Tour de Forks is a boutique culinary travel company whose philosophy focuses on discovering a destination, its history and culture through its cuisine. The travel is experiential and adheres to the principles of the Slow Food movement; travelers engage with artisans, chefs, producers and observe time-honored traditions.

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Melissa Joachim founded Tour de Forks in 2001, and was born in Melbourne, Australia. Melissa's love for food and travel ignited when she traveled the world for three years, studying and living in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. This passion grew and inspired the creation of Tour de Forks. Now a resident of New York City for over fifteen years, Melissa has worked as a designer and art director for Newsweek, ABCNews, and Disney. Melissa is a Bon Appetit Travel Advisory Board Member, a member of Slow Food, and the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals).

Lisa Goldman is a co-founder and loves to travel and eat. This enthusiasm has found a home in Tour de Forks. Lisa works on the marketing, advertising, and sales end of Tour de Forks. Lisa received her Masters in Education at Columbia University. Prior to Tour de Forks, Lisa has worked as a freelance copywriter for American Express. Lisa also writes for children's television. Lisa is a Bon Appetit Travel Advisory Board Member and a member of Slow Food.

Giuseppe Ricotta joined Tour de Forks in 2004 to expand business to Italy. He was born in Palermo, Sicily. From the day he was born, food was central to Giuseppe's life and he grew up surrounded by fabulous family cooks and eating organic produce. Before Tour de Forks, Giuseppe received an M.B.A from Fordham University in New York City and works as a business manager with extensive international experience.

Connie Walsh, CTC joined Tour de Forks in 2008. She is a travel industry veteran with over twenty years of broad based experience that includes tour operation and sales, and management positions with Avis, Auto Europe and ICTA (the Institute of Certified Travel Agents) - now the Travel Institute. Connie has worked extensively with the travel trade, suppliers and major agency groups. Connie began with Tour de Forks as a consultant, however her personal passion for travel - as well as food and wine - combined with recognition that culinary travel is one of today's hottest trends impelled her to join the team. Her focus is on business development and strategic alliances - and discovering the world's great cuisines. Connie is a member of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals).

Kathy Morton, is a Certified France Destination Specialist and a Western Europe Culinary Travel Specialist who is passionate about all aspects of travel - especially creating culinary tours - and sharing in all the pleasures of food, wine and culture. A former French Professor at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and High Point University, she now enjoys participating in cooking courses throughout France, including the Cordon Bleu and the Ecole Ritz Escoffier in Paris. She is a co-recipient of the Culinary Trust's Julia Child Endowment Fund Scholarship for travel in France and a member of the International Culinary Tourism Association and the American Institute of Food and Wine. She works closely with local Offices of Tourism throughout France as well as Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency, and the French Association, Les Sites Remarquables du Gout (The Sites of Exceptional Culinary Taste), which honors sites dedicated to the preservation of the culinary traditions in France.

Debra Fioritto, is a winner of the 2006 Culinary Trust's Julia Child Endowment Fund Scholarship and specializes in travel and tours to France's 71 government-designated gastronomic taste monuments, "The Sites of Exceptional Culinary Taste" (Les Sites Remarquables du Gout). Debra teaches French at the University of Indiana South Bend. She is an expert in the history, legend and lore of French Cuisine. She has eaten her way through most of the regions of France and is always in search of the perfect mariage of two food products. Debra has a degree in French and International Relations and has traveled and lived throughout Europe. Debra is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Michele Scicolone is a cookbook author and writer who specializes in food, wine and travel. Michele's articles have appeared in Bon Appetit, The Wine Spectator, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wine Spectator, The New York Times, Gourmet, Food Arts, and many other publications. Michele has been a spokesperson for Williams Sonoma and the Italian Trade Commission and has lectured on Italian culture and cuisine at The Smithsonian Institute, Hofstra, and Henderson State Universities.

Marieke Brugman, co-founded Howqua Dale, the most renowned gourmet retreat in Australia, but now devotes herself to escorting small culinary tours around the world and guides our Rajasthan tour. Marieke was just named one of the "Top 10 Culinary Guides" in the Wall Street Journal, October, 2010. A highly regarded chef and teacher, talented presenter and passionate educator in her own right, Marieke has developed an intimate and compelling relationship with India and has befriended many stunning cooks and amassed a portfolio of treasured recipes that reflect the traditions of private estates to the skills of professional chefs, from the rustic to the grandly noble. There could be no more unique an opportunity to understand the connection between culture and cuisine in this astounding country.

Deborah Johnson, is a specialist in French cuisine. She has lived in France for almost two decades, has a French language degree and has studied wine and cuisine at the famous Cordon Bleu Institute in Paris where she was also the translator/interpreter for the Cordon Bleu's top chefs. Deborah began her culinary career as a luxury Caribbean sailboat chef over 30 years ago. She travels extensively throughout Europe, the Caribbean and North Africa and is a Gourmet Tour Guide. Today, Deborah splits her time between Atlanta and Paris and enjoys sharing her passion for French Gastronomy.

Tour de Forks, 12 East 86th Street, Suite 529, New York, NY 10028 Toll-free: 888 345 3005. Contents copyright ©