Lancaster Bed and Breakfast

A Chef's Journey


You know, as a Lancaster Bed and Breakfast owner here in our great county, it took some time to finally sit down and go over all the stuff in my mind that would make our Demonstrations and Tours a reality. However after five years of doing them, it has proven to be quite a success. Needless to say, I love them. What other job is there where you get to go out to dinner, drink wine/beer, go to vineyards and learn about, well just about everything there is to know about growing grapes and making wine, (did I retain it?...don't quiz me! I will probably fail). Or what about just spending time with great people with like interest. It really is a journey in many ways that I have shared with many of you.

I look forward to 2009 as a year of discovery here in Lancaster! We have some really great places that we are heading to. New wineries, great chocolate venues, an herb presentation that will knock your socks off and of course our Cooking demos; we have added German this year. It looks like it will be a great year.

As a chef in the industry, I really must say that I have been pleasantly surprised by what Lancaster has to offer. In any area where farmland prevails and whoppie pies are the perceived culinary contribution to society, we have broken down that stereotypical consensus. It really is not the case. My travels have proven otherwise. You see, our area is where you get all the good stuff, how often can you go to the grocery store and get fresh smoked meats? I can every day! Who finds cave ripened cheese locally made within a short drive? I can! Who has the freshest of unusual locally picked produce at really reasonable prices? I do!

Do you see the connection? It has become an area for me of discovery for me. I must say that although it is not all in a one stop market, but bits and pieces are there for me to enjoy, savor and relish in. For us, handed picked, fresh smoked, organically grown, fresh brewed and expertly bottled means so much more to us living here; we actually see that it is. It is a way of life in Lancaster. Our Bed and Breakfast is in the middle of it all.

We look forward to hearing from you this year and perhaps enjoying one of our tours. It really is a great way to enjoy a culinary weekend in Pennsylvania. We look forward to being your host.

Culinary Weekends

Hey there everyone,

Just a quick note to send along the line up for our culinary weekends next year. We have a great year awaiting for you starting in January. With cheese and wine, chocolate, herb and so on. The list is ever growing. We have our Italian Demo this year focusing in on Sicilian cooking; this is a three day event geared to enjoy the Lancaster area. We also added a German Demo this year as well; with a trip to the local German Club, it is bound to be a fun demo.

Not to mention our tours. We have added two new tours this year. An Amish one in the spring and a Paranormal one in the fall during Halloween. Cheese and Wine continue to be popular and with the addition of our "Wine Camp", the kids will have a treat packing their parents away for a little R&R and a lot of fun.

Below is a list of all the great demos and tours we have lined up for our guest here at the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast. We hope to meet a lot of new people this year on our never ending quest to "knock your socks off" with getting to know the culinary side of Lancaster. Our Culinary Weekends are a great way to spend an "Edutaining" weekend.

Wine and Cheese Tours – Whether we are sampling cheeses made from goat, sheep or cow’s milk – you won’t know until we drive into the farm. These are small family businesses that often don’t even have a sign – we’ve twisted their arm into conducting a tour/tasting. Our wine tours have taken us to nearby Chester and Berks Counties and all over Lancaster, which is fast becoming known for its wines. We travel the backroads and end the day with a multi-course wine-tasting gourmet dinner. We are in our fourth year of tours, scheduled for November 15, 2008, January 24, April 18, and November 14, 2009. $150/person.

Beer and Pretzel Tours - Did you know that Lancaster used to be known as the Little Munich of America? Or that 75% of America’s pretzels are made within 100 miles of Lancaster? We’ll explore three local breweries, learn the history of Lancaster’s beer industry and watch as two local pretzel factories show us how to do the twist. We end the day with a multi-course gourmet dinner paired with…..you guessed it…..beer! Tours are offered on June 13 and August 8. $150/person.

German Cooking Demo - With spring in full swing, Chef/innkeeper Carl Kosko brings to you a fascinating culinary Demonstration here in Lancaster County. In a weekend filled with not only cooking advice, but fine dining experiences and informative tours, your hosts, “German Weekend” offers the ideal “edutaining” getaway. Discover Lancaster’s deep German heritage and its contribution to the culinary flare of Lancaster County. The Harvest Moon’s “Deutches Kuche Vernuggen” tour/demo is scheduled for May 15 through the 17th. The package includes a Bavarian Cooking Demonstration, Dinner at Stoudt’s and a night out at the Lancaster “Leiderkranz” $160 per person

Regional Italian Cooking Series - With the excitement of the 2009 season in the air, our regional Italian cooking series brings our next “tour of Italy” way down to Sicily. In a weekend filled with not only cooking advice, but fine dining experiences and informative tours, Harvest Moon B&B’s, “Bella Luna Weekend” (Beautiful Moon) offers the ideal “edutaining” getaway. Learn how to expertly prepare the simplest of ingredients into a work of art in your kitchen. The Harvest Moon Bella Luna Weekend is scheduled for September 24 - 26, 2009 (Sicilian Region) and a tentative one between November 5 - 7 2009 (Naples Region). These weekend packages include recipes for traditional takes on classic Italian Cooking and demonstrations on how to prepare them, along with an evening of fine dining topped off with a tour to the Central Market where the Amish sell their produce and meats each morning $160 per person

Herb Weekend - Our Herb Weekend covers all facets of these versatile plants – medicinal, culinary and just plain good gardening. This tour is a feast for the senses. We start with a culinary demonstration for lunch and then visit a Mennonite gardening shop that carries 10 different kinds of basil, stevia, and even lemongrass. Next is a lesson in container gardening with herbs, and then a medicinal guided walk through an Amish herb garden – where you’ll learn how to treat what ails you. Tour offered May 10 and 11. $150/person.

Come to Lancaster, Wake Up in Cajun Country - A murder in New Orleans? Or is it the porch at The Artist’s Inn? Hard to tell, but one thing is for sure – the hors’ dourves prepared by the two innkeepers are to die for! On Saturday afternoon, we’ll dine al fresco at The Harvest Moon B&B while we enjoy Sharon and David Prudhomme’s Cajun creations from the grill. Event offered July 11 and 12. $100/person.

Chocolate Covered Romance Weekend – Lancaster sits between two chocolate giants – Hershey and Godiva….but it can hold its own in this confectionary arena. We’ll enjoy an evening of Getting to Know Chocolate on Friday – learning the history of chocolate and how to taste. On Saturday, we explore several area chocolate factories and end the day with a chocolate-inspired four-course dinner. Tour offered February 28. $150/person.

Wine Camp – This intensive three-day camp will explore all things wine. It starts with a grilled dinner on the porch at The Artist’s Inn on Sunday evening, and a chocolate and wine presentation. On Monday, we explore the wines of the Lehigh Valley and on Tuesday we’ll head out to the Brandywine Valley. Both days will include multi-course gourmet wine-tasting dinners. $395/person. Tour offered September 13 - 18.

Secret Tour of Lancaster County – It’s so secret we can’t tell you the culinary details. But even if you’ve visited a lot, we guarantee you don’t know about these hidden gems! March 28, 2009. $100/person Ssshhh!

Paranormal Weekend – To be held on Halloween weekend, this tour will discover all things ghostly about Lancaster County. We’ll end the day with a spirited gourmet dinner. $125/person. Details forthcoming – scheduled for October 30 and 31.