The Dish on the Ghetto Gourmet San Francisco

Happy Friday: Western Spaghetti

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:17:00 +0000

Enjoy this stop motion video, winner 2009 Sundance Film Festival:

A Delectable San Francisco Inspired Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 06:57:00 +0000

The Bentley Reserve (American Caviar, Boiled Eggs and Smoked Salmon Layered between Buckwheat Belini w/ Chive Crème Fraiche; menu by Chef Rebecca Alonzi, Seasonal Elegance

Over the weekend, Lisa and Michael celebrated their anniversary at their beautiful home overlooking San Francisco. The first time I met them was when I was a server at their rehearsal dinner four years ago! How time flies! I was very excited when Lisa asked me to help her throw an intimate anniversary party, which also came with the news that they were moving to the East Coast to be closer to family.

They wanted a menu where their guests wouldn't have to use utensils, so together we came up with a rolling cocktail hour (3 selections would come out every hour). I decided to get Chef Rebecca Alonzi, owner of Seasonal Elegance, on board. I mentioned our idea about doing a "tour" of San Francisco using food. Becca loved the idea and ran with it.

Below is the inventive menu she created for this special event -- I hope it inspires you and I would highly recommend Becca to bring it to life if you're planning on a San Francisco destination wedding. The food was superb!

By the way, entertainment was provided by my very own Guitar Fred (at Lisa's special request) and Brad Barton, the Reality Thief (who delighted guests with his amazing talent in the art of persuasion). The chocolate-mocha cake was made by Karoline, Becca's pastry chef, and topped with a mini Golden Gate Bridge.

The Beach Blanket Babylon; menu by Chef Rebecca Alonzi, Seasonal Elegance

A San Francisco Inspired Menu by Seasonal Elegance

24th and Mission

Seared Bay Scallop over Saffron Risotto w/ Green Olive and Red Bellpepper Coulis

Pacific Catch

Wild Hamachi Sashimi, Coconut-Green Curry Vinaigrette, Fried Ginger, Cucumber on a Wonton Crisp

Route 101

Apple Turnip Cake, Smoked Trout, Watercress and Horseradish Crème Fraiche

Mercado Sabrosa

Slow Braised Chicken in Sweet Corn Masa, Traditional Red Mole, in a one-bite Banana Leaf

Lobster Lafayette

Lobster-Corn Ravioli with Basil-Mint Oil and Vanilla and Meyer Lemon Zest

Beach Blanket Babylon

Char-Grilled Crostini with Olive Oil Poached Octopus and Parsley-Caper Pesto

China Town Bistro

5-Spice Beef Brisket Sliders on cheddar chive biscuits with tender braised beef and Napa Cabbage Slaw

Saturday Morning Market Stall

Grilled Peach Pesto, Fresh Burrata Cheese and Olive Oil Crostini

Fisherman’s Harvest

Fresh Oysters, Lightly Grilled, Tomato Chokha Coulis

Sweet Paul Mag

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Fri, 21 May 2010 07:28:00 +0000

Sweet Paul Magazine launched on May 7 and it's packed with recipes and fun crafts. You'll drool over the beautiful food photography.

There's an apple and chevre salad with honey vinaigrette that I'm dying to try.

You can find more info here.

Also, check out this whimsical fun idea I might take up for our carnival cocktail hour:

{From Sweet Paul Mag}

Sneak Peek of X-Treme Eating on FLN

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:09:00 +0000

There are a few dates left to see Canvas Underground's appearance on the Fine Living Network!
The show airs again May 16 (8pm PT), May 17 (12am PT), May 20 (6pm PT), May 21 (10pm ET), May 28 (7pm PT), and May 29 11pm PT). We're the second segment!

Dining in a vacant Victorian in West Oakland

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:55:00 +0000

We were delighted that 42 adventurous diners joined us for dinner at Anna and Theo's lovely home in West Oakland this past Sunday evening. Together, we raised more than $1,200 for Agrariana.

There were lots of paparazzi (thanks to Michael Bonocore and Brittany Piehl) in the room. Please check out the following links below to articles and photos taken that night and see if you can spot yourself or even your quote. Also, thanks to Allison Arevalo (@LocalLemons), an article about this event will appear in the Food and Wine section next Wednesday in the San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune and the Contra Costa Times.

Again, we couldn't have thrown this dinner without all our diners as well as our volunteers; food producers, @EatSlowJams and @LindenStBrew; and musicians, The Sweet Trade and Vagabondage. We always need volunteers -- not only in the kitchen, but also talent and venue hosts, so please don't hesitate to contact us or send your friends our way.

Join us on Facebook if you haven't already, or post photos you took at dinner to our Flickr group.

Pressed| OaklandLocal: Foodies dine in splendor in vacant Victorian

Blogged| Appeale: 03.01.10

Blogged| Bon Vivant: Underground Dining

Snap! | Michael Bonocore Photography

Almost Famous

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:45:00 +0000

{Photo by Brittany Piehl}

The Fine Living Network filming of our Canvas Underground dinner on Sunday was wildly successful! We surprised our guests with a Slow Jams "jam-cocktail hour" in the garage, where guests mingled among Harleys and power tools. Upstairs, we regaled diners with a menu that included urban foraged meyer lemon-parsnip soup and black cod poached in vanilla bean butter. We were proud to introduce up-and-coming talent, such as the Alegre Sisters (on ukelele) and Shakirah of Slow Jams, with our guests. We're "almost famous" until the episode airs April 10 nationwide. :)

Still buzzing off the energy of that sensational event, I was excited to learn about about FoodBuzz's partnership with San Pellegrino (coincidentally the drink of choice in the Canvas kitchen) for the Almost Famous Chef Competition.

The Almost Famous competition gives rising culinary stars from around the globe a chance to showcase their skills to top chefs, culinary experts and media. San Pellegrino further describes it: "like an exquisite meal, this competition is about sensational ingredients, extravagant effort and inspired creativity."

In a way, I believe the San Pellegrino + FoodBuzz competition echoes what we strive to achieve at Canvas Underground:

We are about sharing and trying new things. We were born out of the need to create outside the box using exquisite ingredients and sharing our singular dining experience with our community -- from sourcing ingredients from local farms and artisan food producers, featuring up-and-coming culinary and artistic talent, and sharing it all with a community of bon vivants and novice gourmets!

I'd love to attend the competition in Napa because it'd give me a chance to witness firsthand the extraordinary creativity these young culinary students will bust out to win the grand prize -- a paid apprenticeship with a top chef. To be there in the sidelines and watch the drama unfold and cheer on the best rising star to win bragging rights and the "Almost Famous" title is too good an opportunity to pass up.

Hold on to your forks and bring on the heat! Napa, here I come!

Learn more about the Almost Famous competition here.

Secret Supper: January 31

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 10:35:00 +0000

January 31, we're throwing a secret supper in San Francisco. Here's the menu by Chef Peter Jackson. Delish!

Soul Food Farm Egg Poached in Smoked Red Wine with Crispy Becker Lane Pork Belly, Happy Boy Farm Chicories, Grain Mustard Croutons
Parsnip and Meyer Lemon Soup with Pickled Ginger, Herb Salad
Vanilla Butter Poached Black Cod with Oregon Black Truffle Satsuma and Watercress Salad, Celery Root Puree
Banana Chocolate Napoleon with Bourbon Caramel Sauce, Crème Fraiche Marshmallow Cream

And joining us for dinner is a sister-ukelele act. We'll share more details in a few.

T'was the Night Before Christmas: Brunswick Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:02:00 +0000

{Photo from myrecipes.com}

Every Christmas Eve, my fiance's family gathers after Christmas Eve Mass to eat Brunswick Stew, a traditional southern recipe. My future mother-in-law's mother used to make it for her husband, since it was a tradition in his family to eat it the night before Christmas Day. The tradition is about 60 years old!

I don't have the exact recipe -- family secret -- but here's the closest one (I added in the package of okra to the list of ingredients as his sister prepared it). By the way, this is certainly budget-friendly meal!

Brunswick Stew from myrecipes.com
From 19th-century Virginia, this stew originally included squirrel meat (this recipe uses chicken and you can certainly add London Broil or other beef cut suitable for stews to this recipe). Although the stew is sometimes thickened with stale bread cubes, this version uses flour to give it body and features garlic bread on the side. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew and 1 slice bread)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed
1 package frozen okra, thawed
6 (1-ounce) slices Italian bread, toasted
2 garlic cloves, halved

Preparation
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell pepper, onion, and celery to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oil to pan. Combine flour and chicken in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through okra) to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Rub bread slices with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Serve bread with stew.

Nutritional Information
Calories:319 (26% from fat)
Fat:9.2g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 2.6g)
Protein:22.4g
Carbohydrate:38g
Fiber:5.8g
Cholesterol:50mg

Recap: Artisanal Beef Tasting

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:34:00 +0000

On Sunday, December 13, Canvas + Oliver Ranch hosted an Artisanal Beef Tasting! We had lots of fun putting together this event and couldn't have done it without Carrie and Stephen of Oliver Ranch, Tracy Smaciarz of Heritage Meats, Seth Nischke of Open Space Meats, Rebecca Alon of Slow Food Berkeley, and our volunteers in the kitchen, Kristy R., Dave "as seen on TV" Kim, Guitar Fred, Neil C. and Brittany P.

Click here for more photos of the event by Brittany Piehl. And here's a recipe of the Meyer Lemon Sauce that was drizzled over the sweet potato agnolotti from Chef Peter Jackson:

Meyer Lemon Sauce
Juice and grated zest of 1 large Meyer lemon
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 lb butter
1 tablespoon lecithin powder
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the lemon juice, zest honey and water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and reduce by half. Whisk in the lecithin powder, then the butter a little at a time. When all the butter is incorporated, remove from heat and whip until very frothy with a hand blender. Adjust to taste with honey, lemon, salt and pepper.

Have a great holiday and see you in the New Year!

My Favorite Things Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:13:00 +0000

I dined out more than usual this week -- from Himawari in San Mateo on Monday (still doesn't come close to Santa Ramen), a private knodel tasting with Tamara A. in the Mission on Tuesday, to a girl-power-dinner with SF Bay foodie bloggers at Town Hall on Wednesday. Tonight, I'm rounding out the week with happy hour at Epic Roasthouse. Whew!

I'll update you on the knodel tasting and the upcoming beef tasting with The Artisan Beef Institute and Oliver Ranch that Canvas Underground is hosting on December 13 in Potrero Hill. (I admit, I haven't gotten a chance to download the photos yet.)

In the meantime, here are my favorite things for Friday:

{Ordered this on Cyber Monday and just got a lovely package in the mail today!} Be good to your kitchen, the earth and your nose with Mrs. Meyer's.

Wear this with your pearls. Anthropologie's Stockholm Floral Apron - $24.99

Support local women artisans! La Cocina's Half-Pint Gift Box $35

Divine a bit of Julia Child's spirit with this beautiful 4-quart Le Creuset cocotte. On sale at Williams-Sonoma for $149.95

My Favorite Things Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:16:00 +0000

On Twitter, there's Follow Friday and today, I'm kicking off my Favorite Things Friday. Next week, malls across America will be mobbed with crazed shoppers and I won't be one of them. I'm planning to give "gifts" from the Oxfam catalog...and shop online. Here's what I'm craving:

4505 Meats "Pork, the noun, not the verb" poster. Buy online here.

Michael Recchiuti's Burnt Caramel Sundae Kit. Buy online here.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Cookbook (I've given 2 as presents already!) Buy online here.

Chronicle Books' French General: Paper Paperie for the hostess with the mostess. Buy online here.

Soul Food Farm Benefit Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:45:00 +0000

Hey y'all,

Wow, what a fantastic night we had on Sunday! Remembering rule #1, we'd love to give thanks to Susa Hart again for opening up her lovely home, the musicians (Jonathan Alford, Hugo Wainzinger and Jard Davis) who donated their time to keep us entertained, and of course, all of you who stayed out late on a Sunday night to eat for good on behalf of Soul Food Farm.

Check out Dominique Channell's write-up of the event at the Examiner.com (follow her @oakland_eats) and Brittany Piehl's photos (follow her blog, Appeale). See the full set of photos at Britt's Flickr page and video on my Flickr page. Keep in touch at our Facebook Fan page and we'll see you soon at the next Canvas event.

Cheers,
Vera @ the Ghet

Bobby Flay Throwdown Paella

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:40:00 +0000

Yay! We can now watch it online! I was interviewed, but the girl next to me kept talking too loud so my comments didn't make it. I've got a few mum scenes nonetheless. :)

Soul Food Farm Benefit

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:52:00 +0000

We had a blast at Susa's loft in Emeryville last night. Here's a sneak preview of what you missed, unless you were there!

Tonight: Creating A Just Food System Panel Discussion

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:52:00 +0000

I didn't get a chance to see Food Inc. while it was in movie theaters, but I ordered the accompanying guide nonetheless and have also been inspired by @jambutter, the blogger behind Every Kitchen Table, to do more around food justice.

Tonight, IDEX is moderating a panel discussion on the global food system, the challenges and innovative solutions local communities are initiating. Featured panelists include Dr. Raj Patel (Author & Activist), Brahm Ahmadi (The People’s Grocery), Jeff Conant (Food & Water Watch), and Rajasvini Bhansali (IDEX). Moderated by Pete Stanga (IDEX).

Event Details

When: Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Where: Goldman Theater, The David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley

Event Description: Join us for this eye-opening panel to learn how communities around the world, from Brazil, India, South Africa and Oakland are facing the challenges posed by the current food system. Find out how people are organizing and creating local alternatives, and learn what you can do.

Everyone is welcome. Recommended donation of $10, no one turned away for lack of funds.

Farm to Table Dinner: November 8

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:54:00 +0000

{Photo from Soul Food Farm}

Soul Food Farm is driven by the belief that "You are what you eat.…and what you eat, eats."

At Canvas Underground, we wholeheartedly agree and when we heard Soul Food Farm's 55 acres suffered a devastating fire, we did not hesitate to pull together a benefit dinner. In fact, SFF just lost 300 more chickens after they drowned in the floods that ensued after this week's rainstorm.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to do good by eating! And you get to meet your local farmer -- Soul Food Farm's co-founder, Eric Koefed is joining us for this truly farm-to-table event.

MENU

Happy Boy Farm Collard Greens and Sweet Potato Soup with Homemade
Andouille and Creole Cream Cheese

Wild Louisiana Shrimp and Organic Grits with Homemade Bacon, Early
Girl Tomatoes and Green Onions

Barbecue Braised Oxtails, Kristy's Coleslaw and Mac 'n Cheese

Lemon and Buttermilk Pie with Chantilly Cream, Benne Wafers and
Candied Lemon Peel

Wine will be generously provided: 2002 Cavedog's Cuvee Foreign Cinema Cab Franc/Merlot

If you'd like more info on how you can help (such as building chicken houses or installing irrigation equipment, bidding on auction items), click here.

Easy Halloween Favors: Mummy - Ghost - Skull Lollipops

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:04:00 +0000

We threw a birthday bash for my fiance last night and because he's really into Halloween, I made these fun lollipop favors!

Here's what you need (makes approx. 28):

1 bag of Tootsie Roll pops
1 bag of white chocolate candy melt
1 bag of dark chocolate candy melt
(Optional - any other color, such as orange if you want to make pumpkins or green for Frankenstein)
3-4 floral foam bricks (I had rounds for vases)
Sprinkles
Squeeze bottle (for decorating)

First, unwrap all of the Tootsie Roll pops and lay flat on a plate. Ensure your floral foam bricks are staged within reach. Employ a double boiler method to heat the candy melt -- bring a saucepan of water to boil and place another smaller pan (or bowl) on top. Pour half a bag of the candy melt into the top pan and gently stir the candy until it melts. Dip the lollipop and spin so that all of the Tootsie Roll pop surface is coated. Set the finished lollipop in the floral foam and continue until finished.

For decoration, use 2 squeeze bottles, one with dark chocolate and the other with white chocolate.

If you want to make mummies, use a squeeze bottle to drizzle thin ribbons back and forth across the lollipop.

You can make eyes, mouths, etc with the dark chocolate. Or use the white chocolate to affix sprinkles (such as green or red for eyes) to the lollipop.

I finished the favor by inserting the finished pops into a candy bag and tied with twine and attached a tag.

Potato Bacon Torte for under $10

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:12:00 +0000

{Photo of Melissa d'Arabian from Food Network.com}

I've never been inspired to seek out and execute a recipe until I watched the Food Network's newest star, Melissa d'Arabian. My fiance and I had made the wine braised pork for about $8 around Labor Day -- which was fantastic -- and tonight, we decided to make the potato bacon torte for a potluck dinner.

Ironically, I just started a new healthy lifestyle and potato, bacon and heavy cream are not at the top of the list for low fat, low carb foods. To offset the calories, I did complete my Biggest Loser Bootcamp workout for 45 minutes and walked around the nearby lake!

Because of our late afternoon walk, we were pressed for time. We cheated and bought 2 ready-made pie crusts ($2.99) and a can of Grands biscuits ($1.99) instead. The Gruyere cheese called for in the recipe was a bit pricey ($8.99/lb), so we opted for a brick of Monterey Jack ($2.90) instead.

Since we used biscuits -- which cook in 12 minutes instead of the 55 minutes that would have been appropriate for a real pie crust -- we tented tinfoil and covered the potatoes with it for 45 minutes. We rolled out the Grands biscuits and placed it on top of the potatoes 12 minutes before they were thoroughly done.

Our tortes were a hit at the party! I loved the heavy cream and thyme (we used dry and didn't strain it out) with the bacon. Next time we make this, we will experiment by using a tangier cheese. And actually everyone loved the biscuit "crust" versus a pie crust top. So we'll keep that in mind for next time.

Potato-Bacon Torte

from Melissa d'Arabian (via FoodNetwork.com)

4 strips bacon

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 pie crusts, recipe follows

3 medium baking potatoes, peeled

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until just crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Crumble the bacon when cool to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the thyme and cream over low heat to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.

Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then finely slice the potatoes. Working in circles, arrange the potato slices in the pie crust, stopping to season each layer with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 of the crumbled bacon. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Top with an even layer of the cheese and gently pour cream around and over the entire pie, allowing it to seep down between the potato slices.

Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed. Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake the torte until the crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 50 to 60 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Pie Crust

1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 to 10 tablespoons ice water

Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Remove 1 of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients.

Iron Cupcake San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:53:00 +0000

IronCupcake 021
Originally uploaded by Crease Monkey

Jeremy of the Ghet.com started the tradition of throwing Ghetto Gourmet Iron Chef competitions -- the first being Iron Chef Beet -- and since then, I've thrown Iron Chef Honey and most recently, Iron Chef Lemon. My friend, Britt of Appeale.com, just told me about a secret society of Cupcake-sters who duel each other in Iron Cupcake every month. Last month, the secret ingredient was pepper and this month it's squash. The next event is coming up on Monday, September 28. If you want to show off your cupcake prowess, throw down $5 and enter!

Get in on the action at Iron Cupcake San Francisco on Meetup.com

9.16.09 Foodbuzz Community Table @ EPIC

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:59:00 +0000

When Foodbuzz announced Visa Signature's Community Table event, I didn't hesitate to register for one of 20 spots at dinner. The setting was EPIC Roasthouse, part of the Kuleto dining empire, and a restaurant fairly new to the Embarcadero.

I walked onto the outdoor balcony with a glass of Sharffenberger rose in hand and was welcomed by a stunning view of the sun setting on the Bay Bridge. A couple crab cake bites in, I introduced myself to fellow Foodbuzz featured publisher, Danielle Tsi, of Bon Vivant. Danielle's effervescent personality was charming and I really enjoyed learning about her leap from full-time tech PR worker bee to full-time food blogger! If you love food porn like I do, then you need to see Danielle's gorgeous food photography. The next blogger I met was Mark Winitz of Chefectomy. Mark had us laughing non-stop throughout dinner, and you should really check out his thoughtful blog.

Around 7:30PM, we sat down for dinner. The amuse bouche was a butter bean soup served in a dainty teacup with a lime slice (I swear it tasted like Filipino sinagang, a tamarind-broth). Next, was an iceberg lettuce with bleu cheese dressing (it was okay). We had a choice of salmon, pork chop or steak and crab cake for an entree. Without hesitation, I ordered the pork chop, accompanied by a delicate asparagus flan and baby mushrooms. It was delicious and pretty. My camera phone didn't do it justice.

I watched Julie & Julia last month and I had really identified with Julie's neurotics around blogging -- who's reading me, what should I write about today, can I even write today? This was my first networking event with other food bloggers, and my fellow food bloggers shared similar anxieties...and joy! I was secretly comforted to learn I wasn't the only one taking photos of my food.

The jovial group of bloggers I dined with included Melissa of Size 6, Stephanie (a recent NYC transplant) of Lick My Spoon, Jo of Taking Over the World One Bite at a Time and Silvia of Citron et Vanille. Our conversation revolved around episodes of No Reservations, cultural eating traditions and faux pas, our blogging highs and lows, and the difference between the NYC and SF food scenes. Oh, and whether Tyler Florence is hotter than Hubert Keller. (Tyler, hands down!)

Canvas Lakeside Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:30:00 +0000

My friend, Andrew J. Chung, recently bought a condo at The Essex and one of the first things he wanted to do was have me and Chef Peter throw a dinner party. We were down and also decided to give 20% of the proceeds to Andrew's nonprofit, Bay Area Classical Harmonies. The setting was The Essex's swanky clubhouse, by the pool on the 2nd floor terrace overlooking Lake Merritt (and the new Lake Chalet too!). By the time dinner had started on Sunday, so had the rain.

Dominique Channel (@oaklandeats on Twitter) wrote up a great recap of the event: It was a cold and rainy night (Sunday, September 13). A group of 37 people -- of all ages and backgrounds, mostly strangers to each other, but a few regular attendees -- gathered on the second floor of the Essex building on 1 Lakeside Drive in a cozy clubhouse room -- with a kitchen. The menu included: Yucatan Sausage with Black Beans and Salsa Fresca, Seared Sea Scallops with Yellow Thai Curry, Grilled Poblano Chile Stuffed with Oaxacan cheese, and Chicken Kabobs with Ethiopan Berbere Sauce and was topped off with Peach and Berry Crisp with Cinnamon Ice Cream.

By the way, our next event is benefitting Soul Food Farms, which was recently devastated by a fire. Mark your calendars for October 11, location TBD and menu is soul food, for Soul Food Farms.

The Ghet in Bahasa Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Well, we're not exactly doing dinners in Indonesia, but Brava Casa Indonesia, featured the Ghet in its August 2009 issue. Photos of dinners past and a spotlight on Joe Townsend, the original renegade underground chef, are featured.

If you can read Indonesia, holla! I would love to know what they wrote about us. :)

Hungry for another event? Stay tuned, we've got swank digs in Oakland for September's dinner. Details coming soon.

Save the Date: 1st Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Just signed up for my free ticket ($350 value) to the first annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival here in San Francisco! I'm very excited as the festivities include:

Street Food Fare: Whether it’s the Namu Korean Taco Truck or Kara’s Cupcakes Pink VW Cupcake Van, we’ll be bringing you the best of SF street food for dinner paired with local brews, vinos and specialty booze—got an idea for a Foodbuzz signature cocktail? Let us know and your name could be on the menu.
Ferry Building Tour - How could a foodie not visit the Ferry Building?
A Feast with the Outstanding in the Field crew: “A Pig, A Lamb, A Cow & A Mushroom”
Imagine one, giant Foodbuzz Community Table with everyone! We've teamed up with the crew from Outstanding in the Field for an old-fashioned, family-style feast (think long tables and a lot of dish passing and sharing). Our only rule of thumb: if it's on the table, it's up for grabs. After dessert, we'll be honoring each other's incredible talent in blogging with the First-Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Awards. Mistress of Ceremonies Jenn Di Piazza will be helping to present the “golden forks.“

In other news, ran into my good friend and gourmette, Brian G., at the Quentin Tarantino screening of Inglorious Basterds and he shared with me his recent dining escapade with a new guerilla dining group, called graffEats. GraffEats essentially models the Ghetto Gourmet, featuring art, music, food artisans and chefs. Brian raved the setting was the grandest house he's ever eaten in for an underground dinner and that the food was well executed and presented. From the looks of photos from a July graffEats dinner featured on Urban Daddy, it sure looked royal!

Diners, Drive-ins & Dives: Duarte's Tavern, Pescadero CA

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:29:00 +0000

[In front of Duarte's Tavern - photo by Britt.Piehl]

I first heard of Duarte's Tavern from my friend, Jen, who recommended it to me when she found out I was doing a photo shoot for a client at Pescadero Beach. We ended up getting our shoot catered and only ventured into the sleepy little town of Pescadero to get tacos at the gas station (yes, and they were delicious). A year later, I caught Duarte's on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (Triple D as my former design director called it) and watching Guy devour an abalone sandwich and slurp on fresh artichoke soup inspired me to organize a daytrip on July 3 to this famous outpost.

Duarte's won a James Beard award in 2003. It's unpretentious and stuck in the 1960s. Our first taste of Duarte's was the fresh baked bread, still steaming from the oven. We had to ask for the jam -- strawberry and ollalieberry -- and I could not get enough. Kari had done her research and ordered the 50-50 green chile and artichoke soup while Brittany and I chose to be purists and order the artichoke soup straight up. The soup was delicate and creamy with a few nice bits of artichoke. The 50-50 was nicely seasoned and very tasty. Brittany and I split the abalone sandwich; for $25, the presentation could have been improved. The white bread was very buttery and somewhat limp while the abalone was nicely breaded and had a nice, subtle flavor. The fries seemed dumped on the plate. Kari's cioppino was generous by comparison and it was good, but not the best we had ever had. We concluded that our meal was a once-in-a-lifetime experience ($100+ for lunch!?), but probably not worth coming back for.

Summertime Entertaining: Italian Seafood Salad w/ Scallops, Shrimp & Peas

noreply@blogger.com (Vera D.) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:13:00 +0000

I love throwing small dinner parties, especially when my friends don't know each other. I recently hosted a dinner at my new studio, and my friend's boyfriend made this wonderful Italian seafood salad featuring bay scallops, shrimp and English peas (yes, peas!). I just made it myself using this recipe (leaving out the celery leaves). Check it out>>

I also baked a basil-peach crumble pie - thank you, Martha Stewart>>

And thank you, Britt Piehl, for capturing the mouthwatering pics.