Southern Sonoma Country Life

Amber's Double Dutch Brownies and SoCo Recipes Galore

Hearty congratulations to Petaluma born-and-raised Amber and Jim Balshaw at Preferred Sonoma Caterers  - Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce, Sheraton Hotel and the Argus Courier's 2010 Small Business of the Year Award Winners.

Having tasted Amber's delicious offerings at many a Southern Sonoma County event and written about Preferred Sonoma Caterers on numerous occasions within the context of local food and entertainment features, I had never had the pleasure of meeting her in person before the award ceremony at the Sheraton, last evening.

Introduced to me by mutual friend, Karen Nau, Amber shared that she writes an Everything Culinary  blog chock full of seasonal recipes, a locavore's delight considering the source.

Top on my to-bake list are Amber's Double Dutch Brownies. I've always said that it's all about the chocolate and Amber's recipe holds no hostages in that department.

The Small Business of the Year Award was presented during this year's Community Awards of Excellence which included awards to Service Person of the Year, Police Officer and Firefighter of the Year, Excellence in Education, Agriculture, Service to Seniors, Service to Youth, Large Business of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Citizen of the Year.

If ever there is a tear-jerker of a major community event, this one is it. It's my top pick for a freelance assignment each year for the Argus Courier and my full article on the award ceremony will be in the newspaper next Thursday!

The Little Red Bench Goes Green

Long time readers of Southern Sonoma Country Life will recall frequent seasonal tales from the fabled "Little Red Bench".

Well ..... I'm thinking that the little red bench really ought to go 'green' this spring, given the sudden onset of spectacular, early-growth season edible deliveries!

If you don't have a spot on your porch or front doorstep for friends and neighbors to drop off little (and sometimes, quite large) care packages of excess garden bounty, I recommend that you figure something out pretty swiftly. For SoCo's wonderful wet Spring weather has caused a cacophony of color to explode in early veggie and rose gardens around the region.

The marvelous Mel of A Mouse in The Pantry on and off-line SoCo culinary fame hand picked me a massive armload of fresh leafy greens and herbs grown in her blooming Petaluma backyard from quality seeds she'd selected at downtown Petaluma's Heritage Seed Bank. 

Sauteed last night for a supper of thinly sliced local chuck beef with fresh garlic and olive oil, a unanimous vote at the kitchen table put P'Town's homegrown emerald leaves at the top of the family food chain. Thankfully we have moved on from a monotony of unseasonal green beans and boring broccoli. With such an abundance of leafy greens having come our way via the little red (green) bench this past winter and spring, the boys have all officially become willing converts.

Having an Italian around who knows instinctively what to do with a kitchen counter loaded with chard does help, admittedly, I don't recall ever knowingly eating kale, chard of anything remotely along those dark green lines growing up in England (think brussel sprouts, broad beans, peas).

Not that we suffered - leeks were always my favorite veg, after parsnips. And much to my delight, leeks grow remarkably well around here, too. Thanks to Sierra and her Dad for yesterday's surprise delivery of a lovely load of freshly trimmed leeks. All ready for the weekend's free range roast chicken.

Should you find yourself at a loss on how to whip up a batch of tasty greens to entice the kids to give it a try, here's a quick and easy recipe from the vineyard kitchen for Bean and Kale Soup, otherwise known amongst Italians as:

Minestra

1 tablespoon of olive oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cups chopped kale

4 cups organic or free range chicken broth

1 15oz cans of cannellini beans, drained

1 15oz tin of chopped, organic tomatoes (or fresh from the yard, if in season)

2 tsp chopped Italian herbs from the yard (or dried)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup chopped, fresh parsley (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute garlic and onion until soft. Add kale, continue to saute until wilted. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes. Serve with or without sprinkled fresh parsley and a loaf of crusty, fresh bread.

Shackleton's Newly Discovered Stash Brings New Meaning to Aged Whisky

Entombed in ice outside of Shackleton's Antarctic shack for over a century, five crates of the legendary British explorer's recently uncovered precious malt whisky and brandy stash bring a new meaning to the concept of optimum aging conditions!

According to international news reports the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust discovered the largely intact crates, widely considered amongst whisky lovers as a 'gift from heaven' given that this original blend of Mackinlay's malt had long since been abandoned. 

Sounds likely that master blenders at Glasgow's Whyte and Mackay (the distillery that took over Mackinlay's original production) will be the lucky ones to sample this fortuitous discovery and if they like what they taste, a reproduction of the recipe might be the order of the century.

Ernest Shackleton and his exploration party spent a long, lonely winter at the Nimrod Hut, HQ of their failed 1907-1909 British Antarctic Expedition.

The expedition had run short of supplies on its trek to the South Pole from Cape Royds in and eventually fell around 100 miles short of its goal. A hasty retreat from fast approaching winter ice had caused Shackleton and co to leave this remarkable loot behind.

As to the spelling of whisky or whiskey, the so called 'water of life' is traced back to 12th Century Britain. Whisky nowadays tends to be from Ireland and Scotland, whereas Whiskey is more likely associated with the U.S. and whiskies from other parts of the world!

And what is it about whisky aficionados that they do tend to 'stash' the good stuff? Is it the cost value or something deeper and more primal, perhaps?

I asked my pal Frank over at the Petaluma Spectator's Instituto De Vino Wino if he happens to be a whisky lover. Despite renowned tendencies towards a Rumpole of the Bailey-style beverage portfolio, it transpires that Simpson's a solid American Bourbon man, through-and-through!  

However, he did have this little ditty to share on the subject: "Six or seven years ago we were visiting friends somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. The husband had a vast collection of "rare" malt whisky which he talked about throughout dinner. I am sitting there - staring at the racks of bottles - listening to him prattle on and on - wishing he would open one -drinking box wine that he had mixed from two different wine boxes. That was as close as I ever came to tasting malt whisky. But I can claim to have seen it up close - through a glass of box plonk."

Hiding a dusty bottle of aged Jameson's in the closet? Come, on, celebrate the Shackleton stash discovery and share a shot or two with a friend.
 

Taste Buds in Training with Recipe for 2010 Petaluma Chili Fest

 

Chili Festival is almost upon us here in pumped-up community fundraising capital of Sonoma County - Petaluma, CA. This sizzling (13th) annual happening (Saturday, May 8th 2010) takes place all afternoon over at the river city's fairgrounds inside and outside of Herzog Hall.

If you live in the North Bay and you've yet to experience the colorful sights, sounds, aromas and tastes of this outrageously competitive Chili (and Salsa) extravaganza (raising $s for Cinnabar Theater Youth Programs) - buy yourself a red hot ticket and trundle down for some serious samplings of the region's best Chili and Salsa dishes. 

After taking a year off to grow some fresh, new, finely-tuned taste buds, yours truly, Scribbles Daily here at Southern Sonoma Country Life is back at the Judge's table this May for the second half of the competition. Not sure if I'm on the Chili or Salsa judging session, either way, I'd best be sharpening the senses for some heavy-duty sampling of all sorts of creative dishes concocted by the city's top restaurants, community groups, firefighters, farmers..... the challenge is on to beat out last year's winners, Beyond the Glory!

Ready for a new Chili recipe yourself? Here's one that I adapted SoCo-style from Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef cookbook (how can you possibly go wrong with a title like that?)

Given my fridge full of Tara Firma biodynamic farm meats from the West Petaluma weekly food box delivery, there's no excuse not to stay local when it comes to the best meat cuts in the region.

Sonoma Country Best Beef Chili

1 lb freshly ground, grass-fed local beef 

2 onions

1 clove of garlic

olive oil

2 teaspoons of Morton and Bassett chili powder

I fresh, red chili, deseeded and chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin

Sea salt and black pepper

8 oz sun dried tomatoes in oil

2 14-oz tins of organic tomatoes

Pinch of cinnamon

2 14 oz tins of drained, organic kidney beans

Finely chop onions and crush garlic before frying until soft in sufficient olive oil not to burn. Add chili powder, fresh chili, cumin and a smidgen of salt and pepper. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Whiz the sun dried tomatoes in a food processor until smooth and paste-like. Add to the beef with the tomatoes, a glass of water, pinch of cinnamon and additional seasoning to taste. 

Bring to a boil cover and simmer for three hours, lifting the lid and stirring every once in a while. Add the kidney beans about a half hour before serving.

Cooking a day ahead will only make your SoCo Chili all the more irresistible! Serve with a fresh, green salad (from the yard?) a delicious loaf of Della Fattoria bread and a few bottles of Petaluma's Lagunitas beer.

You might not win the Chili Fest, but you'll gain yourself a few new fans at the kitchen table.

P.S. I have a sneaking suspicion that the beer's the real big draw to the Chili Fest each year. For most of the Bay Area's premium producers of popular ales are on hand to quench the thirst of parched competitors. It's thirsty work just stopping by, so why not sample the best of the Bay Area ale while you're at it?

Click here for more on the 13th Annual Chili Festival and to book tickets.

Unbeatable Special Offer for Sonoma Country Life Readers to Attend First Ever Social Media Conference in North Bay

 

Don't miss out on the first Social Media Conference to be held in the North Bay, SocialBiz 2010, taking place this Friday, April 30th, 2010 at the Sheraton Hotel & Marina in Petaluma, California, 30 minutes north of San Francisco.

Everyone is a twitter about Twitter and Facebook and all sorts of fast-paced, powerful social media network tools for businesses, institutions and organizations to successfully spread the word of good work, yet for many this bottomless pool of opportunity has tended to overwhelm.

Now you have absolutely no more excuses not to jump on board the social media rocket ship and position your biz at the top of the market.

As a special, last-minute offer to Southern Sonoma Country Life readers, a one-time deep discount of a substantial $90 savings is available if you make a reservation before Friday.

Don't wait any longer to make your move, there are only a handful of spaces left at the all-day extravaganza of all things social media related. With seminar attendees flying in from as far away as the East Coast, North-Bay and Bay Area readers can't afford to miss out on this inspirational event taking place right here on our doorstep in Sonoma County.

Panel discussions, hands-on workshops, round tables, continental breakfast and lunch, wine tasting and appetizers and a business networking reception offer a one-stop opportunity to teach you how to create an online marketing campaign that helps achieve your strategic business goals. 

Southern Sonoma Country Life readers' special $90 discount code is RMSPEC90

To register:

Go to: http://socialbiz2010.eventbrite.com

Enter the discount code (there’s a link right below the ticket pricing): RMSPEC90

Click Apply Discount -the pricing will update to reflect the discount on the General Attendee ticket price.
 

Click here for more info on the Social Biz 2010 Social Media Conference

Historically Low Mortgage Interest Rates Unlikely to Rise Above 6% in 2010

Mortgage interest rates that hit historical lows this past year are unlikely to inch back up to much more than 6% by the end of 2010.

Though, according to real estate industry experts, this month's affordable 5% will be hard to maintain for too much longer as the U.S. economy continues its gradual recovery.

"Despite the Federal Reserve's retreat from purchasing mortgage-backed securities last month, rates have been kept down due to private investors filling the void," says Resident Real Estate Pro - Southern Sonoma Country Life's (Sponsor) Timo Rivetti. 

"The country's elevated budget deficit coupled with a recovering economy have helped to keep interest rates down for an extended period of time," says Rivetti, who believes that continual growth within the U.S. economy will most likely bring interest rates up to the 6% mark by the end of this year.

"With a massive slowing down of home price inflation across the country, I would not expect to see the demand for credit pushing up interest rates to any higher than 7% in the next couple of years," says Rivetti.

"Here in Sonoma County prices have stabilized in the starter home and mid-size home market and agents are seeing a return of the multiple offer scenario on appropriately priced properties. If you are considering buying a home in the region within the next 12 months, now is the time to take advantage of those rock-bottom interest rates."

Rivetti recommends pre-approval for a mortgage loan before a client dips his or her feet into the current market. "Non-contingent real estate buyers stand the best chance of snapping up a competitively priced home," he says. "Savvy buyers know that this climate of affordability won't last forever."

"Also please understand that the lender's underwriter is the most critical person in the real estate transaction today.  Without the 'underwriters' approval NO LOAN gets approved. That is why today's buyer needs a local lender that has a PROVEN track record and an experienced agent to guide through the escrow".

Petaluma's People's Choice Best Realtor for 2009, Rivetti transitioned to Keller Williams' new International Real Estate brokerage as a launching partner at 1383 N McDowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA 94952 from downtown REMAX Marina Realty this Spring. Though still in the process of a full web site conversion, Southern Sonoma Country Life posts appear on the top broker associate's site daily, offering home buyers and sellers a colorful slice of SoCo Living at its best!

Vine and Barrel Boutique Wine Store Relocates to Petaluma's Restaurant Row

Were you at the grand opening  soiree at the newly relocated, popular Vine and Barrel Boutique Wine Store, now in full swing selling the best of the region's vino and wines from around the world?

It felt like half of wine country had stopped by to check out the bustling event this weekend!

Owner Jason Jenkins was a happy chappy on opening night behind his new in-store 22-seat wine bar, sweetly positioned a couple doors up from Hiro's Sushi restaurant at 113 Petaluma Boulevard North and directly across the street from Cucina Paradiso along Petaluma, CA's restaurant row. 

Jenkins has added beer to his 400 wine bottle repertoire, with five on tap and brew tasting from Belgium's best as well Petaluma's own hip Lagunitas.  

Monthly events and Vine and Barrel wine club continue to grow as wine lovers look to the local expert in selecting great value vintages from all around the world. 

In fact, Jenkins has upped his awesome wines for under $10 to a selection of 60 top picks, keeping up with current trends for budget buys that pack a quality punch. 

Next on the agenda at Vine and Barrel is the fourth annual Italian Wine Tasting extravaganza slated for Saturday afternoon, May 22nd, at 3pm. With 20 terrific wines from the varied regions of Italia, pairings promise to be deliciosa! Vine and Barrel events do tend to sell out so book a tasting ticket on line or call Jenkins at 707 765 1112.

Could Saint George's Day be the New Saint Patrick's Day in West Petaluma?

 

Oh, come on, don't be a spoil sport. Saint George's Day is starting to gather quite a following here in Anglo-populated West Petaluma. The Irish have had the limelight with Saint Paddy's Day for long enough. And I know how much you all love traditional British pub grub on this side of the pond!

What, no corned beef and cabbage? Let me tell you, baked beans, bangers and mash go down nicely with a pint of Bass Pale Ale or a Boddingtons.

Friday night had Southern Sonoma Country Life's Scribbles Daily here running all over town between River Monster Gallery Shows, Lacrosse practices, team photos, the absolutely-not-to-be-missed outstanding English pub song sing-along at Aqus Cafe at Foundry Wharf and more!

Just to prove that there are no hard feelings between the English and Irish here in the North Bay, there were Irish-men a plenty heard a belting out the best of traditional British music hall and drinking ditties.

Thanks to England soccer-team-t-shirted Bill Sell and the Hoovers for the second annual knees-up - a two hour neighborhood spectacular that rolled out the barrel complete with Monty Python props, lamp posts, beach balls and lots and lots of sausage rolls. With HP sauce. And Coleman's mustard.

Petaluma River Monster Show Opening Reception A Big Splash Downtown

Friday night was a buzz with artists, musicians and downtown fans filling sidewalks, stores, cafes and wine bars with spring time enthusiasm for a fair weather stroll, gallery party and dinner out on the town.

The Petaluma River Monster Art Show featured above packed the rafters of Heebe Jeebe's Boomerang Gallery on Fourth Street - a rousing intro for this summer's upcoming Rivertown Revival festival planned for Saturday July 24th.

Mark your calendars for an outstanding day of fantastic floating art, food, music and entertainment for all the family down by the banks of the Petaluma River.

Best Bets for a Taste of Butter and Egg Days' Around Town

Long live the home town Americana parade and there's no small irony that this year's 2010 Butter and Egg Days Parade (Saturday, April 24th) was saved from the chopping block of lost and lamented traditions by the city's tenacious Downtown Association - spearheaded by none other than P'Town's most brilliant adopted Brit, Marie McCusker.

Without McCusker's superlative skills in rounding up and re-motivating the movers and shakers within this riverfront community of some 58,000 folk there would be no Butter and Egg Days this April.

Unthinkable? Then get your beach chairs out early and stake out a nice, shady place on the downtown route.

Better yet, ditch the deck chairs and head down to the Mail Depot at Fourth and C Streets for reserved VIP seating - the best bet in town. Fraternize the Butter and Egg Days festival of cool in the parking lot of the friendly Mail Depot and if you get there early enough you might just score a seat on the bleachers. 

And what's more, the Mail Depot offers Valet Bike Parking for the day, courtesy of the inventive Petaluma Bicycle Advisory folk. So leave the car at home and put some pedal power into your Butter and Egg Days plans.

Take a break from the crowds between 10 am and 4 pm in the Mail Depot Parking lot and discover a wealth of local bounty, including Petaluma's own Pizza Politana crew on site with seasonal, artisan pizzas from the portable brick oven.

The ever popular Bus Stop Coffee Cart crew will be serving up ice cream sundaes alongside their signature java drinks, there will be face painting and a play area for the little ones, chair massage for moms and dads, fabulous jewelry sales by Blue Ribbon Salvage, booths by Heritage Salvage, Petaluma Bounty and Tara Firma Farms (have you signed up for a weekly food box yet?) and live music from 2 pm to 4 pm by the Green String Farm Band. Really, you could hang out there all day!

Mind you, I wouldn't miss out on Della Fattoria Bakery and Cafe's snow cones with house made syrups of cherry, strawberry, green apple, white peach, passionfruit and meyer lemon. In true Americana style, Della will have a cart outside the cafe at 141 Petaluma Boulevard North, just a five minute shuffle through the crowds from Fourth and C and stocked with delicious popcorn balls, Cracker Jacks, cupcakes and cookies.