Cook Here and Now

Let's eat together: Hanami picnic on April 3rd

Sorry: Canceled because of weather. It's been raining a lot on Friday: the ground will be soaked and it will be too cold to sit (area is in the shade).

Buongiorno. Grazie to everyone who came and cooked with us last Sunday: as always it was a blast! I'm still craving the dark chocolate tart with sea salt and candied kumquats.

While living in Japan I became really fond of the spring Hanami custom of enjoying the beauty of the cherry blossoms while sharing food with family and friends. Since cherry trees are in full bloom in Golden Gate park, I think we should have an informal Hanami picnic.

I'll be baking a few batches of morning pastries with seasonal fruit and berries to share with everybody. Someone please bring some coffee! All sweet and savory home-cooked food featuring seasonal and sustainable ingredients is welcome.

Where: Grove of blooming cherry trees across the street from the Strybing Arboretum entrance at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr Dr. and Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr. in San Francisco, Golden Gate park.

When: 12 noon on.

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

Let's cook and eat together: March 28th

Buongiorno,

We're ready for our first spring dinner, and we'll be featuring local, organic and free-range lamb and goat. There's a good selection to choose from at Niman Ranch, Whole Foods, Bi-Rite or Prather Meat Company, Golden Gate Meat in the Ferry Building, for starters.

Featured seasonal vegetables will be asparagus, cauliflower, fennel and all garlic and onions varieties.
Featured seasonal fruit will be avocados, kiwis and guavas.

Many thanks to Chef Charles Phan for generously donating The Slanted Door's industrial kitchen for our event, and coordinating the space and staffing!

To cover the costs of a manager onsite and recyclable utensils, there will be a nominal fee of $8 per person. Just to be clear, I'm still donating all my time and efforts: this remains a community event. The fee pays the Slanted Door manager who is coming in just for us on Sunday, in case of emergencies or questions. The PayPal link will be emailed to those who register to join us. Check your calendar before signing up, since donations are non-refundable.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

The plan
30 of us will cook and eat together on March 28th, starting at 4. We'll be done around 8:30.

The dinner will be in San Francisco, at chef Charles Phan's kitchen in the Mission. There's enough space to use the stoves and ovens in a couple of shifts.

Only 30 people can register for this event, so act quickly, but please note which courses are already taken. Details will be emailed to those registered a few days before the event.

Every person coming (including any guest you bring, or your other half in a couple) must sign up for a slot and either cook something or provide local wine and beer (if beverage slots are available - see below).

Since participation is limited, please let us know at least 4 days before the dinner 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 not at all) is unfair to everyone, especially people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

11 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 participants will make appetizers for 8 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
3 participants will make salads for 10 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 participants will make dessert for 8-10 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 participants will bring at least 2 bottles of good *locally produced* wine per person (not per couple) and some *locally-brewed* beer. Consider that most cooks spend $25-50 (and up!) just on their ingredients. If you're not cooking, you should be prepared to spend at least this much on beverages, out of respect for your chefs.  ALL SLOTS TAKEN
1 participant will bring non-alcoholic beverages (sparkling water and juices, locally produced when possible) ALL SLOTS TAKEN

Please let me know who is coming by name. Once we reach 30 people confirmed, I will 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. (Don't worry: There will always be another event to showcase your skills.)

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 (appetizer, main course, etc.)
If you brought wine last time, you should now cook something (unless you cooked as part of a couple and made a large entree).

If too many people pick the same course, I'll have to assign a different course to the last entrant.

This is going to be great! So sign up before the spaces are gone.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Thank you for participating! NorCal artisan wine and cheese

Buongiorno,
Grazie to the 60+ of you that participated in our Northern California wine and cheese pairing event. That was a blast! And special thanks to Liam at Bellwether Farms for sending the still hard-to-find Jersey cow whole milk ricotta to try. It was a big hit and everyone wants to know where to find it.

Stay tuned: I'll post the call for participation for our next 'Let's cook and eat together' event in the next few days.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

 

 

CH&N Pairings: ALL SLOTS FULL

Buongiorno,

Thank you! All our 60 slots are full.
Thank you so much for the enthusiasm. I really appreciate it.

If your name is not listed in the comments section of the previous post, please stay tuned -- we'd love to have you next time. If you wish to be on the waiting list, please leave your email address and name as a comment to this post. I'll contact you if anyone cancels.

Ciao e grazie mille,
Marco Flavio

CH&N Pairings: Northern California artisan wine and cheese

Buongiorno,
I'm delighted to announce a new CH&N Pairings event.

When and where
Saturday, March 6 from 2 to 5 pm, in San Francisco

The plan
60 of us will gather, each bringing a sample of our favorite Northern California wine or Northern California artisan cheeses. 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.

This is a community event, open to all. We need to rent the space from the city, so there is a $5 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 a wine, 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 wine. (This should be an artisan wine, with thought to cheese pairings.) 2 SLOTS LEFT
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 2 SLOTS LEFT
5 slots for people making a dessert (homemade please) ALL SLOTS TAKEN
2 slots for people bringing compostable plates, knives and napkins ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 slots for people bringing us artisan or homemade bread (at least 4 loaves) or crackers (at least 4 packs, or equivalent homemade) 2 SLOTS LEFT

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.)

5 recommended pairings from Alison Bing (author of Lonely Planet's Napa & Sonoma Encounter, who'll be at the event - for more suggestions, contact her on  )

Vella Romanella: Hard cow’s milk cheese with the umami of Parmiggiano Romano from Vella Cheese, ideal with assertive Napa Cabernet Franc. (Available at Rainbow.)

Andante Acapella Ashed Round: Delicate goat’s milk in a volcanic, ashy rind - a velvet fist in an iron glove that pairs with like-minded Carneros bubbly. (Made by Sonoma’s Soyoung Scanlan and available at BiRite.)

Bellwether Carmody: Quintessentially NorCal – easygoing, a little nutty, and young for its age (6 weeks). Made by Cindy & Liam Callahan on the Sonoma coast and available at Boont Berry Farm; enjoy with Anderson Valley Rose/’ of Pinot Noir. (Available at Rainbow.)

Redwood Hill Farm California Crottin: pungent French-style goat cheese with California earthiness that amps up Dry Creek Syrahs. Made on America’s first certified Grade A Humane goat farm in Sebastopol by the eco-smart Bice family. (Available at Safeway & Rainbow.)

Pug’s Leap Buche: Soft goat cheese aromatic with lemongrass, made by Pascal Destandau and Eric Smith in a solar-powered Dry Creek dairy; devour sun-warmed with chilled Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. (Available at Rainbow.)

This is going to be great! So sign up before the spaces are gone.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Pie to the people: Saturday, February 6th ALL SLOTS FULL

Buongiorno,

Thank you! All our 50 slots are full.
That took no time at all... thank you so much for the enthusiasm. I really appreciate it.

If your name is not listed in the comments section of the previous post, please stay tuned -- we'd love to have you next time. If you wish to be on the waiting list, please leave your email address and name as a comment to this post. I'll contact you if anyone cancels.

Ciao e grazie mille,
Marco Flavio

Pie to the people: Saturday, February 6th

Hello everybody,
I'm organizing an old school winter pie social with a local and seasonal twist. 50 of us will get together to eat pies we bake (previously, at home) for the event, accompanied by locally roasted coffee and the best Bay Area ice cream (homemade highly encouraged).

Featured winter pies and tarts ingredients will be: apple, pear, nuts (pecan, walnut, almonds, hazelnuts), pumpkin and sweet potato, and all citrus (lemon, tangerine, lime etc). If you froze berries or made jam, you're welcome to make a tart with it. Homemade fair trade chocolate and ice cream pies and tortes are also welcome.

Coffee will be purchased from Bay Area roasters (Equator, Blue Bottle, Four Barrel, Sightglass, etc).

Ice cream can be homemade or bought from the many Bay Area artisan ice cream and gelato producers - for ideas, here's a great list from SFGate.

I'm donating all my time and efforts - this is a community event. We need to rent the space from the city, so there is a $5 donation per person. The PayPal link will be emailed to the participants tomorrow. Check your calendar before signing up, since donations are non-refundable.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

The plan
50 of us will enjoy pie together on Saturday, February 6th, starting at 2. We'll need to leave the space by 5.

The social will be in San Francisco, at a venue by Duboce Park; address and details will be emailed to participants.

Only 50 people can register for this event, so act quickly - you know how fast these spots go.

Every person coming (including any guest you bring, or your other half in a couple) must sign up for a slot and either bring a pie or take one of the other slots.

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 not at all) is unfair to everyone, especially people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

5 participants will bake an apple or pear pie or tart. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 people will bake fair trade chocolate or local ice cream pies. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 participants will bake a pie or tart with citrus (eg lemon meringue, key lime, etc.) ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 participants will bake a sweet potato or pumpkin pie. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 participants will bake a nut-based pie or torte (pecan, walnut, almond, hazelnut, pine, macademia).
6 participants will bake any other seasonal winter pie, tart or torte. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
3 participants will bring an electric coffee maker and locally roasted coffee. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
2 participants will bring an electric coffee maker and locally roasted DECAF coffee. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
2 participants will bring an electric tea kettle and a selection of fair trade teas. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
8 participants will make or bring artisan ice-cream or gelato, at least 3 pints each. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
2 people will bring compostable plates and napkins for 30. ALL SLOTS TAKEN
2 people will bring compostable flatware and coffee cups for 30. ALL SLOTS TAKEN

Please let me know who is coming by name. Once we reach 50 people confirmed, 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. (Don't worry: there will always be another event to showcase your skills.)

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 (pie, coffee, decaf, etc.)

This is going to be great! So sign up before the spaces are gone.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Let's cook and eat together: January 24th ALL SLOTS FULL

Buongiorno,

Thank you for your overwhelming enthusiasm: All our slots are full.
That took 15 minutes from posting... thank you so much for the enthusiasm. I really appreciate it.

If your name is not listed in the comments section of the previous post, please stay tuned -- we'd love to have you next time. If you wish to be on the waiting list, please leave your email address and name as a comment to this post. I'll contact you if anyone cancels.

Ciao e grazie mille,
Marco Flavio

Let's cook and eat together: January 24th

Buongiorno and Happy New Year,

We're ready for our January dinner, and this time we'll be featuring eggs and all poultry except chicken (chicken eggs are ok). Please cook responsibly and choose local, organic and free-range meat whenever possible: you can get it at Whole Foods, at the Prather Meat Company or Golden Gate Meat in the Ferry Building, for starters.

Featured vegetables are: mushrooms (including chanterelles: I'll have the chance of having a forager get us some if I can get a minimum of buyers, details to come), onions and chives, mustard greens, chard, and almonds.

Fruit will be kiwi, lemons and Meyer lemons.

Many thanks to Chef Charles Phan for generously donating The Slanted Door's industrial kitchen for our event, and coordinating the space and staffing!

To cover the costs of a manager onsite and recyclable utensils, there will be a nominal fee of $8 per person. Just to be clear, I'm still donating all my time and efforts: this remains a community event. The fee pays the Slanted Door manager who is coming in just for us on Sunday, in case of emergencies or questions. The PayPal link will be emailed to those who register to join us. Check your calendar before signing up, since donations are non-refundable.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

The plan
30 of us will cook and eat together on January 24th, starting at 4. We'll be done around 8:30.

The dinner will be in San Francisco, at chef Charles Phan's kitchen in the Mission. There's enough space to use the stoves and ovens in a couple of shifts.

Only 30 people can register for this event, so act quickly, but please note which courses are already taken. Details will be emailed to those registered a few days before the event.

Every person coming (including any guest you bring, or your other half in a couple) must sign up for a slot and either cook something or provide local wine and beer (if beverage slots are available - see below).

Since participation is limited, please let us know at least 4 days before the dinner 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 not at all) is unfair to everyone, especially people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

11 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each (including some vegetarian options)
5 participants will make appetizers for 8 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
3 participants will make salads for 10 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 participants will make dessert for 8-10 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
5 participants will bring at least 2 bottles of good *locally produced* wine per person (not per couple) and some *locally-brewed* beer. Consider that most cooks spend $25-50 (and up!) just on their ingredients. If you're not cooking, you should be prepared to spend at least this much on beverages, out of respect for your chefs.
1 participant will bring non-alcoholic beverages (sparkling water and juices, locally produced when possible) 

Please let me know who is coming by name. Once we reach 30 people confirmed, I will 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. (Don't worry: There will always be another event to showcase your skills.)

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 (appetizer, main course, etc.)
If you brought wine last time, you should now cook something (unless you cooked as part of a couple and made a large entree).

If too many people pick the same course, I'll have to assign a different course to the last entrant.

This is going to be great! So sign up before the spaces are gone.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Let's cook and eat together: November 22nd

9.30 AM UPDATE: Thank you for the overwhelming response, I need to tally and process the comments and payments, so the signup is temporarily closed, I have more than 50 replies in my comments inbox!

Marco Flavio

Buongiorno,

We're ready for our November fall dinner, and the special ingredient is (insert drumroll) local, organic and free-range pork, including cured pork, bacon, and pancetta. There's a good selection to choose from at Niman Ranch, Whole Foods, Bi-Rite or Prather Meat Company, Golden Gate Meat and Boccalone in the Ferry Building, for starters.

Featured vegetables will include bok choy, chum soy, green beans, beets (there should be a nice selection at the market) and shitake mushrooms.
Fruit will be pears, Asian pears, apples and pomegranates.

Many thanks to Chef Charles Phan for generously donating The Slanted Door's industrial kitchen for our event, and coordinating the space and staffing!

To cover the costs of a manager onsite and recyclable utensils, there will be a nominal fee of $7 per person. Just to be clear, I'm still donating all my time and efforts: this remains a community event. The fee pays the Slanted Door manager who is coming in just for us on Sunday, in case of emergencies or questions. 

When you see your comments posted below, click on the PayPal button and send your contribution.  Check your calendar before signing up, since donations are non-refundable.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

The plan
30 of us will cook and eat together on November 22nd, starting at 4. We'll be done around 8:30.

The dinner will be in San Francisco, at chef Charles Phan's kitchen in the Mission. There's enough space to use the stoves and ovens in a couple of shifts.

Only 30 people can register for this event, so act quickly, but please note which courses are already taken. Details will be emailed to those registered a few days before the event.

Every person coming (including any guest you bring, or your other half in a couple) must sign up for a slot and either cook something or provide local wine and beer (if beverage slots are available - see below).

Since participation is limited, please let us know at least 4 days before the dinner 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 not at all) is unfair to everyone, especially people who wanted to participate and couldn't because all the slots were taken.

11 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each (including some vegetarian options)
5 participants will make appetizers for 8 people each
3 participants will make salads for 10 people each
5 participants will make dessert for 8-10 people each
5 participants will bring at least 2 bottles of good *locally produced* wine per person (not per couple) and some *locally-brewed* beer. Consider that most cooks spend $25-50 (and up!) just on their ingredients. If you're not cooking, you should be prepared to spend at least this much on beverages, out of respect for your chefs.
1 participant will bring non-alcoholic beverages (sparkling water and juices, locally produced when possible) 

Please let me know who is coming by name. Once we reach 30 people confirmed, I will 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. (Don't worry: There will always be another event to showcase your skills.)

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 (appetizer, main course, etc.)
If you brought wine last time, you should now cook something (unless you cooked as part of a couple and made a large entree).

If too many people pick the same course, I'll have to assign a different course to the last entrant.

This is going to be great! So sign up before the spaces are gone.

A presto,
Marco Flavio