It's been a while since Chambana had a French restaurant, so if you wanted to explore French cuisine, you'll have to drive to Chicago. Or go to France, which is what we did last year. Sure, Paris is full of amazing Michelin-starred restaurants, but if you want to get the most bang for your buck, head to Lyon (aka the gourmet capital of France). Even better, forget Paris or Lyon and book a CroisiEurope riverboat cruise instead. CroisiEurope is a French company specializing in European river cruises. I've never been on an ocean cruise and will steer clear of those insane 7,000-people environmental hazards. But a river cruise is a completely different story. With a capacity of 80 people or so, CroisiEurope boats are small, intimate affairs designed for French vacationers. Last year, we booked a six-day cruise from Lyon and there were only four Americans aboard (plus two other English speakers from England and Singapore). Where the boat went was not important to us...

  When traveling, my favorite thing to do is to try new dishes with exotic ingredients that I'm not familiar with. My second favorite thing to do is to take cooking classes with local cooks who want to share their favorite recipes. On a recent trip to Oaxaca, I had just such an opportunity.  This was our third time going down to the southern-most state of Mexico. Oaxaca City just happens to be one of best places in the world to celebrate the Christmas season. Oaxacans are very traditional, and their Christmas celebrations involve a week of fiestas, parades, marching bands, and even a  radish carving festival . Oaxaca is also where the best mezcal is made. Small batch artisenal mezcal from Oaxaca is highly prized internationally. Oaxacan cuisine is also celebrated worldwide and heavily promoted by celebrity chefs like Rick Bayless . Moles (sauces made with peppers, nuts, and chocolate) are often featured in Oaxacan cuisine, and this chicken stew includ...