Cook Here and Now

Fermentation Trifecta 2010 Northern California artisan cheese, beer and bread

Buongiorno,
Given the great success of our NorCal artisan wine and cheese pairing event, I'm delighted to announce an all new CH&N Pairings event: the trifecta of fermented foods -- artisan cheeses, beers and breads.

When and where
Saturday, June 12 from 2 to 5 pm, in San Francisco

The plan
60 of us will gather, each bringing a sample of our favorite Northern California beers, cheeses or breads.
As for all our pairing events, priority for the sign-up will be given to people bringing homemade beer, cheese or bread. I'll be baking two or three of my long-fermentation breads.
Here's a list of Northern California breweries from the NorCal Brewer's Guild.
Here's a list of artisan cheesemakers from the California Artisan Cheese Guild.
Some of us will make an accompanying dessert to enjoy along with our tasting.

I strongly recommend signing up with a friend and bringing a pairing of a beer with a cheese.

This is a community event, open to all. We need to rent the space from the city, so there is a $6 donation per person. The PayPal link will be emailed to the participants tomorrow. Check your calendar before signing up, since donations are non-refundable.

To attend, post a comment on this blog. (Don't email me directly.)
Every person coming (including any guest you bring) will need to sign up for a slot, and contribute beers, cheeses or homemade dessert.

Since participation is limited, please let us know at least 4 days before the event if you're not going to be able to make it, so we can invite someone else to join us. If you cancel 4 days before the event, you can't join us for the following 2 events. If you don't show at all, you can't join us for the next 3. Canceling on short notice (or none at all) is unfair to everyone, especially people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

We'll divide the slots among the participants this way:
24 slots for people bringing their favorite Northern California beers. ( At least 2 6-packs.)
24 slots for people bringing their favorite Northern California artisan cheeses -- either one pound of cheese or two 8 oz pieces of two cheeses, so that everyone can sample it
5 slots for people bringing us artisan or homemade breads ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 slots for people making a dessert (homemade please) ALL SLOTS TAKEN
2 slots for people bringing compostable plates, knives and napkins

Please let me know who is coming by name. Once we reach 60 people confirmed and paid, I'll close the event and start another post for the waiting list. If the slots are full for what you'd like to bring, please choose something else instead.

So post a comment on the blog (do not email me directly) under the call-for-participation post letting me know the following:
First and last name
Email address
What you'll be bringing (bread, cheese, wine, etc.)

Here's a list of suggested cheese and beer pairings from Real California Milk board.
Download Beer&CheesePairings

This is going to be great (and quick to fill up)! So sign up before the spaces are gone.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

NorCal plants mission: Identifying edibles

Buongiorno everybody - My friend Tony, the environmental educator and forager who led our mushroom identification walk, is taking us on an edible and medicinal foraging excursion and field study.

To reserve, contact Tony directly at: tlcockrellbooks@yahoo.com.

WHAT: Edible & Medicinal Plants of central California.

In this workshop we will walk and explore the plant life in the Bay Area. We will use our senses to identify the local flora and learn the uses of these plants for food and medicine. Participants will learn basic botanical nomenclature to aid in identifying plant species when using field guides. The knowledge of ecosystems and seasons will aid in the understanding of locations and appearances of plants. This workshop is for all levels of learners.

WHEN: Saturday, May 22

WHERE: Tilden Regional Park (Berkeley) at the Big Springs pullout. Big Springs is marked by a sign on your right as you drive towards the Botanic Garden on South Park Drive off Grizzly Peak Blvd. It is also possible to get there off Grizzly Peak Blvd. by taking Shasta Road and going right onto South Park Drive where it connects with Wildcat Canyon Road.

BRING: Comfortable walking shoes, plenty of water, sunscreen and sun hat, writing material, snacks and a daypack for your items.

COST: $18.00/person. Please email Tony at tlcockrellbooks@yahoo.com for workshop registration and any questions.

Let's eat together: Hanami picnic on May 8th

Buongiorno. Lo and behold: one grove of cherry trees waited to bloom until my return from Italy! I discovered them today on my run through Golden Gate Park, and decided that it's not too late for our Hanami picnic after all - San Francisco weather permitting.

While living in Japan I became really fond of Hanami, the spring custom of enjoying cherry blossoms over a picnic with family and friends. To celebrate Hanami San Francisco-style, I'll bake a batch of my matcha green tea muffins with chopped raw California almonds. All sweet and savory home-cooked food featuring seasonal and sustainable ingredients is welcome - and someone please bring some tea or coffee!

Where: Grove of blooming cherry trees where Stow Lake Drive meets JFK Drive, behind Stow Lake in San Francisco, Golden Gate park. Here's the exact GPS reading I took with my iPhone.

When: Saturday, May 8, from noon until 2pm.

What to bring: It's a seasonal picnic, Cook Here and Now style. Please bring something you made (not store-bought, please) to share and/or a beverage of your choice. Do bring a blanket to lay on the ground.

This is an informal event: there's no sign-up. Just come over, weather permitting. I'd appreciate it if you could post a comment here letting me know if you'll make it, so I'll have a way of contacting people in case of cancellation due to weather or any other update.

Grazie, see you there!
Marco Flavio