Hangar One Orange Creamsicle – DIY Not DUI

By Susie, 11 November, 2008,

If you’re old enough to remember Orange Julius or love those orange creamsicle ice cream bars, you’ll drool at this demo of Lou Bustamante from St. George Spirits making a drink of his own invention using their “insanely great” Hangar One Mandarin Blossom vodka. (Check out all their recipes!)

The only think missing is a little cream for the true creamsicle effect. But after enjoying a pear martini, made with their pear eau de vie, who am I to complain?

When you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, visit St. George Spirit’s tasting room in an amazing hangar at the old Alameda Naval Air Station.

Heritage Turkeys Running Out! (SF Bay Area)

By Susie, 10 November, 2008,

The Slow Food Russian River convivium announces that “We have now sold approximately 3/4′s of our 4-H organically, raised heritage turkeys, so I’d like to suggest that you let your members know that they are running out of time if they wish to order one.

The heritage turkey-order form can be downloaded (its a PDF). Learn more about their heritage turkey project.

Slow Food members can also get involved in “preparing” the turkeys for Thanksgiving in Western Sonoma County.

A Life Lived Fully

By Susie, 10 November, 2008,

The memorial gathering for Robert Steinberg at the incredible St. George Spirits in Alameda united his family with several hundred friends from many walks of life: childhood, college, lifelong, co-workers. Alice Medrich commented that people Robert encountered often became his good friends. From heartfelt elegies I learned he changed the lives of many both with his sentiments to take action and passion for food and life.

He’s an inspiration to many (especially me) of how to live and love. Here’s how I knew him.

Thanks to organizing efforts of friends, Bi-rite, provisions from the Bay Area’s best chefs, libations Lou Bustamante from St. George Spirits crafted, and delicacies from home chefs, we celebrated Robert’s life with gusto. I’m pleased to have been a part of this in so many ways. Thank you.

www.flickr.com

supervivette’s Robert Steinberg Memorial photoset

Cowgirl Creamery Cottage Cheese Compared to Steak

By Susie, 9 November, 2008,

Most things are just like chicken. According to Nan, a passionately entertaining part of the Cowgirl Creamery team, their clabbered cottage cheese, which won multiple awards from the American Cheese Society, is as satisfying as a slab of prime rib!

Before you watch the video, I’ll warn you this organic cottage cheese is limited in availability. So if you’re about to run to the store with a cottage cheese craving (?!) and haven’t tried large curd, I recommend it. It’s worth the combo of creaminess with dry, larger curds vs low fat.

Scharffen Berger Chocolate’s Cacao Expert Shares…

By Susie, 8 November, 2008,

At Fog City News in San Francisco, I had the opportunity to taste a couple of Scharffen Berger chocolate varieties new to me, one a not-so-sweet milk chocolate with almonds and sea salt. Hmm, I don’t know.

But I enjoyed asking their cacao sourcer, a life-long botanist, some things I’ve wondered, post-Hershey acquisition:

1) What is life like operationally these days?

In sum, “awesome.” Hershey HQ is largely laissez faire. But Scharffen Berger benefits with access to knowledge from some of the world’s foremost experts in chocolate, cacao, vanilla, sugar, and all those other good things that make up our Halloween candy.

2) Were they still making everything in Berkeley, given their vast distribution?

Pretty much, except for a small operation in the Midwest in a corner of a Hershey factory.

All in all, my warm fuzzies about Scharffen Berger remain.

2/3/09 Update: Boy was I wrong!