When I was in the fourth grade my favorite singer was Kylie Minogue. I played her tape incessantly, singing along while doing the Locamotion. One day I heard that she would be at Tower Records in Seattle and I begged my dad to take me.

When the day came, my dad picked me up early from my Girl Scout jamboree to go meet Kylie. I remember how excited I was sitting in the car wearing my little uniform shirt and sash. I knew Kylie would be impressed, because I had paired them with my awesome new stone wash jean skirt, gleaming white Keds and a black hat inspired by Kylie herself.

Meeting Kylie was the highlight of my year. My hat wasn’t quite the talking point I’d counted on, but she signed my tape and took a photo.

If you know me or even follow my Twitter feed you probably know my affinity for the restaurant The Girl and the Fig in Sonoma, California. I’d first heard of it when I lived in New York from reading various blog posts about the restaurant, cookbook and preserves. When I moved to Petaluma two years ago, I couldn’t get to Sonoma fast enough.

I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype, but from the arrival of the cheese platter to the last spoonful of buttermilk panna cotta the specialness of this place was apparent. The owner Sondra Bernstein has this wonderfully simplistic sense of taste. The food served in her restaurants is ingredient driven and her chefs are masters at highlighting the pure flavors.

I’ll admit it, I am a total Bernstein fangirl. I may not be doing “the Locamotion”, but I dine at her restaurants with frequency, as my friends, family and Mutineers can attest. So, in January when I was invited to her Italian restaurant ESTATE for a grappa tasting lunch then again in April for an olive oil tasting dinner, I was ten again and just beside myself with excitement.

As much as I was looking forward to attending the grappa lunch, my excitement was coupled with trepidation. This would be my first time trying grappa and before this meal I’d heard nothing but terrible things about it. I should have known better.

Always meticulous, Sondra invited several of her favorite producers, both local and Italian to share their grappa. Then, she set Chef Chris Jones the task of creating a grappa friendly meal all with the goal of showing that grappa isn’t just that firewater you swore off after that ridiculous hangover you had on that trip to Italy when you were in college. I am happy to report that Sondra and the kitchen staff at ESTATE wildly exceeded my expectations. Pairing grappa with food is just the same as pairing wine or beer, albeit a touch more fiery. The diversity of flavor was astonishing. There was a locally produced brand that tasted like fine aged whiskey and another of roses with hints of sweetness. I never knew the flavor profile could be so broad. Each pairing was inspired

I am also happy to report that meeting Sondra was far cooler than meeting Kylie. Kylie may have signed my tape, but Sondra slipped me chocolate on my way out. There’s really no contest.

Germain-Robin Viognier Grappa

with

Yellowtail crudo, grappa  gelee and . . .

A Beau Soleil oyster, grappa-pink peppercorn mignonette.

Chestnut Soup and a croquette . . . I think.

Aqua Perfecta Zinfandel Grappa

with

Estate “Mano Forinate” salumi & pate campagna.

Moonshine!

Muscardini Cellars Grappa di Sangiovese

with

House-smoked sturgeon & trout mousse, fennel three ways.

Spirit of the Harvest Petite Sirah Grappa (wood aged)

with

Star anise crusted venison carpaccio  and lemon & olio nuevo & duck pastrami juniper cabbage.

Nardini Acqua di Cedro Grappa

with

Chocolate-grappa panna cotta, coffee anglaise & citrus fruits, lime jelly & grappa-citrus sorbetto.

Calivirgin Olive Oil Tasting at ESTATE

One of the most wonderful parts about being a member of the food and beverage media is the people you meet. And, it is exponentially better when those people make a wonderful line of olive oil that I get to taste in action. From grandmothers to in-laws the Coldani family was out in force for an evening of delicious food and olive oil at ESTATE. I loved being able to hear the family’s farming history from the matriarch and chat with the grandson who discovered their land was perfect for planting olive trees. It was a lot of fun to be able to get to know the Coldani, owners of Calivirgin olive oil family in a relaxed atmosphere.

The tasting platform they used, a multi-course dinner, is something I think more companies should do. Not just because I want to come to dinner, but because it shows the diversity of the oil in a way slurping or dipping bread cannot. Something I find particularly difficult when it comes to flavored oils. A good example of this would be the roasted pepper herb salad with jalepeno oil. Instead of a blank canvas like bread, it was paired with something fresh and lively, showing its range instead of simply slurping the oil and identifying the varietal characteristics. It was a truly interesting experience.

House-Cured Mano Formate Salumi drizzled with Calivirgin Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Caposaldo NV Brut Prosecco, Valdobbiadene, Veneto

Marinated Roasted Peppers with Calivirgin Hot Virgin Jalapeno Olive Oil

Negroni and mingling.

Burrata drizzled with Calivirgin Bountiful Basil Oil

This was my first experience with burrata and I guarantee it won’t be my last.

Roasted asparagus with a balsamic zabaglione.

Crudo of Hamachi, Shaved Spring Onions Calivirgin Hot Virgin Jalapeno Olive Oil

ARBE GARBE 2009 Ribolla Gialla Blend, Russian River

Crispy Artichokes

The ESTATE dining room

Roasted Spring Vegetables Calivirgin Lusty Lemon Olive Oil

Spelt Fazzoletti, Devil’s Gulch Pork Ragout, Oven Dried Tomatoes with Calivirgin Bountiful Basil Olive Oil

Paired with Cantine Colosi 2009 Nero d’avola, Sicila

Rosemary Lemon Cake drizzled with Calivirgin Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gelato and Calivirgin Barrel Aged Balsamic

Paired with Vin Santo

Capping off the evening.

I would like to thank Sondra Bernstein and her impeccable staff, the Coldani family, all the grappa producers and Sam Srinivasan of Bread and Butter PR.

The Calivirgin product image was taken by Jeremy Tretetvik owner of Jeremy Wine Co. in Lodi, CA. The rest were Phil.

You know those moments and places you encounter in life that seem too perfect to be real? The cynic within lies in wait for something to spoil the mood and when it comes you are back in that familiar place most of us know as reality. Maybe it’s just me. In wine country this often comes in the form of promises of a perfect day sipping wine and enjoying the good life when reality it often just comes across as a cheap copy of another man’s work. Last Friday morning the cynic within me was effectively silenced by the staff of Jordan Winery.

Executive Chef Todd Knoll and Sous Chef (and pastry wizard) Manuel Reyes

We dropped our dog at the kennel and drove north to Healdsburg and Jordan Winery for what turned out to be two flawless wine country days. I was there in my official capacity, researching a story for Mutineer Magazine, but was able to get an inside glimpse of the Jordan kitchen, have a chat with Executive Chef Todd Knoll and was fortunate enough to have a few wonderful meals prepared by him and his talented staff. I may work for a fine beverage magazine, but we all know it’s all about the food for me.

The most gorgeous table in wine country.

From the road Jordan is an unassuming place, there is no giant sign announcing to the world that beyond these gates lies your wine country fantasy. If you blink you will miss it and we did, using what looked to be a well worn shoulder just beyond to get back to our destination. We drove slowly through the beautiful wild grounds, the road twisting and turning, branching and forking but ultimately leading us to our destination a beautiful winery that looked as if it had been plucked from the French countryside and placed in Northern California.

The winery suites and kitchen from the terrace, our luxurious room was in the corner with the ivy staircase. I would share photos of our suite, but I was doing the shooting on those and they turned out terrible. The decor was understated country French in shades of oyster to charcoal, complete with a stone fireplace, four poster bed and a luxurious tub. Combined with a breakfast in bed of fruit, croissants and fresh juice made for a lovely place to wake up.

Jordan Winery Bento Box Luncheon

Ponzu Gelée, Roasted Cipollini, American Caviar and Quail Egg

Mirin and Togarashi Glazed Salmon, Bok Choy, Seared Endive, Forbidden Rice with House pickled Ginger

Grilled and Braised Sonoma Duck Breast, with Shiitake, Morels and Enoki

Kumquat Compote, Financier and a Consommé of Our First Strawberries

Mero Seabass and Tasmanian Salmon with Their First Peas and Ramps from the Wine Blogger’s lunch on Saturday.

Grilled Sonoma (milk fed) Lamb and this Morning’s Carrots with Fava, Morels and Black Garlic Jus from the Wine Blogger’s lunch on Saturday.

Me, and Chef Todd Knoll. He is telling me about the craftsman who made his stainless steel spice rack. I am trying to figure out what tools I will need to come back with in order to steal it.

My Interview with Chef Todd Knoll

Upon arriving in Chef Todd’s kitchen I was immediately treated to a taste of green almonds done sous vide with rice vinegar and a few other ingredients. They were amazing. It was like eating a lightly pickled cucumber instead of an almond. I had been in his kitchen for all of about 30 seconds and my mind was officially blown.

This is my interview with project manager turned chef, Todd Knoll who is probably the happiest  most easy going chef I have ever met. My interview was originally significantly longer, sadly a few bits had to be cut out, because of clanging pots and pans. I think it is still pretty great.

How did growing up in Hawaii influence your style of cooking?

TK: It did really, because the end of my day after getting out of school would be diving, spear fishing its almost like growing up in a foreign country . . . beautiful foods, really being in touch with nature, just when you catch a fish and you cook it that day, or when I’d go fishing with my father and actually make sashimi on the boat, that’s an imprint.

Is that the reason you decided to pursue the culinary arts?

TK: I always wanted to cook. I wanted an Easy Bake Oven when I was a kid, they didn’t give it to me, but my mother is a wonderful cook, my father is a wonderful cook and I just always wanted to do it. I worked with my father, he passed away, as a project manager. I decided that I just wanted to do what I loved, so I actually started late professionally. . . I went to the Culinary Academy in San Francisco and worked at The Ritz which was a great experience worked through all the kitchens, went to banquets which isn’t the most glamorous thing, but was probably the most useful thing I would recommend it to anyone. I would go to school for eight hours and I would change coats and cook for eight hours. It was pretty brutal, but if you can’t do it then this is the wrong job.

Then my executive sous Chef Didier Georges called me and said they needed an executive chef here. I wasn’t looking for a job, I was moving up in the Ritz and Nitsa* cried, she didn’t want to come to wine country. She’s a city girl, but now we’d never go back.

What are the benefits of working at Jordan?

TK: Its funny, the first day I worked her here I called my friends at The Ritz there are no windows in the kitchen, great place to work but, nothing like this. I was looking out at the garden calling them and they were just “aw screw you” (laughs). I said, “You wouldn’t believe what I’m seeing here, all the trees and the garden”. I go down and I pick what I need for the day, thyme, herbs everything comes from this morning. The oldest thing that we have in the walk-in is from the day before. Being able to design a garden , I have a few chef friends who are jealous. Its a great place to work.

Are a lot of your ingredients grown on the grounds?

TK: As much as possible. During the winter it is difficult, but in the spring and the summer I have 15 varieties of tomatoes going in, I love to use their heirloom seeds, daikon, beautiful stone fruit coming in our raspberries are amazing, strawberries, but yeah we do as much as we can. White asparagus, which is really good.

Jordan produces olive oil, what part do you have in that?

TK: It’s interesting, the most important part is getting it off the tree carefully, which they do wonderfully. The most important part is to get it milled within 24 hours, but we can do it in four hours since we have the mobile mill. So they are picking the olives and there’s a truck out here and we’re doing a crush right there in the olive grove. Olive oil, unlike wine is best right then. You have the new olive oil thats not stable then we let it naturally rack for a couple of months . . . We do blend, but unlike wine, its just about getting it in that bottle quick thats the secret.

What are some of the challenges of working in a winery kitchen?

TK: Its a small kitchen, it’s beautiful, I have all the toys. I mean I showed you the vacuum machine I also have a pacojet. I have no budget, I have the best china in the world. John affords me anything I want. I mean I get not American Kobe, I get Kobe. It’s not a challenge so much as it is fun. Its a surprise everyday, if I think of anything I can find it.

What do you like to cook at home?

TK: Braised dishes, I love doing a classically roasted chicken, that’s the test of a chef really. A lot of Greek food, stiphado, I love Greek cooking. But simple cooking, bold flavors and just pure food, wine country cooking.

Are there any ingredients that you are really into right now?

TK: These right now (points to a dish of partially prepared ramps), the ramps are fun. These are really just blinks in the eye of the season, the ramps and the green almonds and morels. That is what I really focus on this time of the year.

What is your death row meal?

TK: Death row meal . . . chile verde. (then I blathered on a bit about pho and foie gras and it came out that his other choice would be pho)

During my stay I ate several of Chef Todd’s dishes and was impressed with each one. His dishes are well thought out and all such seamless fusion that you almost forget the cuisines the ingredients have been borrowed from. The lamb, duck and fish were some of the best I have ever tasted and the veggies were gorgeous. I was most impressed when I tasted the melange of mushrooms in the bento box lunch. Several months ago I had a dish with similar mushrooms and the same seasonings at a restaurant that will not be named, it was an epic fail. But, out of Chef Todd’s kitchen it was nothing short of perfection. I am officially a fan and I am glad I am able to share this with you.

*Nitsa is Todd’s wife, Jordan Winery’s Director of Hospitality and Special Events and quite possibly one of the cutest people ever.

Special note: I have to include a shout out to Lisa Mattson who is Jordan’s Communications Director and for all intents and purposes of the weekend, our Cruise Director. Upon arrival we immediately encountered a tiny blond woman lugging the largest tripod in existence across a beautiful stone courtyard; this was Lisa. She exudes boundless energy, entertains journalists, shoots video for the Jordan Blog, writes and I am pretty sure if I asked we’d find out that she can rub her stomach while patting her head and spinning a plate on the end of her toes all while filming a video for the Jordan website. Thanks Lisa!

This was a gorgeous kitchen. The hand painted tile was brought in from Portugal by Mrs. Jordan in the 1970′s.

They were preparing our bento boxes during the interview and Phil was all over the place shooting. This is one of my favorite photos.

Mise en Place

Sous Chef Manuel Reyes zesting oranges. Look at the endive on his board, I have never seen it so lovely before. I should also mention that Chef Manuel is also the pastry chef and from what I understand makes a mean chocolate mousse.

This salmon was amazing and beautiful.

This financier was lovely, the vanilla bean was so robust and the fruit lightly sweet and full of flavor.

From converting classic dishes for a vegetarian diet to writing about my favorite butcher shop, I certainly do like to keep things diverse here at The Endive Chronicles.

A few years ago on a chilly winter day I sat in our drafty Westhampton Beach, NY house drooling over a blog entry on Becks and Posh about a salad made with jambon persille from Fatted Calf in Napa, Ca. I didn’t know when, I didn’t know how, but I did know that someday, come hell or high water, I would claw my way through the doors of the Fatted Calf if it were the last thing I did. Thankfully things didn’t get that serious and as luck would have it, last summer we transferred within 20 miles to this temple of carnivorous delights.

If being a carnivore was a religion, than visiting the Fatted Calf would be a religious experience. One of the first things that struck me about this place was the scent of  something gloriously meaty baking in the back,  filling the shop with its heady scent. I had experienced clean smelling butcher shops and foul smelling butcher shops, but good? It was a sign.

The butchers case was like nothing I have seen outside of the charcuteries of France. Duck legs sit preserved in their own delicious fat, bacon and prosciutto, smoked duck breast, piles of gorgeous sausages and crepinetes all waiting for me to take them home. The walls are lined with local products from soda made with varietal grapes and heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo and interspersed throughout were packages of dry cured sausages and bouquets of beef jerky. I should tell you that this is not just any beef jerkey, this is without a doubt the best beef jerky on the planet (it also pairs surprisingly well with bourbon). I put a bouquet of it in Phil’s stocking at Christmas this year and I am pretty sure he liked it better than all his other gifts combined.

The sausages and crepinettes at Fatted Calf are like nothing I have ever experienced before. Air dried or fresh, these are the most flavorful sausages in existence. The chorizo (pictured above) is not just good, it seems to capture the essence of Spain with its paprika laced porky goodness. While writing this yesterday, I was so overcome with Fatted Calf cravings that we were compelled to drive to Napa and buy a hefty supply of sausages namely, a ring of chorizo, a few mergueze, andouille, mushroom and breakfast sausages. I had no choice, there is so way one can spend an entire day thinking about Fatted Calf and not end up going to Fatted Calf.

They have an ever changing variety of pates, rillettes and sausages. The pate, like many of their items change depending to the week and even though I still haven’t seen the jambon persille, I can tell you that each one of these are nothing less than perfection. The rillettes are all amazing, but duck is definitely my favorite.

Want to know what else is sold at Fatted Calf? Only heritage pork, the porkiest pork in the land my friends. I thought I knew what good pork was, but after eating this, I realised I had never known it at all. It was as if my dog suddenly revealed he could talk, not that he wasn’t rad before, its just that now he is so much better. They sell many cuts of heritage pork, but where they truly excell is in the prepared roasts. The porchetta is not only herbaceous and tender, but addictively crunchy on the outside. Our favorite butcher there always gives us a taste of it (and everything else) whenever we’re in!

For my birthday in December, Philip gave my the gift of a class at Fatted Calf. It was a lively afternoon of forming chanterelle crepinettes, deveining livers, forming terrines and massaging truffled lardo across a prep table. I should also add that this lardo recipe was learned by our awesome instructor, Taylor Boetticher, from famous Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini, who some of you may know from Bill Buford’s fantastic book Heat or Bourdain’s show “No Reservations“. Pretty cool, eh?

Throughout the class we were treated to various charcuterie such as pistachio mortadella, duck confit on crostini and the extraordinary and beloved porchetta. After all of that you wouldn’t think we needed lunch, but gather a group of passionate epicureans together and there will be some serious eating. We dined on more charcuterie, roasted beets and the crowning glory of the meal, a crown pork roast with apple. It was amazing. I can tell you all, that as I drove home from class that day I knew how fortunate I was to be living so close to such a treasure.

I hope you enjoyed this latest peek into My California. Do you have a favorite place like Fatted Calf or The Olive Press? I’d love to hear about it. Thanks for reading.

As much as I miss the green glory of the Puget Sound, it is mornings like the one I had on December 5th, 2009 when I am reminded that Sonoma County isn’t such a bad alternative. On that particular morning I woke to find that the hills were a little less brown, the sky a clear and perfect blue and my mind filled with the knowledge that today I would learn how olives are transformed into the most important staple of my kitchen.

A couple of weeks earlier, I was notified by Twitter that I was being followed by @TheOlivePress1. It just so happened that I was trying to find an olive oil maker to let me in on a pressing, so I sent @TheOlivePress1 a message. Within an hour or so I was chatting with the lovely Deborah Rogers, co-founder of The Olive Press, planning a visit to observe the annual community olive pressing in a couple of weeks time.

The roads between Petaluma and Sonoma wind through hills the color of wet straw dotted with cattle and sheep. Roadsides are studded with ripened pears and quince. The Olive Press is housed in a beautiful stone building that sits nestled at the base of the Sonoma Mountains. On a morning like that one, it is a beautiful sight.

My photographer (aka Phil) and I arrived just after the first batch was weighed and headed towards the press. Normally The Olive Press processes their own oil, but today was a little different. Today was a community pressing, where anyone with an olive tree and good fruit can bring their olives in to be pressed. It is the oldest program of its kind in the United States. Each small grower brings in their fruit, has it weighed, pays to have it processed and in a week or so they return to The Olive Press to pick up their very own olive oil. Some of the people I spoke with kept the oil for personal use, but many gave their oil as holiday gifts. I met one man, who gave it with his own vinegar and wine. I did my best to ingratiate myself to him, but did not end up on his holiday gift list.

I watched people carrying bins and buckets of lovingly tended fruit to be weighed and processed, silently cursing my pathetic little olive tree for not producing any fruit and envious of the bucket wielding growers. Thankfully there was too much action for me to just stand their sulking, soon I was helping unload olives, watching weigh ins and learning the particulars of what makes for a viable olive oil olive. Deborah showed me the effects of worm, frost and dehydration on an olive and taught me how they not only degrade the overall quality of the oil, but can produce some downright terrible flavors.

After weigh in, the olives are placed into a large bin that is poured into a giant hopper for cleaning and separating before the actual crush. Once they reach the crushing machine, it looks like the most luscious tapenade you’ve ever seen. Eventually, it ends up in a centrifuge where the olive is separated from the oil, resulting in the thick golden liquid we all know and love so well.

While the olives were in the final stage of their process, I headed into the shop to do an olive oil tasting. While the actual physical act of tasting olive oil is different, than say wine or coffee tasting, the structure is the same. I started out with the more delicate varietals, such as the Arbequina, the progressed on through the spectrum to the blended oils like the intense and buttery Master Blend. It was a difficult choice to make, but I went home with a bottle of the Sevillano oil and resisted the urge to buy the gorgeous olive frond sculptures . . . and the olive wood nesting bowls. I really want those bowls!

I rejoined Deborah and a grower for a little fresh out of the centrifuge tasting. The oils I had tasted inside had all provided a throat warming sensation, and they had the previous year to mellow. But this was fresh off the press and the throat warming sensation was intensified threefold. Maybe in a few months it would be more my strength.

My visit to The Olive Press was an interesting and tasty one. The oil is gorgeous and has definitely earned a permanent spot in my kitchen.

Haitian Relief

The Haitians need help. Their country has been decimated and yesterday I saw a report that the Red Cross was out of supplies in Haiti. The Coast Guard and Army are helping, but they need our support. If you are in a position to help, even a little, please click on one of the links below to donate.

The Red Cross: http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main

Wyclef Jean’s humanitarian organization: http://www.yele.org/

The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake_embed

Last June, my husband and I pulled up stakes yet again, and moved to Petaluma, California. Until we came down here house hunting, I had only been to California once in my life and that was over 20 years ago. I was immediately smitten with the area (despite the lack of rain), and upon our return to Seattle, I couldn’t wait to come back and discover all my new home has to offer.

For months now we have been making our way across Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties finding people and places offering wonderful food and experiences. Here in Petaluma I will introduce you to the pleaasures of Della Fattoria, where they make some of the most delicious bread and pastries I have ever had the pleasure of eating. In December we’ll pay a visit to “The Fatted Calf” a charcuterie shop in Napa where I will be taking a holiday themed class on sausages and terrines. There are so many interesting people and places from spice merchants to olive oil producers, I can’t wait to tell you all about them, through the “My California” series I am kicking off here today.

Check out the photos and captions I’ve complied here for a preview of life here in northern California.

I had first seen Della Fattoria when we came house hunting, but forgot all about it until an incredibly smart person Denise of Chez Danisse mentioned how wonderful it was. Their pain levain, meyer lemon rosemary bread and ham and cheese croissants are the things legends are made of. I can’t wait to tell you more about this unbelieveable bakery in the coming months.

I don’t even like meringue and these have my hypnotized!

Cowgirl Creamery is a name many of you will recognize. I have been a longtime fan of their gorgeous cheeses, so you can imagine my surprise when I found that the creamery is a five minute drive from my home! I can’t wait to take the tour, which I hear includes a cheese filled sample bag. That’s my kind of tour!

So many luscious cheeses!

I feel a bit melancholy  knowing that I will never taste this particular bowl of strawberries again. Never in my life have I had such a perfect berry. We picked these up at a lonely farmstand on the side of the road between Petaluma and Point Reyes, called Kitty’s (I think). Everything there is certified by Marin Organic, and it shows.

Kitty’s sells the freshest organic eggs, the quality of which I have never seen. The yolks were gigantic and so intensely yellow, they actually acted as a food coloring in a recent batch of gougeres I whipped up.

The Bovine Bakery of downtown Pt. Reyes is a destination all it’s own with cyclists braving treacherous roads with blind corners, cliffs with no guard rail or shoulder for their tasty treats. The pain d’amande made here is one of the most perfect pastries I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. The almond is delicious, but does not mask the butery, salty perfection of the pastry actually complimenting it. They also do a cheddar chile scone that rocks my world

Central Market is a glorious slow food restaurant in downtown Petaluma. I never expected this. The importance placed on food here is outstanding, with even the most humble of restaurants serving locally grown and often organic foods.

I just discovered Purple Leaf yesterday and I wanted to include it not just because they offer delicious creative takeout, but because they seem to encapsulate the friendly spirit I find in the people of Petaluma. Phil and I were strolling around town taking photos, when I stopped to look at the menu of this new takeout restaurant. As we began to move on we suddenly heard a woman’s voice calling to us from across the street, it was Gail the owner offering us a tasting. Of course we accepted, tasting torshi, an Armenian pickled veggie mix, chicken with currants and pine nuts and pork with golden raisins. Everything was very south and eastern Mediterranean with lots of spices and fruit and then a bit Asian as well, but it didn’t seem random, just delicious. We ended up buying dinner there, it was a huge help seeing how I am a menace in the kitchen these days with the sling and all.

I cooked in this style several years ago and it took me back. I think I’ll have to dig out a few of those recipes to share with you.

This is our local wine shop, it has a wide selection as well as a wide price range and knowledgeable proprieter. We are so lucky to have a place like this nearby.

This is Walnut Park on D Street in Petaluma and the host of our Saturday Farmer’s Market. While there isn’t much in the line of meats and cheeses here, they have a wonderful array of heirloom fruits, veggies, local oil, vinegar and baked goods.

This is Petaluma Market a local market with a long local history. They carry wonderful specialty ingredients most often from local sources. They were the only ones in town who didn’t balk at my request for pork belly.

I have also included a few non-food related photos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!