As the years went by I have regretted not having more opportunities to fully explore the culinary world. That is how I first discovered cooking holidays.

One day, I happened to be reading a cooking magazine, thinking about creative recipes I could try out on my friends. Easter was coming up, and I was looking for new Christmas holiday recipes. That is when I saw it: an ad for cooking Tours in France. I never heard of a cooking tour before and I immediately wrote the company to request more information. What I found out surprised and made me so happy. Gourmet cooking vacations are the perfect getaway for people who are just like me.

Cooking holiday combines aspects of a workshop with some beautiful sightseeing adventures. There are several different kinds of holiday cooking, but essentially they all involve a beautiful, scenic destination known for its fine cuisine. Once you are there, you get to combine sightseeing with cooking classes from some of the world's most renowned French cooks - people who specialize in the cuisine of that particular area. In between the French cooking classes, you get to go the local food courts and explore the native French produce, as well as explore one of the most lovely destinations in the world. I had never been to France before and I was so happy to try it out.

Gourmet cooking tours are extremely expensive, but I had put away a lot of money for a rainy day and I was convinced that it would be worth the long trip. Although my family was disappointed to see me go, they knew that I needed a vacation for myself. They were also thrilled in some way that I was leaving. You see, they family knew that when I came back from the French gourmet cooking holidays, I would have all-new recipes to cook for them. That was worth not seeing me for a few long days and weeks!