See Florida’s most amazing escapes over at BBC Travel!

I felt the most at home in Florida because I found that much of the food that was cooked and the flavors that were used resembled what we use in traditional Greek cuisine. Their use of acidity also reminded me of several of the dishes I was brought up on.

As for the challenge, I didn’t think I would ever cook alligator! On top of that my guide taught me how important it is to be conscious of the resources around you. The land they occupy is so scarce, so they have to be creative and utilize everything they can get their hands on in as many ways possible.

Heading down South? Plan the perfect trip to Florida!

Courtesy of BBC Travel

By Steve Blount

The air that swept across the parched inland prairie was soft and cool, with just a hint of the humidity that soaks Florida in the summer months. Wildflowers encouraged by a rare recent rain — brilliant red buckeye and purple larkspur — peppered acres of grass, still brown from the winter dry season. Cattle browsed in the grass, and the distinctive call of a sandhill crane carried on the wind that flowed down from ancient sand dunes in the distance.

(Photo: Florida EcoSafaris)

The Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge (EHNWR), part of an arid, rolling  landscape just minutes from Orlando’s crowded theme parks, does not fit the iconic image of Florida’s three “S’s” (sea, sand and swamp). Yet the refuge, planned to encompass parts of the Lake Wales Ridge sand dunes and the Kissimmee River Basin, is a keystone in the effort to save the Everglades — vast wetlands just west of Miami — and one of the most ambitious land and wildlife conservation programs in the state’s history.

Declared one of three wetlands of global importance by Unesco in 1971, the Everglades is also the source of drinking water for approximately five million people in south Florida. Thus, protecting the Kissimmee River, the primary source of water for Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades, has become a paramount goal for conservationists. Under assault from developers who wanted to drain it and farmers who polluted it with pesticides, restoration of the Everglades has been a national priority since former US President Bill Clinton signed a formal clean-up plan in 2000.

“The Everglades is an international treasure and that’s partly because unique plants and animals call it home,” said US Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. “But 69 of these species are threatened and endangered. [EHNWR] is critical because it will preserve habitat in an innovative way that protects the land and ranching heritage.”

After years of wrangling with private landowners, sportsmen and local politicians, the US Department of Interior established the EHNWR on 18 January, solidifying protection for the wildflower-dappled prairie — an area key to the survival of the Everglades further south.

“Aside from sandhills and scub, the [area encompassed by EHNWR has] black water swamps, oak hammocks, dry prairie habitat and pine flat woods,” refuge manager Charlie Pelizza said. “Seeing that, it was evident how it all connected. We had everything needed for the conservation of the [Kissimmee River] watershed on this one landscape.”

The refuge was launched with a donation of just 10 acres of land from the US-based Nature Conservancy, but could eventually grow to more than 150,000 acres, connecting with conservation land near Naples, 175 miles to the southwest, and on through to the Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park that extends to the southern tip of the peninsula. This would give wildlife an unbroken pathway across the centre section of one of the most populous states in the union. Isolated populations of plants and animals could establish genetic contact with larger communities, creating healthier and more resilient breeding pools.

The area encompassed by EHNWR alone has more than 40 endangered species, some of them found nowhere else in the world. In addition to black bears, the region is home to red cockaded woodpeckers, the Florida scrub jay, sandhill cranes, Florida grasshopper sparrows and the enormous crested caracara.

This is a side of Florida seldom seen even by residents — it is what natives call “the real Florida” — and activities range from slow respites to hang-onto-your-potatoes adventures. With a little luck, you may even see a rare and elusive Florida panther slipping past you on his way to dinner.

Find out where to experience the real Florida!

Flying into the Florida Everglades on a seaplane was awesome. But there were too many gators beneath us for my likings though!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Florida and the Seminole people.  But was intrigued to learn about a culture I knew nothing about. They were so proud and stoic, like any true warrior culture. In many ways they remind of on the Maori in New Zealand. Their heritage and culture is so important to them, and it was an honor to be welcomed into their community.

See Florida’s most amazing escapes over at BBC Travel!

Courtesy of BBC Travel

By Joshua Samuel Brown

Thirty-six percent of Belize’s landmass enjoys protected status. Thirteen percent of its waters, including vast portions of the world’s second largest coral reef system, are protected as well.

With tourism being one of the country’s top sources of revenue, Belize’s livelihood depends on nature. And while it is never easy to balance tourism growth with environmental preservation, the small Central American country has long recognized that ignoring the latter means betraying the former.

Since the 1980s, the government has encouraged Belizeans to be stakeholders in their own tourism industry, occasionally supporting community-based projects, according to the travel book Insight Guides Belize. Because residents have a vested interest in protecting their own communities and environment, they are the natural leaders of the ecotourism charge.

In Punta Gorda, Belize’s southernmost town and capital of the Toledo District, Mayan and Garifuna villagers started building guesthouses from available materials in the late ‘80s. Though they had minimal funding at the time, their efforts eventually became the ToledoEcotourismAssociation. With help from local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the group expanded into a network of eco-lodges and cultural tours that provide tourists with an authentic experience in local villages and the rainforests that surround them.

Another community-based tourism venture is the Community Baboon Sanctuary, an experiment in voluntary citizen conservation, founded in 1985. It began with 12 private landowners in the northern Bermudian Landing area agreeing to preserve their land as a habitat for endangered black howler monkeys (called “baboons” by locals). Now 200 landowners in seven different villages have joined the cause, in part because they stand to benefit from the tourism pulled in by the sanctuary.

In 1997, back in the southern Toledo District, a local grassroots campaign against illegal logging, fishing and poaching also eventually became a part of the ecotourism industry. The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment works today with villagers to conserve natural resources and biodiversity. The NGO also runs a sustainable tour operator, TideTours, which trains locals to be tour guides. Trips range from kayaking excursions to Mayan ruin expeditions, and proceeds support the local community.

In addition to community-based projects, successful efforts in the public sector have helped boost sustainable tourism in Belize. Within the Belize Barrier Reef, for example, the gorgeous atoll of Glover’s Reef has been maintained as a “no-take” marine reserve, a sanctuary where fishing is prohibited. In a place threatened by illegal fishing and overfishing, this unique stretch of reef helps promote natural biodiversity.

Traveling to Belize? Find out what you can do to minimize environmental harm.

Journey into the Mayan underworld at BBC Travel!

The modern-day Mayans are soft-spoken, friendly people who keep their ancient traditions alive while keeping pace with technology. The chefs were very respectful toward our hosts and enjoyed spending time with them and learning about their culture and cuisine. Shooting in jungles is always tricky, especially for the camera people who can easily trip over roots or smash into low branches, so kudos to the crew for making the best of a tough situation and coming through with flying colors!

Find out about the very best of traveling to Belize!

At 5’9, I stood tall amongst them by a foot or two, which only accentuated their apparently timid and bashful characters. Their Mayan furniture and agricultural tools, obviously made to scale, shrunk in comparison to the Chefs, who sat on tiny stools and ate on low tables at the Welcome Dinner.  It was evident that we had landed in a very distinctive and rich culture that was nothing like what the chefs and I had met before.

See the very best of Belize over at BBC Travel!

In Belize. I sampled for the first time very interesting and unusual proteins including armadillo, iguana and gibnut. The armadillo was an impressive dish, not only for its chewy, dry and bland texture and taste; but for its Mayan presentation. Its characteristic outer shell of ‘armor’, made for both a perfect grilling and serving plate. Nature usually provides some of life’s perfect solutions!

Iguanas have such an ancient and majestic look about them. I expected its meat to be tough and dense, but the Mayans had prepared this dish so that it was ‘gamey’ in flavor with chicken-like in texture.  The chefs showed off their elite talents in turning these proteins into tasty dishes. I was particularly impressed with Kayne’s ability to impress the locals with Gibnut–a type of rodent!

For me, the most exhilarating part of the episode was the chefs arrival.  Standing that close to a landing helicopter and feeling the power of the rotors was thrilling. I was trying hard to keep my feet firmly on the ground. My knees were knocking together from the sheer excitement and nervousness of such a beautiful machine hovering directly above my head!

The biggest challenge of Belize were the bugs. We were shooting in thick dense jungle – their natural habitat, so the bugs could argue that we bugged them. No matter how many layers of clothing we piled on (bearing mind that it was extremely hot and humid) and how much we doused ourselves in bug spray, they still managed to eat us all alive! They really got us  as the sun was setting, generally the most beautiful and photogenic part of the day! This show location was untamed and unforgiving, but luscious and enchanting nonetheless.

Take a journey into the Mayan underworld!

Journey into the Mayan underworld at BBC Travel!

I’m thrilled that I got to work with a new ingredient during this challenge. I had never worked with iguana before I got to Belize. I assumed it would have a darker flesh with a gamier flavor profile. So, I was taken by surprise when I realized the reptile had a light flesh that produced very delicate meat – similar to the texture of a farm-raised rabbit. The reptile has a strong muscular structure and plenty of cartilage, so I had to do some quick thinking to adapt my cooking style.

If I were to use the meat again, I would braise it to break down the muscle tissues, and then incorporate it into a stew. It’s a versatile meat because it lacks powerful flavors, and it will soak up whatever ingredients it is surrounded by.

Find out about the very best of traveling to Belize!

It was incredibly difficult having the elements bombard us with rain — the ground around us was like a mud bath.  During the challenge, it was really hard to control our cooking temperatures because the wind and rain were killing any heat that we had. I honestly thought none of us would get any decent dishes up. It was very stressful!

See the very best of Belize over at BBC Travel!

I would definitely cook with gibnut again. I would love to be able to recreate that gibnut soup forever! It was incredibly flavorful, and adding the Anchiote paste gave it that extra kick. No wonder it was a winner of a dish.

I would also be interested to make sausages with the animal because the meat flavor is delicious and it’s got a very high fat content. It would make fantastic sausages. When meat has such good flavor like the gibnut, it makes for a very versatile protein.

Looking for adventure? Explore the Belize barrier reef!

Courtesy of BBC Travel

By Alex Robinson

The tiny Morelet’s crocodile moved furiously as it was pulled from the water, hissing like a cat and thrashing its scaly, armoured tail. Our field guide, Ruben Arévalo, stroked it under the chin and the reptile gurgled. Then, quick as flash, the guide slipped rubber bands around its snout.

Crocodiles have very strong jaws,” Arévalo said, “but only when they bite down. The muscles for opening their mouths are weak. So you can keep a crocodile’s mouth shut with just a tiny bit of pressure.”

He turned the croc over unceremoniously and it lay transfixed, as if in a trance. Its hazel-green eyes glistened in the flashlight beam. Its belly was white as an egg, soft, dry and shiny like polished leather and undulating with breaths.

“It’s a girl”, Arévalo said, pointing to what were not obviously genitals. “Just a baby too – they get up to three metres.” The crocodile was only as long as his leg, but its teeth looked like needles. He weighed the reptile on a hand scale, pulled out a clipboard — protected with plastic against the drizzling rain — and made a series of notes. Then he took the rubber bands off and gently lowered the croc into the water. As soon as it hit the surface, it shot away in a splash into the warm tropical night.

Read more about tagging crocodiles in Belize at BBC Travel!

Courtesy of BBC Travel
By Lindsey Galloway

The Rio Grande rift valley where Albuquerque now sits was first inhabited by stone-and-adobe dwelling Native Americans, a collection of tribes known collectively as the Pueblo people. Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s, building missions and establishing farms, and eventually founded a city in 1706, named Albuquerque after a Spanish duke (the first “r” was later dropped).  Anglo settlers came in droves after 1848, when the territory of New Mexico was ceded to the United States from the newly independent Mexico.

Top 10 US travel destinations for 2012!

Relics of the past live on in Albuquerque’s present day culinary scene. From Pueblo blue corn porridge to Spanish empanadas, from Mexican carne asada to red and green chile, a good meal is the best way to uncover the many cultures that have shaped New Mexico’s largest city.

Native tastes and traditions
The Pueblo’s centuries-old staples — beans, corn and squash – still play a major part in their modern dishes. The Pueblo Harvest Café and Bakery, in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, highlights both ancient recipes and contemporary variations based on these traditional ingredients.

Blue corn atole, a slate-coloured porridge, is a typical morning dish, hearty without being too thick or too sweet, though toppings like berries or nuts can be added to enhance the flavor. The café also makes blue corn pancakes for a European twist on the native blue corn. Lunch and dinner include dishes such as bison, served on the bone or ground into meatloaf; carne adovada, a pork marinated in red chile and served with beans and squash; and posole, a traditional corn hominy and pork stew.

All entrees come with oven bread, a traditional loaf baked in the adobe clay oven (also called a horno) on the center’s patio. The beehive-shaped horno was introduced by Spanish settlers, but quickly became a prominent feature in many Pueblo homes. The peasant-style bread with its crunchy exterior and soft interior is often served with creamy, sweet pinon butter made from locally-abundant pine nuts.

Read more about New Mexican cuisine over at BBC Travel!