Aida is a food and travel expert, author, chef, Food Network personality, founder of the travel services company, Salt & Wind Travel, and partner at the creative agency and educational platform, Border Free Media. She has made her career in food travel media and hospitality and has crisscrossed the globe to search out the best food destinations.
After graduating from the Cornell Hotel School and Le Cordon Bleu Paris, she joined CHOW Magazine where she ran the test kitchen and worked as Food Editor. Aida then moved to television, hosting the Food Network show, Ask Aida, FoodCrafters on the Cooking Channel, In The Pantry on Yahoo!, and the TasteMade series, Off Menu. Her cookbook, Keys To The Kitchen, is a go-to for home cooks who want to become more adventurous cooks and the Travel Guides For Food Lovers series she has co-authored are beloved among food travelers.
Through Border Free Media, Aida shares the lessons she’s learned as an entrepreneur with other creative businesses. From teaching our Cooking Club classes to cohosting our group trips, in all that she does Aida aims to help discerning travelers taste the world.
One of the truisms we've learned about cooking? That things don't need to be complicated to be delicious.
Take this sweet potato appetizer: it's essentially crisp sweet potato chips scattered acros...
One of the most famous desserts on Oahu? The pies from Ted's Bakery on Oahu's North Shore. We're partial to the Haupia Cream Pie and when we can't have it IRL we make this Chocolate Cocon...
Easy, light, and subtle, this Lillet Lemonade Spritzer is the ideal warm-weather cocktail. It's bubbly, just a touch sweet and refreshing, made with Lillet Blanc, gin, lemon, honey and soda water.
Nothing quite elevates a grilled flank steak like a great sauce. And this balsamic fig salsa is just that. It'ss super simple, and, though it's fabulous as is, feel free to switch it up as you plea...
On my first trip to Italy, I'd religiously finish the day with a cone of straciatella gelato while the adults would sip on ice-cold Limoncello. Though I didn't ever try more than an eyedr...
One of our all-time favorite road trips here in California? Taking a long weekend to drive up Highway 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Here's our advice for how to do it, where to go, and what ...
Made with freshly squeezed orange juice, cinnamon, sugar, and in-season red grapes, this very California twist on classic granita is sure to become your go-to summertime dessert.
An easy, quick recipe that works as well as an appetizer as it does as a lighter main dish. The key is broiling the feta with a drizzle of honey because it makes for a sweet, salty, vibrant dish th...
Around here we're always in search of recipes that are minimal on prep and big on flavor.
Especially when it comes to cocktail party appetizers. To us, the ultimate cocktail party has a variety of ...
A super simple twist on classic Italian Panzanella salad made with grilled stone fruit, garlicky crusty crostini bread, and tons of basil, this is the ultimate no-cook summer dish.
