Category Archives: Enticing Events

Eating Out for A Good Cause, Bon Appetit’s Barbara Fairchild, Special Ubuntu Dinner and Meal Deals in Silicon Valley

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An event to help preserve Tibetan culture. (Photo courtesy of the Tibetan Aid Project.

Helping to Rebuild Tibetan Culture

Twenty-four top toques will be cooking at the 10th annual “Taste and Tribute” by the Tibetan Aid Project on Nov. 19 at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco.

The chefs will cook in teams of two to prepare four courses, with each table experiencing a different menu. Among those pairing up for the night to intertwine their culinary skills are: Bruce Hill of Bix, Picco and Zero Zero, all in San Francisco, with Liza Shaw of A16 in San Francisco; and Bruno Chemel of Baume in Palo Alto with Martin Brock of Gary Danko in San Francisco.

A silent auction will feature items such as vacation packages, wine tastings, and handmade Tibetan art.

Tickets are $350 per person.

Proceeds will help preserve and ship traditional Tibetan texts, art prints and prayer wheels to Tibetan refugees in the Himalayan region.

Aiding Mission District Youths

Mark your calendar for Nov. 10, when more than 30 restaurants, cafes, markets, ice cream shops and even food trucks in San Francisco will be donating 25 percent or more of sales to Mission Graduates, a non-profit that helps neighborhood youths prepare for and complete college.

The “Food for Thought’‘ event last year enabled more than 100 kids to attend a five-week summer program, and helped secure more than $250,000 in college scholarships to support high school students and their families.

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A Gingery Time for a Good Cause

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Fresh-baked gingerbread stars to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation. (Photo courtesy of the Lark Creek Restaurant Group)

Satisfy your gingerbread craving while doing a good deed, too.

You can if you purchase a bag of star-shaped, iced gingerbread cookies for $10 from participating Lark Creek Restaurant Group establishments throughout November. All proceeds will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which makes wishes come true for children with severe illnesses.

The cookies, available on the dessert menu, were designed by One Market Pastry Chef Patti Dellamonica-Bauler. Glam them up with frosting, sprinkles and candies to enjoy at the restaurant or take them home with you in a decorative box.

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Meet Harold McGee and Amanda Hesser

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Harold McGee (Photo by Harold Petzke)Meet Harold McGee:

Bay Area author  Harold McGee’s seminal “On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen” (Scribner) is beloved by home cooks and professional chefs alike.

Now, he’s come out with a new book that’s sure to be another classic: “Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes” (Penguin Press).

The new book is filled with useful information, based on scientific findings, that will no doubt make us all better cooks. For instance, did you know that you should reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days, as they are so perishable that they can spoil even in the fridge? Did you know that figs are so perishable that they can be spoiled inside without obvious external signs? Or that you should not use foil to wrap acidic foods or to cover steel or cast-iron pots as aluminum corrodes in contact with acid or non-aluminum metal containers?

You can meet McGee, when he’ll be signing copies of his book at various events around the Bay Area:

* Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at Kepler’s in Menlo Park.

* Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sobrato Center for Non-Profits, 1400 Parkmoor Ave. in San Jose. The event, hosted by the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley, is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. For tickets, call (408) 847-7730 or click here.

* Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. at Omnivore Books in San Francisco.

* Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at Bookshop Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz.

Join Amanda Hesser for a Food Writing Seminar

Longtime food writer for the New York Times, Amanda Hesser, will be leading an adult writer’s seminar, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Women’s Building, 3543 – 18th St. in San Francisco.

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Getting into the Spook-tacular Spirit

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Chef Jamie Oliver and Steve Ells, founder of Chipotle, in their "frightening'' costumes. (Photo couresty of Chipotle)

Boorito Time:

Chipotle Mexican Grill has teamed up with UK Chef Jamie Oliver for a clever Halloween promotion to expose just how scary processed foods can be.

Just visit any Chipotle restaurant between 6 p.m. and closing on Oct. 31, dressed as a horrifying processed food product, and you’ll be treated to a burrito made with naturally raised ingredients for just $2.

Proceeds from the “Boorito 2010,” up to $1 million, will benefit “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” a campaign to get people to cook and eat fresh, healthful food.

Chipotle also will host an online costume contest, where customers can be photographed in their frightening processed food costumes at Chipotle’s, then can post the pic online here.

The grand prize winner will receive $2,500; five runners-up will get $1,000 each. And 20 honorable mentions will receive a burrito party for 20 guests at a Chipotle’s of their choice.

Better get cracking now on that one-of-a-kind costume to win.

Pumpkin Carving:

Yankee Pier in Larkspur invites kids to come in, Oct. 28-31, for its annual pumpkin-carving contest.

There will be various prizes for different age ranges, including giveaways of toys and bookstore gift cards. Contest winners will be announce on Oct. 31 via Facebook.

This week, the Lark Creek Restaurant Group also will be concluding its annual “Pumpkin Festival” of dishes that showcase fall squashes.

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New Pinkberry, Free Pasta and More

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Another Pinkberry Opens:

The tart fro-yo craze continues as the South Bay welcomes another Pinkberry, this one at 2362 El Camino Real in Santa Clara.

The grand opening, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 22, will feature free samples and celebrity guest DJ Joe Manganiello from HBO’s “True Blood,” spinning tunes.

Wine Dinner at Red Crane:

Chef Royce Mori of Red Crane in Cupertino. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant)Join Burrell School Winery and Chef Royce Mori when they host a special wine dinner at Red Crane in Cupertino, 7 p.m. Oct. 26.

The four-course dinner includes such delightful pairings as crispy snow crab cake with papaya salsa matched with the 2006 “Teacher’s Pet” Estate Chardonnay; and pan-roasted petit filet mignon with roasted gold beets accompanied by the 2007 “Honor Roll” Estate Merlot.

Price is $80 per person. For reservations, call (408) 725-1990.

Prime Time for Prime Rib:

It definitely will be at Sent Sovi in Saratoga, Oct. 28, when Chef-Owner Josiah Slone hosts the “Big Scary Prime Rib” dinner.

Nothing to fear; the scary part refers to those big bottles of wine (magnums and larger) that we have stashed at home, wondering when we’ll ever have the occasion to uncork them.

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