By Lesley Stiles


SFPFS Member Lesley Stiles writes the e-newsletter for the Contra Costa Certified Farmers’ Markets. Here is her latest installment:

Fire and Ice: Gelato Event
by Peggy Fallon
Though the San Francisco Baking Institute resides in a nondescript business park in South San Francisco, the interior is dramatically different, sleek and gleaming with professional equipment, including a massive wood-burning oven. SFBI students and instructors presented a dazzling arrangement of handcrafted pastries and artisan breads for tasting.



SFPFS Cooking Teacher SIG Meeting: March 18, 2008
By Ann Wheeler

The Cooking Teacher SIG had a convivial meeting at Karen Gilbert’s home in Novato on March 18th. Karen hosted Rene Matthew, Carl Drosky, Barbara Federoff, Kathy Leonard, Dorothy Nicholson, Joyce Sigman, Julie Logue-Riordan, Michelle Stern, and Ann Wheeler. Our conversation about career alternatives and venues for cooking teachers was sparked by Karen’s well-equipped, spacious home kitchen. We had a lively discussion on alternatives to full-service, independent catering and on how to make a business work on several levels: for example, sharing delivery costs from a commercial kitchen, or setting up flexible space for teaching, cooking, and events.

 

By Rodger Helwig

It was a beautiful Spring day when the SFPFS Wine SIG set sail on a tasting expedition through the vineyards of Beaujolais, focusing our attention on the ten crus—those French “growth” classifications that produce the top wines of this region.

Lying north of Lyon, Beaujolais covers part of the Rhône and part of Burgundy. This region about twice the size of Rhode Island has a climate similar to the Rhône’s. Of the ten crus, seven are named for villages: Chiroubles, Régnié, Fleurie, Saint-Amour, Chénas, Juliénas and Morgon. Two—Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly—are vineyard areas around Mont Brouilly. Moulin-à-Vent gets its name from a local windmill.

The thin-skinned Gamay grape is the region’s standard bearer. It produces light-bodied red wines with bright acidity, low tannins, and moderate alcohol.

STP Panel Demystifies Food/Wine Dilemma
By Nancy Freeman

April Fools Day proved just the right occasion for the San Francisco Professional Food Society to take up the knotty issue of wine and food pairing—knotty because publication after publication insists that we must get our combinations just right; fools because the issue leaves so many of us feeling like them.


A Toothsome Dilemma:
Tasting Whole Wheat Pastas
By Andrew Sigal

Many believe whole wheat products to be healthier and more flavorful than their refined counterparts. For this Tasting SIG, candidates ranged from store brands to premium artisan products.

About the Images

Lucie Buchbinder Memorial Scholarship

To honor the life and work of Lucie Buchbinder, cofounder of the Bread Project and a respected board member of the SFPFS, we now offer a scholarship to encourage and enable students to continue community service work as they pursue their careers in the culinary arts. With this annual $1,000 grant, we extend the legacy of Lucie’s tireless work and invaluable contributions as a community leader.

Application Form (PDF)

To contribute, contact Community Giving Chair, Kathleen Bakula at
415-722-7893 or Kbakula@pacbell.net.

Culinary Education
Nutrition/ Training Dev
Laurie's Culinary Camp
Alameda


Culinary Education
Coordinator/ Instructor
Laurie's Culinary Camp
Alameda


Volunteers Needed
Meals on Wheels Event
Fort Mason, SF