Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope Podcast

International Food & Conversation with Akbal Setia of Tourism Malaysia

In honor of International Women’s Day the AWCLA, ASEAN Women Circle of Los Angeles, held a demonstration of the foods of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Myanmar on March 9th, 2023.  It was a lunch time feast held at the Consulate General of Thailand’s residence in Los Angeles that tantalized my taste buds.  

ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was established in 1967 and consists of the countries exhibiting their foods at the event, as well as the nations of Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Viet Nam and Cambodia. Their goal is to foster people-to-people cross cultural connections with citizens from throughout the world.

I was excited about attending the event and supporting the organization’s efforts.  In addition to their purpose being the subject of my “Cultural Crossroads” talk I present around the country, their philosophy fit perfectly with my signature Mark Twain quote, “Travel is Fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.”   Not to mention the opportunity to revisit some the scrumptious cuisines of many of my favorite countries, most of which I have featured on my radio or television shows. 

In addition, I was also eager to reconnect with my longtime friends at Tourism Malaysia.  I’ve produced 12 seasons and 135 episodes of Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope and the first two shows of my first season were on Malaysia – The Colors of Malaysia and The Islands of Malaysia.  The AWCLA event revitalized my interest in featuring Malaysia in my next season of travel, culture and food television episodes. 

After comparing culinary notes and toping each other’s praise of the gastronomic efforts of the AWCLA women, Mr. Akbal Setia, vice president, the Americas, for Tourism Malaysia and I paused long enough to discuss the multi-cultural, multi-religious nature of his country and the many touristic pleasures that await a visitor.  Listen to my podcast below and for further information go to Malaysia.Travel.

If you’d like to get a copy of my PBS and CreateTV televisions shows on Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Myanmar go to our episode archive page.  And stay tuned for my new shows coming your way from American Public Television, PBS and CreateTV this year.

An Urban Press Oyster Night chat with Chef Emidio Tidu

I'm a fanatical, obsessive,  devoted lover of the queen of mollusks -- Oysters! So when I heard that the Urban Press Winery and Restaurant in Burbank, California offered a special Wednesday Night Oyster feed, I grabbed my friend Curtis Caddell and headed there from my home in Topanga.

Urban Press is located in the heart of downtown Burbank on San Fernando Road. Its low-key facade belies the elegant spaces inside available for fine dining, wine tastings, professionally crafted drinks, eclectic live music, private parties and good company. In addition, Urban Press offers a surprising blend of the many pleasures of a Sonoma wine tasting table and an Italian trattoria. The restaurant's official word is that "You will feel like you have been transported to a bustling tasting room in Italy."

The artist behind the restaurant's culinary choices, which have transformed Urban Press from American Cool to Roman Familiarity, is chef Emidio Tidu. From basically wine and pizzas Urban Press has evolved a full menu of delectables such chef Tidu's Lamb shanks, Mediterranean Branzino, Spinach Gnocchi and other handmade pasta dishes.  In addition, every night he's likely to come up with a few surprises. When I was there his delicious Butternut Squash creation kicked off our meal.  As if that weren't enough, in honor of owners Giovanni D’Andrea and Guylaine Bouchard's French-Canadian heritage, there is also a sprinkling of French entrees.

The restaurant features a selection of its own of the wines. From owner Giovanni's wine aficionado beginnings making wine out of his Las Feliz garage more than thirty years ago, his interests and talents evolved. He started out with a small vineyard and limited production to producing the premium red, white and rose vintages that feature the famous fruit of Sonoma county.

The wine tasting room and restaurant is also noted for being the place to celebrate. Besides having spaces that are available for private parties and events, they put together their own happenings including Wednesday Night Jazz, Weekend Live Music, Sunday Brunch and Happy Hour from 3pm to 6pm Wednesday to Friday.

During my recent Wednesday Night Oyster Feast and Jazz visit I spoke with Chef Emidio Tidu about his food, the wines and Oyster Night.  Listen to my podcast here and for more information check out their website and my facebook posts at #travelscope and #josephrosendo.

Rediscovering Romance and Family in Costa Rica‘s Clouds

From the seaside Si Como No, located near Manuel Antonio National Park, and Aguila de Osa, perched overlooking Drake's Bay on Costa Rica's wild Osa Peninsula, to Villa Blanca, set in a remote Cloud Forest reserve, and Santa Juana, which offers an authentic rural mountain adventure, for more than 20 years Greentique Hotels has been devoted to "sustainable hospitality." Defined as a devotion to respect, honor and protect Costa Rica's natural resources, which it defines as its people, history and culture, the resorts also actively promote the economic sustainability of the properties' surrounding communities. Nestled in the remote countryside of the Los Angeles Private Cloud Forest Reserve near San Ramon and just two hours from Costa Rica's capital, the Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel & Nature Reserve is also interested in nurturing their guests' inner peace, intimate connections and culinary pleasure. Designed as an homage to early 19th-centurey village life in Costa Rica's Central Highlands, the resort features private casitas, wood-burning fireplaces, elegant terraces, walks through an orchid-ladened tropical forest and gourmet meals in the El Sendero Cloud Forest Restaurant. In this pod cast Joseph speaks with Operations Manager Carlos Sanchez about the special joys of a Villa Blanca escape.

For more information on Greentique Hotels go to GreentiqueHotels.com.  To learn more about Costa Rica go to VisitCostaRica.com.  Watch Joseph's Central and South American shows airing on Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope on PBS and public television stations nationwide. Follow these links on Travelscope.net to buy a DVD, watch clips of Travelscope show or stream them on Amazon. For more of Joseph's life and travels read Joseph's new book, Musings — the Short Happy Pursuit of Pleasure and Other Journeys, available in paperback and digitally from Amazon and Apple Books or by calling 888-876-3399

Protecting and Preserving Costa Rica's Natural Treasures

Costa Rica is one of Central America's most peaceful, diverse and beautiful countries. It has had a long history of preservation with 28% of the country protected in national parks and reserves. Greentique Hotels upholds Costa Rica's sustainable tourism heritage. The hotel family is made up of four resorts which feature Costa Rica's unique climatic and environmental variety. From the seaside Si Como No, located near Manuel Antonio National Park, and Aguila de Osa, perched overlooking Drake's Bay on the country's wild Osa Peninsula, to Villa Blanca, set in a remote Cloud Forest reserve just two-hours from the capital, and Santa Juana, which offers an authentic rural mountain adventure, for more than 20 years Greentique Hotels has been devoted to "sustainable hospitality." Defined as a devotion to respect, honor and protect Costa Rica's natural resources, which it defines as its people, history and culture, the resorts also actively promote the economic sustainability of the properties' surrounding communities.  In this pod cast, from the mountaintop terrace of the Santa Juana Rural Mountain Adventure Lodge & Nature Reserve, Joseph speaks with Greentique founder and CEO Jim Damalas about the hotels and their mission to share an authentic and naturally-rich Costa Rica.

For more information on Greentique Hotels go to GreentiqueHotels.com.  To learn more about Costa Rica go to VisitCostaRica.com.  Watch Joseph's Central and South American shows airing on Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope on PBS and public television stations nationwide. Follow these links on Travelscope.net to buy a DVD, watch clips of Travelscope show or stream them on Amazon.  For more of Joseph's life and travels read Joseph's new book, Musings — the Short Happy Pursuit of Pleasure and Other Journeys, available in paperback and digitally from Amazon and Apple Books or by calling 888-876-3399

The Other South of France

Joseph visits the ancient southern region of Languedoc-Roussilon, which stretches from Provence to the Pyrenees Mountains and the border with Spain.  It's a land of art, food, wine, and great natural beauty.  Join Joseph's podcast and experience the history, food, wine, medieval castles, villages and vineyards of Languedon-Roussilon. To learn more of Joseph's travels and subscribe to his podcasts, blogs, magazine, PBS television show and learn about his new book, Musings — The Short Happy Pursuit of Pleasure and Other Journeys, go to Travelscope.net.

 

Christmas Smoke

It’s holiday time and at this time of year Joseph’s childhood memories take him back to his grandparents home in Miami, Florida. Cuban immigrants, they celebrated a traditional “Noche Buena” with roast pork, red wine, black beans, white rice, yucca, plantains and, in his grandfather’s case, a long, dark, fat Cuban cigar. Joseph’s grandfather, Carlos, was a cigar maker from Pinar de Rios, Cuba.  Just in time for Christmas, Joseph tells his “Christmas Story” in this moving and evocative pod cast.

Ontario, Canada's Far North

Imagine a European country that stretches from Nice, France to Stockholm, Sweden. That will give you an idea of the size of the province of Ontario, Canada. And Ontario has a world of activities waiting for you. You can canoe on one of its 600,000 lakes or 60,000 miles of rivers or take a walk — one in every 10 square miles is a wilderness park. Meet the Mennonites, the Scots, the cosmopolitan Torontans — they’re all in Ontario.

On today’s pod cast I’m traveling to Ontario’s Far North. Located on the Moose River on the southern tip of James Bay the island of Moose Factory is 1,000 miles north of Toronto and a world apart. In this relative isolation the Cree and the MoCreeBec First Nations people have struggled to keep their culture alive.

We’ll meet and learn about the First Nations people and stay in their ecological and culturally friendly resort lodge. For more information on Ontario's Far North visit the NortheasternOntario.com. For more information on Ontario go to OntarioTravel.net. Watch for my Ontario’s Far North adventure on Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope on PBS and public television stations nationwide. Follow these links on Travelscope.net to buy a DVD, watch clips from the show or stream the show on Amazon.

Anchorage -- Alaska's Base Camp To Adventure

America’s Last Frontier, Alaska, has a world of wild attractions waiting for the visitor — in every season.  And Anchorage is Alaska's base camp to adventure. Joseph’s pod cast highlights the multicultural and multi-faceted attractions of Anchorage from fine dining and luxury hotels to nature excursions and cultural encounters with its indigenous people at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Since gold rush days Anchorage has been a crossroad — a place where people of different cultures met and forged a city on the edge of the wilderness.   Alaska has always attracted the adventure seeker — they came for gold, opportunity, freedom, space; some running from a past into an unknown future.  Yet, no matter why they came — they stayed for the country. To plan your own Anchorage, Alaska Adventure call 800-478-1255 or go to Anchorage.net.

A Trip Through South Australia's Wine Country

South Australia is the fourth largest state of Australia, larger than Texas and with about a million and a half people.  In its stately capital of Adelaide and hilly wine countries, atop its Mount Lofty and Flinders ranges, along its 2,000 miles of sheltered bays, on the white sand beaches of Kangaroo Island and in its endless outback there is plenty of room for a freedom loving people to stretch their wings.

In my latest pod cast I visit South Australia's wine country.  More than 70% of Australian wine exports come from South Australia — that's more than two million bottles a week that leave for foreign homes.  But never fear, there is still a bunch left over for locals and visitors.  There are 10 regions in South Australia and I cover four in my latest pod cast — Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Clare Valley.

For more information on South Australia go to SouthAustralia.com.  Watch for my Australia adventures on Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope airing on PBS and public television stations.  You can watch a promo of the shows, buy a DVD or stream them online at Travelscope.net.

The World of Food and Wine

Pinot Noir is my favorite wine. I’ve tasted it all over the world from the chateaus of Burgundy, France, which made it famous, to the wineries of Australia, Europe, South Africa, South and North America.  Begun in 1999, the World of Pinot Noir offers lovers of good wine, food, wine education and conversation a place to congregate and celebrate. The annual event gathers the globe’s foremost Pinot Noir wineries and winemakers, renowned chefs, sommeliers and leading wine scholars in a seaside celebration of this delightful and distinguished wine.

This year’s event, held March 5th through 7th at the Ritz Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, California includes Grand Tastings of more than 250 wineries from around the planet, Pinot Noir and Champagne parties, pairing dinners and expert-led seminars.

On today’s pod cast I speak with the organizers, vintners and participants.

In 2020 The World of Pinot Noir takes place from March 5th – 7th at the Ritz Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, California.  For more information go to WorldofPinotNoir.com. Tickets can be purchased online for individual events or you can buy in the 20th Anniversary Passport for an all-inclusive, fully customizable World of Pinot Noir weekend.  A votre Sante!