Ben Fogle's Great Adventures Launch

"Darling, I'm going out tonight.

The dashing and famous action-adventure explorer, Ben Fogle,

has invited me over for an authentic Italian Dinner.
I believe there will be candlelight and wine, too.  You don't mind, do you?"

 I was recently invited by Celebrity Cruises to an authentic Italian cooking experience

hosted by Ben Fogle to launch his new Great Adventures series of shore excursions.

Let's see... Ben Fogle, Italian dinner, Wine and Cruising Talk?

Not a chance I'm turning this down.

The venue was London's Food at 52 Cookery School.  It's wonderful.

I felt like I was going over to a friend's house for a fashionable dinner party.

We were warmly welcomed by the Celebrity Cruises team and introduced to Ben.

Over a glass of wine, he told us about his new series of shore excursions.

Ben is famous for his adventurous and immersive travel style.

Celebrity Cruises has partnered with him to develop a series of unique and exclusive excursions.

 Ben Fogle's Great Adventures include a Norwegian Salmon Snorkeling Safari,

a Croatian Adventure and a Sicilian Gastronomic Tour.

Snorkeling with Salmon?  That sounds pretty interesting.  
Soon it was time to head downstairs to the kitchen for our Italian Cooking lesson.

We all gathered around a massive wooden table with ingredients and cooking utensils set out before us.

Don't mind the camera crew.  It's time to cook!

I'm wondering about the prudence of giving me a sharp knife AND a glass of wine.

Our instructor guided Ben and the rest of us step-by-step through three recipes.
Food at 52 was nice enough to share their recipes.  Just click on the link if you want to try them.
They are all yummy!

Cattucini (Italian biscuits)

Pollastri Pini e Prosciutto (Roast Chicken with Marcarpone and Parma Ham)

Amaretti Semi Freddo  

I've never done a cooking class like this before, but I'm completely hooked.

It was so much fun!  Everyone was relaxed and chatting over wine.

There was some fresh bread on the table.  We each got to chop and get our hands on the food.

The kitchen is adorable.  I want it in my house.  I don't really like to cook,

but if I had this kitchen, I would want to be creating in it all of the time.

Not to mention I got to wear a snazzy denim apron and tuck a white towel at my waist like a pro.

We went back upstairs to chat over more wine while everything cooked.

I had a great chat with Ben about cruising and traveling.  He's very friendly and down to earth.

Soon the dinner bell rang and it was time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

We gathered once again around that fabulous big table and dined by candlelight.

Of course, everything was delicious!  It was made by our very own hands.

It was such a great night!  I'm so glad I said yes to this invite.

I still can't believe my little blog gives me these amazing opportunities.

You know that we love to cruise!  And shore excursions are a big part of this.

Do you book with the ship?  Do you book with an outside tour group? Or do you just go off on your own?

 I love that Celebrity Cruises is offering something new and different.

Here's a little more about Ben Fogle's Great Adventures.

Your time on shore can make or break your cruise experience.  There's a lot to consider.
Shore excursions will be the topic of my next Cruising 101 with Selena Series so stay tuned.


Have you ever taken an Italian cooking class?  Ever snorkeled with salmon?

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  *This was a press event hosted by Celebrity Cruises.
 All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.