Category Archives: Enticing Events

Diana Kennedy Coming to Santa Cruz Area

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Diana KennedyThe doyenne of Mexican cooking, Diana Kennedy, will be appearing at three events in and around Surf City to celebrate the re-release of her 1989 classic, The Art of Mexican Cooking.

Kennedy has written eight cookbooks, but The Art of Mexican Cooking remains a true favorite with its collection of traditional recipes. Kennedy, who lives in an adobe home in the state of Michoacana, is already working on her next tome, all about the foods of Oaxaca.

May 30, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., she will host a book-signing at Alma Gifts & Culture, 1705 Mission St. in Santa Cruz. Snacks made from her own recipes will be served. The event is free. Phone is: (831) 425-2562.

May 31 at 9 a.m., Kennedy will conduct a Q&A session at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Dr. in Aptos. Afterwards, she will sign copies of her books, which will be available for purchase.

June 1 at 5:30 p.m.,  she will speak at the Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 – 41st Ave. in Capitola, then do a book-signing. Refreshments, made from her recipes, will be served.

To immerse yourself even more in Kennedy’s life, My Mexico Tours leads tours every August to Kennedy’s home, which include cooking classes taught by the master, herself.

Sake To Us All

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sake.jpgDo you know your Junmai from your Nigori? You’ll get a better understanding of all types of sake at the 2008 Sake San Jose event, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. May 22 in San Jose’s historic Japantown (Jackson Street between 4th and 7th streets).

Once again, dozens of Japantown merchants will be pouring samples of premium American and Japanese sakes. Some merchants will even be handing out little nibbles to enjoy with the sake.

Learn all about sake — rice wine that is actually more like beer in that it is brewed — while exploring one of the last remaining Japantowns in the United States.

Tickets are $35. To purchase, click here. Proceeds benefit Yu Ai Kai Senior Services programs in San Jose.

And for those whose whistles are already whetted, Junmai is sake made of rice, water, and a culture, with no other ingredients added; Nigori is unfiltered sake that has a milky look and often a slightly sweeter taste.

Meet the Food Gal and Chef Charlie Ayers

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Yes, I’ll be doing my best impersonation of Charlie Rose when I moderate the May 19 Silicon Valley Commonwealth Club’s talk and book-signing event with Charlie Ayers, the former executive chef of Google.

Come join us for a fun evening with Ayers, who also used to cook for the Grateful Dead and Robin Williams. He will be signing copies of his first cookbook, “Food 2.0, Secrets From the Chef Who Fed Google”.

The 7 p.m. event is at Cubberley Community Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets are $10 for members; $15 for non-members. For reservations, click here or call (800) 847-7730.

The chat also will be taped for airing at a future date on KLIV AM (1590), which generally airs Commonwealth Club events on Thursdays at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Time Again For the Star Chefs & Vintners Gala

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Bay Area superstar chefs Nancy Oakes, Michael Mina, Traci des Jardins, Charles Phan, Douglas Keane, David Kinch, Chris Cosentino, Cal Stamenov, and Elizabeth Faulkner are among the culinary luminaries who will headline the 21st Annual Star Chefs & Vintners Gala, May 18 at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavillion in San Francisco.

The mega-event is a fund-raiser for Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, which provides meals and other support services to homebound seniors. Last year’s event raised a record $1 million.

The night begins with hors d’oeuvres and wines by dozens of wineries, including Beringer Vineyards, Chappellet Winery, Chiarello Family Vineyards, Dalla Valle Vineyards, and Robert Sinskey Vineyards. That will be followed by a three-course, sit-down dinner, with each course prepared by one of 24 different chefs.

Individual tickets are $400. To reserve, click here or call (415) 920-1111 ext. 221.

Revamped Osteria Dinners at Quattro Restaurant

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Beginning May 16, Quattro Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in East Palo Alto will redo its Osteria dinner series.

The dinners, typically held the second Friday of each month, still will spotlight a winemaker, who will be on hand to discuss the vintages and varietals poured. But instead of a family-style menu, now it will be a plated four-course dinner of rustic Italian cuisine with a seasonal twist each month. In May, that means an emphasis on mushrooms.

The May 16 Osteria dinner will feature Arcadian Winery and its winemaker Joe Davis. Courses by Quattro’s Executive Chef Alessandro Cartumini include terrina of lobster in port poached grape leaf with shaved royal trumpet mushroom and white nectarine salad; and Scottish King salmon tournedo with Hen of the Wood mushrooms.

Price is $85 with wine pairing. If you’re too pooped to drive home afterwards, the hotel offers a special overnight package for two, which includes dinner, valet parking, a deluxe guest room, and breakfast the next morning. Price for that packages starts at $440 per couple.

For dinner reservations, click here or call (650) 470-2889.

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