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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…
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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…
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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…
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Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto Food History: A Video Tour
Berkeley, California is known as the birthplace of “California cuisine,” at least the kind using farm-direct, simple ingredients. Our friend Frieda DeLackner grew up in this luscious area and captured some of Berkeley’s unique food heritage on a fun short video, taking you on a tour through Chez Panisse to the Cheese Board Collective, famous for its wonderful 1 seasonal organic pizza flavor per day, its vast cheese selections and homemade pastries and bread. When you’re coming to the San Francisco Bay Area, we suggest watching the video and checking out our Berkeley food tour guide (which takes you to some fantastic food crafters’ shops). A Q&A With the Gourmet…
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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.
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Blood, Bones and Beef Hearts: Where to Eat on (or Around) Halloween?
It’s that spooky season again. Where to live it up on or around the Day of the Dead? It’s not just about candy anymore — although it is still about blood, bones and Batman masks. Fear the food trucks. Friday, October 26 is the last time Off the Grid will appear at Fort Mason Center until next March. They’re turning their farewell gig into a Halloween haunt with decorations, live music from Rolling Stones cover band Black Angel, a costume contest (extra points for Stones-related guises) and Halloween specials at 34 food vendors and two full bars. (Hint: beef-heart tacos and pumpkin-cuchinta ice cream.) Off the Grid is also celebrating…
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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…
