Holiday Gift Fairs 2011

Having gone to one good and one particularly lousy fair last weekend, I'd like to steer you in the right direction. Here are three holiday gift fairs I highly recommend you check out!


Sorry for the late notice, La Cocina's Annual Gift Fair is TONIGHT, December 9th from 5-9 pm at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. This is one of my favorite non-profit organizations in the City. They help women and minorities get into legitimate food businesses. You'll find awesomely delicious goodies from folks like Happy Girl Kitchen - Preserves, Back to the Roots – Mushrooms, Estrellita's Snacks - Yucca, Plantain Chips, and Tamales, Love and Hummus Co - Organic Hummus, Sweets Collection - Mexican Gellatins, Neo Cocoa - Truffles, Wise Sons – Jewish Delicatessen, McEvoy – Olive Oil, Mattarello Pasta – Artisanal Handmade Pasta and more…

Go and get goodies for yourself or to give away. There will also be a silent auction, a tamale alley and more....








The Renegade Craft Fair
If you've been to this craft fair you know how much fun it is! It's heavily juried so the quality is extremely high. In the past I've found gorgeous porcelain bowls, cutting boards, jewelry, kitchen towels, toys, kids clothes, etc.

On December 17 + 18, 2011, from 11am – 6pm, the 3rd Annual Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market in San Francisco will return to the Concourse Exhibition Center! Always free-to-attend, holiday shopping has never been more fun than with the work of over 250 of today's finest makers of handmade goods to peruse and several hands-on crafting activities to get involved with! Food, beverages and libations will also be available! Check out the artist lineup.


Koutáli's Union Square Pop-Up Christmas Party 'Debonnaire' at the Kensington Park Hotel on Sunday December 18th (2-6PM).

This is the first year for this event, a lodge-like lounge party includes a full bar, pool table, and football on several flat screens. You will have the chance to check out curated mini-boutiques by some of SF's coolest shops and artisans while sipping holiday cocktails and sampling amazing artisan faire.

Boutiques at the event will include Mira Mira, Revolver, Omnivore Books, Alphyn Industries, Foodzie, and several others. In addition Koutali will be hosting a special holiday kitchen gifts store with brands including Wusthof, Bodum, Reidel, and Cuisinart. Hearty holiday food and refined delicacies will be provided by: Do S'more, McEvoy Olive Ranch, Cibo Per Strada, Jablow's Meats, Bavarian Pretzel works, Rockwall Wines, The Mustard, and Jarred.

To keep the event merry there will be a full bar with holiday Sunday drink specials like $5 Bourbon Cider, Mulled Wine, and Bacon Bloody Mary's, and free gift-wrapping!

Standard tickets are $10 and include discounts and samples from the participating artisans and boutiques and free gift-wrapping. VIP tickets include two specialty cocktails, an artisan sandwich, and the rest of the perks above.

Use the code DAPPERELF on checkout to receive 30% off their VIP tickets.

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

GREEN CHUTNEY / CORIANDER LEAVES CHUTNEY- RESTAURANT STYLE

I call this chutney as hotel chutney. I've already posted hotel white and red chutney. This is also the same as white chutney but i add little coriander leaves. U can combine mint & coriander leaves in equal ratio and try the same. It tastes great with idly.Let's go to the recipe..

INGREDIENTS

Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup Green chilly – 2-3 nos Dalia/ fried gram dal / pottukadalai – 1 tsp  Coriander leaves – 1/4 bunch Ginger – 1/2 inch Garlic cloves – 2 nos Lime juice – As needed (optional – Add lime juice if chutney is spicy – i dint add) Salt & water – As reqd. To temper: Cooking oil – 1 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Red chilly – 1 no (pinched into two) Curry leaves – A few

METHOD

Take all the ingredients given above and grind it to a smooth paste by adding sufficient water. In a kadai, temper all the items given under "to temper". Add to chutney. Serve with idly adding sesame oil.

 

KITCHEN CLINIC

CORIANDER LEAVES The Health Benefits of Cilantro List of Cilantro Benefits: Powerful anti-inflammatory capacities that may help symptoms of arthritis Protective agents against bacterial infection from Salmonella in food products Acts to increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) Relief for stomach gas, prevention of flatulence and an overall digestive aid Wards off urinary tract infections Helps reduce feelings of nausea Eases hormonal mood swings associated with menstruation Has been shown to reduce menstrual cramping. Adds fiber to the digestive tract A source of iron, magnesium, and is helpful in fighting anemia Gives relief for diarrhea, especially if caused by microbial or fungal infections Helps promote healthy liver function. Reduces minor swelling Strong general antioxidant properties Disinfects and helps detoxify the body Stimulates the endocrine glands Helps with insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar Acts as a natural anti-septic and anti-fungal agent for skin disorders like fungal infections and eczema Contains immune-boosting properties Acts as an expectorant Helps ease conjunctivitis, as well as eye-aging, macular degeneration, and other stressors on the eyes. Blood Sugar: Due the stimulating effect of cumin on the endocrine glands, the secretion of insulin is increased from pancreas which increases the insulin level in the blood, thereby helping proper assimilation and absorption of sugar and resultant fall in the sugar level in the blood. This property is very beneficial for thediabetes patients and others too. Other benefits: Still want more from it? You get it! Coriander helps cure ulcer, inflammation, spasm and acts as an expectorant, protects and soothes liver. It is anti-carcinogenic, anti-convulsant, anti-histaminic and hypnotic. Coriander is believed to be a natural aphrodisiac and previously it was extensively used in certain preparations, combined with other herbs, to enhance libido. Side Effects or Contraindications of Organic Cilantro While many sources state that cilantro has little to no adverse side effects, there are some sources that warn that cilantro leaf should not be used during pregnancy, as it may lead to an increase chance of miscarriage in mothers, or may reduce chances of conception in women trying to become pregnant. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, please consult with your health care provider before consuming cilantro in any form

Technorati Tags: hotel style green chutney,coriander leaves chutney,chutney for idly,dosa.how to make restaurant style chutney,hotel chutney,mint & coriander leaves chutney.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/sBff/~3/8vId0d_HhhE/spatchcock-chicken-tease.html

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/sBff/~3/jfd1QGDaEQ4/slow-cooker-tips-for-dummies.html

I'm going to be posting a recipe for slow cooker beef pot roast tomorrow, and in anticipation I was checking out a few related videos on YouTube. I've always assumed the people who write those 'For Dummies' books must be really smart, but based on this, I may have to reconsider.

It's been a long while since I posted a video just to poke fun at it, but I couldn't resist. Just for fun, see how many strange, disturbing, wrong, and/or crazy things you see and hear in this offering from Dummies.com (btw, the glass cutting board doesn't count). Enjoy!

jellyfish part 2

Vancouver Aquarium. 2010.

Mighty Life List - Dragon Fruit

Sweet and mellow with a crunch like a kiwi fruit.  Yum.

Pizza Pairing

You know what to drink with pizza, beer or wine, right? But what beer and what wine? Does it make a difference? To figure out the answer to this weighty philosophical question a group of food and wine writers descended upon Patxi's Pizza to eat and drink. A lot. I'm pretty sure this may the first and only time anyone asked for a spit bucket at a pizza parlor.

We ate thin crust pizza, thick crust pizza, deep dish pizza, pesto pizza, meat pizza, vegan pizza you-name-it-we-ate-it pizza. The conclusions were pretty clear in terms of what worked and what didn't. Here are the matches I liked the best:

Thin 'cheese to the edge' pizza + Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel
After trying both Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, I'm convinced Zin is the right red wine for pizza. The heavier tannins stand up to the richness of the cheese and it is not overwhelmed by the acid of the tomatoes.

Sausage pizza + Stella Artois
This is an interesting match. The yeasty notes in the beer are mirrored in the pizza and each bite makes you want another sip of beer.

Spicy pizza + Hoegaarden
The bright lemony edge and bubbles in the Hoegaarden are really refreshing with a fiery pizza.

Everything pizza + Bud Light
While some might find Budweiser a bit flabby and boring, it's actually a good match when the pizza has got a lot of competing flavors.

When writing a story on pizza for a magazine a few years ago I learned Prosecco is considered a classic Italian choice to go with your pie.

What's your favorite beverage with pizza?

Thanks to Patxi's for hosting this tasting

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.