Gourmet Worrier has opened many doors for me both personally and professionally and has changed my life in ways that I could have never dreamt or imagined. I mean, who would have thought that in such a short space of time I would be interviewing on national radio, writing for an international newspaper or launching a touring company?  

I know I didn't!

Blogging has also allowed me to connect with all sorts of interesting and inspiring people from around the world, such as fellow bloggers and writers and also talented chefs, food producers and artisans.

Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting and spending the day with Anissa Helou and managed to introduce her to my good friend Shane. I must pause to say that Anissa is far more delightful and funny in person than I had anticipated and I hope that the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will try and get her out next year, as she absolutely loves Melbourne, despite the twenty plus hour flight!



Hence, the pistachio and rosewater pastry filled M'hencha, is a bit of a tribute to my two friends, as they have both inspired me over the years to venture into and thus fall in love with Middle Eastern and North African cuisine.

In Morocco M'hencha, meaning snake, is made with warka or brick pastry, but I find that it turns out a little dry if it is baked and not deep fried. If you are going to try this recipe then I would suggest that you follow Claudia Roden's (another inspiring person I hope to meet) advice and use filo pastry instead, as the end result is absolutely stunning!

Yesterday was my birthday and our seventeenth wedding anniversary. Although the journey has been incredibly rewarding and joyous, it has often been far from idyllic and at times it has been nothing short of potholed. So to mark this tremendous milestone, we thought that we should celebrate in style by having dinner in the city (sans children) and then stay overnight in a plush hotel.

As luck would have it, our trusty babysitter cancelled at the eleventh hour. Rather than pull the pin on our celebrations, we decided to take the kids with us. The hotel staff were incredibly accommodating and managed to organise an extra bed in our suite at such short notice and ensured that both our children felt incredibly welcomed.

Once at the hotel, Stephen kindly took his children for a swim in the hotels 20-metre lap pool whilst I treated myself to a luxurious bubble bath - in silence! Later that evening we all enjoyed a wonderful dinner together. Both Dante and Lucia were on their very best behaviour and several of the restaurant staff openly commented about how well mannered they were.

Rather than hit the town as planned, we decided to head back to our hotel room and watch an in-house movie. The thought of jumping into our pyjamas and snuggling into that king sized Heavenly® Bed with the promise of a 'sleep experience like no other' was a most welcome thought for one very tired Johnson clan.

Alas, at  2am we were suddenly woken by Dante's muffled moaning as he declared in his semi-conscious state that he 'wasn't feeling that good'. The next thing I remember hearing was Lucia shriek at the top of her lungs as her brother proceeded to hurl up his dinner all over the pristine 250 thread count, Egyptian cotton sheets.

Have you ever dreamt of falling into step with locals and being lulled into a sense of peace by the ding-dong of church bells that are rung daily for Matins, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None and Vespers? Or have you longed to find yourself whole once again under the warm Mediterranean sun, all the while being surrounded by the magnificence of Arab artisanship, Norman austerity and the extravagance of the Spanish and Italian baroque?

Have you ever wanted to wander the souks markets, to walk along the medieval bastions of Valletta, or to feast on authentic, seasonal produce the likes of which locals have done for centuries? Or visit valleys swathed in grapevines and take in the scent of the famous lemons of Capri, or calmly sip on an espresso in a charming piazza and people watch for a while?

Have you ever imagined walking amongst the elegant sun bleached baroque structures of the market towns of Ragusa and Modica that resonate still with song and beauty, where the patina of history still lingers in the colour and texture of the grand Pallazzi and Duomi scattered across this majestic region?

Well, I have often dreamt about these and from the inception of Gourmet Worrier the adage has been to - live eat dream. The intention has always been to share my home away from home with my readers. Yet, I have also secretly hoped of one day being able to take you along with me, so that you could experience the wonderful food, art, history and culture of that region first hand.

The last couple of years I have made several trips back to Malta, Gozo, Italy, Spain and France, all the while connecting with local food producers and artisans, wineries, bakeries, chefs, restaurants and hoteliers. And so, I am delighted to announce that we have put together the first of many boutique culinary tours for the discerning traveller.
 
Photos - George Saguna (2010).


Our tailor made, gastronomic packages include twilight wine tasting events, hands on pasta and pastry workshops, market tours and excursions to visit artisan food producers, local tastings as well as personalised cultural tours with an emphasis on local knowledge, luxury and style.

So if you want to break from reality for a while and care to wander off the mainstream tourist track and live, eat, dream, then Gourmet Travellers may be the answer you've been looking for.

Our groups are small and intimate, typically 15-20 people and we are currently taking bookings. Please contact us to check availability and/or to be put on a waiting list for future tours.

Alternatively, if you'd like to receive notification of future tours and events by email then subscribe to our newsletter and you'll be advised when tours are scheduled to take place.