One of the perks from winning the Pepperidge Farm 1, 2, 3 Puff! Contest was a cooking class in New York City. I was given my option of classes – pizza making, how to make chocolate truffles, etc. When I discovered that I could take a rare class taught by André Soltner if I shifted my travel dates by one week I jumped at the chance.

I have a deep and abiding love for French cuisine in all its forms. From the freshness and piquancy of Provence to the hearty, comforting dishes of Normandy, I love it all. Soltner hails from the Alsatian region of France, near the German border. It is heavily influenced by Bavarian traditions, but maintains a certain je ne sais quoi, if you will, that is unique to France and France alone. Alsace produces some of the best Rieslings in the world, alongside its unique approach to food. How better to develop my knowledge of French food than from a master of Alsatian cuisine?

André Soltner is a paragon of the culinary world. He owned and operated Lutèce in New York City for many years until retiring in the ‘90s. Well known for its Tarte à l'Oignon d'Alsace, Lutèce boasted patrons of many ilks – from Richard Nixon to Katharine Hepburn to John Lennon. Soltner brought his expertise to the French Culinary Institute in 1995 and has since taught hands-on cooking demonstrations and counseled students. His many awards include, among the countless French titles I can’t pronounce, a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award. He was well respected in the “foodie” community before foodie was ever a word – and he still will be long after that tiresome cliché dies the death it so rightfully deserves.

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Dave in his cab, the last Checker off the production lineWhile taking my celebratory trip to NYC after winning the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry contest I booked a private food tour with Dave, a.k.a. Famous Fat Dave (beware of automatic sound byte). I'd first seen him on Anthony Bourdain's show on the Travel Channel, No Reservations.

When I discovered that I'd be in NYC with a little extra cash to spare I knew that the best way to explore the NYC food scene was with someone who really knew what they were doing. Dave was totally that guy.

First stop was some delicious pizza in Spanish HarlemWe were staying in Manhattan, right in Times Square - and yes, we were present for that little issue. Talk about being confused, not the situation, just us. Everyone was surprisingly calm and the NYPD handled it like pros. It was just very difficult getting back to our hotel that night.

Dave took us out of Manhattan and into areas I'd never thought I'd see on our short trip.

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apple-banana tree

The last week and a half on Oahu have been amazing. I've had the opportunity to see some truly beautiful parts of the island and look forward to exploring some of the other islands of Hawaii on return trips.

Some of the best parts of the trip have been the hikes and sightseeing tours I signed up for to get me away from the loads of homework and out of the hotel. I've seen tons of wild mango and coconut trees along with date palms and all sorts of other beatiful native treats. I'm pretty sure I could go all hippie-off-the-grid style and just live off the amazing fruits here.

The apple-banana tree showed above was growing next to an ancient Hawaiian temple - funnily enough on the same property of the local YMCA. We tried apple-bananas on the food tour and they were delicious. It was even better to see them still on the tree.

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