New Year... Big News!

The Tamil Nadu tour in South India in January was fabulous and full of the usual India contrasts – lots of sunshine, amazing 3rd century temples and spicy unique food. Most guests on the tour were returnees and our two newbies were so adorable, it seemed like we had known them forever. Our India manager Diggi rocked the Bollywood dance class, taught us how to cook a chook in the bonfire and encouraged us to eat food off banana leaves with our fingers. Being in the middle of a coffee plantation surrounded by fairy lights, village drummers and fireworks made for a fantastic final night together.

News Flash! Diggi's so good at running this tour and is such a big personality, I have decided to turn the 2020 one over to him. I will not be present on this tour but micromanaging from afar as is my want. Check out all the details for January 2020 (and the extremely pleasing new price) here.

New destination coming in June 2020

My culinary adventures began back in 2005 in Uzès in the South of France, where guests enjoyed a week-long dinner party soaking up the southern Provencal scene. By 2014, I was hosting so many other tours in exotic locals and Uzès market cooking classes something had to give! I do miss the Uzès week though and this part of France is so stunning, so I'm bringing it back for 2020. This time we'll spend half the week in Uzès and half somewhere completely different like Marseille. What do you think? Who's keen for a sun-drenched culinary adventure next June? Stay tuned for more details.

Run away to Rajasthan with me this year

This unusual, quixotic tour is very close to my heart because I love Rajasthan and also because my tour manager Diggi is Rajasthani and epitomises all that is great about this colourful state – big man, big smile, big moustache. He takes this tour very personally. Thanks to him and the fact that he knows everybody, we dine with locals, learn how to paint temple style and tie a whole lot of knots ending up with a gorgeous scarf – the tour hotels are pretty special too! Chapattis are eaten with buffalo butter, pommegranate juice just falls out of the cerulean blue sky into your parched mouth, the biriyanis are so rich you feel like royalty and the lassies are flavoured with rose petals. How can this be wrong?Check out the videoof life on tour in gorgeous Narlai and join me 26 October - 4 November 2019.

See you in Uzès for a cooking class

As usual I will be teaching market cooking classes in my home in Uzès from May to the end of September. The recipes are Southern French and Uzès just happens to be one of the most beautiful towns in France. When you walk down the cobblestoned street towards my house with your baskets full of produce and wine, you would be forgiven for coming over all romantic and emotional. If you're travelling through, come and make a pissaladière with me.

Here's the link to the Australian Women's Weekly story ... in case you were off the grid in January. Next up for me is finishing my book of unusual love stories, handing it in to the publisher, drinking a bottle of Champagne then jumping on a plane to Vietnam for my April tour. Happy Weekend!

Gastronomads on tour in South India