January 28, 2010 | 
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The road ahead – creating what is needed
The year twenty-ten stretches before us – a clean slate – an opportunity to reach for that which simmers in the soul. Within the creative process, all things are possible. When watching a movie, often we must suspend disbelief to get the message that the filmmaker dispenses. So, too, perhaps we must suspend that same disbelief to open ourselves to a greater truth.
Many times what we want is not what we need. Movies exploit that difference, generally with a main character who wants something entirely different than what he or she needs. The transformation of the character comes from the discovery and acceptance of what is needed, rather than what is wanted, to create a new life.
Around each of us is a creative aura of energy invisible to us yet noticeable in what we create in our world. What we think, say, and believe is what we get. Our world is as we design it to be, individually and collectively. Bringing the creation process into our bodies instead of out there somewhere starts with a strong belief we can create the outcome desired and taking responsibility for our beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and actions.
The issue is not that we should change anything; perhaps it’s only a shift of perspective to cause a new direction to arise. This last week Epi had a bout of self-loathing which caused her to re-evaluate that which is truth vs. what the lecture in her mind dispensed.
The shift could be as simple as quieting the negative mind chatter or just being conscious for a few minutes a day of what the chattering mind is saying and realizing the mind does not know the truth of who we are. The negative story that the mind dispenses must be dispelled and replaced with compassion and self-love as well as a vision which can be used to create the life we need.
Let us take responsibility for the powerful and aware creators that we truly are and continue to generate everyday what we truly need to live lives of hope and joy.
Save the Date: Wednesday, February 24 for the first of a series for women, “Awakening Your Legacy, Big Ideas and Rich Conversations with North Bay Women 2010.” More information will follow in next week’s column.
The 3/50 Project
Several weeks ago, Epi talked about the 3/50 Project – pick three spend $50. The premise to choose three independently-owned businesses you would miss if they were no longer here and spend $50 a month supporting them can have a major impact on our community. This month, Epi’s three choices are Junipero & Co., Sonoma Market, and Grazia Full-Service Salon, where a haircut from Grazia and nails and makeup from Amanda Lucas sent her off to the Feast of the Olive dinner. Send your three to epi@pattiwilliams.com for a listing each week in this column. Let us shout out which three businesses would be missed.
Olive Season
Fest of the Olive Dinner
Make your reservations now for next year’s Feast of the Olive Dinner, always the third Saturday in January. This last weekend, Ramekins was the setting for a unique banquet which featured three long harvest tables, each set for 50 people and each served a distinctive dinner by a cadre of local chefs and winemakers who mingled with the guests to receive deserved accolades for their offerings.
An exquisite evening, thanks to many including: Marshall and Leslie Bauer, Wine Country Party and Events, for transforming the room; Sarah Tracy, director of operations at the Visitors Bureau for the dramatic candelabra centerpieces; Gary Saperstein, Lisa Lavagetto, and Sondra Bernstein who coordinated the chefs; and the Sonoma Visitors Bureau team, led by Wendy Peterson, including Pat Pulvirenti, Erin Abbott, and Nikki Parr.
Ramekins is aglow for the “Feast of the Olive” dinner on Jan. 23, 2010. Photo(s) courtesy of Sondra Bernstein, the girl & the fig and estate.
On the Trails with Epi
VinOlivo
Once a year it all comes together in the ultimate event that combines wine, food, and the olive in a fusion of the best of Sonoma Valley. This year VinOlivo will bring together more than 50 wineries and over 20 restaurants for an evening to mingle with winemakers in an intimate setting not found anywhere else.
As part of the olive-centric evening, Whole Foods Market will present the welcome salutation in the tent at The Lodge at Sonoma with an olive bar featuring more than a dozen or so different varieties of olives. New this year is a the VinOlivo Winemaker’s Salon – a casual, intimate atmosphere to mingle face-to-face with rotating winemakers pouring reserve or estate wines, those of incredible value and quality not normally decanted.
The ever-popular pommes frittes and sparkling wine bar – already achieving a cult status – will return, featuring the ever popular French fries of Janine Falvo from Carneros Bistro at the Lodge, paired with Gloria Ferrer Carneros Sparkling Wine.
Some wineries who will be pouring for the first time include Enkidu Wines, named after the hero of the oldest story ever written from the birthplace of wine, Sumeria; Eric Ross Winery, founded in 1933; Westwood Wine, with a tasting salon just off the square; Teresina Vintners, named for the grandmother who created memories around food and wine; Roessler Cellars, dedicated to producing single vineyard wines; Emery Estate Vineyards, an organic vineyard estate on Gehricke Road; and Anaba Winery, who revel in the anabatic winds which create the climate for their wines.
New restaurants participating this year include Ramekins, currently undergoing a transformation of their outdoor patio; Blue Grass Bar & Grill, a Glen Ellen institution; Sonoma Sausage, owned by Vance Sharp, one of the few African-American winemakers, who will also be pouring wine from his winery, Sharp Cellars.
More information is available at sonomavalleywine.com with a listing of all wineries and restaurants who will be participating. In addition, bidding is now open for the auction. Preview the Sonoma Valley wine and trip auctions featured during VinOlivo at vinolivo.cmarket.com. 707.935.0803, The Lodge at Sonoma, 1325 Broadway, Sonoma.
The Best of the Sonoma Valley Experience
restaurants and wineries
LaSalette Restaurant announces Zelia Freitas and the band Sete Colinas will be performing Fado at the Sonoma Mission Friday, Feb. 5 starting at 7:30 p.m. Dinner reservations may be made at LaSalette Restaurant by calling 707.938.1927. For information on Colinas, visit 7colinas.com. Admission is $20. Tickets available at the mission or call Liz Kane for more information 707.935.6832. LaSalette Restaurant, 452 First St. E., Sonoma, lasalette-restaurant.com
Mary’s Pizza Shack is featuring its Mary’s Meal for Two including a family-style entrée plus soup or salad and a Pepsi through March 2, all for just $20.95. Featured are new spicy sausage pizza or pasta specials along with two classic dishes, medium pizza with two traditional toppings and spaghetti with two meatballs. Available at all Mary’s locations.
Artisan-Cured Meat Workshop at the girl & the fig – Mondays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Limited to four students, these sessions teach the concept of “mano formate,” which means “made by hand” and includes hands-on small batch salumi production. Two upcoming workshops include bacon, duck prosciutto, and Tuscan-style salami on Feb. 1 and bacon, pancetta, and Saba and oregano salami on Feb. 8. 110 W. Spain St., Sonoma, 707.938.3634. For more information: estate-sonoma.com
Valentine Week-end
a sampling
It’s not too early to be thinking about Valentine’s Day.
Landmark Vineyards will be featuring a live sushi bar with Chef Ed Metcalf of Shiso Catering on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local musician Adam Traun will be featured. 101 Adobe Canyon Rd., Kenwood, 707.833.0216, landmarkwine.com
estate will be open for brunch on Valentine’s Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature antipasti of housemade potential rolls, sweet butter, and fig conserva and fresh ricotta with honey, prosciutto and melon with seasonal crudite. Entrees will include Dungeness crab Benedict, eggs Florentine, garden vegetable frittata, fried eggs and polenta, slow braised pork Panini, brioche Italian toast, and brunch pizza. Dessert is fruit crostata, espresso crema, or chocolate terrine. 400 W. Spain St., Sonoma 707.933.3663, estate-sonoma.com
The Depot Restaurant Valentine’s Day Menu includes shrimp bisque soup, salad of field greens, pears, spiced walnuts and Rogue Creamery blue cheese, served with either grilled Creekstone Farms New York steak with potato gratin, fresh ricotta gnocchi, with wild mushrooms and thyme, free-range veal scaloppini, caper demi-glace, and potato gratin, braised lamb shank with niçoise olives and white beans, or diver scallops and rock shrimp with mushroom, sherry and cream. Desserts include chocolate decadence with espresso caramel sauce and whipped cream, Scandia cheesecake with Oregon huckleberry sauce, tiramisu, or flaky Spanish almond tart with Seville orange sauce. For something different this year, The Depot Restaurant is offering Valentine’s Dinner … Take Two – a private cellar dinner on Monday, Feb. 15. See their Web site for this special event. 241 First St. W., Sonoma, 707.938.2980, depothotel.com
Up & Down the Valley
organization events
The Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance is holding its annual Mentor Recruitment Reception on Thursday, Jan. 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Saddles Restaurant at MacArthur Place. January is National Mentoring Month and if you might have an interest in meeting a prospective mentee, you are invited to attend. There will be a “no obligation” orientation along with wine and appetizers.
Let the Wild Barkus Begin – Saturday, Feb. 6, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sponsored by Arroyo Veterinary Hospital, Barking Dog Roasters, and The Epicurean Connection, the first annual “Barkus in the Springs Parade” will celebrate the Mardi Gras tradition. Come costumed with both you and your dog for a walk in the Springs starting at The Epicurean Connection, 18812 Sonoma Highway and continuing to Arroyo for a Pet Fair with refreshments and more pet fun. It’s free. Other participating businesses include Pets Lifeline, SVDOG, Sonoma Dog Camp, and Three Dog Bakery.
Dry Farming Presentation at Cornerstone – Tuesday, Feb. 2, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Learn the story of Waterboxx™ – a small tire-sized box in which a sapling, vine, or seed can be planted in any soil condition without the requirement for irrigation – and enjoy a special reception for the Deputy Consul General of the Netherlands, Jaap Veerman, and the inventor, Pieter Hoff. Being considered one of the top 10 inventions in the world in 2010, this planting device will soon be tested at two U.S. locations, including Sonoma/Napa at Cornerstone, The Ecology Center of Sonoma, Mondavi, and Clos Pegase. 23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma. RSVP to Ed Fogelman, 415.388.8009 or mkelly@kfgroup.net.
Sonoma Valley High School Booster Club’s Crab Feed Dinner – Saturday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Supporting every club and extracurricular activities at the high school, the booster’s annual fund-raising event donates 100 percent of their dollars to students. The dinner costs $80 and includes all-you-can-eat crab, salad, pasta, rolls, and wine. The Rich Little Band will perform and there will be silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. For a downloadable form for tickets: sonomavalleyhigh.org.
Dance Sonoma! Winter Dance – Saturday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
An evening of dance in Andrews Hall at the Sonoma Community Center starts with a complimentary two-step dance lesson, and includes performance dancing by professional ballroom dancers from the Sonoma region and ballroom, swing, Latin and nightclub dancing to the music of DJ Steve Luther. Cost $15 at the door. Information 707.938.4626, Ext. 1 or email scc@vom.com,
Sonoma Ecology Center “Rose Care, Pruning, and Planting” Workshop – Saturday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Facilitated by Maile Arnold who has 30 years experience, the class includes information on tool care and sharpening, as well as hands-on pruning and planting in the park. Attendees are encouraged to bring pruners, loppers, and gloves. $20 for center members and $25 for general public. Contact Jessica Glatt at (707) 996-0712 x108 or mail jessica@sonomaecologycenter.org, 19996 Seventh St. E., Sonoma, sonomaecologycenter.org.
Odds & Ends
previously reported reminders
Junipero & Co. is sponsoring a marmalade-making class at June Taylor’s Still Room in Berkeley on Feb. 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Taylor seeks out heirloom and other rare and fruits with the intention to revive the tastes of past generations. Following traditional methods of preserving, fruit is cooked in small batches with minimal sugar. Learn from a true artisan. For more information: junetaylor.com or call Kristen Viguerie at 707.939.9065, 115 East Napa Street, Sonoma Plaza.
Eating with the Seasons – In search of local, seasonal, and sustainable food
Samuel Kim of Bohemian Well-Being Town Farm in Occidental brings wild-crafted and cultivated mushrooms. Some of his seasonal offerings should be available for the next couple weeks. He will be at the market regularly with his cultivated shitake, enoki, and trumpet mushrooms.
Mission Olive Preservation Restoration & Education Project volunteers are selling mission olive trees and educating everyone about the history of olives in the Valley.
Jacqueline Aubin is at the market with local, fresh eggs.
Oak Hill Farm will be back Friday and will bring salad mix, arugula, red and green cabbage, kale, carrots, burdock, celery root, beets, turnips, kohlrabi, and parsnips, onions, garlic, shallots, and watermelon radish. In addition, winter squash – delicata, butternut, kabocha, and spaghetti – will also be available. Salad greens might be limited because of the weather so get to the market early.
Juli Ortiz with Ortiz Brothers has red and green cabbage, Walla Walla onions, radishes, parsley, mint, chard, carrots as well as scallions, leeks, cauliflower, young broccoli, romaine as well as red and green leaf lettuces, carrots, arugula, potatoes, and spinach.
Ed Miller and Anne from Twin Peaks have large fan kiwi, Eureka lemons, blood oranges and navels, mello-gold grapefruit, and pomelo which are similar to grapefruit, yet sweeter.
Hector Alvarez of Hector’s Honey has all kinds of honey products including fresh bee pollen and candles, as well as squash, tomatoes, garlic, tomatillos, eggs. It is near the end of pepper season. Take some home and dry them for use all winter. Fuji and Golden Delicious apples are available as well as fuyu and hachiya persimmons.
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.
Linda Carniglia of Mini Farm Products has her fresh mini greens including wheat grass, sunflower greens, pea greens, buckwheat salad and birdie greens. Ask for a taste to experience the buzz about mini-greens.
Buchanan Hollow Nut Company has pecans, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, and chocolate-covered raisins. Stock up and freeze for freshness all year long. Ask John Buchanan or Michelle DeLucca about quantity discounts for freezing and using throughout the year.
Carson Hunter of Carson’s Catch brings Bristol Bay Alaska 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. Ask about the smoked salmon gift baskets
Vivo Vinegars, a 200-year-old Orleans-style of aging wine in barrels over a one-year period, converting it to vinegar, is at the Friday market. The vinegars include such wine favorites as syrah, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, merlot and a pinot noir limited edition. Their awards include a gold, silver, and bronze medal at the 2009 Harvest Fair for their syrah, cabernet, and merlot.
The Epicurean Connection and McClelland’s Dairy of Petaluma
Primavera is at the market with salsa, chips, and tamales in various flavors, including chicken, pork, pumpkin, black bean, green chili, mushroom and spinach and white corn and zucchini. Just steam for 10 to 15 minutes, eat and enjoy.
M&CP Farms is at the market with all things olives. Tony Howe provides samples and a variety of olive products.
The Hummus Guy, Mohammed Cherif, is part of the Friday market with specialties such as couscous salad, spicy harissa, dolmas, organic baked tofu, falafel, pita, spanakopeta, pita chips and kalamata olives.
Rebecca Bozzelli of the Sonoma Garden Park has eggs available from NixChix and brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. 19996 Seventh St. E., Sonoma, sonomaecologycenter.org.
End Notes – Inspirational Quote of the Week
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau
Let us advance confidently, even though the voice in our head might contradict us, to be all that our soul intends us to be.
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.
Patti can be reached directly at epi@pattiwilliams.com.
Please give Epi feedback on recipes and let her know if you desire a specific recipe from a local restaurant. Contact her at epi@pattiwilliams.com
From Epi’s Recipe Box – Dark leafy greens are abundant this time of year and none has more intrigue than dinosaur kale, also known by its Italian name, “cavolo nero.” With its pebbly, dark blue-green primitive-looking leaves and strong flavor, it is particularly used in soup recipes, such as the classic Tuscan soup, ribollita or simply cooked with some onion, garlic, and chili. Epi has been experimenting with cooking this unique kale and recommends a simple sauté to take advantage of its sweet, nutty taste.
Sautéed Dinosaur Kale, also known as Cavolo Nero
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 ounces pancetta, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
red pepper flakes
½ to 1 cup chicken, vegetable broth or water
About ½ pound dinosaur kale, rinsed, stalk trimmed, cut into thick ribbons
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed lidded pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until starting to brown. Add onion, turn down the heat, and cook until tender
2. Add the garlic and chili flakes and fry for one more minute.
3. Add the kale and season with salt. Let wilt for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the liquid and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir 2-3 times, keeping liquid bubbling. Liquid will be reduced to a minimum when kale is fully cooked.
