Page 204 – Sonoma Magazine

Gone But Not Forgotten: Recreate Favorite Dishes From Closed Sonoma County Restaurants

November 2020

By Michele Anna Jordan

Holiday food shoot of recipes from closed restaurants

The flavors of favorite dishes linger in our hearts and tease our palates. The memory of a meal from a now-closed favorite spot, such as the spaghettini al Sugo from Santi’s or La Poste’s dreamy chocolate mousse, can roll back the years like nothing else. Some of us are still searching for a burger that rivals Rocco’s in Freestone, while others try to duplicate, say, Opera House Cafe’s transcendent zucchini, potato and sausage stew, in our own kitchens.

Some of our best classic dishes have been swallowed by history; for example, no one seems to still have the recipe for Jerome’s Good Dogs carrot cake anymore. But others are easy to track down, as we did for this holiday feast, which features four memorable dishes, and all the tricks and tips to prepare them, straight from the original chefs.

The menu is perfect — and perfectly easy — for Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, or any other special night at home, with candles and lights aglow and the tastes of our own history warming you. Call it a new Sonoma tradition in the making.

Mosaic’s Mushroom & Brie Crostini

Serves 4 to 6

From 2005 to 2011, Tai Olesky presided over Mosaic, a popular bistro in Forestville; the space is now home to an Italian roadhouse. This appetizer was one of the restaurant’s most beloved dishes, something its customers recall fondly and frequently.

• ½ baguette, sliced and toasted

• 6 to 8 ounces mixed mushrooms (we used trumpet royale, Velvet Pioppini, Alba Clamshell, and maitake)

• 3 tablespoons rice bran oil, clarified butter, or mildly flavored olive oil

• 1 shallot, minced

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper in a mill

• ½ cup Madeira

• 3 tablespoons cream

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

• 8- to 10-ounce wedge of Brie cheese Preheat an oven (a toaster oven is ideal) to 300 degrees.

Slice the trumpet royale mushrooms as thinly as possible. Break the other mushrooms apart.

Put the oil into a heavy skillet set over very high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the mushrooms and cook until they are browned and nearly caramelized but not burned. Add the shallot and cook 30 seconds more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Put the Brie on a small oven-proof pan, set in the oven, and warm through,
until it is almost but not quite melted, about 7-10 minutes.

Add the Madeira to the mushrooms and cook until reduced by half. Add the cream, lower the heat, cook for 30 seconds, remove from the heat, add the herbs and toss.

Transfer the Brie to a platter, spoon the mushrooms on top, surround with croutons, and enjoy.

Bistro Ralph’s Chicken Paillard

Serves 1, easy to multiply

Chef Ralph Tingle’s Bistro Ralph was a centerpiece of downtown Healdsburg dining for 24 years until it closed in 2016.

His Chicken Paillard remains so present in customers’ memories that he is exploring locations for a tiny eatery that will feature just this dish. Each serving of chicken, once it is pounded thin, needs its own pan, but because it cooks so quickly, it is easy to serve to any number of guests.

To serve more than three or four, keep finished dishes warm in a 200-degree oven while you make the others.

• ½ cup unseasoned breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons polenta

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, preferably organic

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper in a mill

• 2 heaping tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 3 or 4 very thin lemon wedges, optional Put the breadcrumbs and polenta in a bowl and mix together. Set aside.

Put the chicken breast into a large plastic bag. Use a wooden meat tenderizer, a rubber mallet, or a rolling pin to pound the chicken breast until it is quite thin, about 1/8-inch. Remove the chicken from the bag and set it on a clean work surface.

Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture all over the chicken, pressing slightly to adhere.
Set a heavy skillet over high heat, add the butter, and, when it begins to take on a bit of color, add the chicken. Cook for about 30 seconds, until the chicken begins to pick up a bit of color; flip it over and cook for 30 seconds more.

Add the capers, lemon juice, and lemon wedges, if using. Cook for a few more seconds, transfer to a warmed plate, and enjoy.

Chez Peyo’s Butter Lettuce Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Serves 4 to 6

Chef Pierre Lagourgue ran Chez Peyo in Sebastopol from 1977 to 2005. Today, he still teaches local cooking classes. Although there are many favorite dishes from the restaurant, the one that many diners recall most lovingly is this simply perfect butter lettuce salad.

• Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

• 1 large or two medium heads of butter lettuce (about 10 ounces), leaves separated, rinsed, and thoroughly dried

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley First, make the vinaigrette.

Then, put the cleaned and dried lettuce leaves into the bowl with the vinaigrette and gently turn the leaves in the dressing so each leaf is lightly coated. Divide among individual plates, scatter parsley on top, and enjoy right away.

Dijon Vinaigrette

• 1 small shallot, minced

• 4 teaspoons best-quality red wine vinegar

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• Black pepper in a mill

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste Put the shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, mix well, and whisk in the olive oil.

Taste, correct for salt, and add a bit more olive oil if it is too tart.

And for dessert…

Chef Stephanie Rastetter launched a sweet little place, Water Street Bistro, in downtown Petaluma in the fall of 1999. For the five years prior, she was chef Daniel Patterson’s right hand at the iconic Babette’s in Sonoma. Her caramel sauce is simple to make and effortlessly delicious, a luscious way to end a holiday meal. Enjoy the sauce drizzled over apples, ice cream, or gingerbread.

Put one cup of granulated sugar and ⅓ cup water into a deep, heavy pot set over high heat. Do not stir. Let it cook until it is transparent and begins to take on an amber glow. Lower the heat and carefully add 6 tablespoons of sweet butter a piece at a time, a half-cup of cream, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, being very careful to protect yourself, as the sugar will bubble up as soon as you add other ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon for a few seconds, until smooth and creamy, then remove from heat.

Drizzle the sauce over your chosen pairing and top with a sprinkling of fleur de sel or Maldon salt flakes

5 Sonoma Hotels That Have Recently Opened, Despite The Pandemic

November 2020

By Dana Rebmann

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we travel. We travel less, of course, and when we travel, many of us are looking for getaways closer to home. Whether you are a local looking for a staycation, or someone in search of a safe outdoorsy travel experience — with some excellent wine and food added into the mix — Sonoma County has plenty to offer. And there are a variety of local hotels to choose from, all working hard to ensure you have a safe, comfortable and enjoyable stay. Because occupancy rates tend to be low right now, social distancing comes easy and you might be able to get a particularly good rate.

A number of new Sonoma County properties have recently opened their doors, offering a range of accommodations, from suite, cabins and glamping tents to entire farm estates. Click through the above gallery for a sampling of these new hotels.

9 Sonoma Buys to Keep You Warm and Cozy This Winter

November 2020

By Karen Kizer

It just got cooler outside, which means there’s an imperative to get cozier. And with activities moving outdoors and remaining so for much longer this season, it’s really important to bundle up. Here are a few finds that will keep us warmer or cozier or both whether we’re in a field, on a hike or curled up on the couch. Click through the above gallery for details.

10 Great Sonoma Etsy Shops to Check Out

November 2020

By Karen Kizer

There is so much beauty in the world. If you don’t believe it, just check out Etsy. A search of Sonoma-based makers could have you Windows-shopping for hours. Etsy also provides an opportunity to shop local, without leaving your home, this holiday season. Click through the above gallery for details. If we didn’t include your favorite, let us know in the comments.

Sip Wine Among the Vines at New Outdoor Tasting Room in Glen Ellen

November 2020

By Karen Kizer

Sixth-generation vintner Katie Bundschu no doubt draws viticultural inspiration from tradition, but it’s evident she also approaches winemaking by looking toward the future. Her newly opened Abbot’s Passage Winery and Mercantile in Glen Ellen is one example of her exploratory spirit — a compass rose emblem on the facade of the circa 1887 building offers an additional hint.

Branching out from her family’s 150-year-old winery, Gundlach Bundschu, Katie Bundschu established Abbot’s Passage winery in 2016 to focus on small-lot blends that “showcase grapes from notable but often overlooked vineyards.” At the time, the winery’s tasting room was housed in a diminutive red barn just off the Sonoma Plaza, which also contained small-but-mighty retail and maker spaces.

Bundschu implemented some big ideas in her small Sonoma store — the new Glen Ellen property allows her to expand on those. Most notably, the new premium tasting experience “The Field” allows visitors to taste Abbot’s Passage wines among gnarly 1940s Zinfandel vines. This private tasting can be reserved for up to four people and includes a flight of wines, a bit of education and a tasting board with house-made items such as kale chips, crackers, and Pt. Reyes cheeses, as well as fruits and vegetables sourced from within a few miles of the winery. To keep visitors dry and warm throughout winter, the winery is installing an open tent and heaters around the tasting tables. If guests would like to pair their tasting experience with a game, they can reserve shuffleboard in two-hour blocks, and the winery’s olive grove offers Adirondack chairs to relax in after the game.

Inside the store, which can only be visited with masks on, there’s a growing collection of wares to browse and shop: vests and bags by Filson, locally-made jewelry by Megan Bo, outdoor blankets, pretty beaded glasses, hats for the dapper hiker, and more. An adjacent shopping space offers pantry items from Gundlach Bundschu’s Rhinefarm estate, which is located on the southwesterly slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain Range, along with Sonoma-made pottery and dried floral swags grown and assembled at Oak Hill Farm just down the road. Cappuccinos will soon be on the menu, a good option for late-morning bikers along Madrone Rd.

During this partial opening due to the pandemic, Abbot’s Passage Winery and Mercantile is focused on establishing its roots while working to expand its offerings. We’re looking forward to the return of workshops—geometric candle-making, feather-drawing and field-inspired watercolor—that took place in the red barn location. Whatever plans unfold, we’re certain Bundschu’s adventurous spirit will keep things moving in an interesting direction.

Abbot’s Passage, 777 Madrone Road, Glen Ellen, 707-939-3017, abbotspassage.com

Around Petaluma With Rachid Hassani, Owner of Bay’ti Modern Rustic Living

November 2020

By Karen Kizer

A pair of large rusted pulleys from an old theater curtain system are intriguing finds in a salvage yard, but most people can’t think of a good use for them. Not so for artist Rachid Hassani, who can turn the find into pedestals for a tabletop of reclaimed barn wood. Got an unused stationary bike? He can keep that out of the landfill, too, by making it the base of your next kitchen table.

After decades as a graphic designer in both Germany and the U.S., Hassani was happy to expand his passion into a storefront in downtown Petaluma two years ago. His shop, Bay’ti, which means “my home” in Arabic, showcases his own creations plus antiques and finds from his native Morocco.

Hassani speaks glowingly of the artistic culture of his childhood home, the medieval city of Fez — from the world’s oldest tanneries to the independent women rug-makers in neighboring villages who cook and care for children and run their own small creative businesses.

For his store, he buys directly from small-scale craftspeople in Morocco, filling a shipping container
each time he visits the country — usually a couple times a year. Hassani says when buyers come to the local village, “they are so happy to see you. It’s like Christmas the other way around.”

It pains him that the pandemic has stopped this exchange. For every item he sells in his store, “a family is eating,” Hassani says. He looks forward to visiting again soon, describing trips out to the desert where the stars are so bright, “it feels like they’ll touch your head.” He talks of exhilarating sand baths and the drink of hospitality, Moroccan mint tea, that’s offered everywhere you go.

Hassani’s old world-meets-modern aesthetic is rooted in inspiration from his two homes, that of his artisan-rich childhood alongside the one he’s built in Petaluma. Click through the above gallery for some of his favorite local spots.

This Golden Mailbox in Santa Rosa Allows You To Send Letters to The Past and Future

November 2020

By Grace Yarrow

Imagine a portal to the past and future at your disposal, answers to all the questions in the universe. Where do you start?

“How old is Santa Claus?” one curious child wanted to know. So she deposited her question into the golden mailbox currently parked at the south edge of Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square.

The idea behind the mailbox public art project, an endeavor by three local artists, is to allow people to — symbolically — send messages through time and space.

The mailbox was installed on Sept. 4 in the downtown square to encourage people to support the U.S. Postal Service. It accepts “questions, grievances and love letters to the past or future.” With the help of a dedicated team of “portal professionals,” it supplies responses, too.

Local artist Jessica Rasmussen came up with the idea for the “Portal Service.” Using a grant from the Open & Out program in downtown Santa Rosa, she called on friends and fellow artists Julian Billotte and Anna Wiziarde to help coat a USPS mailbox in solid (imitation) gold.

“Using a full-size post box and making it gold was an homage to the post office, something we were feeling was really important at the time,” Billotte said, noting concerns about decreased funding for the USPS.

“Part of it for me was to make something that symbolized the sacredness of the post office and its importance,” he added. “As we talked about it, the idea of a solid gold box became iconic.”

Now, the original team of three have recruited a group of 35 “responders” who reply to any mail received with a return address. Many letters describe a sense of worry about the present or the future, from pandemic panic to election unease.

“The community did not shy away from going deep into a lot of touching subjects,” Wiziarde said. “Things people were concerned about, anxiety about the future. So it was a good conduit for people to address their concerns and their worries and their fears.”

Sometimes, responders struggle to find the right words of comfort for letter-writers, Rasmussen said, such as when a mother asked for a response from the future about whether her children’s safety would be threatened by climate change.

“I’ve had more than one responder receive questions to the future and (ask), ‘Can I be over-the-top optimistic?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, go for it. Go for your heart,’” Rasmussen said. “Some (responders) have done videos; some have done artwork. It’s not necessarily a direct response. Sometimes it’s a little bit more vague.”

Local artists Anna Wiziarde, Julian Billotte and Jessica Rasmussen came up with the idea for the “Portal Service” golden mailbox in downtown Santa Rosa as a tribute to the US Postal Service. (Jessica Rasmussen)

The Portal Service posts all the letters and responses from the mailbox on an Instagram page. The project has resulted in a lot of engagement from the community, though in different ways than the artists anticipated.

“I feel like it’s living a life out there,” Billotte said about the golden mailbox. “As an object, it’s just getting abused and tagged and the skaters are thrashing on it. But standing out there, it still looks great. That’s something I really enjoyed, watching it.”

In addition to inquiries about climate change and Santa Claus, people have left offerings like dollar bills, a teddy bear, bags of marijuana and a package of Top Ramen.

“People are using it like a wishing well,” Wiziarde said.

Although the artists intended the project as a tribute to the Postal Service, the federal agency had a different take. The artists received a cease and desist letter from the USPS on Nov. 9, requiring them to take down the portal on Dec. 4, the date the project was already planned to end. While it recognized that the Portal Service was meant to elicit support for the Postal Service, the USPS said the project is too similar to the Postal Service’s collection boxes and could cause confusion.

As for the curious child asking about Santa’s age, after some research by the Portal Service, she received a response:

“A little older than the Easter Bunny.”

4 Ways to Help Sonoma County Build Back Better

November 2020

By Meg McConahey

Adam and Liz Adams get the first look at their home burned by the Glass fire on Holst Road, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2020 year Los Alamos Road. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

Going into the giving season, the coronavirus pandemic has amplified the needs of a community still reeling from years of devastating wildfires. Nobody understands these challenges better than Lisa Carreño, CEO of United Way of the Wine Country.

Through over 20 years of social advocacy and nonprofit leadership, Carreño’s compassionate influence has woven its way through many sectors of our community. Before her appointment to head the United Way, she worked to help low-income students get to college through the organization 10,000 Degrees and advocated for victims of domestic violence with the YWCA, and she remains a member at large of the Community Foundation Sonoma County.

Here, Lisa Carreño shares her thoughts on what charitable gifts matter most this year.

Pooling our resources

The most extraordinary gifts this year are going to be gifts of cash that are pooled together with a whole lot of other gifts and leveraged and invested intentionally in equity building and resilience-building activities that improve family financial stability and improve and expand the community’s access to information, resources, and support. To me, that is smart money.

The need for leaders of color

We have underinvested in, if not divested from, poor communities and communities of color. We have too few leaders of color making decisions. It has caused me to question whether the solutions in which we are investing are really the right solutions. We have an opportunity with this growing awareness to change how we invest and to invest in equity and climate resilience building leaders.

The power of inclusive language

If you can’t read and nobody you talk to understands you, you are lost. You are powerless. You feel that no matter how hard you’re working at it, life is perilously uncertain. To not be paying attention to language and culture as an aspect of our service delivery system does a great injustice to our whole community.

Reflecting on the moment

Our first priority is that we need to take care of ourselves and recognize that when we do, we’ll have a far greater capacity to take care of our families, our co-workers, and our communities. It is critical we recognize this is a moment to pause and reflect on what is really important in our lives and prioritize those things. And if you have the resources, invest in equity and climate-resilience building strategies that are genuinely going to create a Sonoma County that is long-term resilient, sustainable, and gives everyone who resides here the opportunity to thrive.

A Day with Andrew Akufo, Founder of New Sonoma Fashion Brand Gapelii

November 2020

By Matt Villano

Andrew Akufo, and business partner Toja Hodge, have launched the fashion line Gapelii Brand, which is an acronym for Growth, Ambition, Prosperity, Elevate, Lifestyle, Innovation, and Influence. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

It’s always been about art and design for Andrew Akufo.

One year after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, he moved from his hometown of Oklahoma City to New Mexico to pursue a career in arts administration. He soon found a job as the head of a local cultural organization there. And five years later, he moved to Sonoma County to take over as the first executive director of the Healdsburg Center for the Arts.

During his tenure in Healdsburg, Akufo reconnected with Toja Hodge, a friend from New Mexico, and the two started talking about launching a new luxury fashion brand. They wanted the brand to be fashion-forward. They also wanted it to help create Black wealth—for themselves and for others in their respective Black communities.

So the duo joined forces and created Gapelii Brand (pronounced jap-el-lee). The name is an acronym for growth, ambition, prosperity, elevate, lifestyle, innovation, and influence.

The brand launched in August 2019. Since then, despite the pandemic, it has expanded its inventory to include t-shirts, hats, denim jackets, shoes, infant onesies, zip-up hoodies, and a women’s collection. The company also sells branded face masks.

Philanthropy is a big part of the Gapelii Brand mission; Akufo and Hodge give 10% of all proceeds to nonprofit organizations and local families who have been affected by Covid-19.

Pride is another driving force for the 31-year-old Christian. “The widely publicized deaths of African Americans such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have shone a spotlight on America and society’s need to support not only Black Lives Matter, but also Black businesses such as our own,” Akufo says. “I consider my current position a blessing.”

While Hodge designs the merchandise, Akufo manages operations and handles production, marketing, and customer service from his apartment in Santa Rosa.

Here’s how Andrew Akufo spends a day.

Morning

7 a.m.

I start my day by checking and responding to messages and notifications on social media. I finally get out of bed around 8 a.m., open the blinds, pray, and read chapters in my 365-day Bible lesson plan.

9 a.m.

I listen to YouTube playback videos of sports talk shows such as Undisputed with Skip and Shannon, First Take, and Jalen & Jacoby during my home workout. Around 9:30 a.m., I conduct meetings on Zoom and do a virtual interview with a Bay Area news reporter about our business.

10 a.m.

I have a brief phone call with my business partner to discuss product samples, customer questions, new promotional opportunities, and forgotten passwords. I usually eat breakfast around 11 a.m.

12 p.m.

This is my errand time- taking out the trash and recycling, checking the mailbox, and grocery shopping.

Afternoon

2 p.m.

In the afternoon I schedule social media advertising posts for Gapelii Brand on Facebook, and share posts on LinkedIn and Twitter. I also conduct Zoom meetings with my small business coach/advisor, Lance Cotrell.

4 p.m.

I follow up with photographers, models, and venues about upcoming photo shoots in Sonoma County, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. One of my favorite spots to shoot locally is Goat Rock Beach, near Jenner.

6 p.m.

This is when I check daily traffic and customer data on Gapelii Brand’s online marketplace, and review reports on subscriptions to our digital newsletter through Mailchimp. I update information on the website, add photos to our online gallery, and ensure all links and videos work.

Evening

7 p.m.

I’m winding down for the day. I review and select photos from previous photo shoots for editing and promotion. I follow-up with Toja about potential new products, supplier options, and sales in New Mexico. We also discuss new collaborations and the overall progress of shipments.

8 p.m.

I take a shower, eat dinner, and wash the dishes. I also research civil rights and social service organizations that serve families impacted by Covid-19 to receive Gapelii Brand contributions.

11 p.m.

Time to end my day. I brush my teeth, take vitamins, open the windows, pray, watch random videos on Instagram and YouTube, troll my friends on social media, and finally go to bed.

‘One Thing After Another:’ Santa Rosa Woman Helps Uninsured Residents During Pandemic

November 2020

By Megan McCrea

Yudith Vargas Dominguez is the Associate Director of Nursing at Santa Rosa Community Health. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)

Long before she got her nursing degree, or even her driver’s license, Yudith Vargas was logging hours at Santa Rosa Community Health.

“I started volunteering at 14, stuffing letters, numbering charts — essentially, anything that needed to be done.”

Fast forward to 2020, and Vargas is back at SRCH, the health provider for some 50,000 uninsured and underinsured Santa Rosa residents, as the clinic’s associate director of nursing. When the pandemic hit, she pivoted from an administrative role to the front lines, running a Covid testing site and doing outreach.

Vargas and her colleagues soon noticed two disturbing trends: cases in Sonoma County were skyrocketing, and the Latinx community was hit hard, accounting for 75% of cases, despite comprising only about 27% of the population. “As we started seeing those community numbers, and ourselves reflected in them, that really had an impact on us,” Vargas says.

In the excerpts below, read some of Yudith Vargas thoughts on the Covid-19 situation in Sonoma County.

One thing after another

We’re definitely seeing our community struggling with the social determinants of health: financial stability, housing stability. When you look at somebody who may be new to this country, they’re forced, because of the high cost of living, into larger households. Also, our Latinx population sometimes doesn’t have the same benefits, whether because they’re working undocumented, or they have employers who don’t follow the law to provide sick leave. And if you’re diagnosed with Covid, you’re literally in isolation. So what incentive is there for people to stay home, with these things working against them? They’re isolated from those they love, losing income, and they might not know what they’re gonna eat the next day. It just feels like one thing after another, playing against our Latinx population.

The roots of medicine

We’re trying to get back to the roots of medicine: asking the community what they need and getting out there to reconnect and influence our comrades. Providing education to community leaders, so they can get the word out as well. The bottom line is, let’s focus on everyone wearing a mask when they’re in public. If they going to see somebody, everybody wears a mask, right? Having a risk-reduction approach. A parallel is STIs. When you tell somebody, ‘no, don’t have sex,’ we’ve seen the effects of that. What’s the risk reduction? Wear your mask. Like, wear a condom.

In it together

My dad is an essential worker, so I’ve been trying to support him and check on my family to see what they need. My partner is also a healthcare worker, so we’re in it together, literally. Still, it’s scary. One self-care thing I do is hike every weekend. Sometimes my partner comes, sometimes it’s just me and my fur child, Frosty. It helps me clear my mind. You know, turn the cell phones off, whatever I need to do to get out there and put some space between me and everything that’s going on.

Feeding resilience

During the Tubbs fire, we lost our Vista Campus, this beautiful two-story campus which served about 25,000 of our patients. We had a little playground out front, and we think some material in it shot up flames and the roof of the building caught on fire. That set off the sprinklers, which flooded the whole campus. I’ve been through that, the Kincade fire, and now this. The thing that continues to feed my resilience is our patients and our community. I come from very humble beginnings, and so do my immediate family members. I just don’t see myself doing any different work, because of the constant reminder of how important it is to do what we’re doing — to serve those who are most vulnerable during these times.