Page 450 – Sonoma Magazine

Pumpkin Spice Everything: We blame you PSL!

September 2015

By biteclub

The Original PSL. Most people only get one a year from Starbucks. We kinda get it.

It’s pumpkin spice season again, and this year there are an estimated 50,000+ items hitting the shelves. Bigger and better than ever sales of these fall-flavored items have risen 11.6 percent, with sales of $361 million over the last year.

Here are a few pumpkin-spiked goodies from lattes to facials we’ve found, both local and national...real and imagined.

What are your favorite seasonal finds?

PSL: Starbucks
Here’s where the pumpkin-spice craze started. Will it be the end, as well?

TRADER JOE’S: Pumpkin spice everything is an annual thing.

Pumpkin Spice Booze

Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa has a variety of pumpkin spice ales

Pumpkin-Spiced Local Sweets

recherche_truffle — Pumpkin Truffle from Rechere du Plaisir, 3401 Cleveland Ave #9, Santa Rosa

Pumpkin Spice Macarons at Rechere du Plaisir, 3401 Cleveland Ave #9, Santa Rosa

And some other pumpkin-spice sweets

It doesn’t end there…

Exfoliating Pumpkin Peel: https://www.vagaro.com/HolisticBeauty

For real? Nope. But they could be. Here’s a hilarious list of more unreal PS items.

The Crowbar by Sonoma Cider

September 2015

By biteclub

I’m so into cider right now. As fall approaches, its a great time to embrace the many micro-cideries popping up all over Sonoma County. Each cidermaker has their own approach, but the days of sickly-sweet apple wine coolers are over. Instead, companies like Sonoma Cider are taking a more wine-like approach by cutting the sweet (some are bone dry), aging in oak barrels and simply letting the apples do the talking.

Sonoma Cider’s Crowbar goes a step further, kicking your tastebuds in the face with one-two punch of lime and habanero infused into the dry cider. This seasonal brew was a summer release, and will only be around another month or so. Admittedly, its not for everyone. The habanero is h-o-t. But it’s a great late-summer drink to sip by the pool or sneak into a picnic basket before the winter doldrums are upon us.

Not into the burn? Sonoma Cider’s Anvil is dry cider aged in bourbon barrels. It’s as amazing at it sound, and is available all year long. The Coddingtown Whole Foods, which has an expanding cider selection and an in-house taproom, also carries The Anvil.

The Crowbar Cider, $8.99 per 4-pack, Whole Foods (390 Coddingtown Mall, Santa Rosa, 707-542-7411).

Are local grocers really local?

September 2015

By biteclub

Is “local” produce really all that local? Turns out it isn’t much of the time.

Which grocers are the most local? You might be surprised at the answer.

It’s no mystery that shopping, eating and pretty much doing anything “local” is not only good ethics, but its also good business. You’ve seen the signs at large supermarkets touting their support of “farms in your neighborhood”, but according to a sampling of several Sonoma County markets (both locally-owned and not), “local” can mean up to 800 miles from your neighborhood.

Farmers Guild Executive Director Evan Wiig recently tallied the number of fresh local veggies (meaning from Sonoma, Marin, Mendocino and Napa) at nine grocers, and the results were pretty interesting.

According to his survey, Healdburg’s SHED was the biggest winner with 53 products from local farms. Oliver’s came in second with 39, followed by the Sebastopol Whole Foods (38), Community Market (31), with the rest offering considerably less. Particular notice went to Safeway, which has started a large campaign to “support farms in your neighborhood”, but in his survey had the lowest number of items: 3. Wiig hopes to use his findings in this first sampling as an impetus for local grocers to step up their game. Read more about Wiig’s Grocery Store Challenge at The Farmer’s Guild Blog.

Here is Wiig’s list of products.

Supermarket Spy: Coconut Curry Comet Corn

September 2015

By biteclub

Coconut Curry Comet Corn, $4.99, Community Market (1899 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, srcommunitymarket.com)

I remember standing, mouth agape, at the Sonoma County Fair a few years ago when Comet Corn’s Sherry Soleski told me they used actual butter on their freshly-popped popcorn. Not just butter, but Straus Creamery butter. Oh, and the butterfly corn they use is organic, and the seasonings made from things like organic coconut milk powder and brewer’s yeast. Plus, it came with a giant bear hug from the indomitable Soleski, herself. I’ve been sold ever since.

Of all their flavors (Bloody Mary, Maple Syrup, the super-popular Hippie Dust, etc.) have their fans, but my favorite by far is Coconut Curry. There’s a bit of curry spice bite, but with a hint of sweetness and a satisfying touch of fat (they use organic oil in the bagged flavors, since butter isn’t as shelf-stable). It’s addictive to say the least.

Sherry, from Comet Corn, gives great hugs. And makes great popcorn.

The mom and pop start up based in Santa Rosa was inspired by an evening around a campfire when Soleski’s partner, Jeff Phillips, served a bowl of seasoned popcorn to some friends while watching the Hale-Bopp Comet whiz by in the night sky. After a stellar Kickstarter that raised more than $20,000, they’re a solar-powered powerhouse at local events like the county fair, National Heirloom Expo, Kate Wolf Festival and the upcoming Earlefest (Sept. 26, 2015 earlefest.com).

Rolls Royce of pizza ovens, Mugnaini, relocates to Healdsburg

September 2015

By biteclub

Mugniani Pizza Ovens is open in Healsburg, CA

The Rolls Royce of wood-fired pizza ovens, Mugnaini Pizza Ovens, has recently relocated to Healdsburg.

In case you haven’t seen one in some of the tip-top kitchens around the county (both commercial and residential), the thing about these ovens is that these brick ovens are specifically made to heat up quickly (room temp to 1,000 degrees in under an hour), provide convection heating via its dome and generally make perfect Neopolitan-style pizzas, long with other wood-fired dishes in the tradition of our ancestors.

The new 15,000 square-food Mugnaini building is a combination pizza oven showroom, cooking school, retail store and production facility. And here’s where it gets really cool (if you have some serious dough): Three day Wine Country Culinary Getaways are held at owner Andrea Mugnaini’s nearby vineyard property.

That’s three days of serious oven training to make bread, fish, meats, veggies and of course pizzas. There’s also a week-long cooking school in Tuscany. Sigh.

Mugnaini, 1531 Grove St., Healdsburg, (707) 416-4106.

Read it and Eat: Art Culinaire magazine

September 2015

By Heather Irwin

Long before iPhones and food bloggers and digital cameras that can make almost anyone a culinary documentarian, Art Culinaire magazine was the first and last word in food. Introducing the world to the greatest chefs, the most state-of-the-art kitchens and, of course, the latest trends and recipes in haute cuisine, and with spectacular photography, Art Culinaire was — and is — a magazine coveted by chefs and gourmands.

Wolfgang Puck was in the first issue, long before he became a household name and celebrity chef. Renowned French Laundry chef Thomas Keller is rumored to have almost every issue of the hard-bound magazine, published since 1986.

But few people know that the magazine, subtitled the International Magazine in Good Taste (it’s shipped to 57 countries) makes its home in Healdsburg, quietly published by the wife-and-husband team Carol M. Newman and Lars Ryssdal. They took over the publication in May 2014 from founder and friend Franz Mitterer, described by Ryssdal as an Austrian gourmet who envisioned a magazine that honored chefs and their food.

What makes it stand out in a flurry of digital food magazines, however, are its decidedly old-school ways: It’s printed as an oversized book on heavy gloss paper and with almost no advertising.

“It’s like a vinyl record. There isn’t an online component and you keep it forever,” Ryssdal said. “We think about the legacy of chefs and their food. This is the only way to really honor a dish that a chef creates, with giant photos that show every detail.”

U.S. subscriptions to Art Culinaire are $68 for four issues a year, and can be purchased at artculinairemagazine.com or by calling
707-595-3850. Visit the website to see what’s featured in the current issue.

40 years of winemaking in Sonoma County and he still loves it

September 2015

By Linda Murphy

“Everything André taught me has come to fruition,” says Davis of the Russian immigrant known as the guru of California winemaking. (Photos courtesy Jordan Vineyard & Winery)

Rob Davis, just 22 and fresh out of UC Davis, became the first winemaker at Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Alexander Valley in 1976. Remarkably, he’s still there.

Davis is up to his gumboots in Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, working his 40th wine harvest at Jordan. It’s an atypically long run, given that talented winemakers are often lured to greener pastures. Yet Davis, 61, has not been compelled to leave his first, and what will likely be his last, winemaking job.

Winemaker Rob Davis is marking his 40th harvest at Jordan Vineyard & Winery this fall. (Photos courtesy Jordan Vineyard & Winery) — Winemaker Rob Davis is marking his 40th harvest at Jordan Vineyard & Winery this fall.

“Every day I drive into the estate, I feel fortunate to work here,” he said. “I’ve worked for the same ownership and have been given the OK to make the viticultural and winemaking decisions. I’ve been able to exercise the pure joy of what I do.”

Davis was hired by Tom and Sally Jordan at the insistence of Napa Valley winemaking guru André Tchelistcheff. The diminutive, chain-smoking Russian immigrant was the chief winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard in Rutherford from 1938 to 1973 and continued to advise the winery and others until his death in 1994. If Robert Mondavi is the father of the California wine industry, Tchelistcheff is certainly its father of winemaking.

“Everything André taught me has come to fruition,” said Davis, a triathlon competitor who combines vineyard inspections with running and cycling in Alexander Valley. “I learned humility, and that Mother Nature is in charge and you take what she gives you. I learned to not be afraid to experiment. To smell the soil, because you can judge grape quality from that.

“André showed me that wine is an ongoing mystery. I could be doing this a thousand years from now and not stop learning.”

New Suds in Town – More Craft Beer in Santa Rosa

September 2015

By Eric Wittmershaus

Two new breweries have turned an industrial area in northwest Santa Rosa into a destination for craft beer fans.

Plow Brewing Co., which opened in April, is owner and brewer Kevin Robinson’s handiwork. After stints at Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, San Francisco’s Speakeasy Ales & Lagers and Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, Robinson struck out on his own, installing Plow’s brewing equipment himself.

The cozy taproom feels engineered for bellying up to the bar and talking beer. Robinson had had three brews on tap recently: a pilsner, a traditional India pale ale and a rich Imperial porter. A hoppier IPA is just around the corner. Can’t decide? Plow offers “crowlers,” 32-ounce cans filled at the bar and meant for taking home. Robinson also offers bottles for sale, under his Divine Brewing Co. label.

While Plow is the kind of place you’d stop to have a beer, chat up the friendly staff and grab a crowler, Cooperage Brewing Co., a couple blocks away, is designed to let patrons while away the afternoon. The spacious taproom has diversions including TVs, a putting green, darts and the bean bag game of cornhole.

Accomplished home brewer Tyler Smith, who founded Cooperage with his wife, Stephanie, plans to specialize in sour, barrel-aged beers. They can take a year or more to make, so for now, he’s pouring a rotating selection of quicker-to-market ales. Makin’ Hoppies, a pale ale, can hold its own against the area’s best offerings.

Cooperage is extremely dog-friendly. One Sunday afternoon, several pooches hung out with their owners while the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” played on the sound system. No joke.

Cooperage Brewing Co., 981 Airway Court, Santa Rosa, 707-293-9787, cooperagebrewing.com

Plow Brewing Co., 3334 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-843-4583, visit on Facebook

Day of The Dead in Sonoma County

September 2015

By Tina Caputo

Petaluma is a long way from Mexico, but the city has embraced El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) in a big way. Observed on Nov. 1, the traditional Latin American holiday honors departed ancestors with food, drink and other earthly delights.

This year will mark the 15th anniversary of Petaluma’s festival, which has grown from a weeklong affair into a monthlong extravaganza featuring community altars, music, dance performances, food and traditional crafts. Although the theme is death, the mood is celebratory, with families and friends paying joyful tribute to those who have died. The holiday is so important to Latinos and others that several local communities celebrate in some way.

Petaluma

Petaluma’s El Día de los Muertos party is the biggest. Highlights include a mole tasting and competition on Oct. 10, a bilingual poetry event on Oct. 16 and a folk dance performance on Oct. 24. More than 1,500 people are expected to turn out for a traditional procession on Nov. 1, led by a cast of giant puppets and revelers wearing colorfully painted skull masks, or calacas. Events will take place at multiple downtown locations. Visit El Día de los Muertos Petaluma on Facebook.

Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa’s annual festivities will take place Nov. 1-2 in Old Courthouse Square (santarosadiadelosmuertos.org).

Windsor

Windsor will host events throughout October, with the main festival of food, music, face-painting and costumed dancers on Nov. 1 at the Windsor Town Green (windsor-bloco.org/#!muertos/c8wd).
bs_1018_DayofDead4.jpg

Sonoma

Sonoma celebrates at the Maloney Memorial Waterwise Garden on Nov. 1 (276 E. Napa St., sonomacommunitycenter.org). The the La Luz Center (17560 Greger St., 707-938-5131, laluzcenter.org) also has an annual event; check the website for date and details.

Sebastopol

Sebastopol Regional Library’s Día de los Muertos is Oct. 31 (7140 Bodega Ave., 707-823-7691, sonomalibrary.org).

Namaste Brothers

September 2015

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

Collin, left, and Erick Thuss at Westside yoga studio in Sebastopol. (Photo by John Burgess)

If your body is a temple and it’s a fixer-upper, “Namaste Brothers” Erick and Collin Thuss may be just the renovation team you need.

The two Pennsylvania-born brothers, who look like twins despite a four-year age gap, opened Westside Yoga Studio in Sebastopol in 2008. Erick, at 39 the elder, arrived in California 20 years ago and, inspired by a book about the Indian sage Ramana Maharshi, began to practice yoga. Collin followed Erick west and eventually also delved into the discipline.

“The only way I would fully commit my life to yoga would be to tie the anchor of the studio to my ankle and jump off the pier,” Erick said. “So Collin and I started it on a wing and a prayer, with no plan except to cut directly against pop-culture yoga and give people a place to come that was born of a desire to uphold at least scraps of the depth we were shown by our teachers and the tradition of classical yoga.”

So instead of chasing the perfect “yoga butt,” students at Westside Yoga learn traditional forms that stem from the 20th-century Indian guru Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, called by many “the father of modern yoga.” While practice does produce physical benefits, including strength, flexibility and balance, students are also exposed to the more subtle, spiritual aspects of yoga, gaining clarity, focus and a shift in perspective.

The studio attracts more than 1,000 regular students to its cozy space, with its radiant-heated floors, warm decor and a multitude of props. They say there’s a growing demand for traditional yoga in Sonoma, so the Namaste Brothers are looking for a larger studio in Santa Rosa.

Westside Yoga Studio, 7385 Healdsburg Ave., Suite 102, Sebastopol,
707-827-3886, westsideyogastudio.net

PSL: Starbucks Here’s where the pumpkin-spice craze started. Will it be the end, as well?

TRADER JOE’S: Pumpkin spice everything is an annual thing.

Pumpkin Spice Booze

Pumpkin-Spiced Local Sweets

And some other pumpkin-spice sweets

It doesn’t end there…

PSL: Starbucks
Here’s where the pumpkin-spice craze started. Will it be the end, as well?