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LATEST LOCAL FOOD NEWS
Paul Corsentino goes to Salt Wood
 Congratulations to chef Paul Corsentino, who this week starts his new job as executive chef at Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette in Marina. Corsentino, who was previously exec chef at Sur House at Ventana Big Sur, replaces chef David Baron, who moved on to San Francisco in December. While few details are available yet on how he plans to change up Salt Wood's menu, one of his first tasks will be to prepare a special prix fixe Valentine's Day dinner that includes oysters, artichoke hearts salad, surf and turf, and milk chocolate cremeux, with a complimentary glass of Moët & Chandon champagne.
New business targets food waste
 An exciting new community service with a triple bottom line is being launched by Tabitha Stroup, the irrepressible chef-proprietor of Friend in Cheeses Jam Co. in Santa Cruz. The new project, called Terroir in a Jar is a a micro-cannery that will process over-ripe or blemished fruits and vegetables from local farms and other food wastes, turning them into delectable jams, jellies and culinary vinegars. As EMB's Sarah Wood reports, Terroir in a Jar not only keeps food waste out of the dump, it also helps farmers, brewers and winemakers earn extra income. Read more...
Michael Mina coming to GourmetFest
 GourmetFest—which takes place in Carmel from March 14-17—has added culinary icon Michael Mina to the all-star lineup. Mina operates some 40 restaurants including the flagship Michael Mina in San Francisco and will offer the Ment'Or cooking demonstration and book signing on Friday, March 15, followed by an elegant lunch at La Playa Hotel. He steps in to replace chef Curtis Stone, who was originally slated for that event benefiting the Ment'Or non-profit organization created by Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Jérôme Bocuse to inspire young people to want to cook. Tickets are now on sale for all 20 events in the four-day foodie extravaganza. More info here...
Cider Tour to hit Monterey Bay
 A national expert in the booming hard cider movement is turning her attention to our area. Ria Windcaller is organizing the Monterey Bay Cider Tour on April 12-13. It will include in-depth visits and orchard tastings with cider makers from Santa Cruz Cider, Soquel Cider, Tanuki, Rider Ranch, Serventi Ranch, Five Mile Orchard and Martinelli's—the oldest cidermaking family in the country. Tour participants will also be treated to lunch and a cider dinner on Saturday evening at Everett Family Farm. Click here for more info and to listen to her interviews with each of these local cider makers...
Santa Lucia Highlands Gala and more
 Tickets just went on sale for one of the premier events on our bountiful food and drink calendar—the Santa Lucia Highlands Sun, Wind & Wine Gala—taking place on Saturday, May 18 at Mer Soleil Winery on River Rd. in Soledad. Wineries that are members of the SLH association are pouring their "good stuff" and a who's who of area chefs pair small bites with the wines. Also now on sale are tickets for the annual Pigs, Pinot & More event in Salinas. It takes place on March 2 and pairs Monterey County wines with all kinds of tasty tidbits, to benefit causes supported by the Salinas Rotary Charitable Fund.
UPCOMING FOOD EVENTS
Valentine's Passport is selling out
Sat, February 9 | Seven wineries along River Road | 11am-4pm.
 Just a few tickets remain for the River Road Valentine's Passport Day taking place on Saturday. It's one of the wine trail's most popular annual events and includes parties with wine tasting, food pairings, chocolates, a souvenir tasting glass and special wine deals at nine participating wineries along the route. Be sure to read Laura Ness' preview at the end of the newsletter below. riverroadwinetrail.com
Twisted Tasting goes to space
Fri, February 8 | Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, SC | 6-9pm. $91.50.
 Exciting small bites from local food artisans like Home, Hanloh Thai, Bruxo, Friend in Cheeses and the soon-to-open Snap Taco are one good reason to attend Twisted Tasting on Friday evening, but most people come for the beverages. Beers in the most unusual flavors you've ever experienced from all the local breweries—each trying to outdo the other with brews that are out-of-this-world. twistedtasting.com
Ocean Robbins Book Talk
Sun, February 10 | Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave. SC | 7pm. Free.
 Ocean Robbins—local resident and leader of the 500,000-member Food Revolution Network—has a new book out and he will be at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Sunday evening to talk about it and sign copies. In the book he writes about steps to take to detoxify your diet and begin eating foods with maximum nutrition. He also discusses how to build a healthy food community and change the food system for the better. bookshopsantacruz.com
Apple Wassailing Revival
Sun, February 10 | Community Orchard, 225 San Lorenzo Blvd. Santa Cruz | 2-4pm.
 If you are looking for something truly different to do this weekend, join the folks at the Community Orchard and sing to the trees. In this winter ritual, originating in southern England in the 16th century, "wassailers" gather to sing honorific odes and make offerings of cider and toast to the orchard's fruit trees, hoping to bring about a plentiful harvest in the coming season. Festive costumes are encouraged, but not required. santacruzorchard.org
Greet Valentina the Barn Owl
Weds, February 13 | Haute Enchilada, Moss Landing | 5-7pm. $20.
 Teco the barn owl at Haute Enchilada has a new mate. They're calling her Valentina and throwing a party to welcome her on Valentine's Day eve. Come celebrate the owls with a no-host bar, chips, salsa and guacamole and an educational presentation on using barn owls for rodent control, plus a demonstration on making your own barn owl nest box. Proceeds benefit Wildlife Emergency Services. wildlifeservices.com
more food and wine events...
Wednesday, February 6
Thursday, February 7
Friday, February 8
Saturday, February 9
Sunday, February 10
Monday, February 11
Tuesday, February 12
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Chipotle Chocolate Stout-Braised Short Ribs
Short ribs are often braised in red wine, but in honor of San Francisco Beer Week and our own Twisted Tasting coming up this Friday, we decided to bring back this recipe by Emily Thomas for stout-braised short ribs. Thomas—the co-founder of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and mastermind behind Twisted Tasting—recommends using a chipotle stout or a chocolate stout if you can find one. Otherwise any good locally-brewed stout will work in this tasty winter dish.
| INGREDIENTS |
1 rack beef short ribs, about 2½ pounds, cut into 4-ounce portions
2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons bittersweet cocoa powder
1 medium red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 22-ounce bottle chipotle stout, chocolate stout or any good stout
Salt and pepper to taste
| INSTRUCTIONS |
Season both sides of the ribs with the chipotle chili powder, salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a Dutch oven, add oil, and sear ribs on all sides. Add the soy sauce, cocoa powder, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, Kosher salt and stout to the roasting pan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Tightly cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the ribs are tender and fall from the bones, about 3–3½ hours.
Remove from the oven and serve on top of polenta or polenta tamales, see www.ediblemontereybay.com for recipe.
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SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SPONSOR...
Passport to Tasteful Adventure on River Road
 The River Road Wine Trail continues to expand with merry destinations, bringing more places to explore, and more ways to visit the wineries you already know and love. Over the years, it’s been gratifying to see all the winery signs popping up along this bucolic byway that bisects the benchlands of the Santa Lucia Highlands mountains as they give way from grapes to row crops.
It wasn’t all that long ago when there were barely enough wineries to qualify as a “trail,” but the stalwart pioneers, including Hahn, Paraiso, Pessagno and Scheid still remain, more recently joined by Manzoni, Puma Road and Odonata.
Speaking of changes, according to newly appointed River Road Wine Trail president, winemaker Denis Hoey of Odonata, there are two new trail members to explore as well. “We now have both Michaud Wines and Chalone Vineyards as part of the trail now,” says Hoey, who was serving as vice-president of the Trail when former president Laura Lee Anzivino decided to move on, inheriting her position. “We are very pleased to have them, as they are an important part of the local Monterey County story.”
Hoey says both new members will participate in the upcoming Valentine’s Passport event, a crowd favorite for going on 12 years now. Michaud will be pouring at Scheid, while Chalone will be hosted at Hahn. The River Road Wine Trail invites you to purchase tickets early for this much-loved “sweetheart of all wine tastings,” to be held the Saturday before Valentine’s Day, February 9th, 2019, from 11am—4pm. This event will sell out, so secure your tickets now to avoid disappointment. Read more... |
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