Buongiorno a tutti!

It's been a while since I've seen most of you, so I'm hoping you'll come by the lecture I'm giving at the Italian Institute of Culture (very official, I know). Many of you have asked me about Roman food, so here's a chance to find out the what, where and why of our most famous dishes. Hint, not for the squeamish: in Roman fashion, there's no shortage of entrails (no gladiators involved).

See you there!
Marco Flavio

Where: The Italian Institute of Culture (814 Montgomery Street (between Jackson and Pacific)

When: Tuesday, March 6 at 6.30 PM

How: It's FREE but spaces are limited. They do reserve spots, so email them right away at: media@sfiic.org

Here's the description of the lecture:

"Take a whirlwind virtual tour of Rome with a slideshow covering 2000 years of culinary history, and discover what makes its signature dishes quintessentially Roman.

1. Pane: How bread kept emperors employed and won Romans over to American culture
2. Antipasti: How a jewish appetizer conquered the catholic capital
3. Primi: New world flavors redefine an ancient cuisine
4. Contorno: How sauces gave Rome an appetite for colonization
5. Secondo: The origin of Italy's gutsiest cuisine
6. Coffee and dessert: How roman meals end in fire and ice"

Buongiorno,

Thank you! All our 26 slots are full. I received over 53 replies in 15 minutes!
Thank you so much for the enthusiasm and support. 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 month. 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 (someone always does).

This event is made possible by Mission Arts, part of the City of San Francisco Department of Recreation and Parks.

Ciao e grazie mille,
Marco Flavio

Buongiorno. We're ready for our comeback dinner! For this event only, since the kitchen is still being organized, I'm calling only for those of you who have participated before and know how the dinners work (or you can come with someone who does).
The main theme will be sustainable seafood. For a complete list of sustainable seafood choices in California, go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. Take your pick from the Best Choices or Good Alternatives columns (hint, wild salmon is still in season).

Featured seasonal vegetables will be edible flowers (nasturtiums are everywhere!), fresh herbs, tomatoes, corn and zucchini (including their tasty, tasty flowers).

The plan
26 of us will cook and eat together on October 2nd, starting at 2.30. We'll be done around 7:30.

The dinner will be at Mission Arts Park & Rec Center in San Francisco. Email confirmation with event details will be sent to participants prior to event, and will be required for admission.

Only 26 people can register for this event, so act quickly, but please note which courses are already taken.

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.

9 participants will make main courses for 3-4 people each (including some vegetarian options) 2 SLOTS LEFT
4 participants will make appetizers for 8 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
3 participants will make salads for 10 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
3 participants will make dessert for 8-10 people each ALL SLOTS TAKEN
6 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 26 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.)

To sign up 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 making/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.

Ciao!
Marco Flavio

Buongiorno, the kitchen is about ready and we've agreed on a date for our first event at Mission Arts.
The call-for-participation will go up early next week. You know how crazy it gets, so stay tuned.

Ciao!
Marco Flavio

 

Buongiorno a tutti,
Cook here and Now is back!

The City has  come through with a space for us to resume our dinners (yes!). We'll probably be starting the last weekend in September. I've been working with the Park & Rec department to set up the kitchen, and we're 95% done. Cooking supplies and dinnerware came in Friday.

Perfect your recipes and hone your knives, and be ready to join us.
And tell your friends.

A prestissimo,
Marco Flavio