I just got off the phone with Doug, the tour guy in Cuzco, and I'm super excited. I asked, "Is it nice out there?" I imagined him looking out his window over the Plaza de Armas squinting a little from the sun.

"Yeah, I guess," he answered. I informed him that our spring welcome has been thick snow, and he just laughed... for a while.

I feel lucky to be working with Southern Crossings because of all the adventure tour experience they have, leaving all of the culinary details to me!

My uncle is part of a culinary school in Lima, so it will be fun to teach classes in Miraflores and experience four individual types of Peruvian fusion cuisine. Plus, I am friends with Paloma La Hoz, and we have arrranged for her husband, Andres Prado, to play in Lima while we are there! He's pretty hard to book!

After I got off the phone I couldn't help thinking about how I would really rather be there than here at this time. So, in my mind I have gone and am now having thoughts of ceviche, papa a la huanciana, causa, anticuchos, aji de gallina, and of course my childhood favorite, Arroz con Pollo — although now I prefer Arroz con Pato, which is made with duck instead of chicken, then finished with Peruvian dark beer! Well, you get the idea!

I am trying to coordinate the arrival of Peruvian seeds to be plated here in Minnesota, so that we can make traditional Peruvian foods with local ingredients. Ah the thoughts continue, and soon it will be sunny and I will quit thinking of leaving the country—or not.

Check out http://www.peru-tours.com/culinary%20peru.htm [3] or go to www.chefrachelrubin.com [4] to see the itinerary.