June 27th, 2008 by Melinda McRae
Yolo Slow Food leader, notable author and educator Georgeanne Brennan is suspending her cooking classes in Provence this summer and instead will be offering a series of ”Provence in California” culinary weekends at her farm starting in August.
Brennan’s farm boasts a huge seasonal potager garden with more than 100 fruit trees, a grape arbor and a field with more than 1,000 tomato plants for participants to utilize for the cooking classes. Her husband makes wine and grappa for guests to sample while enjoying the view of neighboring walnut and almond farms.
The classes will take place in Brennan’s kitchen, surrounded by Meyer lemon trees, and some of the classes will be conducted with her outdoor wood-fired oven with participants making flatbreads, roasting meats, vegetables and fruits. All classes will be followed by apéritif and a long leisurely lunch under the farm’s 100-year old black walnut tree — the essence of Slow Food! For detailed information, sample class and menus, available dates, and cost, please visit Brennan’s Web site.
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June 4th, 2008 by Melinda McRae
Tickets are now on sale for the 2008 SushiMasters State Finals Competition, which will be held on June 10, 2008, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Sacramento Convention Center. Tickets are $50 each, and a portion of proceeds will benefit the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Project, which seeks to preserve the first Japanese settlement in California. Tickets may be purchased through the Convention Center Box Office, tickets.com or charge by phone at (800) 225-2277.
Six of California’s best sushi chefs emerged victorious from regional competitions throughout the state and will participate in an intense, 45-minute live competition for the coveted title of SushiMaster and other cash awards.
The evening festivities will also feature a reception-style sampling of sushi and various popular Japanese dishes. There will be sake tasting available for guests 21 and older, as well as cultural entertainment.
Every piece of sushi in the United States is made from California rice – a premium medium-grain variety found only in the Sacramento Valley.
More detailed event information and a history of sushi in California can be found at www.sushimasters.com
Every ticketholder receives a free SushiMasters tote bag filled with goodies, including California Rice.
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June 3rd, 2008 by Melinda McRae
Photos by Larry Conlin and Barbara Haven
What a perfect day — perfect weather, food, wine and camaraderie! The day started with a variety of farm, winery, orchard and wildlife Delta tours lead by experts in their respective fields.
The evening activities started with a silent auction accompanied by beer tasting from Rubicon, wine tasting from Muir-Hanna and appetizers from our four chefs.
Dinner started around 6:00 where we took pleasure in sharing — family style – fresh seasonal and local ingredients in our salad, ravioli, massa brown rice and vegetables, pork, lamb, bourbon-cherry tart with homemade ice cream and Ginger Elizabeth’s chocolate (full menu can be found below.)
Anya Fernald shared the vision of Slow Food Nation’s Labor Day event to the 200+ diners. A lively auction was conducted by professional auctioneer Dan Macon, and the generousity of the participants was overwhelmingly moving– with their help, we were able to raise more than $15,000 for Slow Food Nation.
We were all blown away by the incredible menu the chefs from each county created, but we were ecstatic to learn that the chefs were contributing $2,000 toward the Slow Food Nation efforts — we bow to you!!
We could not have accomplished this great event without the remarkable participation of our Slow Food colleagues from Yolo, Solano and Placer counties — we love you guys! (I know, corny, but hey, we really do love them!) A very warm and special thanks to all of the farmers who contributed their wonderful produce, the tour leaders who opened their ‘homes,’ the chefs who shared their passion and talents, our sponsors who share our values, and to all of you who contributed to the concept of slowing down on the Delta ~ Cheers!
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