322594 Fri Sep 01 18:04:22 -0700 2006 5 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1848807 Here's an innovative way to spend summer, winter, or spring break! http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/09/01/trips.food.tourism/index.html Fri Sep 01 18:04:22 -0700 2006 11006 chica 1 1848837 I actually did this the year before last--spent a week in Puebla, Mexico, with cooking lessons every day. It was great! Puebla was a lovely city, and the food was spectacular. Plus I got a binder of excellant recipes to take home--very important for a Mexican food lover in Boston, where good Mexican is in short supply..... Fri Sep 01 18:12:13 -0700 2006 1848807 13128 gorboduc 2 1850425 Puebla! Anthony Bourdain swears that his best cooks come from Puebla. Please share your resources. Sassille Sat Sep 02 15:00:23 -0700 2006 1848837 10493 sassille 3 1850791 When I went, I actually won a package on LuxuryLink.com. Steal of the century. No airfare (we found our own flights easily) but our package included 6 nts hotel at the Mesones Sacristia de la Compania (a converted home near the Zocalo), all our meals, 5 days of cooking lessons (we ate our projects for lunch), a walking tour of Puebla, a trip to the market to shop for ingredients, passes to two museums, a welcome drink, a talavera plate with local sweets, and round-trip bus tickets from Mexico City. Cost was $1010 for 2 people. Mesones Sacristia is doing the same package for $1200 for 2 people through Mexico Boutique Hotels: http://www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com/mesonsacristia/packages.html The hotel was lovely, the staff very helpful, and Alonzo the chef/teacher was the best. I've been rattling on about how great it was since I got back--finally talked my parents into going.... Sat Sep 02 20:27:17 -0700 2006 1850425 13128 gorboduc 1 1850401 Been there, done that too. Now have friends that want me to conduct my own tours and take them along :-D Sat Sep 02 14:47:17 -0700 2006 1848807 10506 DiningDiva 1 1851320 This has been a burgeoning industry in Italy and France for at least fifteen years. Sun Sep 03 04:33:50 -0700 2006 1848807 10031 Dave Feldman