I’m pretty sure that the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival is the pre-cursor to Christmas this year. At least in terms of excitement, surprises, and merriment…
clear for take off!
I’ve been looking forward to the Festival for the past four days and I am loving this weekend already. I scored a great parking spot for tonight’s kick-off events which greatly improved my outlook on the evening. And once I stepped out onto the 8th floor terrace and caught the stunning city views… well… I was in heaven. The drinks were flowing and the food… well, see for yourself…
on the tasting menu at the vitale...
The crew from Midi at the Galleria Park was serving up a trio of snacks including pork riblette crostini, gruyere/mascarpone/bacon gougeres, and my favorite… “angry” mac n’ cheese poppers. I even had the chance to chat with the chef behind the spicy noodle goodness! He was nice enough to pose for a picture with the server.
loooooove the angry mac n cheese
During happy hour, I chatted with Shoshana and Katharine (pictured above). I also got to meet one of the marketing wizards from Joie De Vivre, the hospitality company passing the hors d’oeuvres. After 90 minutes of mingling under the heat lamps (oh, California…) we walked over to the Ferry Plaza for the “dinner” event. Officially called the “Taste of SF Street Food Fare” this 2-hour eat your heart out fest was like all of my dreams coming true at once.
taste of sf street food fare
Street food has been a mainstay in places around the world for years. But a whole host of new stands are popping up in San Francisco. With nothing but a twitter account to broadcast their whereabouts and a van or trailer of homemade goods, street food is the newest phenom to hit Northern California. Most vendors use local produce and have cult-like followings. So the chance to get the best new vendors in one well lit area for a private party… well… I managed to sample pretty much everything there was to be had. Starting with cupcakes…
a-freaking-dorable. oh and sweet as pie! (i mean... sweet as... cupcakes...)
My favorite item was definitely the steak and gruyere mini pies from “the Pie Truck.” I was also totally enamored with their super cute packaging.
swooning (again)
I was pretty excited to try Pizza Politana. I’ve seen this crew set up on Thursday afternoons at the Ferry Plaza Market but I’ve never quite been able to justify their premium-priced pies. They always look phenomonal… but just so expensive for pizza. You can imagine my excitement to try out a slice tonight! Amazing! (And I can check it off the “life to do” list!)
i've waited my entire life for you, pizza politana!
Skyy Spirits was back in action at the Street Food Fare pouring up specialty cocktails. Two local breweries also had beer on hand, but I was sticking to the fancy drinks. Like this basil gimlet. Loved the freshness of the basil. I also learned that these cocktails (gimlets) are traditionally made with gin… but since Skyy was serving up drinks… tonight they were made with vodka. Fine by me! Down the hatch…
basil gimlet... a la skyy vodka
I had a taco from the Tacolicious stand. Tacolicious is run by the team from Laiola, a restaurant in my neighborhood. I went out to support their new street food initiative back in June. I’ve been with them from the start!
tacos, oysters... what a party!
No, I didn’t have any of the oysters that Hog Island Oyster Co. was serving up. But I watched my new friend Taysa throw one back. She liked it a lot. As for what other people were “buzzing”? The Roli Roti team had a rotisserie porchetta with curly cress and onion marmalade that people (me included) were flocking to.
hands down, the best pork sandwich i've ever had
Another hit was the beet salad and fungi vol au vert from “the only French bistro on wheels,” Spencer on the Go. The mushrooms were so rich. They had truffles, parmesan, and a cream sauce. All served over puff pastry. Whoa, dudes!
so this is what "french take away" food looks like...
On my way out, I grabbed some super creamy vanilla bean ice cream from the Straus Family Creamery. They told me they’re in the freezer at Whole Foods and I tell you me… you better race out and buy this stuff up! It’s the BEST!
When I got home, the excitement didn’t stop. Remember how I said this was like Christmas? Ummm… I probably got more gifts in the gift bag than the average American gets in any given holiday season. Check this stuff out:
i must be living in a dream! look at all of this amazing stuff!
I came home with jars of Mezzetta olives and pesto! Love pesto! Love Mezzetta! And then a couple of serious spatulas from CHEFScatalog.com with a $25 giftcard to their website! There was a silicone condiment spoon, a silicone ball whisk, and a silicone baster set. There was a box of panko breadcrumbs and a half round of brie cheese. There was a pie plate, a dish towel, and a knork! I was delighted to find some Recchiuti fleur de sel caramels and gorgeous gift set of sauces (maple barbeque, blackberry and pear balsamic vinegar, spicy apple mustard, and herb rub meritage) from Napa. There was a copy of the book “Notes on Cooking” and a notepad from Chronicle Books. I made out like a bandit!
I have a feeling that this weekend is going to keep blowing my mind… so I’m off to dreamland now! Check back tomorrow night for more updates.
Look what came in the mail today…
oh care package... SWOON
A big “Priority Mail” box with MY name on it! And inside? All the fixings for an “After-Halloween” party including cupcake mix and frosting, spooky ghost towels, marshmallow Peeps and TWO boxes of Jelly Belly’s. Can you say, “sugar rush”?! There was also some holiday stamps (which means I can finally stamp those holiday cards and get them ready to be tossed in the mailbox right after I eat turkey!). My favorites were the wine/cocktail-themed ornaments and gorgeous gold table accent.
pretty-ing up the place!
After admiring each and every item, they all gained new homes. The treats went in the pantry, the decorations were promptly placed around my wine rack, and that amazing beaded table runner was… you know… put on the table. Thanks to Aunt Mary for a whole box full of happiness! Now back to laundry…
The last two weeks have stretched me. But last night, over a steamy bowl of soup, I realized that life is a wait. That nothing on earth will be as perfect as it will be in heaven. And that if we can devote our entire lives waiting on God, then by contrast, my recent discomfort about life/jobs/relationships is extremely petty in the grander scheme of things.
discovering the beauty in everything
I’ve realized that I can wait. That I want to wait because everything is made perfect in time.
And while I “wait”… I have the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival to savor. The fun starts tonight at 5pm at Hotel Vitale (home of the Friday night hot-spot, Americano) and I’m feeling totally giddy! Check back all weekend for updates!
It’s already 3:45 pm??! What happened to the day?
I started the day by going through a thick stack of business cards to find people who might be able to help with my job search. I’m trying to put my discouragement into action by reaching out to others. I’ve gotten few responses, but I was reminded recently that job searching is a numbers game. Sometimes you have to cast a wide net to get a few fish to bite.
who among you can be of help?
At 12:30, I met up with Todd for some lunch at the new Patxi’s Pizza in the Marina. I couldn’t be more thrilled that they’ve opened a new location on Fillmore Street at Lombard. Over an antipasti plate (with prosciutto and Cowgirl Creamery Cheeses) and some Chicago-style pizza, I got all the details of Todd and Juli’s recent South America trip. And I’m the proud owner of a beautiful blue new alpaca scarf from Peru – thanks guys! Todd also brought me a yummy bottle of wine as a thank you gift for babysitting their apartment (and watering their basil plant…). So not necessary, but a super sweet gesture. Can’t wait to uncork it. Love Italian wines! And to brighten my day a little more, I came home to a pretty pink card and some bottle caps from Aunt Connie! Always fun to get mail.
look at this great stuff! THANK YOU!!
I picked up some glassine envelopes for my seahorse business cards! I still have hours worth of work on them before they’re finished, so it’s time to kick it into high gear. I also stopped at Miette to pick up some little Dolphin chocolates to handout. I’m shameless. I use chocolate to make new friends!
finishing touches!
Occasionally I have a less than full pantry. And my dinner is far from artistic every night of the week. Last night I attempted to make some sort of pasta for dinner. It took some serious doctoring to save from the abyss of the trash can. But I’m happy to report that with a little bit of effort, I managed to make a surprisingly spicy pasta salad.
not quite what i was "going for" but a yummy surprise!
Never mind that my original intent was to make a savory bow tie pasta with goat cheese and pine nuts in a balsamic vinegar reduction. But I was already out of luck when I realized that the Cypress Farms Chevre in my fridge expired three weeks ago! So no goat cheese. I figured I’d substitute some parmesan instead. I began in earnest, boiling my bow ties, and reducing my balsamic vinegar with honey, brown sugar, and salt. I added the pasta to the thickened sauce and did NOT like the flavor one bit. It was bitter and sugary all at once. A great marinade for chicken, but not what I wanted to eat with my pasta. I considered throwing it in the trash then and there, but I defaulted on crushed red pepper flakes and hot sauce to mask the taste. I also added the peanuts I had chopped. Thinking that something was still “missing” (and that I had absolutely no protein like chicken or shrimp in the freezer) I nervously added two heaping tablespoons of pico de gallo. After the first bitter bite of the (undoctored) balsamic pasta I was skeptical. Had I really saved dinner?
Yes! It was fiery hot – just the way I like it. And the balsamic reduction provided a sweet undertone that balanced the spice. I wouldn’t normally put pico de gallo with peanuts, but it turned out to be the perfect fresh accent. I poured myself a glass of Chardonnay to reward my own Herculean efforts… and then headed over to Foodbuzz to document the recipe before I could forget about my culinary ingenuity. So if I were going to “re-do” this, I’d follow a recipe kind of like this…
here goes nothing!
Balsamic Bow Ties With Peanuts and Pico de Gallo
1. Bow Tie Pasta
2. Balsamic Vinegar
3. Brown Sugar
4. Honey
5. Salt
6. Pico de Gallo
7. Hot Sauce
8. Peanuts
9. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Cook 2 cups of bow ties until al dente (about 8-9 minutes, varies with brand). In a small frying pan, combine 1/2 c balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp honey, and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat on low until boiling/bubbly. Turn off heat. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes. Add bow ties directly to balsamic sauce (do not rinse as the addition of the starchy “pasta water” will prevent bow ties from sticking to each other). Add 3 tbsp (or less, if you prefer a mild flavor) of hot sauce. Toss in 1/3 c pico de gallo and garnish with 1/4 c crushed peanuts. Serve lukewarm or chill and serve cold. Pairs well with crisp white wines (think: California Chardonnay!). Serves 2-3.
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Reflecting on dinner, I’ve determined that my near flop is a parallel to life. Sometimes, despite a clear idea in your mind of what the finished product will taste like, you end up with something totally different. In an effort to save already good inputs, you reinvent and discover something delicious in the process. Now if only I could apply this concept to my current life situation…
