Hello Reader,

Now that the Thanksgiving dust has settled, the leftovers are gone (read: eaten), and the Black Friday frenzy has faded, the real question we're facing is: What the heck do I give the people I love?

We've all been there. We buy those butt-ugly, inappropriate, or downright offensive sweaters that get returned, gadgets that end up in a drawer or garage, or knick-knacks that somehow find their way to Goodwill in springtime. (I'm looking at you, my sixth cutting board in the shape of Massachusetts.)

So, I've been thinking about the best gifts I’ve received. The surprise car ride to Ipswich, MA, for fried clams; the last-minute New Year's Eve trip to Paris when The One and I were courting; the birthday message spelled out with more than 100 Entenmann's chocolate chip cookies. They weren’t things wrapped in paper. They were experiences. They were memories.
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That is exactly what A Cook’s Tour of Lisbon is.

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The One and I would love for you to consider this trip in May 2026 not just as a "vacation," but as the ultimate holiday gift—for your spouse, your partner, a parent, or (between us) a well-deserved present to yourself.

When you gift this trip, you aren't just giving a plane ticket and a hotel room.

• You’re gifting skills for a lifetime. Long after the trip is over, you (or your lucky recipient) will know how to bake the perfect shatteringly crisp-crusted Pastéis de Belém or craft a traditional Portuguese seafood stew. Those are souvenirs you hold on to forever.
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• You’re gifting connection. You’ll be cooking side-by-side with local chefs, sharing stories with The One and me, and making friends while sitting at tables where the conversation is as good as the wine.
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• You’re gifting a shared history. Let's face it: No one ever waxes poetic about the blender they got for Christmas. (Just ask Mama Leite if she swooned over the vacuum cleaner my dad bought her for what turned out to be the chilliest holiday ever—and I ain't talking temperature!)
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  But they will talk about the time they stood on a rooftop in Lisbon at sunset, glass of Vinho Verde in hand, feeling completely at home in the world.

If you’ve been on the fence, or if you’ve been looking for that one "big" gift that says everything you want to say to someone you love, this is it.

And a special holiday offer: If you book this as a gift, The One and I will record a personal, festive video message for the recipient, welcoming them to the family and getting them excited for the adventure ahead. You can play it for them the moment they unwrap their "ticket."

We have a few spots remaining for May 12–18, 2026. I’d love to fill one of them with you.

Let’s make this a holiday season where the only return will be a trip back to Portugal!

Chow, David Leite Founder | Leite's Culinaria​ Cookbook Author | Cooking Teacher ​Read my story​

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