Category Archives: Enticing Events

Farmed Seafood That Gets the Thumbs-Up

Posted on by Leave a comment

Farm-raised Loch Duart salmon

We’ve been conditioned to stay away from most farmed seafood — and for good reason.

But there are some types that have won over critics. Read my primer that I wrote for the Slow Food Nation blog.

Slow Food Nation is a mega-event that takes place Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 in San Francisco. It will feature a marketplace, speakers’ forum, panel discussions, and dinners — all revolving around the celebration and continued fostering of sustainable food around the world.

An Odiferous Time in Gilroy

Posted on by Leave a comment

Smell that pungent, mouth-watering aroma?

You will as the day draws nearer for the 30th anniversary of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, July 25-27 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy.

Over the years, the popular event has raised nearly $8 million for local charities. And it’s fed quite a crowd _ more than 3 million, who have consumed 376 tons of beef, 119 tons of pasta, 68 tons of scampi, 50 tons of calamari, and 72 tons of California garlic.

This year will be more of the same as booths will dish out all things garlic, including garlic frog legs, garlic Kettlekorn, Cajun fried catfish, garlic chicken pizza, lumpia, garlic fried-green tomatoes, and of course, the ever popular, garlic ice cream.

July 26 at 10 a.m., eight amateur cooks from across the country will duke it out in the annual cook-off. This year’s local contestant is Linda Wang of Sunnyvale, who will be trying to sway the judges with her garlic corn creme brulee with pan-seared scallops and garlic pancetta saute. For the first time, the cook-off will be telecast over the Internet on the festival’s Web site.

July 27 at noon, the professionals get in on the act when four area chefs will vie for a top prize of $5,000 and 1,000 pounds of fresh garlic. This “Garlic Showdown” will feature chefs Mark Ayers of the Highlands Inn and Hyatt Regency Monterey; Christopher Preyale of the Fountaingrove Golf & Athletic Club in Santa Rosa; James Waller of the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa; and Ryan Scott of San Francisco’s Mission Beach Cafe and a contestant in this past season’s “Top Chef” show. This “Iron Chef”-style challenge will feature a not-so-secret ingredient — garlic, of course.

Tickets to the festival are $12 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-12 and for seniors, and free for kids under age 6.

For those who want to bring a part of the festival home — well, besides the resulting garlic breath — pick up a copy of “Any Bozo Can Cook,”  a collection of 102 recipes inspired by everyone’s fave smelly bulb. It was written by Sam Bozzo and Gene Sakahara, both festival cooks and former festival presidents. The $16 book will be sold at the festival, and online.

For a sneak taste, try this recipe from the book:

Garlic shrimp with spicy garlic peanut sauce

Read more

Taste of Terroir in Livermore

Posted on by 3 comments

What do you get when you put 16 of Livermore’s top wineries with 16 top Bay Area chefs? You get “Taste of Terroir,” the sixth annual wine and food experience, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. July 24 at the Palm Event Center at Ruby Hill in Pleasanton.

The chefs and vintners will be creating food and wine pairings that will vie for “Most Innovative Pairing,” “Best Expression of Local Ingredients,” and “Judges’ Best” awards. Guests also will have a chance to vote for the “People’s Choice” award. Afterwards, guests will enjoy desserts paired with Livermore Valley ports.

Participating wineries include Concannon Vineyard, Steven Kent Winery, and Page Mill Winery. Restaurants include Scott’s Seafood, Maholo Grille, and the Restaurant at Wente Vineyards.

Tickets are $75 per person.  They are available here or by calling the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association at (925) 447-WINE.

Are You What You Cook?

Posted on by Leave a comment

That’s the thought-provoking title of the Asian cuisine event, 6 p.m. July 21, upstairs at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Join Chef Kelly Degala of Pres A Vi in San Francisco and Va de Vi in Walnut Creek; Eric Gower, author of “The Breakaway Cook”(William Morrow); Michelle Mah, former executive chef of Ponzu in San Francisco; Kirti Pant, executive chef of Junnoon in Palo Alto; and Chef Charles Phan of the Slanted Door in San Francisco. They will talk about how they developed their signature styles.

Appetizers will be served, along with wines from Filipino-American estate winery, Eden Canyon Vineyards.

Tickets are $35 for general admission; $25 for full-time students and those in the restaurant trade. To register, click here.

The event is a kick-off for the Oct. 10-12 Asian Food Beyond Borders symposium at the Ferry Building. The event is being spearheaded by Bay Areans Andrea Nguyen, author of “Into the Vietnamese Kitchen”(Ten Speed Press), and cooking instructor and Asian foods expert, Thy Tran.

The three-day event will celebrate how Asian communities have created dynamic cuisines around the globe. Among the speakers will be: cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey; Public Television star Martin Yan; Google cafe chef and former San Francisco Chronicle food writer Olivia Wu; and James Oseland, editor in chief of Saveur magazine.

Yours truly also will be overseeing an Oct. 11 wine-pairing seminar hosted by Edwin Soon, oenologist and author of “Asian Food With Wine” (Tide-Mark Press), at Le Colonial restaurant in San Francisco. For more information, click here.

Celebrate Bastille Day In A Big Way At Left Bank Brasserie

Posted on by Leave a comment

Jugglers, clowns, mimes, fire-breathers, French poodles on parade, and more — that’s what’s in store when Left Bank Brasserie at San Jose’s Santana Row celebrates Bastille Day, July 12-14.

A triple-peaked big-top tent will be erected next to the restaurant for “Cirque de la Bastille,” 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 12 and July 13, where French circus performers will entertain. Admission is free.

Noon to 2 p.m. July 13, bring your four-footed doggie friend to take part in a competition, “French Poodles on Parade.” And no, your dog doesn’t necessarily have to be a French poodle. Registration is $10; proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Silicon Valley.

July 12-14, try your luck at pentaque, one of Europe’s most popular lawn games. Everyone is encouraged to sign up to play at no cost.

« Older Entries Recent Entries »