Category Archives: Enticing Events

Meet the Food Gal at Two Upcoming Events at Macy’s Union Square

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I hope you’ll join yours truly, the Food Gal, in the Cellar of Macy’s Union Square in San Francisco for two fun events in September that I’m thrilled to be taking part in.

First up, 2 p.m. Sept. 17, I’ll be playing sidekick to one of my favorite San Francisco chefs, Alex Ong of Betelnut. In honor of the 2011 San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival, Sept. 17-18 in the waters off Treasure Island, Ong will show you how to make joong or zongzi, the traditional Chinese sticky rice tamale. Of course, Ong will be adding his own contemporary touches by creating a filling of portobello mushrooms, rather than the usual — but quite artery-clogging — fat-laden pork. And I’ll regale you with my own stories about competing on a dragon boat team in the Bay Area back in the day.

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Chowing Down at the 49ers Training Camp Cafe

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This big guy marks the spot for the 49ers training camp facility.

In Santa Clara, there is a special café that’s open 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Seven days a week. Year-round. And it feeds a rather burly crowd with extremely voracious appetites.

Welcome to the café at the San Francisco 49ers training camp, located appropriately enough at 4949 Centennial Blvd.

The nearly two-year-old café, operated by Bon Appetit Management Company, serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night snacks for free to the football players, staff and sports media. It is not open to the public. But recently, I was invited by team management to take a tour and to enjoy lunch here.

Talk about a hungry crowd; it’s not uncommon for Chef Chad McWilliams to go through 30 pounds of egg whites and 200 pounds of chicken a day here, as he serves up to 250 people at a time.

Bacon-wrapped filet with Burgundy wine balsamic reduction. Oh, and a few crunchy tater tots.

That includes having at the ready 75 protein smoothies (a frothy blend of egg whites, Greek yogurt, honey and fresh berries) when the players come huffing and puffing off the training field. Or stocking the café late at night with plenty of chicken skewers, cold cuts, quesadillas and trail mix when there are evening meetings or workouts.

Practicing after lunch.

The players usually get two hours to eat, then digest, before hitting the field again.

Unlike his previous stint as a chef at eBay, where he cooked a lot of Thai and Indian cuisine, McWilliams’ sticks to more basic meat-and-potatoes fare here, along with plenty of Chinese and Mexican favorites.

“They like comfort food,’’ he says with a smile. “I remember trying out Cornish game hens here once, and that didn’t go over so well. The guys much prefer chicken breasts.’’

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Food Gal Giveaway: Join Me at the Foster Farms Chicken Cook-Off in St. Helena

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Last year's winning dish, "Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts'' by Alexandria Bosell. (Photo courtesy of Foster Farms)

It’ll be a clucking good time at the second annual Foster Farms Fresh Cooking Contest at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Sept. 30.

Just like last year, yours truly once again will be one of the judges when six finalists will vie for a grand prize of $10,000 and a year’s supply of fresh chicken.

Last year’s champ, Alexandria Boswell of La Jolla, won top honors for her inspired dish of “Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts.”

Giveaway: Join me for this fun cook-off, where you’ll get to see all the action and taste all of the dishes. Here’s all you have to do:

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Chez Panisse 40th Anniversary Public Lunch on Maiden Lane, Oyster Time & More

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The Alice Waters-designed T-shirt by Levi's. (Photo courtesy of Levi's)

Chez Panisse Joins With Levi’s For A Special Event in San Francisco

Make a lunch date at 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 24 at San Francisco’s tucked-away Maiden Lane (between Grant Avenue and Stockton Street) to enjoy locally sourced, organic box lunches from Chez Panisse and the launch of a cool new T-shirt collection by the iconic restaurant in collaboration with Levi’s.

It’s all to celebrate the 40th anniversary of  the landmark Berkeley restaurant.

Proceeds from the sale of the all-organic T’s will benefit the Edible Schoolyard Project, the organization that Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters established to integrate kitchen and garden education into grade-school curriculum. The T’s feature designs by such celebs as Waters, herself, as well as Sofia Coppola, David Byrne, Dave Eggers and Maira Kalman. Beginning Aug. 24, the shirts also will be available in select Levi’s stores around the country and online at Levi.com.

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Baker & Banker Cooking Demo, Dinner & A Movie — Indian-Style and More

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Baker & Banker's Lori Baker and Jeff Banker to visit Macy's. (Photo courtesy of the chefs)

Baker & Banker Chefs Visit Macy’s Union Square

Join husband and wife,  Executive Chef Jeff Banker and Pastry Chef Lori Baker, when they demonstrate how to cook brunch favorites, 2 p.m. Aug. 27 at Macy’s Cellar Union Square in San Francisco.

Co-proprietors of Baker & Banker in San Francisco, they will be cooking up “French Toast Bread Pudding” and “Eggs in Purgatory.”

Best yet, this delicious event is free.

Asian Culinary Forum Event at the San Francisco Ferry Building

Four, young and dynamic Asian-American chefs will be talking about “Reinventing Asian Cuisine,” 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 22 at the San Francisco Ferry Building.

Richie Nakano of Hapa Ramen. (Photo courtesy of the chef)

Panelists will be: Dennis Lee, chef and co-owner of Namu in San Francisco; Richie Nakano, chef and founder of Hapa Ramen in San Francisco; Sarah Dey, chef and manager of New Delhi in San Francisco; and Wilfred Pacio, founder of Spice Kit in San Francisco.

The moderator will be Thy Tran, founder and director of the Asian Culinary Forum, which is hosting this thought-provoking conversation.

Listen as the chefs talk about the challenges and rewards of trying to pay homage yet still put creative spins on traditional Asian cuisines. Then join in the conversation during the Q&A afterward.

A reception will precede with tastes from each of the featured restaurants, as well as Hodo Soy Beanery, Bex Winery and Momokawa Oregon Craft Sake.

Tickets are $35 each.

Dinner & A Movie — Indian-Style

Bread of India at Swan’s Market in Oakland, 948 Clay St., is kicking off a monthly series of film screenings accompanied by regional meals prepared by Chef Rohit Singh.

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