Oooh La La For Ooba

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A thirst-quencher flavored with lovely hibiscus flowers.

Ooh who, you ask?

That’s Ooba, the new sparkling hibiscus drink by the Pleasanton-based HiBix Corp.

Yes, that’s hibiscus as in the flower that’s used in Red Zinger tea, and in Mexican-style aqua frescas. Ooba is made with all-natural hibiscus extract from hand-harvested flowers from around the world that are shipped to California.  The extract is blended with water and cane sugar, then carbonated.

Company CEO John-David Enright, a pharmaceutical industry veteran, touts the fat-free beverage’s antioxidants, and high level of Vitamin C. Eight fluid ounces — half of one bottle — has 90 calories.

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Foodie Happenings

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The winery that put California on the map. (Photo courtesy of Chateau Montelena)

You’re invited to take part in a James Beard Foundation gala event to honor one of the Napa Valley’s — and the world’s — most lengendary wine-making families.

The Barrett family of Chateau Montelena helped put California wine on the map when its 1973 Chateau Montelena won the famous “Paris Tasting,” beating out all other wines, including notable French ones.

To honor the family’s historic contributions to the wine world, the foundation is hosting a “Legends of Wine” event, July 11-12, in the Napa Valley.

It starts with a tasting, tour, and lunch at Chateau Montelena in Calistoga on July 11. A flight of Chardonnays, going back 15 years, will be sampled, along with a tasting of Estate Cabarnets. Lunch will be prepared by Chef Ken Frank of acclaimed La Toque restaurant in Napa. That night, dinner also will be prepared by Frank at his restaurant.

The next day, La Toque hosts a gala dinner with guest chefs that include Neal Fraser of Grace in Los Angeles, and Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington, D.C.

VIP tickets that get you into all the events are $1,500 per person. If that’s too rich for your blood, the gala dinner is $500. For reservations, call (707) 257-5157. The event is a fund-raiser for the James Beard Foundation.

For more fabulous wines to enjoy, don’t miss “Pinot Days San Francisco,” now through June 28.

The event thatl celebrates everyone’s favorite varietal, includes a grand festival that features more than 200 pinot producers from around the world, as well as winemaker dinners, and focused tastings. Tickets range in price from $50 to $150.

A wine deal at Terzo. (Photo courtesy of Art Gray)

Terzo restaurant in San Francisco has a deal for wine afficionados. Sunday through Thursday through Labor Day, the restaurant is offering all $40 and under wines on the menu at half-price for dinner guests. Just order two small plates or one large one per person to take advantage of the vino special.

To commemorate San Francisco’s Pride Parade on June 28, Macy’s Union Square Cellar is hosting a cooking demo, noon June 27, with some of the Bay Area’s top toques. They include Adam Jones of Market Street Grill in San Francisco; and Jennifer Biesty, former contestant on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” and now chef at Scala’s Bistro in San Francisco.

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Drunken Pasta

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No, you don't have to be drunk to enjoy this delightful, impromptu pasta dish. But you do have to add a little booze to the mix.

This is what results when you find yourself with 2 pounds of fresh clams, a craving for pasta, and some already opened containers of booze lying around.

Although my husband, Meat Boy, loves to grill and roast big hunks of meat — hence the nickname — he also loves making seafood pasta. I know, I know. One has nothing to do with the other. But that’s just him. And you got to love a guy for his contradictions, don’t you?

He found a recipe online. But it called for chorizo. We had none, and didn’t want to make an extra trip to the grocery store, so we used bacon instead, along with a liberal amount of red pepper flakes.

The recipe also called for white wine. We didn’t feel like opening a bottle that night just for this dish, so we decided to use a mix of vodka and absinthe instead. After all, I still had a quite full bottle of St. George Spirits Absinthe Verte, and it did add such a nice touch to the Manhattan Bay Scallop Chowder I made this past winter. So why not give it a go in pasta?

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What Do These Peppers Look Like to You?

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I see the Rolling Stone lips logo. What do you see?

OK, let’s play that game where you gaze up at the clouds and ponder what images come to mind.

See those peppers above?

I look at them and see the red tongue logo made famous by the Rolling Stones.

That’s just me, though.

What do they bring to mind for you?

With a deep lipstick-red hue and a glossy look, Spanish piquillo peppers are definitely striking looking. They’re also wonderful to have on hand for quick appetizers or colorful additions to main courses. Stuff them with cheese, then grill or saute them until melted. Serve alongside crusty bread. Roast them with shrimp or fish. Or add them to a big pan of paella.

You’ll find them at gourmet grocery stores in cans or jars. They’re a godsend to have around in the pantry.

Tender, juicy chicken thighs baked with saffron and piquillo peppers.

After all, with these tender, slippery peppers, you can make “Oven-Baked Chicken with Spanish Peppers” from “Lobel’s Meat Bible” (Chronicle Books) by Stanley, Evan, Mark, and David Lobel. You probably know the Lobel name from the high-caliber artisan meats the family has sold at its New York store for generations.

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Patric Chocolate: From Bean to Bar

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Small-batch chocolate made in Missouri.

Columbia, MO-based Patric Chocolate makes dark chocolate bars in small batches, from cacao beans sourced from Madagascar.

Founder Alan McClure started his company three years ago, after being inspired by the chocolate-making traditions he witnessed while traveling in France.

Hearing about Food Gal’s insatiable appetite for all things chocolate, McClure sent me a sample to try. The 1.75-ounce bars retail for $6.25 each.

I’ll use my patented scale of 1 to 10 lip-smackers, with 1 being the “Bleh, save your money” far end of the spectrum; 5 being the “I’m not sure I’d buy it, but if it was just there, I might nibble some” middle-of-the-road response; and 10 being the “My gawd, I could die now and never be happier, because this is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth” supreme ranking.

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