We’re heading to Eat Real in Oakland this weekend –will you join us? We’re meeting up all weekend long at a few key spots. Eat Real Oakland’s third annual three-day festival is a free celebration of our great food scene all set at Jack London Square in Oakland. There are classes, tastings, demos, markets, a farm and food trucks all in one spot. Epicuring Challenge & Prizes! Win a spot on a tasting tour with Epicuring of Susie’s favorite Berkeley Spots if you complete the three challenge below! Meet Up with Epicuring at Eat Real and pick up our new Epicuring Sticker Take a photo of yourself at Eat Real…

A bit of seasonal silliness from Susie: Here at Epicuring we dig up and promote interesting events. When you’re in the mode to DIY event, there’s a world of food holidays dreamed up by clever people and organizations to inspire you (and inspire chuckles). For example: How could you have gotten this far in life without knowing October 9th is Moldy Cheese Day; October 20th National Brandied Fruit Day (start brandying now to candy then!); and especially that October 30th is National Candy Corn Day. Does that mean you can start sneaking those tri-colore delights whose ingredients we must squint to avoid reading the day before Halloween? I’d say yes.…

What it is: The co-founders of Epicuring California are seeking  a food-mad intern to work with us on the building of our community and help us research, write about, and post the diverse food events and experiences we will feature on Epicuring.com, our newsletter, our calendar and in social media. About us: We have a background in restaurant and food business as well as Internet management, and we call San Francisco and Berkeley home. Our vision is to create a service that traveling and local foodies need, will use to plan their food adventures, and love. About you: We’re looking for a California-loving team member who is as passionate about food experiences as we are…

I’ve found my new favorite cafe in San Francisco – record spinning, library supporting, blue bottle coffee making, ocean siding, super fast Internet serving, poetry reading Readers Cafe. Whether you’re visiting San Francisco or you’re a native hearing about this cafe for the first time, don’t miss this gem. On Thursdays they have San Francisco beat style poetry readings. With all the natural light around Fort Mason and an attached library and book sale, whether you are writing, reading, or working, it is certainly the most lovely cafe for a cause I’ve seen. (415) 771-1011 Readers Cafe information

Farm-to-table restaurants across the country (and beyond!)–and coffee roasters like Blue Bottle–will be donating a portion of their proceeds from dinner on Saturday, August 27th to local school garden programs in their own communities as part of the eating for education campaign. If you aren’t planning to cook at home that night, eat out for education at one of the restaurants listed on the Eating for Education website! It’s all part of the Chez Panisse 40th birthday celebration and Edible Schoolyard benefit series.

Cochon Heritage Fire in Napa on August 13th was an Epicuring extravaganza for lovers of heritage meats, with sweaty chefs, hot fires and great wines and beers. Everyone who knows me is well aware this is my favorite food event of the year. Susie and I headed up to St. Helena on Saturday to be a part of the third annual meat and fire fest now known as Cochon Heritage Fire, and previously aka Primal Napa. The setting was Charles Krug winery –a historic property –that is a picture perfect setting for fire cooking alongside the vineyards, with the Greystone at the Culinary Institute of America as a backdrop. Check out…

By Victoria Rabiner, Epicurator If you listen carefully for the inspiration behind almost every  “grown-up” chef, home cook or foodie, you’ll hear a kids voice and a story about childhood connection to food – either in the kitchen with mom, grandma, on the family farm or in a family-owned restaurant. Like sponges, kids soak up their surroundings, learning through doing and developing a life long respect and joy for food  — whether it be cooking, eating, growing or creating – it sticks. And it all starts with a little exposure. Here’s a roundup of our favorite culinary “summer camps” for youth. A place to start — get them engaged, connected…