Archive for the ‘Community Events’ Category

Just in time for spring picnic action, new bakery and sandwich shop Flour + Co. has opened its doors as of today. Helmed by former La Boulange operations director Emily Day, the bakery portion features morning treats like biscuits, muffins, and cinnamon rolls, as well as more decadent sweets like cookies, cakes, and pies. A handful of items are also available in gluten-free versions, and pie and cookie dough will be for sale to take home. Other breakfast fare includes a daily rotating “egg pie” (a.k.a. quiche), granola, yogurt, and Stumptown coffee. At lunchtime, sandwiches, savory tarts, and chicken pot pie are available. They’re also offering something unique, a charity donation box, with a matching grant of up to $250 per month.

The bakery is petite, with 16 seats and a cheerful beige and robin’s-egg blue color scheme. The concept was designed by Abueg Morris Architects, who’ve also done spots like Roam Artisan Burgers and Bun Mee. There’s definitely a corporate branding element at work as well, with murals featuring main character Flour and her anthropomorphic pals Butter, Sugar, Eggs, and Milk. (May we humbly suggest a Hamburglar/Bananagrabber-type addition?) Opening hours are currently 6:30 am-6 pm, according to Day’s blog, but are subject to change.

Source:  Allie Pape / SF Eater

Cucina Antica Chef/Owner Neil Fusco will be at Kings’ Cooking Studio in Short Hills, New Jersey from 3pm-6pm this Friday, September 28th. During his cooking show, Chef Neil will show customers how to cook several recipes with his Cucina Antica Cooking Sauces.

The Cooking Studio in Kings Food Market in Short Hills, New Jersey plays host to many special guest instructors and chefs, including Chef Neil Fusco, who will be a featured chef on Friday, September 28th. From 3pm to 6pm, Chef Neil will be using his Cucina Antica Cooking Sauces to show customers how to prepare household favorite recipes, such as Eggplant Parmigiana, Pasta alla Bolognese, and Salmon alla Vodka. Through demos like these, Chef Neil hopes to increase recognition of the Cucina Antica brand, but more importantly wishes to spread his love of food “as an inspirational approach in bringing family and friends together.”

Cucina Antica Foods Corp. is a family owned and operated company located in Westchester County, New York. For over 14 years, Cucina Antica Foods Corp. has provided families with all-natural, fresh sauces as well as organic dressings and ketchup, imported Italian pastas and extra virgin olive oil. Recently, Cucina Antica has introduced Tuscany Pumpkin Pasta Sauce to their all-natural line of cooking sauces. For more information, please visit www.cucina-antica.com.

For more information regarding this event, please visit www.kingsfoodmarkets.com.

Zamzee, a social enterprise on a mission to help kids and families be more physically active, today announced that it will give away 1,000 Zamzee activity meters to kids at two upcoming Giants events, courtesy of the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund. The Zamzee activity meter measures movement and connects to zamzee.com, where physical activity is translated into Pointz and rewards.

During the 2012 Giant Race on Sunday, September 16 in San Francisco, all kids ages 5-12 running in the FedEx Kids Race will receive a free Zamzee activity meter.  Featuring a half marathon, 10K, 5K and kid- and family-friendly races, 13,000 runners are expected to participate in the Giant Race, one of San Francisco’s premier road races.  The FedEx Kids Race will take place on the field at AT&T Park after the other races have concluded.  The Giant Race raises funds for Project Open Hand, which provides food, nourishment and emotional support to people facing life-threatening illnesses.

During the San Francisco Giants game on Saturday, September 23, against the San Diego Padres, starting at 1:05 p.m, the first 500 kids to visit Zamzee’s table in the Coca-Cola Fan Lot at AT&T Park also will receive a free Zamzee activity meter.  Staff from Zamzee will be available in the Fan Lot, located behind the bleachers, on the Promenade Level, to provide demos of the Zamzee activity meter and website and to answer questions.

“Zamzee’s mission is to use the power of technology and games to make physical activity a fun, rewarding part of daily life for families,” said Lance Henderson, CEO of Zamzee.  “We are pleased to be working with our hometown San Francisco Giants and the Giant Race to provide Zamzee to kids, thanks to the generosity of the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund.”

Sedentary behavior and obesity are major problems of national importance.  There are approximately 20 million tweens and young teens in the U.S., and research shows that sedentary behavior is putting these young people at risk for serious and costly long-term health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

To earn rewards, young teens wear the Zamzee meter, a three-axis accelerometer specially calibrated to record short bursts of movement as well as vigorous activity.  Physical activity recorded by the Zamzee meter powers a teen’s online account at www.zamzee.com.  Early research shows that the Zamzee experience increases physical activity in young teens by 30% or more – the equivalent of running nearly an extra marathon a month.

Zamzee has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:

• Named a Health Innovator by LAUNCH, a global initiative founded by NASA, USAID, the U.S. Department of State and Nike to identify and support the innovative work poised to contribute to a sustainable future and accelerate solutions to meet urgent challenges facing our society.
• Recognized by President Obama as a model social enterprise at the launch of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.
• Nominated for the “Most Innovative Game” award at the ninth annual Games for Change Festival.  Zamzee was chosen from 67 candidates by 35 experts from the gaming industry, media, education, philanthropy and other fields.
• Winner of 2012 G-Summit Award for “Best Use of Gamification in Health and Wellness.”
• Received the Aspiring Innovator Award from the San Mateo County Economic Development Association.

For more information, please visit www.zamzee.com.

The Madrona Manor is a nice classy wine-country inn located in Healdsburg, CA moments away from Sonoma’s wineries.  On a Sunday afternoon late in August, I had the pleasure of taking the experience of indulging at their onsite restaurant…

The menu was a host of cocktails & confections.  We started with a cocktail called “Lola”  the balsamic and watermelon flavors comes through very refreshing to the palette with a hint of mint. A nice drink to have on a nice sunny and lazy afternoon; it’s not as sweet as a margarita cocktail.  “Cheese Please”,  a light dessert that mimicked the flavor of a glazed donut as an almond truffle wrapped up in sheep milk which appears as glass.  And was followed in by another light dessert “Milk and Cookies” dehydrated milk crumbled and crushed in small bowl.  The taste was very cold like a milk cookie.  White cookies set aside made of the dehydrated milk very light.  Now that was a fun dessert!

As if all of that wasn’t good enough, then there was “Pearsuasion.”  Pearsuasion had floral flavored estate-grown pears, ginger infused Junipero gin, lemon, Tempus Fugit Violet Liquor and Rose water.  Then, another great play on names came along “Snap, Crackle, Pop!” which had great texture and flavors of jasmine, puffed wild rice, orange blossom and rice ice cream; which might I add was a real winner!

The big hit of the day was the “Chocolate”  that was comprised of basil and almonds on an authentic tree bark platter.  The presentation was simply phenomenal if I do say so myself!   My afternoon ended with a cocktail called “Casagrandes”; a whiskey of house-made Limoncello, ginger, infused simple syrup and ginger beer.  The great thing about this cocktail was that it wasn’t so strong.  It was definitely a cocktail that a non-traditional whiskey drinker would like as it was more smooth than powerful.

The staff at Madrona Manor consisted of newly recruited Pastry Chef: Manny Fimbrez, Executive Chef Jesse Mallgren and Mixologist Pam Bushling.  In addition to the dining and cocktails, the Madrona Manor had stunning grounds and amenities.  A place I would certainly recommend and return to.

The Madrona Manor

1001 Westside Road  Healdsburg, CA 95448
(800) 258-4003

www.madronamanor.com

About The Madrona Manor

Nestled in the hills above the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, Madrona Manor is an exceptionally lovely Victorian estate surrounded by eight acres of wooded and landscaped grounds.   The Mansion, built in 1881, has been a destination for discerning guests seeking a stay in the gracious wine country of northern California since 1981.

Enjoy a romantic meal in their acclaimed restaurant, engage in quiet conversation with drinks on our veranda, or relax by a cozy fire in the winter or at the pool in the summer. At the end of the day, a peaceful night’s stay awaits you in any of their elegant rooms.

Kenneth Reed

“Drink” Editor

Basil MAGAZINE

k.reed@basilmagazine.com

The topic? “Why is ending childhood hunger in America important to you?”

Share Our Strength, the leading national nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America is sponsoring an essay contest starting Sunday, September 9.

Topic:  Essays must answer the question, “Why is ending childhood hunger in America important to you?”

• Length: 500 words or less
• Prizes:  Each entrant will receive a prize
• Top three in two age categories (under 15 and 15-21) will win cash prizes of up to $500

The essay is part of Share Our Strength’s Go Orange for No Kid Hungry® drive, which encourages people to wear orange (the color of hunger awareness) September 6-9.

Why:

The month of September and the color orange are dedicated to the cause of hunger awareness. More than 16 million kids in America struggle with hunger. That’s 1 in 5 kids who face hunger in the U.S. America’s young people have the power and the passion to help change this, by learning the facts,  inspiring us with their stories, and joining No Kid Hungry with actions big or small.

Who:

• Participants must be no older than 21 years of age.
• Classrooms, sports teams, clubs, youth organizations and other types of youth groups can submit one essay as a group or one from each member of the group.

When:

• Essays must be submitted between Sunday September 9, 12:01 EST and Monday, September 24 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

How:

To submit an essay, participants must:

• Email the essay and a photo of themselves or their group wearing the color orange to NoKidHungry2@strength.org.  *Handwritten essays must be scanned and emailed.
• Make the subject line of the email “2012 Go Orange for No Kid Hungry Essay Contest.”
• Be sure to include their full name, age and contact phone number.

For more information, please visit www.nokidhungry2.org/goorange.

About Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and No Kid Hungry 2

More than 16 million children in America struggle with hunger. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® campaign is ending childhood hunger by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. The No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need with nutritious food and teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. By doing this, we surround children in this nation with healthy food where they live, learn and play. Get involved at NoKidHungry.org. No Kid Hungry2 presents America’s youth with opportunities and ideas to become join the campaign through education and actions. See how at www.NoKidHungry2.org.

For more information, click here.

It’s back! The KCRW Summer Pledge Drive begins today and this time, the station has given themselves a lofty goal – donate 150,000 meals to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank by Aug. 24.

KCRW’s Winter Pledge Drive was the first time the station partnered with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and were shocked by the enthusiastic response. During the 9-day drive, KCRW was able to donate more than 80,000 meals – made possible by donors who chose to forgo personal premium gifts and donate meals instead.  So this time around, they plan to double that number!

And, in case you haven’t seen it, kittens are helping KCRW kick it all off. The station also partnered with the Best Friends Animal Society for their Summer Pledge Drive. Check out their furry friends in the first of several KCRW kitten videos that they’ll be pushing out over the next few days! And yes, that is John Irving reading an except from his newest novel, In One Person, to some attentive kittens.

For more information on the KCRW Summer Pledge Drive visit: www.kcrw.com/join.

World Humanitarian Day is a global day to celebrate humanity and the spirit of people helping people.

International star Beyoncé, the United Nations and humanitarian aid organizations are launching a global campaign today to shine a spotlight on humanitarian work and encourage people around the world to get involved by doing something good for others.

The World Humanitarian Day music video for Beyoncé’s song “I Was Here” will be filmed in the UN General Assembly Hall in New York in front of a live audience. It will be released globally on 19 August. Beyoncé and songwriter Diane Warren are donating the video to the campaign…more

32 Fans to Win Trip to New York to Participate in 2012 NFL Kickoff Week

Fans May Enter Contest at Facebook.com/NFLFanStyle through August 21

The NFL and Nike are searching for 32 fans to represent their favorite NFL teams in an iconic photo shoot in New York City on Tuesday, September 4 with the Back To Football Photo Day Contest.

Back To Football Photo Day celebrates NFL fans and puts them center stage as part of 2012 NFL Kickoff Week. Fans may enter the Back To Football Photo Day Contest by submitting a photo of themselves, showcasing how they are bringing their own personal style to the game.

Thirty-two fans, one per team, will be selected to participate in the Back To Football Photo Day.  The 32 winners will be flown to New York City to star in the photo shoot, where each will be professionally styled in Nike team looks representing the 32 NFL teams.

Each winner receives a trip for them and one guest to New York City from September 3 – September 6.

Back To Football Photo Day also will feature 100 local New York City fans who will be selected in advance.

2012 NFL Kickoff Week leads to the opening game between the Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ (Wednesday, September 5, 8:30 PM ET, NBC).

Fans may enter the Back To Football Photo Day Contest at www.Facebook.com/NFLFanStyle through Tuesday, August 21 at Noon PM ET.

Prima, a premier destination for high-end Italian cuisine and an extensive wine list in Walnut Creek, is celebrating “An Evening in Provence” on Aug. 16.

As one of the most established restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, Prima is thrilled to announce the Aug. 16 event, “An Evening in Provence.” Guests will be treated to wines from this region of France paired with a Provençal menu.

“Although we are known primarily as an Italian restaurant, we love preparing and enjoying French food and wines. We’re excited to share our passion for this region with our guests,” Jennifer O’Donnell said.

Prima serves contemporary and seasonal Northern Italian cuisine using locally sourced ingredients in a comfortable and elegant atmosphere. Its wine list has consistently won awards for its depth and unique selections from all over the world. Prima is conveniently located from all points in the San Francisco Bay Area in the heart of the quaint yet bustling downtown Walnut Creek area.

“Prima looks forward to your visit and the opportunity to exceed your expectations for a special day or evening of Italian tastes and hospitality,” O’Donnell said. “Come see us any day for a bite, a glass, or a visit with friends, family or co-workers.”

For more information about any of Prima’s products or services, call 925-322-2761 or 925-935-7780, keep up with it on the Web at http://www.primawine.com or visit 1552 N. Main St. in Walnut Creek.