November 13, 2009 | 
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Tradition vs. Change – Reinventing Oneself
Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away and it’s time to break out the cookbooks and seasonal magazines to determine the menu for the day. Thanksgiving is Epi’s favorite day of the year primarily because it’s a chance to cook foods which showcase the harvest of the season as well as tell family and friends how much they are loved.
There are traditional recipes which no table would forget – turkey, dressing, potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Unless one is a vegetarian, how could a table be set without them? Even if the turkey is missing, most of the other time-honored recipes are necessary for our annual ritual.
Each year, though, Epi searches through recipes, both past and current, to find new dishes and new methods of making old favorites to create a dinner that outdoes the past. Always looking to find the best method of bringing a succulent turkey to the table with moist breast meat and fully-cooked dark meat; a decade ago Epi discovered salt brining, a method of soaking a turkey overnight in a salt-water solution, which did the trick.
This year, though, an even better system has been extolled called dry-brining. Russ Parsons of The Los Angeles Times experimented with several methods of cooking turkey and the result was the dry-brined turkey was the hands-down favorite. Dry brining works like regular brining, except without the water. The turkey is sprinkled with salt and set aside for anywhere from one to four days, depending on whose recipe is followed. The salt pulls moisture from the meat which is then reabsorbed yielding a moist, flavorful bird which is not salty yet well-seasoned throughout and with a glorious brown crisp skin.
This year, there is a recipe in “Fine Cooking” magazine’s October/November issue by Pam Anderson which features a dry-rubbed roast turkey with pan gravy that is evocative of this method. The November/December issue of “Cook’s Illustrated” has an old-fashioned stuffed turkey recipe by Marcus Walser that utilizes the dry brine technique.
It’s a judgment call as to stay with the old or choose between the new. Change is necessary in our lives if we are to move to the next level. Yet tradition has a note of caution in its voice that says perhaps it won’t yield the result we’ve had in the past and will disappoint those we want to please. Sometimes it’s necessary to jump off the high board just because we can.
Let us blend the best of the past with our hopes for the future knowing that change is ever present and necessary for our lives.
Correction to last week’s column: the phone numbers for Haywood Winery were incorrectly listed. The correct phone numbers are 707.996.4298 or 877.996.4299.
On the Trails with Epi
Sonoma Community Center
Their new business cards show a water-colored painting of the 94-year-old building with the motto “Celebrate the Past – Support the Future.” Their past echoes back to 1915 and its 38-year history as an elementary school, and then, starting in the early 1950s, as a center to enhance the cultural and recreational needs of Sonoma Valley residents.
The last several years the Sonoma Community Center has continued to reinvent itself. In addition to the big community events – the Fourth of July celebration and free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners – which include the entire valley, the Sonoma Community Center has emphasized cultural and arts educational programming for community residents. These are professional level and specialized classes such as paper and book art, fresco painting and printmaking. Their catalog, available online and in print to members, features classes in ceramics, fiber arts, jewelry, movement, music, painting and drawing, personal development, printmaking, writing and courses for teens and children.
As well, the center provides low-cost space for community members to hold events, either through being a co-sponsor with the Center as was done recently in the El Día de Los Muertos celebration or on a rental basis. Other events include education and cultural entertainment through film and music series, arts and lectures, science, literature, nature and partnerships with local and regional business, including Readers’ Books and Science Buzz Café of Sebastopol. readersbooks.com and sciencebuzzcafe.org
On Tuesday, Nov. 17, the Sonoma Community Center will be holding their annual open house from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There will be something happening in every room at the center which will showcase the faculty staff and their classes.
At 7 p.m. the annual membership meeting will be held in the Serres Room downstairs. Hear the president and treasurer of the board of directors discuss their future. In addition, Rotary will unveil the new kitchen and the Master Gardeners will showcase the new gardens. A dessert and wine bar will provide refreshments.
Chili Bowl Express in Andrews Hall – 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
As a part of the open house, the ceramics department is holding its Second Annual Chili Bowl Express. Sonoman John McReynolds will be the chef overseeing the production of both meat-based and vegetarian chili with Petaluma Poultry and Oak Hill Farm providing much of the ingredients for the dinner.
Others who have worked behind the scenes to help Ceramic Arts Coordinator Forrest Lesch-Middleton to produce this event include, among others, Ronald Caldwell, Brian Zielinski, Beverly Prevost and Lin Lipertz. Epi is a potter and last year purchased a set of bowls from Kate Murphy which has a gorgeous yellow glaze. Score one of those and you’ll be rewarded. Purchase a hand-crafted bowl Brigitte McReynolds or Tony Rockwell or any of the other talented potters from the studio have made and enjoy a bowl of chili for $20. All proceeds support arts programming. Information: 707.938.4626 ext. 1.
Let us support our own Sonoma Community Center so it can continue to support us in the years to come. See you at the Chili Bowl Express. 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma, 707.938.4626, sonomacommunitycenter.org
If you know of an event, organization, restaurant, or winery that should be showcased in this column, please contact epi@pattiwilliams.com.
The Best of the Sonoma Valley Experience
restaurants and wineries
With their new tradition of La Cena di Famiglia, estate restaurant is featuring family-style dinners for two or more. It’s a way to share time with family and friends while Sondra, John and their staff do the cooking. $26 per person or $38 per person with aperitivo, glass of wine and espresso – does not include tax or gratuity 400 West Spain St., Sonoma, 707.933.3663. See estate-sonoma.com for new menus every Friday.
Viansa Winery and Marketplace – Warehouse Sale, Friday, Nov. 13 to Monday, Nov. 16
Great deals will be available on small lots, gourmet food, gift baskets, wine related gifts, end of vintages, bottles with damaged labels and other bottlings. Information: 800.995.4740, 21481 Eighth St. E., Suite 30 Sonoma, viansa.com
Anaba Wines Pie Sampling – Saturday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sample holiday pies with Anaba Wines Late Harvest Viognier every Saturday in November. Find the perfect pairing for Thanksgiving and receive 15 percent off with purchase of four bottles. 60 Bonneau Road, Sonoma, 877.990.4188, 707.996.4188, anabawines.com
Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack is now booking holiday parties and will be open Thanksgiving week except Thursday. Emmy is considering being open for music and drinks on Thanksgiving evening after dinner so let her know if you are interested.
Space is filling up for holiday parties. The VIP room can accommodate up to 20 people, back room 25 and main dining room 25. Call to book: 707.933.3823. From $25 per person with menu which can be adapted to fit dietary and gluten free needs. Corkage fee reduced to $6 bottle for holiday parties.
Don’t forget Emmy’s brunch on Saturday and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. serving traditional eggs benedict, breakfast sandwiches and, of course, spaghetti and meatballs and two for one mimosas. 691 Broadway, Sonoma, 707.933.3823. Check the Web site: emmysspaghettishack.com for menus and entertainment listings
Landmark Winery Concert Series continues into the fall every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The fall series will include the following artists:
Nov. 14 Michel Saga, French cabaret music
Nov. 21 Laurent Fourgo
Nov. 28 Holiday Open House with Adam Traum
Dec. 5 Rue Manouche
Dec. 12 Adam Traum
Dec. 19 Christmas Carolers
101 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, 707.833.0226, landmarkwinery.com
Sunflower Caffé – Spotlight Winery – every Thursday evening 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Visit the Garden Wine Bar and enjoy complimentary splashes of each week’s Spotlight Winery. Featuring local wines from Sonoma Valley and amazing snack plates prepared with care by Chef Curtis Dorsett. 421 First Street W, Sonoma, sonomasunflower.com
Nov. 19 Imagery Estate Winery
Thanksgiving Day – open until 2 p.m. no spotlight
Dec. 3 Benziger Family Winery
Dec. 10 Deerfield Ranch Winery
Up & Down the Valley
organization events
Sonoma Valley Historical Society has invited Gerald Hill, Historian, to speak on “Treatment of the Indians in Early California,” with an emphasis on Sonoma Valley at their meeting on Friday, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. Depot Park Museum, 270 First St. W. Information: 707.938.1762.
Readers’ Books has announced a book signing with Laura Stec, on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. featuring her book, “Cool Cuisine: Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming” which focuses on the American diet and its reliance of food which puts a strain on our economy as well as the planet. Stec tells how to reduce our carbon footprint while eating delightful local, organic, and fresh food. 130 E. Napa St., Sonoma, 707.939.1779, readersbooks.com.
Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, 32nd annual Preservation Awards night – Wednesday, Nov. 18, 6.30 p.m.
The evening will feature a photographic show of buildings as well as commentaries honoring this year’s award winners. The general meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation will be at 7 p.m. followed by a reception. This event is free to members with a donation of $5 for non-members. The public is invited. Vintage House, 264 First St. E, Sonoma
The League champions the preservation of historic structures in Sonoma Valley and annually recognizes individuals responsible for the best restoration projects or new construction compatible with the historic character of this area. The organization was founded in 1969 to preserve and protect the distinctive historic environment of Sonoma Valley.
Hanna Boys Center Annual
Open House – Sunday, Dec. 6,
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A Special Mass at 10 a.m. will open the 2009 Christmas Open House and kick-off a year-long celebration of the center’s 60th Anniversary. Guests can enjoy campus tours from Hanna boys, refreshments and other holiday fun. Free admission. 17000 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, hannacenter.org
Eating with the Seasons
In search of local, seasonal, and sustainable food
While the Friday Farmers Market at Depot Park may not have the same cachet the Tuesday market brings to the Plaza, it looks and feels like an old-fashioned market where farmers display their wares and the customer can interact to learn more about the food they eat.
A year-round market which serves our community with seasonal produce, the Friday market shrinks as the year ends and the traditional summer fruits and vegetables give way to winter varieties which sustain us through the cold winter ahead. As the weather changes and the rains begin, the farmers life continues as plants are harvested, packed for market, and vendors open for business with overhead umbrellas sheltering farmers and shoppers alike.
Bottom line: rain or shine, let’s support our farmers so we can continue to get fresh, local, and sustainable produce. Make a note – there will be no market on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Instead there will be a Tuesday morning market on Nov. 24, two days prior to turkey day.
Oak Hill Farm has salad mix, carrots, green beans, onions, garlic, celery, celery root, tomatoes, kale, chard, shallots, watermelon and Easter egg radish and beets, including the Chioggia variety which are red and white striped. A variety of peppers are available including jalapeno, Antohi, Poblano, and Corno di Toro as well as broccoli, cauliflower, and parsnips. Winter squash is available as well as arugula, purple topped turnips, collard greens and kohlrabi, parsnips and Savoy cabbage. Coming soon is fennel.
Juli Ortiz with Ortiz Brothers has red and green cabbage, Walla Walla onions, radishes, parsley, sugar peas and pod peas tomatoes, mint, squash, chard, carrots, zucchini, and squash blossoms as well as yellow wax beans, scallions, leeks, cauliflower, young broccoli, eggplant, head lettuce with large fluffy outer leaves, tomatillos and pacilla peppers as well as carrots, arugula and spinach.
Steve from Mt. Moriah has grapes, pink lady and Fuji apples, and cherry apple juice.
This week The Patch has bell peppers, red potatoes, sweet Gypsy peppers, Blue Lake and Romano beans as well as red and white onions, squash, cucumber, carrots, and eggplant, melons, and heirloom tomatoes, and several varieties of winter squash. Pumpkins, gourds and corn stalks are available at The Patch on Second Street East. Friday will be the last day for hydrangeas.
Ed Miller and Anne from Twin Peaks have pomegranates, apples and three varieties of persimmons: hachiya, fuyu, and amagaki, an old-style Japanese chocolate persimmon, as well as the first of the Meyer lemons.
Andrea Davis of Quarter Acre Farm has a variety of pumpkins, basil, green tomatoes and several unique sweet peppers including Klari, purple bells and Italian frying peppers, as well as hot peppers and very hot peppers, including a Vietnamese, a cayenne and an Eastern European variety. Next spring, Andrea will be teaching a class at the Community Center on creating a home vegetable garden.
Gary Peter brings organic cheese offerings each week from Spring Hill Cheese Company which produces over 30 varieties of cheese, as well as sweet creamery butter.
Sheana Davis will have her signature cheese, Delice de la Vallee mixed with fall harvest pear and nutmeg and sun-dried Oak Hill Farm tomatoes and olive oil. If you mention this column, receive $1 off your Delice de la Vallee.
Hector Alvarez of Hector’s Honey has all kinds of honey products including fresh bee pollen and candles, squash, onions, tomatoes, garlic, tomatillos, eggs and Bartlett pears. His apples include Arkansas Black, Fuji and Golden Delicious and hachiya persimmons are available. Alvarez won Best of Show at the Harvest Fair in Santa Rosa for his Eucalyptus Honey. Ask for a sample.
Linda Carniglia of Mini Farm Products is at Friday’s market with her fresh mini greens including wheat grass, sunflower greens, pea greens, buckwheat salad and birdie greens. This week she will be selling cut varieties so stop by for a taste.
Buchanan Hollow Nut Company has pecans, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, and chocolate covered raisins. Stock up now for the holidays and freeze for freshness all year long. Ask John Buchanan or Michelle DeLucca about quantity discounts for holiday baking.
Nancy Prebilich of Gleason Ranch in Bodega specializes in pastured heritage chickens, pastured pork and grass-fed lamb.
Carson Hunter of Carson’s Catch brings Bristol Bay Alaskan Sockeye Salmon to the market from the last, largest sockeye run in Alaska. Monterey Bay Aquarium has given salmon from Bristol Bay the cleanest rating of any salmon in the world. Hunter spends early summer catching and flash freezing the salmon in a 200 year-old cannery nearby.
Rebecca Bozzelli, Sonoma Garden Park Manager, will have produce available on Saturday morning at the Park through this month. This week there will be apples, persimmons, kale, chard, peppers, raspberries, figs, winter squash, and eggplant. 19990 Seventh St. E, 707.996.0712 x108 or rebecca@sonomaecologycenter.org.
Jesus’ Flowers and Anne from Twin Peaks Orchards are opening a Farm Stand starting this Saturday at 1065 Napa Road at Eight Street East from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. They will be selling fresh produce, seasonal fruit, jams, olive oils, baked goods, flowers and more. If you miss the Friday market, there will still be an opportunity for produce over the weekend.
End Notes
Inspirational Quote of the Week
“Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.” ~Pauline R. Kezer, teacher and state legislator
Let us seek to stretch ourselves to reach new heights.
I remain, yours truly, Epi Curious, your entrée to the Spirit of Sonoma in the best of food, wine and events in the Valley of the Moon.
Epi Curious, aka Patti Williams, began her career teaching cooking and nutrition classes. Leaving the education field, she has been an entrepreneur and partner in a financial advisory firm, has written a column for a Southern California newspaper on making a home environmentally friendly, and has been host to a series on a community public television station.
Patti can be reached directly at epi@pattiwilliams.com.
