-
Umami bomb: Aedan Chickpea #Koji potatoes, pink cauliflower and broccoli cooked with @Sonoko Sakai.
-
Sonoko Sakai's soba at the koji dinner at Bar Tartine
-
California Walnut Crepes with Ricotta Honey Orange Filling
by Epicurator Susie Wyshak Chef Alex Stratta’s California Walnut Crepe recipe stole my heart but instead of the savory route, the recipe immediately sparked a vision of walnut groves surrounded by grazing cows, buzzing bees, and child-like rounded orange trees dotted with fruit. This could only mean one thing: a sweet California Walnut crepe with a “taste of California” theme. I used Happy Girl Kitchen’s orange marmalade (which you can learn to make in their classes!) Booya! The nutty, not-too-sweet substantial texture of the crepes against the creamy and sweet filling sent my tasters to the moon. Our senses enlivened with the orange evoking a tinge of middle eastern flavors…
-
Food Event Picks for February 2013
Hi folks! Now that Valentine’s Day is over it’s kind of nice to have a break from sweets. This weekend some friends are having a potluck where we’ll all cook a recipe from Jerusalem, which is a fun way to get people together around a theme. We have some great food events listed but I was decided to go on a quick hunt to see what other intriguing events were going on in the food and libation world in the Bay Area this February, and here’s what I found that I’d like to go to: Wilbur Hot Springs’ Guest Chef Series has Tim West as a guest chef, Feb 22-24…
-
Decorating a Gingerbread Dream House
Adults and children of all ages gathered at Autumn Express last night to channel their creativity into decorating gingerbread houses. Artist and gingerbread expert extraordinaire, Michele Simons, led the class in this festive holiday tradition. Michele had already taken care of the hard part – gluing the gingerbread walls together with royal icing to make a sturdy house – so we could jump right into the fun of decorating. With gumdrops, licorice, cereal, marshmallows, shredded coconut, gingerbread men, and much more, there were plenty of treats to work with (and nibble on). While we styled our houses, Michele gave us tips and inspiration for ways to use the decorations, like how to turn…
-
Behind the Wine, Within the Whiskey
I learned a lot about libations last weekend while visiting not one but two Elysian Fields of alcohol within a short stroll of each other on the scenic Alameda waterfront. First was the Rock Wall Wine Company, whose Open House on Saturday afternoon featured food booths, wine tasting and tours of the vast facility, which is located inside a 40,000-square-foot historic former military airplane hangar. It was inspiring to learn how grapes from the Napa Valley, Sonoma County and even nearby Contra Costa County are transformed into Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah a virtual stone’s throw from downtown Oakland. Let’s raise a glass to urban winemaking. My favorite wines…
-
Finalists Announced for the 2013 Good Food Awards
Thanks to our friends at Gamma Nine for the awesome photos. You can find more of their photos from the Good Food Awards here. Last month, team Epicuring was hard at work helping out with the 3rd annual Good Food Awards judging in San Francisco. Today, we’re excited to share the news that the finalists have been announced! We were proud to see that many California entries made the cut, including products from some of the merchants listed in our Epicuring guide. Find the complete list of 2013 finalists here. The Good Food Awards recognizes products from all over the country that are not only delicious, but also crafted…
-
Craft Cocktails and Wild Wigs for a Good Cause
Wear wigs, win prizes at Wig Out, a charitable post-Halloween hullabaloo at San Francisco’s Parc 55 Hotel on Nov. 2, 2012. Proceeds will go to Slap Cancer and Locks of Love. Guests are urged to sport their craziest wigs to the party. Dance beats will be supplied by the notorious DJ Ambrosia Salad, free hairstyle consultations will be provided by the folks from Carmichael Hair Salon & Color Bar … and drinks will flow: craft beers from Lagunitas, wines from Rodney Strong, and inventive cocktails by Fair Trade Spirits. Rumor has it that at least one of these cocktails will involve cotton candy.
- California Culinary Travel, California Food Fairs, Fests & Markets, Food Destinations, Food Haps Blog
Bay Area Science Festival Includes Events for Eaters
The 2012 second annual Bay Area Science Festival includes numerous events exploring the neurobiology of nibbling, the physiology of feasting, and other intersections between science and food. At San Francisco’s Castro Theatre on Saturday night, October 27, superstar Food Network chef Alton Brown headlines “Ten Things About Food I Feel Pretty Sure About,” an interactive presentation detailing the kitchen as laboratory, and the science of American food as Brown knows it, from home kitchen experiments to nutritional milestones. That same night at Stanford University, Harold McGee (author of On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen) shares the stage with Stanford chemistry professor Richard Zare (Stanford University,…
-
Decorating Sugar Skulls for Dia de Los Muertos in San Francisco
Hot off the sugar skull decorating circuit, a dispatch by Susie Wyshak The Sugar Skull Gallery packed in a fun hour of sugar skull decorating today at Autumn Express in San Francisco’s Mission District. The mistress of this time-honored Dia De Los Muertos tradition, Michelle described how she makes the skulls and owls (and in Spring, sugar easter eggs): She packs in sugar mixed with dried egg whites and a little water into a mold then hollows them out a little for faster drying, which takes 12-15 hours. She makes the brightly colored royal icing we used on the skulls for decorating and as glue for all the shells, features,…
