Berry funky flavor

Have you heard the latest? There's this West African berry - Miracle Fruit (Sideroxylon dulcificum) that numbs your sour and bitter taste buds so it makes everything you eat afterwards taste totally sweet!

And what's even more crazy is that these guys from NY have started importing it and having "Flavor Tripping" parties! They supply the berry and the buffet, and you go to town freaking out about how the grapefuit tastes like pixi stix and the cheese tastes like frosting. They did a write up on it in the NY Times. Sounds like a bunch of people x-ing if you ask me, but hey, this is like food x. Can't be all bad!

They're having one of these parties on monday, but it's sold out already. But check out the site and sign up for the mailing list so you can know in time for the next one. These guys also seem to sell the berries so you could have your own flavor trip party too! But buyer beware, the fruit is highly perishable and very expensive - like $2 a berry.

Peace Out!

Oooh. That's so Cheezy!

Sometimes, we all just want a little cheese. And it's even better if it's tasty cheese! Don't miss the opportunity this sunday at Bar Bambino in the Mission to tast award winning cheeses from the American Cheese Society's 25th Annual Convention and Competition. Now that's a convention I would happily attend. But you might have to roll me out of there at the end!

The folks at Bar Bambino are pairing these cheeses with award winning wines as well for a perfect sunday afternoon treat. You'll need to reserve a spot and pay ahead, so visit their site for more info.

Say Cheese!http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Donuts go high brow

Is it bad if I think a lemon-thyme donut with honey glaze sounds better than an Old Fashioned? Does that officially make me a yuppie foodie? Well, if it does, so be it. I just read about he opening of Dynamo Donut and Coffee in the mission, and I can't wait until my travels take me past there, and there's that parking spot right out front to justify me stopping in. I mean, I can't go out to get a donut with no other motive, right? But the bacon-apple with maple glaze or caramel fleur de sel donuts might just make me do that. Thank goodness I don't live within walking distance or I would have gone today for breakfast!

Of course these donuts are made with the highest quality local and organic ingredients like Mint Hill honey made from real hives in the Castro. Talk about local. But all this attention to detail does still ignore one, that they are still deep fried, and the fat will still stick to your gut/thighs/other problem areas. So proceed at your own risk. But enjoy every moment.

Gimme some Umami

Have you ever heard of this - Umami, the 5th taste? It's this Japanese sensation that from what I can gather - is basically seaweed. Well not really, but that's one of the things that is has the umami flavor - sort of a sweet/salty/acidic combo. Typically it was brought out in foods by using MSG, but now chefs are exploring other ways to introduce it to us.

The Umami Information Center (now that's a niche if there ever was one) is hosting a tasting dinner at the Hyatt downtown on the 21st. I totally want to go, but I'll be at another wedding. But you should go! One of the chefs is Thomas Keller! It's only $100 - a good price for a special meal prepared by start chefs, if you ask me. You'll have to take the day off work though - it's a Monday from 11:30AM - 4:30PM. A regular umami feast it sounds like.

But, if like me you're not around, or your boss knows umami isn't a disease that can keep you "home from work," the restaurant Ame has their own umami tasting menu that is available from July 14-Aug 3.


And if you'd rather try it at home, you can find recipes on the Umami Info site. Yum! I also found this cookbook on Amazon. I might have to add it to my library. I'm so intrigued by the way they say umami is in foods from around the world - and they happen to be all my favorites! Everything from gazpacho and salads with anchovies to Vietnamese Spring Rolls to those crazy Japanese "pizzas," okonomiyaki.



Bon Appetit!

Now it's time for the blue, white and red!

I know I've posted something about this here last year, but I still like it, and hope that this year, I'll actually be able to go! It's almost time again for bastille day, and the french are getting started early at the Rickshaw Stop with the 10th anniversary of Bardot-a-go-go.

Back in '96 I spent Bastille Day in Paris with my friend whose b-day is right before. We celebrated her 21st b-day dancing all night long in a club near the Arch de Triumph. We didn't want to pay to take a taxi home, so we stayed out until the subway started up again at 6am. Anyway, the point of my story is, that I'm going to do my best to get her to come out on Friday night to go to this! Although I suspect we'll be home before 6 this time.

Crafty Junkie

If you are as much of a junky for modern craft fairs as I am, then you should head over to Fort Mason next weekend for the Renegade Craft Fair. Thankfully, craft fairs have evolved from the crochet kleenex box cozies and seashell animal art I saw ask a kid, to cool, small production t-shirts, beautiful letterpress stationery, and funky tote bags. I checked out the link to some of the vendors at this event, and there's even a custom flavor vegan ice cream vendor. Sounds like it's worth a try!

Apparently this fair has been held successfully in Brooklyn and Chicago, so we're lucky they've expanded to us here in SF! There are 200 vendors, and since they received double that amount of applicants, the sponsor has had to carefully choose the best ones to include, most exemplifying the idea of DIY and contemporary. No doilies here!

Home for the 4th

Unfortunately, I'll be sweating out the Fourth at a wedding in North Carolina, but if you're lucky enough to be in town here in the cool fog, our friends at Fun Cheap SF have put together the most comprehensive list of 4th of July Goings on.

Were I here, I would have gone to the quaint east bay hamlet of Moraga, where my parents live to celebrate there. It's just hot enough to feel like summer, and you can sit up in the old walnut orchard to watch the fireworks. And I highly recommend checking out the Dog Parade as well. (That's my God-dog, Maya, in the foreground; she won "best body," and my dog nephew is somewhere there too, winning "smoothest coat." Every dog's a winner!)

And then there's always the stay in town option of finding a friend's roof top and camping out up there to watch the fireworks around the bay, and the scary goings on throughout the city. A couple years ago, I sat up on a rooftop near Duboce Park, and we saw the Mission going CRAZY, fire jugglers somewhere in the Castro, and some folks attempting their own shows in Potrero Hill. As well as the pro shows all the way from Sausalito to Fremont (or whatever's down that way...)

Happy 4th!