Category Archives: Enticing Events

Cookbook Author Diane Morgan’s Bay Area Events, MasterChef Casting Call & More

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Meet award-winning cookbook author Diane Morgan. (Photo courtesy of Diane Morgan)

Diane Morgan Visits the Bay Area

Veteran cookbook author Diane Morgan will host a series of events in the Bay Area to introduce her newest cookbook, “Roots” (Chronicle Books).

The book, which features more than 225 recipes, will show you creative ways to enjoy familiar root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, as well as the more obscure ones such as galangal and crosnes.

Meet Morgan at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at Omnivore Books in San Francisco, where she’ll be signing copies of her cookbook. The event is free.

Then, join her Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Draeger’s in San Mateo, when she’ll teach the class, “From Cocktails to Dessert: The Delicious Underground World of Root Vegetables.” Cost is $60 per person.

Do you have what it takes to be America's next MasterChef? (Photo courtesy of MasterChef)

Casting Calls For MasterChef Season 4

If you’re a fan of “MasterChef” (and yes, I count myself among them), you’ll want to make plans for when casting calls are held nationwide to find contestants for Season 4.

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My New Cards — and A Food Gal Giveaway

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My photos on my own greeting cards -- courtesy of Moo.com.

When you’re your own start-up (ahem, yes that would be me), it pays to have some snazzy business cards — ones that are eye-catching, stand out from the pack, and show off a little of your own personality.

Now, I do — thanks to Moo.com.

Don’t get me wrong. My old cards were fine. But these? Even my husband says I can only give these out to people who are “worthy.” Is that a high compliment or what?

Founded in 2004 by Brit Richard Moross, Moo allows you to design your own custom business cards, mini cards, greeting cards, stickers, stickers and labels — using your own photos or logos.

Recently, the company gave me the opportunity to try out their services for free to see what I thought about them. I decided to create both business cards and greeting cards, using both my Food Gal logo and photos I’d taken that have appeared on this blog.

The results were amazing. First, the quality of the paper is top-notch. These are business cards with heft. The weight of them is substantial, so much so that anyone you hand one to is definitely going to notice. Second, the card can be designed with color images on both the front and back. Third, you can mix up the design in your order, too, choosing a couple of them instead of just being stuck with one. Third, the paper is sourced from sustainable forests. Fourth, for an even more environmentally correct option, you can choose to have your cards printed on recycled paper that’s been manufactured using wind power.

My cool new business cards sure to make anyone hungry for dessert.

For my business cards, I chose to stick with just one image — one of my all-time favorites that I photographed, the modern German chocolate cake created by Pastry Chef Bill Corbett of Absinthe Brasserie in San Francisco. Anyone who knows me, knows my sweet tooth, so it was only fitting.

For the greeting cards, I chose an assortment of food images I’d taken over the years — from my late Mom’s chicken and rice dish to the simple beauty of fresh, ripe figs. The images reproduced beautifully on the cards, which again were quite sturdy and had a nice satin coating.

The cards are not necessarily inexpensive: 100 business cards are $39.98; and 25 greeting cards with envelopes are $39.99.

But the Moo team prides itself on quality design and it definitely shows.

You can put an assortment of images on one order of cards.

Contest: Three lucky Food Gal readers will win a chance to design their own set of 50 Moo business cards for free. One of those three also will get a bonus prize — a chance to design 25 Moo holiday cards for free in addition to their business cards.

Entries, open to anyone since Moo ships worldwide, will be accepted through midnight PST Sept. 29. Winners will be announced Oct. 1.

How to win?

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Cake Art, America’s Cup Cocktail & More

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Artist Gary Komarin paints images of cakes on brown paper bags. (Image courtesy of the artist)

Cake Paintings at March in San Francisco

Cake — without the calories. That’s what you’ll find at Marche, the gourmet kitchenware store in San Francisco, when it hosts an exhibit by artist Gary Komarin, Sept. 28 through the end of November.

The whimsical artwork consists of water-based enamel and spackle paintings of cakes on paper bags.

“I have long been intrigued by the way paper bags are designed and the way that they fold back into such a beautifully flat object after being so very volumetric in their ‘open’ stance,” said Komarin in a statement.   “These bags have a terrific surface on which to paint and an almost puffy physicality once paint is applied.”

Komarin’s work was inspired by his mother, a consummate baker, and his father, an architect.

A cocktail to salute the America's Cup. (Photo courtesy of Michael Mina restaurant)

America’s Cup Cocktail

Hoist a drink to the America’s Cup World Series, which will take place in the San Francisco Bay, Aug. 21-26 and Oct. 2-7.

You can with a specially prepared cocktail, the AC45, available at Michael Mina restaurant and RN74, both in San Francisco.

The beguiling concoction is a blend of Carpano Antica, Velvet Falernum and Earl Grey tea that’s shaken, poured into a tall glass of ice, then garnished with black lava sea salt and nori.

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Two Food Gal Giveaways: Tickets to FallFest and to the Foster Farms Chicken Cook-Off

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A scrumptious look at last year's FallFest. (Photo by Marcie Franich Photography)

San Francisco Magazine’s FallFest Extravaganza

You’ll have to wear loose clothing to try all the food from 40 top restaurants and vino from 40 wineries at San Francisco Magazine’s annual FallFest, noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 13 at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco.

What’s more, there also will be drink seminars, a cocktail competition, live music and chef demos by such esteemed chefs as Belinda Leong of B. Patisserie and Justin Simoneaux of the Boxing Room.

Among the restaurants that will be serving up noshes are: Brasserie S&P, Pizza Antica, Perbacco and Dosa. Participating wineries include: Bonny Doon, Natural Process Alliance and Chappallet Winery.

Tickets are $95 each. The event will benefit Meals on Wheels, which provides food for home-bound seniors.

Contest: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a pair of free tickets to FallFest (a total value of $190). Entries, limited to those who will be able to be in San Francisco on Oct. 13 for the event, will be accepted through midnight PST Sept. 22. Winner will be announced Sept. 24.

How to win?

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San Francisco Cooking School Debuts, SMIP Ranch Dinner & More

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The team behind the new San Francisco Cooking School: (left to right) Bill Corbett, Catherine Pantsios, Craig Stoll, Jodi Liano and Daniel Patterson. (Photo courtesy of the school)

New San Francisco Cooking School

The new San Francisco Cooking School in the Civic Center neighborhood promises to shake things up.

What makes this one so different?

It plans to do away with teaching archaic disciplines such as ice sculpture carving and aspic making (still commonly taught at other culinary schools)  for more useful, contemporary skills instead.

What’s more, some of the city’s most esteemed chefs have been appointed as deans and advisers.

We’re talking the likes of Daniel Patterson of Coi, Craig Stoll of Delfina and Bill Corbett of Absinthe as deans; and Stuart Brioza of State Bird Provisions, Melissa Perello of Frances and Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats as advisers, among others.

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