Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School Canada Culinary Vacations

The Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School
Trout Point Cooking & Wine School

Special Food Learning Vacations at Trout Point Lodge, Argyle Municipality, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia
Home to North America's Best and Freshest Seafood

RATED No. 2 CULINARY VACATION DESTINATION IN THE WORLD BY concierge.com/Condé-Nast (2007) and
WORLD'S BEST CULINARY TRIPS BY ForbesTraveler (2008)

Trout Point Lodge hosts summer and fall culinary vacations combining luxurious accommodation, gourmet meals, hands-on culinary instruction, and visits to Nova Scotia seafood destinations. Chefs Daniel G. Abel, Charles L. Leary, and Vaughn J. Perret organize and teach all Culinary & Cooking Vacations. They are the authors of the critically acclaimed Trout Point Lodge Cookbook: Creole Cuisine from New Orleans to Nova Scotia (Random House). These instructors specialize in seafood cookery and wild foods in the tradition of the French New World, covering Creole, Acadian, and Cajun styles along with the fundamentals of choosing, storing, and cooking seafood. They also excel at Mediterranean cuisine, teaching at the Mediterranean Cooking School in Spain and leading cookery tours of Istanbul, Turkey. A new feature for 2008 is optional food and wine tastings and wine courses using the Lodge's extensive wine collection.

Here's how Kate Williams of Time Out New York summarized the experience: "The classes cover many seafood basics, from how to tell whether fish and shellfish are fresh to which kitchen equipment you’ll need for a range of cooking processes, including grilling and salt-baking. In addition, the chefs are eager to demonstrate advanced methods—such as tea-smoking—which you’ll probably never use in your closet-size New York kitchen but are fun to learn nonetheless. I picked up several fundamentals of Cajun cooking, like the "holy trinity" (a mix of chopped onion, garlic and celery that’s at the heart of many recipes) and how to make different kinds of roux. One of the most useful skills I acquired was how to properly cut an onion so that you end up with uniform pieces, rather than giant chunks and tiny slivers." Time Out New York, May 11, 2006.

The Seafood Cookery course focuses on the use of different fish and shellfish, including various cooking techniques, making ceviche, and home smoking methods. It also exposes participants to Creole, Acadian French, and Cajun cooking styles. During the class the instructors and students will together create entire seafood-based meals, from appetizers and soups to entrees, breads, and desserts. This unique cooking vacation will introduce participants to the culture and history of Creole and Cajun cuisines. The course on Sephardic Cuisine introduces the cooking and culture of the Mediterranean and southern Spain, where the instructors have perfected techniques and recipes at the Mediterranean Cooking School in Granada.

Culinary Vacations Schedule

Seafood Cookery, 3-day, 2-night program including accommdation, meals, and hands-on culinary instruction:

June 20-22 Sephardic Cuisine with an emphasis on seafood

June 27-29, 2008 Seafood Cookery

July 4-6, 2008 Seafood Cookery

September 12-14, 2008 Seafood Cookery

For further descriptions and information at Trout Point's website, please click here.

Other cooking vacations including wine seminars, cheeses & cheesemaking, and smoking & curing available!

The cost, per person, for Seafood Cookery and Sephardic Cuisine is CAN $749 and includes two nights’ accommodation in a Deluxe Junior Suite (double occupancy; upgrades available), all meals, and the culinary instruction and field trips (if offered). Those not wishing to participate in the culinary program can stay at Trout Point Lodge using the normal room and meal tariffs. A signed copy of The Trout Point Lodge Cookbook is included.

For information and reservations, please call (902) 482-8360 or e-mail .

RECENT RECOMMENDATIONS:

"They come for the seafood" Globe & Mail (September, 2007)
"Gourmet Traveling, North American Style," Peter Greenburg (September, 2007)
Global Culinary School, concierge.com/Condé-Nast (April, 2007)
"A Touch of Class" Food & Travel (April, 2007)
World's Best Culinary Trips: Top 10, ForbesTraveler (April, 2008)

The Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School can also customize topics and dates to the desires of small groups. These programs have received recommendations from Harrowsmith Country Life, The Wave, Food & Wine, Lifestyle Nova Scotia, fineliving.com, Chatelaine, Canadian Geographic, The Hotel Book: Great Escapes North America, and Canadian House & Home, among others.

“one of the most important Canadian Cookbooks ever published” Gremolata.com

“The book is incredible . . . The Trout Point Lodge Cookbook is not only a lovely collection of recipes; it’s a fascinating look into a corner of Nova Scotia’s culinary history. If you’re looking for a special gift for the cook in your life, this book is it.” Liz Feltham, The Coast

“Abel, Leary and Perret have done an astounding thing with this new book, taking Louisiana cooking back through 300 years of Acadian tradition and fast-forwarding it to the 21st century.” Dale Curry, Food Editor, New Orleans Times-Picayune

“this book's enticing food is notable for its originality and quality” Publisher’s Weekly

Perret, Leary, and Abel also lead culinary vacations at the Mediterranean Cooking School in Granada, Spain and the Costa Rica Cooking School , Inn at Coyote Mountain, Costa Rica.

Abel, Perret, & Leary are members of Slow Food and were inducted into the French Guilde de fromagers in 1994. Trout Point Lodge was named one of the "Top 10 fishing spots in the world" by The Guardian newspaper, London, in December, 2006. The Lodge is a member of the Five Star Alliance, Canticum Hotels Group, and Elegant Small Hotels.