Rick Stein's Long Weekends

Rick arrives just in time to judge a local wine contest, and hires a 2CV for an excursion to the coast, abundant with mussels and oysters. At home he cooks a memorable dish of steak frites with bordelaise sauce.

Rick Stein enjoys a winter break in Reykjavik in search of the perfect cod and sampling succulent fjord-reared roast lamb.

Rick enjoys a weekend in Berlin, where history and the avant-garde dwell enticingly side by side. A city that once made history with its divisive wall teems today with an overwhelming array of innovative chefs offering delicious seasonal creations.

This week, Rick Stein visits Vienna - the city that once ran the Austro-Hungarian Empire and continues to be home to comfort dishes like tafelspitz and goulash and which gave its name to one of Europe's most popular dishes - the wiener schnitzel. It even produces its own unique white wine produced in vineyards overlooking the city's imperial architecture. Whilst enjoying the sights and sounds of the hometown to Klimt and Freud and the rather eccentric architecture of Hundertwasser, Rick also learns the essential etiquette to its coffee house culture and indulges in the city's sweet tooth by enjoying a plate or two of apple strudel and sacher torte. And no visit to Vienna would be complete without a concert of Mozart or Strauss, whose music was undeniably inspired by this unforgettable city.

Rick visits Bologna in northern Italy, a city so famous for its food that it is known as the stomach of Italy. He learns how to make the local fresh egg pasta used for tortellini, tagliatelle, ravioli and lasagne.

Rick Stein visits Lisbon on the banks of the River Tagus, a city in love with its seafood and possibly the best custard tarts in the world. The culinary effects of Portugal's historic explorations are still seen in its dishes with hints of cinnamon and freshly chopped coriander from the east, and tomatoes and chillies from the Americas. Rick is inspired to cook the city's favourite snack - salt cod fritters, delicious almond tart and pork with clams, a favourite dish throughout Portugal. Then, he visits Lisbon's famous St Anthony's Day parade and sardine festival.