- 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,…
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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,…
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Spirits Rising: DSWE Pop-Up Tour
A pop-up wine-and-spirits road show On a sultry San Francisco day: Our hearts and palates glowed so At this dazzling display. We met men who make clever bitters From lush herbs, spices and fruit, And celery. (Got the jitters? They use the seed, not the root.) The clear pinkgold of sweet dreams, Eau de vie, sun-kissed in France: Armagnac Castarède gleams On the palate: Angels dance. Secret recipe, Sicilian, 1868: Pair it with ginger ale: Yes, out of cans. The latest buzz is that Averna is great For all grown-up Jägermeister fans. Grape flowers fashioned into gin Produce round, spicy, velvety G’Vine. Eighty to 87.8 proof, with vermouth in A…
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San Francisco Cooking School Teaches Culinary Intuition
by Laiko Bahrs “When cooking go by your own taste. When baking follow directions.” That’s a quote I wrote long ago to remind myself to follow my intuition in the savory kitchen but read the recipe in the pastry and baking part of the kitchen. This thinking has worked really well in my kitchen explorations over the years. So it’s exciting when I can say that I am involved with a new cooking school opening in San Francisco which has a philosophy that aligns with mine! San Francisco Cooking School, founded by instructor Jodi Liano was created to teach culinary intuition to cooks who want to work in the food…
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Hash Browns Go Glam at “McDonald’s Unwrapped” Benefit
On an October night that was balmy, not stormy, Three chefs who were all certifiably gourmet Helmed a benefit in San Francisco: Lo, A sumptuous three-course feast, but know That every component of every dish, From the miniature meatloaves to the Gullah Island Fish Filets, had to be something found in the kitchen Of an average McDonald’s restaurant. “Bitchin’,” You might say. “Bring on the fries!” Hark: This was not a no-brainer, nor a walk in the park. Chefs Ryan Scott, Beverlie Terra, and Sophina Uong (Of Market & Rye, Chaminade, and Picán, home of strong Espresso cocktails) became alchemists that night, unveiling Hash-brown gnocchi, pickled berries, with sharp sticks…
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Cocktails and Karaoke at CUESA – A Perfect Summer Evening in SF
Yacht Rock: Summer Cocktails of the Farmers Market rocked the Bay, with cocktails made from Ferry Building Farmers Market fruit blended with incredible alcohols from around the world, with a smattering of karaoke from Digital Underground to Kenny Loggins and the Epicuring team’s horrible rendition of the Love Boat theme song. The yacht attire costume contest inspired sustainable cocktail lovers to don their reds, whites, blues, and top siders in a festive event topped off by perfect weather. Be sure to stay tuned for the next CUESA cocktail event in November. It was a really fabulous party! Easy Lounge in Oakland – Farmers Market cocktails [slickr-flickr type=”gallery” search=”sets” set=”72157631321357412″ items=”25″…
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Learn How to Start a Food Business This Summer – 2012 San Francisco Classes
by Susie Wyshak Have you been taking cooking or food craft classes and got the bug to start a business? (Or even a business using bugs?) Well, this summer is your chance to hear from the Bay Area’s best artisan food companies who are sharing their knowledge to help future entrepreneurs get started. Just a few events you should look into — perhaps making a special trip if you’re really eager to learn as they are all near each other — include: La Cocina Food Entrepreneur Conference August 20, 2012 in San Francisco Renaissance Center’s Successful Women in Business Speaker Series: Lessons from the Foodies August 22, 2012 in San…
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All About Bagels – Learning, Eating, Touching With Schmendrick’s
By bagel-loving Susie Wyshak Imagine being banned from making bread because you’re Jewish. So goes the story of how, around 1610, jews in Poland took bread dough, formed cirles with a hole in the middle, boiled it THEN baked it to get around the “no bread” dictate. We can thank these good people for the bagels you now spread, chew and love. Another story goes that the circular shape represents the circle of life. It does for me! At Saul’s Deli in Berkeley, the small team at San Francisco Schmendrick’s Bagels — who operate pop up bagel sales while making their bagels at a kitchen in Portrero / Mission —…
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Epicuring’s “Au Revoir, Foie Gras” Guide
June is known as Corn and Cucumber Month, National Smile Month, National Surf Music Month, and even Skyscraper Month. June 2012, however, has transcended the usual nomenclature here in California. It has become Stuff Your Face With Foie Gras Before It’s Banned Month. For those who aren’t aware, July 1st marks the first day where Foie Gras will officially be banned in California despite efforts from Chefs and Foie Gras lovers all over the country. Foie Gras has been controversial for quite some time due to the process of gavage, one technique used to plump up the duck’s or goose’s liver. In response to the legislation banning Foie Gras in California,…
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Alice Medrich Made Sinfully Great Desserts at Paulding & Co Cooking School
by Susie Wyshak, Epicuring Alice Medrich made a tall promise to our class at cooking school Paulding & Company in Emeryville, which teaches adults and kids through summer camps as well as doubling as a cooking school filming location (as seen in Hereafter) and training ground including animators for the Pixar movie Ratatouille. To demonstrate the promise of her new book, Alice announced she would make 4 desserts in 2 hours and leave room for conversation. As we tasted desserts, sipped Perrier and coffee, and he not only finished with time to spare but turned out some really unique twists on classic recipes that make her new book Sinfully Easy…
