-
12 Hours in Paris – A Pastry, Bread, Chocolate, Food and Art Layover Visit
We were to arrive late night in Paris and fly out 36 hours later. What are 2 French food-starved food lovers to do? Maximize! We spent the whole day shopping in clothing and food stores, interspersed with eating. In fact, Plan A was to visit Du Pain et des Idées, which came highly recommended. So blinded were we by the beautiful streets of Paris that we never even referred to our plan. Luckily copius eating fell into place on its own. View this post on Instagram Le Grande Epicerie Paris might be the most insanely…
-
First Time Using My Portuguese Alembic Copper Still Wasn’t a Disaster After All
Weeks had passed since I had arrived home with my 3 liter shiny copper still, which I bought in a little shop in a town whose name I don’t even know between Porto and Nazare in Portugal. It was the kind of hand-hammered copper still you see for sale on the Internet, only it was 60 Euros. I had a goal to find such a still and was thrilled to pack it up and bring it home. The thing was I had no idea how I would use the still. At the time my goal was to make essential oils from the rosemary, lavender, mint and other herbs that grow…
-
Best Things To Do On a First Bay Area Visit For Parents With Teens
Wherever you go in the Bay Area you will have ample opportunity to hike, soak in some culture, beautiful scenery, eat well and find something for everyone’s interests. I made this list for all many families with teens who stay in my Airbnb / VRBO in Rockridge. Let me know if I’ve missed something important! -Susie Berkeley & Oakland Walk from my Airbnb to the UC Berkeley campus, down College Ave. and walk through campus. Lots of food, shops, cafes, and pretty houses along the way! Oakland Museum has really fun California history exhibits. There is a small, very authentic Chinatown nearby. Pizza at Zachary’s near Rockridge BART or Barney’s…
-
Oh yes, Cochon #HeritageFire #Napa pork goodness from #Zazu .
-
Kids Cooking Class – Cookie Making With Archimedean Principles
RIP Ernest Miller — one of the most intelligent, vivacious, creative food educators. The ultimate Epicuring experience – applying principles from Greek mathematician Archimedes to an experience to which Epicurus (of “epicurean” fame) would flock. On June 7, 2014 it’s for parents and kids, with very few tickets left. Such a cool idea, you can hear about here. It’s sold out but you can get tickets with a very well-priced reward on the Chocolate Chip Cookie School Kickstarter campaign, a project I recently launched to help kids develop critical thinking through cookies!
-
Sweet & Spicy Bay Area Food Event Picks for February 2014
With a bounty of citrus and the allure of Valentine’s Day, 2014 brings a bevy of creative food events to singles and those already in the throes of romantic rapture. Check these out: Barrel-Aged Sriracha Workshop with Oaktown Spice in Oakland February 11, 2014 Smell and taste the nuances of the flavors between a 1 month aged and 3 month aged sriracha at Oakland adorable spice shop by the lake. And come away from the event learning about how aging and fermentation impacts the flavors of the sauce. Candied Citrus and Cocktails Workshop with CUESA at the Ferry Building Wednesday, February 19, 2014 Candy citrus, then create delicious elixirs that…
-
Planning a Food Centric Trip to Morocco
The excitement our first trip to Morocco is building. As we research and get recommendations, I’ll update this post with cooking school and dining finds we’ll be checking out. Oh so many cooking schools in Marrakesh! In addition to the official schools it seems many riads (historic buildings-turned-inn) are game to teach anyone motivated to learn Moroccan culinary arts. Lonely Planet names Faim d’Epices as the best (and their combo cooking school and spa afternoon is…well, can life get better?) Other half-day pastry classes as some other mentioned schools have me drooling. Rough Guides ditto the Faim d’Epices recommendation and also recommend La Maison Arabe (as do many Trip Advisor…
-
Join America’s Good Food Award Winners on Jan 16, 2014
The Good Food Awards celebrates the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsible. Each year, outstanding American food producers crafting foods in a variety of categories are dubbed winners. (Susie from Epicuring reluctantly leads the Confections category.) For the first time the awards is inviting the public to attend this year’s 130 Good Food Award Winning businesses on Thursday, January 16 at 6pm in San Francisco, with special guests Dr. Zeke Emanuel, Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl and Nell Newman. Immediately following the ceremony is a gala reception and good food extravaganza, where guests can taste this year’s 130 winning foods and drink, chosen from 1,450 entries. …
-
A $25 Leisurely Afternoon in Oakland
Somehow the holidays passed by with no R&R in sight. So I decided to indulge with an afternoon off near Lake Merritt on a Friday afternoon. The streets bustled, I guess with likeminded folks enjoying this mid-week New Years. Here’s how I spent a 6-hour leisurely afternoon in the corridor that bustles between Mandana at Lakeshore horse shoeing over to Mandana at Grand Avenue. First take my “pro parking tip” and see if you can get an all-day parking spot by Walgreens and Trader Joe’s just where 580 dumps off at the Lakeshore exit. I kind of feel bad letting the secret out as it’s probably good employee parking, but…
-
Fun Bay Area Food Holiday Fetes in December 2013
Here are a few pics for some ultra-holiday season events for people who live to experience and love good food. What other holiday fetes belong on the list? 1: Blue Chair Fruit holiday party in Oakland on December 15 I was at the Temescal Farmers Market in Oakland when who but Blue Chair Fruit’s very own Rachel handed me an invitation to her sure-to-be-jamming holiday party. 2: Gingerbread House Decorating at 18 Reasons in San Francisco on December 17 Fear not if you don’t have the kids as an excuse to be around gingerbread house decorating. 18 Reasons gets that this seasonal activity is much better suited to adults…
