Two family businesses in Santa Barbara County have joined together to celebrate the 2004 olive harvest with a spectacular five-course luncheon prepared with gold-medal winning products grown and produced in Southern California. Guests will have the opportunity to sample Global Gardens 2004 Estate Organic Olive Oil, which was a Gold Medal winner at this year’s Los Angeles County Fair along with many other taste sensations prepared by Chef Kurt Alldredge. Global Gardens was the first award winning certified organic extra virgin, COOC approved olive oil grower and producer in all of Southern California with their 2003 harvest. Over 2,000 olive trees are planted on a certified organic ranch in Los Alamos, CA.
When: Saturday, November 6, 2004 from 12:00-3:00pm
Where: Buttonwood Farm Winery, 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang, California
Cost: $59 for Global Goodness and Slow Food members; $69 for nonmembers
Menu and ticket information can be found at the Global Gardens web site or by calling 1.800.307.0447 between 9:00am-5:00pm Pacific time, Mondays through Fridays.
The Buttonwood Farm Winery is in a beautiful, central location, easily attainable for our customers in all of Southern California and the perfect place to see a 360 degree view of the entire Santa Ynez Valley. We are the only olive oil producer to host special events open to the public featuring estate grown olive and home-made recipes,� said Theo Williams, founder of Global Gardens with her husband Joel.
Joel and Theo Williams created Global Gardens in 1998 as a way of expressing their passion for bringing flavors from around the globe to their community. Their food products are inspired by family recipes and influenced by locally grown organic products. The couple is dedicated to creating food specialty products that reflect their commitment to healthy living. In addition to exceptional olive oil, the couple has created the Global Goodness Food Club allowing members to enjoy fresh, seasonal flavors shipping four times per year and offering unique discount and incentive programs. This unique, reasonably priced Club Membership may also be given as an annual or one time gift. Global Gardens also creates unique corporate and personal gifts for the discriminating businessperson. Both large and small gift orders are customized to fit any budget, promotional event, or holiday.
Our friends at the Common Ground Garden Project have alerted us to this available position at The Merry Garden at Hollygrove:
A dynamic gardening instructor is needed to teach a garden class for 7-8 children, some with learning or emotional disabilities, aged 9-12 years. The class will be held weekly on Thursdays at 8:45am at Hollygrove located in Hollywood. Â The Hancock Park Garden Club maintains a vegetable garden at the Hollygrove facility, and will pay the instructor's salary--$30 per session ($15 for an hour's preparation plus $15 for an hour's teaching). Â This position is funded until June 2005.
Qualifications: A dynamic instructor with experience in a horticulture or horticultural therapy, and experience teaching children a must. Knowledge of environmental science or naturalist training preferred.
Hollygrove was established in 1880 as the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society. In the 122 years of its existence it has evolved from an orphanage to a residential treatment program and home for abused and neglected children, ages 6-13. Â The campus is located in Hollywood and includes residential cottages to accommodate 68 children.
Please email resume to Ginger Lincoln at lincoln6@aol.com, or call 323.935.6612 for more information.
Join the Slow Food Tasting Committee in a chocolate-focused dinner featuring El Rey chocolate and Gloria Ferrer wines. Chef Chris Behre and pastry chef Aaron Lindgren have developed a menu that will highlight chocolate in both savory and sweet compositions. A must for chocolate lovers, this will be a great opportunity to discover new combinations and revel in chocolate at every course.
When: Tuesday, November 9, 2004, at 7:00pm
Where: Cinch, 1519 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica
Cost: $58/$68 with wine pairing for Slow Food Members; $68/$78 for nonmembers
Reserve your space by November 3. RSVP by email to Grady Atkins at cookooowl@msn.com or call the Slow Food LA reservations line at 323.860.9804.
Make your check payable to Slow Food LA and mail it to:Slow Food LA
Attn: Lucy Lin: Chocolate Dinner
c/o Angeli Caffe
P.O. Box 360769
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Appetizer:
Beetroot and Goat Cheese Tempura with cocoa balsamic dressing on arugula and watercress (paired with Royal Cuvee, Brut, Carneros, 1995)Entree:
Chocolate Peking Duck (paired with Pinot Noir, Carneros 2002)Dessert "coda":
Chocolate Purist (warm cocoa cake, dark Venezuelan chocolate ganache, and chocolate ice cream in a cocoa nib tuille)Mignardise:
Milk Chocolate Box of Bananas (with pecan ganache and Peruvian coffee ice cream)
Cinch "S'mores" (milk chocolate cheesecake with vanilla bean marshmellow and chocolate graham cracker "campfire")
Chocolate Passion Tart (with passion sorbet and tropical fruits)
(desserts paired with Syrah, Carneros, 2001)
41% Coiba Milk chocolate tiles of anise, almonds and currants; 61% Mijao chocolate dipped strawberries infused with Grand Marnier; and 71% Grande Saman chocolate Passion fruit and Tahitian vanilla Truffles. All three chocolates blended into Hot Chocolate with a honey, vanilla bean marshmallow, and paired with Cockburn 20 Year Tawny Port.
The Tasting Committee of Slow Food LA will sponsor a seminar, book signing, and a focused tasting of grilled cheese sandwiches using an array of American artisanal cheeses based on Laura Werlin’s third book, Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes for Stovetop, Grill, and Sandwich Maker. Stressing the sandwich's versatility, the author serves up everything from classic (and "almost-classic") grilled cheese sandwiches to quesadillas and sweet grilled cheese options.
Chris Pollan, proprietor of The Cheese Store of Silverlake, a cheese store specializing in artisanal cheeses, and fine gourmet products located in Silverlake, California has agreed to host this event. Laura Werlin, author of The All American Cheese and Wine Book will present the seminar and focused tasting to members of Slow Food and the members of the general public interested in learning more about making grilled cheese sandwiches using American artisanal cheeses. Portions of the proceeds of this event will benefit the Los Angeles Chapter of Slow Food U.S.A.
When: Sunday, October 31, 2004 at 4:00pm
Where: The Cheese Store of Silverlake, Sunset Junction, 3926-28 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90029.
Cost: $34.00 for Slow Food LA members; $40.00 for nonmembers. Cost includes the grilled cheese and wine tastings and a signed copy of Great Grilled Cheese by Laura Werlin.
For reservations and payment information, email Grady Atkins at cookooowl@msn.com
Make your check payable to SLOWLA and mail it to:SLOWLA
Attn: Lucy Lin: Grilled Cheese Event
c/o Angeli Caffe
P.O. Box 360769
Los Angeles, CA 90036
The featured cheeses selected for this event by Chris Pollan may include: Midnight Moon Goat Cheese; a selection of Goat and Cow Cheeses from Sally Jackson; two different Sonoma Jacks; St. George Raw California Cow; Grafton Village Cheddar; Original Point Reyes Blue; Oregon Blue; California Gouda; Basque Style Cheese from Wisconsin; and Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese.
ABOUT LAURA WERLIN:
Laura Werlin is passionate about American cheese, having written three books on the subject. Her first, The New American Cheese, won a prestigious IACP cookbook award for best American cookbook. The All American Cheese and Wine Book (2003 Stewart, Tabori & Chang), won a 2004 James Beard Award in the "single subject" category, and is the first book of its kind to focus entirely on pairing American cheese with American wine. In addition, the book features 50 cheesemaker and winemaker profiles, 50 recipes for entertaining with cheese, and comprehensive information about cheese and about wine. Great Grilled Cheese is her third book.
Werlin is on the board of the American Cheese Society and is an active member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, the James Beard Foundation, the San Francisco Professional Food Society, and the American Institute of Wine and Food. She has appeared on Martha Stewart Living Television, Sara's Secrets, and Cooking Live! with Sara Moulton on the Television Food Network, San Francisco KRON-TV�s Bay Caf�e, and numerous local television and radio segments from coast to coast. She writes a nationally syndicated bi-weekly cheese column and also writes for national magazines including Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, Saveur, Cooking Pleasures, Country Living, Self Magazine, and San Francisco magazine.
Prior to foodwriting, Werlin spent sixteen years working in television news in the nation's fourth largest television market, San Francisco.
ABOUT CHRIS POLLAN:
Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Chris Pollan acquired an appreciation of food and cooking at an early age. In the late 1970s, Pollan achieved success and notoriety as a tour manager for some of rock's biggest acts, and touring the world allowed him to sample fine food from every part of the globe. By the mid-nineties, Chris was ready to settle down and spend more time with his family, and began working at The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, where he discovered that food, wine, and retail are his real passion.
In 2001, Pollan decided to open up a store of his own, and chose the eclectic, up-and-coming LA neighborhood of Silverlake, where he now runs the award-winning and aptly named Cheese Store of Silverlake.