It’s Monday Morning and I’m Excited About…

• Mandela Food Cooperative’s opening this past weekend.  West Oakland has not had a full service grocer in three years.  It’s unconscionable.  The worker-owned MFC is working to set this wrong right by supplying locals with food from farms no more than 170 miles away from Oakland and offering nutritional education workshops.  In addition, the cooperative will soon make grocery pick up available directly from West Oakland BART.  More from the Oakland Tribune here.  Congratulations to everyone who worked hard to make this happen!
• The Au Revoir Simone show this Saturday, June 13th at Bimbo’s in San Francisco.  You should visit their website to see some amazing collages and listen to lightly twinkeling bells and organ behind their smooth vocals (song: “The Lucky One”).  At $16 the show is a steal.  Why don’t you join me?

The women of Au Revoir Simone

• Heronswood, a new nursery discovery for special perrenials.  Heronswood has tons of hellebores (my favorite flower) in every color imaginable.  In spite of the fact I just planted seven new hellebores ranging from green to dark purple/black, I still want more.  I’m considering the “Ivory Prince” in particular.  And how about this oriental poppy called “Ruffled Patty?” How wild is she?

Ruffled Patty in all her glory

New from Peko-Peko: Green Pea and Black Cod Bento

Yummmmmmm!

As you all know I’m huge fans of Peko-Peko.  I’ve enjoyed both of their earlier bento creations and can’t wait to try their most recent concoction–especially since it includes fava beans, a new favorite since my recent trip to Ad Hoc.  I’m thinking of serving these for family dinner this Friday night.

PS: I also love the design of the flyers and wrapping (see pics of “Early Spring Bento” here) who is behind this genius?

Oliveto’s Tomato Watch

The people of Oliveto keep food close to their hearts–and therefore their producers even closer.  Right now, and for the next few months, Oliveto’s Community Journal is conducting a “Tomato Watch.”  OCJ will document as these tomato seedlings become sprouts and sprouts become vines, until the sweet fruit hits our plates at Oliveto’s famous annual Tomato Dinner series in late summer (August 26-29 2009).  The whole process is being documented on video at OCJ in a documentary style akin to a mini-series, with new video being shot and released in real time on the site as the tomatoes grow.  Of huge consequence this year is water, or lack thereof due to drought.  

Visit OCJ here to watch as farmers from Watsonville to Capay Valley brave the elements in hopes of the sweetest, tartest red globes around.  

Click here to visit Oliveto Community Journal

Dark Chocolate/Caramel/Sea Salt Reinforcements

I still love Fran’s–that’s what is readily available at Market Hall–but there are two other brands I’m loving that I discovered at Lulu Rae. 

I made a special trip to the upper Rockridge College Avenue confection boutique for Barlovento and Poco Dolce.

As far as fleur de sel chocolate caramels go, Fran’s is a great staple.  Barlovento packs the biggest caramel chew (a big hunk of chewy caramel with a thin coat of dark chocolate) and most salt (high points for the latter).  Poco Dolce has the most sparing smattering of salt, but, in my opinion, the highest quality chocolate taste.  Poco Dolce is a small crispy center of caramel toffee and a solid sea of dark chocolate surrounding it.  

Bonus: Poco Dolce has a large variety of flavors all topped with sea salt.  YUM

Friday Indulgences: Locally Hewn Vegan Chocolates

I love chocolate, and I love multimedia presentations.  Here is Coracao Confections featured on the East Bay Express:

YUM!

Multimedia presentation by Cait Esch

Taking Things to the Next Level

This is very exciting news.  After approximately a year of eating at Oliveto I caved and signed up for email updates about special dinners, visiting producers and the like.  Now another year later, I just got notice of the Oliveto Community Journal–and it’s so much fun.  It could have gone either way; what do restaurateurs and chefs know about the interweb?  Fortunately for Oliveto-devotees and food lovers everywhere, the Oliveto Community Journal is  an exciting array of reports from local farms, bright pictures, and even video of our fantasy-life-husband Chef Paul Canales on the job!  A personal favorite is the timeline feature.  Check out this pic of Chef Canales and some lucky guy c. 2000 when Canales was named chef.  

This is another one of those sites that is going straight to my list of favorites.  

The local chanterelles alone!

Follow up: Peko Peko Early Spring Bento

Peko Peko’s Early Spring Bento arrived today in this unbelievably soothing printed paper and red string.  Perfect since it was an early birthday gift from me to Rimpletide!  I love the Golden Gate graphic+little cars!

The pork cutlet and rolled omelette were amazing, but my Oprah a-ha moment was the crab and rice.  Ah-ma-zing.  Steamed Dungeness crab, Tamaki Gold rice, hand-made ginger pickle (ginger, sugar, umeboshi vinegar), sancho, and salt.  The hand-made ginger pickle really took things to the next level.  

We sat, ate, and smiled.  

Thanks Peko Peko!

I’m Watching: The Jewels of New York

The Jewels of New York is “a mission to uncover the hidden treasures New York has to offer and share them with friends through a collection of seasonal and local recipes.”  I discovered JoNY through the links page on ARL’s new fave blog Saipua.  I was immediately drawn in by the clean design and obvious appreciation for the finer things, specifically great-tasting and great-looking food.  I’m particularly impressed with JoNY’s recent “Last Winter Supper,” which consists of Glazed Rack of Lamb, Parsnips in Parsley Butter, and Warm Cabbage Salad.

Is it titled this to herald in the springtime on March 20?  Should we all separately, collectively recreate the JoNY “Last Winter Supper” in our home kitchens far and wide on the evening of March 19?  Yes!

And don’t forget dessert!  Rosemary whipped cream?!  The fresh new answer to yesteryear’s lavender- and rose-infused creations?  I’m in!

No Green Guilt and No Traveling and Scavenging for “Local” Food

This looks potentially soothing:

Your own private mini-field of crops!

Feast Bay Farming

Imagine looking out of your window looking at a thriving food forest, an environmentally friendly landscape. This what Feast Bay Farming is committed to offer the residents of Alameda county.

I already have a small patch of my own, but managing and optimizing a home kitchen garden is no simple task.  I’ve worked at it, and consulted such sources as the beautifully illustrated and highly-specific Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour, but to do it well takes more man hours than my full time graduate school/work schedule allows.  As it stands now, my little raised bed has gone to seed.  

If I get lucky (and a spare hour or two one of these weeks) I’m hoping to consult with FBF to turn my little plot into the local feast of Michael Pollan’s dreams.  My dream crop: escarole. 

Related:

• Tricycle Gardens in Richmond, Virginia
• Oberle Botanical in Fort Collins, Colorado
• Forsyth Gardens in Philadelphia
• Homegrown in Los Angeles