I’d never heard of Pavlova*.

It was probably at least 15 years ago when I was served this heavenly concoction for dessert at a luncheon at Abbotsford Garden & Farmstay outside of Auckland, New Zealand. (Lest you think my memory is that good, I only know that last detail because I wrote it on the menu card.)

I asked the hostess for the recipe – and it’s been a go-to favorite for years. I mentioned it in last week’s blog about my Airplane! theme party dinner and many of you requested it.

I love it because:

1. It’s effortless. You can make it well in advance of your meal. Aside from the whipping cream and fresh fruit, the few ingredients it requires are those I always have on hand. My recipe card says it’s freezable, though I’ve never tried it. I’ve never had a failure.

2. It’s unusual and impressive. It’s versatile – you can make individual puffs, one large round Pavlova to serve like a cake and I’ve even layered it in a trifle dish. You can add any number of toppings, and fruit in any combination. Lemon curd was suggested. I’ve never added chocolate – but it would work, too.

3. It’s reasonably healthy (without the whipped cream) – and gluten-free.

4. Notes: I typically add less sugar than it calls for (maybe only ¾ cup). I still have the bottle of malt vinegar I purchased specifically for this recipe, but regular white vinegar works fine. It’s important to  turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in there as it cools down – even overnight (nothing in the Pavlova needs refrigeration). It needs to dry out. I’ve read that you can run the sugar through a food processor to make it extra-fine, and easier to dissolve (though I’ve never done this).

* Historically, Pavlova was invented by a New Zealand hotel chef in 1926 to honor of Russian prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926. It was said, “She does not dance; she soars as though on wings.” Thus, the inspiration for this light, airy dessert.

Photos of a “Springtime” Pavlova that I layered in a trifle bowl, layering with whipped cream and fruit, and topped with some vanilla wafer cookies and pansies! This is such an incredibly versatile dessert – try it!

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I love how one idea inspires another . . .

After I posted my story last week with details of my Airplane! theme dinner party, I received an email from my friend, George-Ann (pictured below with the broken foot). She explained that she was hosting a fundraiser in the fall, catered by her daughter, a gourmet chef. She was inspired by my event and felt the need to up her game by adding a compelling theme to her dinner invitation.

Since I’m recovering from a broken arm, I casually tossed out an idea: “How about a ‘broken bones’  theme?”

She loved it! Said she’d have her daughter prepare something with marrow and get Halloween skeletons as part of the decor . . .

And that’s how a crazy idea takes off and evolves into something remarkable!

In the good news/bad news department . . .

. . . the cruise ships are going to Cuba. Carnival Cruises announced this week that they’ll begin weekly sailing to Cuba. It’s good news for the Cuban people. Lots more American tourists means lots more income. Since they don’t have enough hotels to accommodate future demand, cruises are a perfect solution.

The bad news? Well, you can imagine what will inevitably happen to this destination when hordes of cruise ships start disgorging thousands of passengers onto this island.

I thought it was interesting that this Carnival ship carries only 710 passengers. Didn’t know they had a ship that small! It’s part of a new ‘social impact’ brand called Fathom, which, according to Tara Russell, their chief executive, “It’s very important to the company that it effect ‘holistic, transformative impact’ on the region — and on the passengers who sign on for the trips. How can our travelers engage in a meaningful way that makes a lasting sustainable impact?”

If you’ve ever read some of my blog posts, I’m completely committed to this concept and could write volumes on the subject of responsible philanthropic travel . . . which I will save for another post. I just hope that Carnival and the other “big guys” who will soon descend on Cuba have a sensitivity towards the impact of mass tourism on this special place. Crossing my fingers and holding my breath on this one …

And one more reminder: I still have a few rooms available on my WOW! Travel Club journey to Cuba (Oct 17-23). Details on our website. It’s really “now or never” for Cuba!

Tooting Our Horn!

We have just concluded the last program of a frenetically-busy Spring/Summer period. My team and I are breathing huge sighs of relief and basking in gratitude for all our wonderful customers and supplier partners that make our jobs such a pleasure!

There’s been no shortage of accolades that I’d like to share. This one was a bit out of the ordinary:

“Another WOW moment ….. when I got home and was told that I had not only bruised my foot that first day at sea, I’d broken it!  That just goes to show how completely amazing the trip was, that I could hobble around on broken bones and not notice.  What great planners you are.  I had a ball!!!”

The old adage is true, “You can’t keep a good woman down!”

“Our last night at Villa Ida was incredible.  By the end of the week, new friendships had been formed and the idea of us making our own dinner in small groups with the help of a local family at their palatial estate was the perfect end to a perfect week.  It was one of the most memorable evenings of all the trips I’ve been on. 

We absolutely love Gabriel and could never imagine doing a trip that was not led by him.  His on-site team of Howard and Rosie saw to every one of our client’s needs.

What can I say…I appreciate our partnership and your ability to deal with whatever budget our markets have.  Well done!”

(Clockwise from top left): Our happy client with his wife, scenes from the group’s farewell dinner at Villa Ida in Sorrento, Gabriel’s special gift from the client (can you tell he has a sock fetish?) and Gabriel relaxing with the client during their cruise around the island of Capri.

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“After a week on our own in Scotland and Wales, we hooked up today with Sharon’s choir tour in Limerick, Ireland.  Within 5 minutes, the tour director (correction: “minder”) pissed us off.  It’s going to be a long week. How soon can you get over here?  We miss you and your WOW magic!”

“Whitney, it was great meeting you last week. Sue and I had a fabulous time and want to compliment you and your team for doing a fabulous job from start to finish. I did not notice one glitch the entire trip!”

“Howard, Thank you again for doing such a wonderful job with our incentive trip to Bardessono.  The trip was wonderful and you exceeded expectations … again.”