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Posted by Brian on Apr 26, 2012

San Francisco Vintners Market

The San Francisco Vintners Market fell on the same weekend as the Pebble Beach Food & Wine event (my Birthday weekend) I was torn on how I would fit it all in. Luckily Danny & I drove back Saturday evening for my celebratory Leg of Beast dinner at Incanto. After a lot of wine and food at Pebble Beach & Incanto the next day I rallied (aka forced myself to get up) and we went to the San...

Posted by Brian on Apr 22, 2012

Pebble Beach Food & Wine: A Happy Birthday to Me

Last weekend was my Birthday (don’t worry, I am still accepting gifts) & I had the privileged of celebrating it at The Pebble Beach Food & Wine event. For those who do not know, The Pebble Beach Food & Wine event is a four day food & wine (cue RuPaul voice) extravaganza. Throughout the weekend there are numerous food, wine and cocktail workshops, specialty lunches & dinners...

Posted by Brian on Apr 12, 2012

Passover & Pork

The week before Passover I attended the Pates & Terrines class at The Fatted Calf in Napa. I know, I am a bad Jew. The class was filled with pork: pork rillettes, pork confit, pork fat, ground pork. As with the Whole Hog Class the “magical charcuterie” tempted me with its wonders all the while reminding me of the Passover Seder Plate (also very magical) that would be in my future. ...

Posted by Brian on Apr 7, 2012

Passover Chocolate Toffee Matzo

Passover desserts are the Jewish equivalent of Fruit Cakes at Christmas, usually dry and plenty left over at the end of the meal. The dietary restrictions of Passover are always a bakers challenge, so when my cousin told me she would be having a Seder the second night of Passover I hummed and hawed over what Passover Dessert I wanted to make. I wanted to make something simple, something that didn’t...

Posted by Brian on Apr 2, 2012

A Rhone Rangers Wine & Food Adventure

Ah, traveling to France’s Rhone Valley, viewing the steep slopes around me, breathing the fresh air filled with the scent of grape vines, feeling the light breeze brush my face. Unfortunately I have never been to the Rhone Valley, I have never seen the steep slopes (except on TV) and actually knew very little about the Rhone Valley prior to attending the Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting on March...

Posted by Brian on Mar 19, 2012

Social Anxiety & Lemon Infused Cake

I have social anxiety so I baked a Lemon Infused Cake with Lemon Curd & Strawberry Jam filling and Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. Ok, let me explain, for the past few years I have been dealing with Social Anxiety, not the kind of social anxiety where I am paralyzed and refuse to go to any social functions but the type that gives me great pause and hesitation before I commit to or move...

Posted by Brian on Mar 13, 2012

Whole Hog Butchery @ The Fatted Calf

I wanted to try something different, I wanted to get “more in touch” with my food & I wanted to cut things up (ok, yes, that sounds creepy) so I signed up for the Whole Hog Butchery Class at The Fatted Calf in Napa, CA. The Whole Hog class is offered approximately 14 times a year, on Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. Getting a coveted spot in one of the many classes The Fatted Calf...

Posted by Brian on Mar 3, 2012

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

The 2012 San Francisco Wine Competition – Public Tasting was held on Saturday February 18th at Fort Mason Center. With over 800 wineries & around 100 specialty food samples, it is an event not to be missed! Granted I could not try every wine or every food items, but below are some of the wines and foods that stood out: One of my favorite wines of the day was from Jax Vinyeards,...