The Cheap Gourmet

Exotic Cruise Vacations - A great way to relax and eat gourmet food all day long!

Exotic cruise vacations are notorious for offering some of the world's finest gourmet cuisine. A friend of mine recently returned from a 12-day Mediterranean Cruise. She talked non-stop for over an hour about the delectable cuisine and how she gained 10 pounds because she couldn't resist tasting every morsel presented to her. Even the photos she uploaded to her online photo gallery were focused more on the food than the sightseeing.

My in-law's recently took a 7-day Alaska Cruise. Again, their main focus was the food. Although they loved whale watching and enjoyed several spa treatments, nearly all of their photos were taken in the dining room. There were photos of gorgeous ice sculptures, banquet tables filled with exotic foods and five-star dining rooms with seven-course meals. The food presentation was truly a work of art.

Next month, my daughter's best friend and her family are embarking on a 7-day cruise to Aruba. Hannah brought over brochures and a DVD of their upcoming cruise vacation and I have become obsessed with the idea of cruising ever since. I've always considered exotic cruise vacations to be for the wealthy, but after a bit of research I've discovered this is not the case. In fact, cruises are one of the most economical vacation packages available.

I located a place called Cruise Vacation Center; a one-stop shop for worldwide cruise vacations. Cruise Vacation Center is affiliated with all the major cruise ship lines including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruise, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America and Cunard.

Cruise destinations include Africa, Alaska, Antarctica,Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Coastal, Costa Rica, Cruise to Nowhere, Europe, Greece, Hawaii, Mediterranean, Mexico, New England, New Zealand, Pacific Coastal, Pacific Northwest, Panama Canal, South America, South Pacific, Southeast Asia, Tahiti, Transatlantic, Transcanal, Transpacific and a World Cruise.

I spent about two hours at Cruise Vacation Center comparing cruise lines, amenities, staterooms, best sailing dates, ports of call and prices. My husband and I will be celebrating our 7-year anniversary on December 29th and I want to surprise him with an exotic cruise vacation. Although I haven't booked our reservation yet, I found a fabulous deal on a 3-night cruise to the Bahamas. Since it departs from Port Canaveral, we won't have to purchase airline tickets, which makes the cruise even more affordable.

The cruise I felt would be perfect for our romantic getaway is on Royal Caribbean and the cruise ship is Monarch of the Seas. What really sold me on this package (besides the price!) was the gourmet food. According the Cruise Vacation Center website, one restaurant, Portofino offers pasta (my all-time favorite food), classic burgers from Johnny Rocket's (my husband's favorite food) and gourmet five-course meals in the main dining room.

Monarch of the Seas also offers plenty of entertainment inclding a dramatic two-story lounge, nightclubs and bars. I can shop till I drop in the five-story Centrum lobby lined with boutiques, sip champagne in the Champagne Bar and enjoy live shows that parallel Las Vegas and New York. The best part is, since Cruise Vacation Center offers bargain prices, I can afford to upgrade to the Royal Suite which includes a private balcony and whirlpool bathtub.

If you're thinking about a romantic getaway, family vacation or weekend getaway with your best friends, check out Cruise Vacation Center. Be sure to visit the "Specials" page and call the 800-number to ensure you obtain the best deal possible. Once I get my "secret" honeymoon package booked, I'll be certain to give you an update. And, I'm certain you'll see lots of gourmet food photos once we complete our romantic getaway!

Hell's Kitchen Finale

The Hell's Kitchen Finale was intense as tempers flared and food was burnt. I was rooting for Bonnie, the Underdog, but in the end Rock won out. I'm happy for Rock though and for once, I actually agree with Chef Gordon Ramsay. Rock is a family man, with a beautiful wife and two adorable children. Winning the Hell's Kitchen competition will definitely change his life for the better. So, CONGRATULATIONS Rock!!

If you think you have what it takes to be the next Hell's Kitchen winner, there's still time to audition. For details and to download the application visit www.Fox.com/hellskitchen.

Auditions are being held in the following locations during the month of August:

August 24th - Denver, Colorado - The Art Institute of Colorado
August 26th - Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, Florida - Riverside Hotel (Ft. Lauderdale)
August 29th - Chicago, Illinois - The Illinois Institute of Art

If you're a Chef Gordon Ramsay fan, you'll be happy to know that he will be returning to the Fox Network this fall. His new show, Kitchen Nightmares, has Chef Ramsay hitting the road to redirect restaurants in crisis. It's sure to be a hair-raising experience and a jolly good time.

Cooking Contests

Do you have a passion for cooking? Do you have a family recipe that everyone raves about? If so, you might want to consider entering a cooking contest.

One excellent resource for locating cooking contests is Cooking Contest Central located at www.RecipeContests.com. This site offers a preview of various cooking contests across the U.S. However, for a mere $25, you can subscribe to their service which offers updated cooking contests throughout the year. It's quite a bargain for those who are involved in competitive cooking.

You'll find a tremendous amount of valuable information at Cooking Contest Central including ongoing contests, contest tips, and cooking news. Isn't it time for your recipe to receive recognition?

Ultimate Foodie Giveaway

How would you like to go to New York City and spend two nights in a fabulous hotel, tour the Food Network studios and have lunch with the Bon Appetit magazine editors? If this sounds like the gourmet trip of your dreams, run over to Conde Nast and enter to win.

You better hurry. The contest ends July 20, 2007.

Click here to enter today!

Pillsbury Bake-off Contest

This year marks the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-off and this year the grand prize is a whopping $1 million buck-a-rooni's! That's a lot of moolah!

Pillsbury Bake-off recipe categories include: Breakfast and Brunches, Pizza Creations, Appetizers, Old El Paso Mexican favorites, and Sweet Treats. Recipes must be submitted by April 22nd, 2007, so put on your chef hat and create a delightfully delicious recipe. You never know, you could end up being a millionaire!

To learn more about the Pillsbury Bake-Off visit http://food.yahoo.com/pillsbury-bakeoff/. Good Luck!

$50,000 'Best of Beef' Cook-off

Do you have a unique and tasty gastronomical creation using beef as the main ingredient? Think it's good enough to win you fifty grand in prize money? If so, you might want to enter the National Beef Cook-off, brought to you by the Cattleman's Beef Board.

Twenty-five finalists will compete for prizes totaling $110,000. Grand prize is a whopping $50,000. Second prize is $10,000 and the runner-up takes home $5,000.

While you're at the website, be sure to check out the previous winning recipes and visit the 'Beef Basics' page, where you can learn about how to prepare beef, cooking methods, marinades and rubs, and a whole bunch of other stuff. I think you'll find it quite interesting.

If you're going to enter, you better hurry. All National Beef Cook-off entries need to be postmarked by March 31, 2007. Good Luck!

Cook for the Cure

KitchenAid has partnered with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to create "Cook for the Cure".  KitchenAid provides a free 20-page brochure with tips and recipes by famous chefs such as Bobby Flay and Sarah Moulton, so that you can host a dinner party to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. You can also down a template to create "Cook for the Cure" invitations.

Additionally, KitchenAid will make a donation of up to $50 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, when you purchase select "pink" KitchenAid products.

So go buy yourself some pretty pink KitchenAid products and host a "Cook for the Cure" party. Than submit your pictures and share your story on the KitchenAid website. It's a total win-win situation!