Visiting Kendall Jackson – and Caramel Corn with a Late Harvest Chardonnay
A visit to Kendall Jackson’s new tasting room, kitchen and culinary gardens in Sonoma County, and recipe for Caramel Corn.
read moreMeet SoFab – aka Southern Food and Beverage Museum
About a year and a half ago, I became involved with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFab) when they published my story Slow Cooking, Jazz and Political Acts, on chasing down a recipe for Okra Gumbo et al, in OKRA, their online publication. The involvement escalated, and a few months after that, I was asked to write monthly articles for OKRA. Philip Dobard, vice president and director of their media projects (SoFab Media)- and fellow NOLA expat living in Los Angeles, saw the articles and looked me up. We met at a coffee shop in Hollywood one afternoon last summer, and Philip laid out the big plans he and the others have for SoFab projects. Last spring, when I was in New Orleans, I visited the museum, and had a chance to meet Liz Williams, director and founder of the museum, and Joe Sunseri, its business manager and archivist. And, of course, since I now write a monthly column at OKRA, I have developed an online relationship with Stephanie Carter, OKRA’s editor- lovely, food obsessed Southerners, all of them. Last weekend, I invited a few of my food obsessed L.A. friends over to meet Philip, and hear him speak while sharing a luncheon which included some favorite dishes from local southern cuisine eateries. Philip Dobard We dined on gumbo from Bourbon Street Fish (I once described this place as a dive, for which I quickly tried to apologize, when my mother said to me “that’s all right, dives are a good New Orleans tradition!”), and macaroni and cheese from Ms. B’s M &M Soul Food, in Inglewood. There was fried chicken from Popeye’s (hey, for the price, you just can’t beat it!), and Norwood Clark- owner of Uncle Darrow’s in Marina Del Rey sent over a pan of his much beloved by me potato salad. Norwood is a good friend and another New Orleans expat, who’s always willing to help out causes having to do with our hometown. He was an active participant in our LAHelpsLA fund raising event in 2010. And finally, I fried up yummy Gulf oyster and shrimp, sent from the Louisiana Seafood and Marketing Board (big thanks to them!), for po’boys (that quintessential NOLA snack) assembled in my kitchen. Oh, and to wash it all down, there was an assortment of wonderful wines brought by Nancy Fishgold, PR rep for Kendall Jackson, who I met last year at the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience. Philip gave us a brief history and overview of SoFab, currently housed at the Riverwalk, but about to move to its much larger new home along Oretha C. Haley Boulevard, which was once home to Dryades Market- a bustling open air market established in the 19th century and surviving into the mid-20th century. The boulevard is now home to a growing culinary district, with upscale groceries, a dairy, a bakery, Café Reconcile (a training ground which prepares at risk youth for careers in the restaurant industry) and numerous restaurants. Some of SoFab’s programs and exhibits- well, there are a lot of them- their interests range from food history and culture,to issues of hunger in America, as well as food sustainability and justice- but I’ll give you just a few highlights: They’ve recently acquired the Frances Kuyper...
read moreSo Long 2012- Hello 2013- and Recipe for Vintner’s Salad
2012 year was filled with trips- big thanks to all who invited and/or hosted me in both NOLA and California.
read moreVisiting Sonoma County- Healdsburg Part 4- Jordan Winery
A tour and stay at Jordan Winery.
read moreVisiting Sonoma County-Healdsburg Part 3-Lunch at Bistro Ralph
Bistro Ralph, in Healdsburg, deserved a return visit for their great lamb burger with blue cheese, local Rosé wine, and great servers.
read moreVisiting Sonoma County-Healdsburg Part 2-Wine Tasting Around the Plaza
After a bit of hanging out at the plaza in Healdsburg, it was time for wine tasting.
read moreVisiting Sonoma County-Healdsburg Part 1-and Smoked Chicken and Fig “Chopped” Salad
A drive up to Sonoma, into Healdsburg, and a Smoked Chicken, Blue Cheese and Fig “Chopped” Salad.
read moreAnother Stop on the Way to Wine Country- Bocanova and the Very Best Strawberry Scones
A stop in Oakland on my way to Sonoma brought a wonderful brunch with friends at Bocanova where I dined on zingy Shrimp Ceviche and the best Strawberry Scones ever!
read moreKermit Lynch’s 40th Anniversary Party- Yeh!
A stop off on my way up to Sonoma’s wine country to celebrate Kermit Lynch’s 40th anniversary.
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