When my husband, John, and I were in Roscommon, Ireland, in June 2011, we contacted Sarah Browne (Antogher Rd., Roscommon, Co. Roscommon; phone 0879439446) to set up a cooking experience featuring Irish food.

She offers a variety of cooking classes, ranging in cost from $43 to $157. Though there were no classes scheduled on the days we were in the area, she kindly offered to prepare a traditional Irish meal with us for the cost of the ingredients.

I had always considered...

by Sandra Scott

In Thailand, at the mere mention of the name Chef Yingsak, people break into a smile. The flamboyant chef, owner of the Thai & International Food Academy (1004 Rama III Road, Bangpongpang, Yannawa, Bangkok, 10120, Thailand; phone +66 [0] 2682-7644, e-mail center@yingsakfood.com), is the best-known chef in Thailand and hosts his own TV cooking show.

Friends in Thailand had recommended Chef Yingsak’s school, so when my husband, John, and I were in Thailand in...

by Sandra Scott

My husband, John, and I spent March 2010 traveling along the coast of Turkey enjoying the local cuisine, which included plenty of fresh fish and vegetables. We inquired about cooking classes at our hotels. The answer was always the same: “No, but we are thinking about it.”

In Bodrum we posed the same question at the tourist office. They suggested we check with the restaurant Komodor Meze Evi (Umurça mah, Dervis¸ Görgün Cad. No. 23/C, Bodrum, Turkey; phone [0252...