Market and Alfama tascas with a food tour, a pastel de nata or petiscos cooking class with a wine tasting, then a Sintra or wine-estate day trip. Suggestions, not a fixed schedule.
What is a Lyon bouchon? The city's traditional tavern serving hearty Lyonnais home cooking - charcuterie, quenelles, saucisson and offal - with Beaujolais from a pot. The mères lyonnaises behind them, what's served, and how to spot an authentic one.
What to eat in Lyon, France's food capital: quenelle de brochet, saucisson brioché, salade lyonnaise, andouillette and tablier de sapeur, cervelle de canut and the pink tarte aux pralines - the bouchon dishes to order, Les Halles Paul Bocuse, and the wines to drink.
What to eat in Sorrento: gnocchi alla sorrentina, cannelloni and Gragnano pasta, Provolone del Monaco cheese, spaghetti alle vongole and fresh seafood, and the lemons behind granita, delizia al limone and limoncello - the dishes to order and where to eat.
What is limoncello? Southern Italy's lemon liqueur - the zest of fragrant Amalfi and Sorrento IGP lemons steeped in alcohol and sweetened with sugar syrup, served ice-cold as a digestivo. How it's made, the lemons behind it, how to drink it, and where to make your own.
How Amalfi Coast cooking classes work: make fresh pasta or gnocchi, stretch your own mozzarella, and often make limoncello and tiramisù on a hill farm or in a cliffside kitchen in Positano, Amalfi or Sorrento, then eat it with wine and a sea view.
A flexible 3-day Amalfi Coast food and wine itinerary: Sorrento with a food tour and limoncello, a pasta-and-mozzarella cooking class at a farm or cliffside kitchen, then a boat day between Positano, Amalfi and Ravello for seafood and coastal wine. Suggestions, not a fixed schedule.
How Paris cooking classes work: savoury market classes where you shop and cook a French three-course meal with wine, and pastry classes for croissants, macarons and éclairs. What you make, market vs studio, and how to choose.