When the Culinary Institute of America was looking to create a second campus for continuing education back in the 1980s, it scouted out more than 50 locations in the Wine Country of Northern California. The school settled on the historic Greystone edifice, a former Christian Brothers winery in St. Helena, [...]
Hanna Winery & Vineyards, which produces a minerally, food-friendly sauvignon blanc, will celebrate its 25th anniversary at 4 p.m. Saturday with a blending competition and winemaker dinner at the Alexander Valley tasting room. Founded in 1985 by Dr. Elias Hanna, who purchased 12 acres in the Russian River Valley, the [...]
The tomato plants were flying out the door at Kendall-Jackson Wine Center last Saturday, during the launch of the first ever K-J Farm Stand, a celebration of food and wine that will continue on the First Saturday of the month through October. Lots of local chefs who turned up to [...]
Bravo TV has launched its second season of “Top Chef Masters,” and so far, the show has managed to whip up our appetite for spice and heat, from Susan Feniger’s smokin’ shrimp and scallops to Marcus Samuelsson’s upscale twist on soul food. Wait a minute, rumor has it that the [...]
One of the pleasures of an empty-nest household is the home cook’s ability to spin off multiple meals from a limited amount of raw ingredients. With a little creativity, you can transform a simple dish of Sauteed Shrimp into a shrimp salad the next day, or take a Roast Pork [...]
Spring has official arrived, but not in our kitchens. This is the time of year when cooks grow weary of the same old root vegetables and winter greens and start yearning for some tender, young produce to play with in the kitchen, like fresh fava beans and strawberries. We’re all [...]
If you’re not acquainted with Bob’s Red Mill – the logo has retro, red lettering and a picture of founder Bob Moore in a blue cap – then you should be. The Oregon company offers a line of 400-plus wholesome, whole grain products in nearly every grocery retailer and natural [...]
My family always demands Dungeness crab when the season first opens in November, and we often go to outrageous lengths to procure fresh crab for Christmas Eve. But then we kind of forget about it. Which is a shame, because there’s still plenty of the sweet, delicate crab meat around [...]
It’s that time of year when we all start thinking about cutting back on the fat to help lower our cholesterol and take care of that hard-working pump inside our chest. The American Heart Association and Kendall-Jackson are teaming up for a special Heart Healthy Cooking Demonstration at 10 a.m. Tuesday, [...]
Romney Steele, author of “My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family and Big Sur,” will be chatting up her new book at 4 p.m. Sunday at Readers’ Books in Sonoma. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by for some lore and a glass of wine from Pisoni Vineyards. Part cookbook, [...]
Kitchen Talk, by Press Democrat staff writer Diane Peterson, is the ultimate guide for Wine Country home cooks who want to know the secrets of transforming our fresh bounty of veggies, cheeses and meats into simple but elegant meals worthy of a Michelin star. Whether you cook every night or just on holidays, you can channel your inner Thomas Keller when you know where to find the best ingredients along with recipes that won’t break the bank, or your confidence. Pour a glass of wine, grab a cutting board and learn to shop and chop like a pro. You’ll be healthier and wealthier – with change in your pocket for that special bottle of wine or dinner out – and you’ll be eating better to boot.
