Shannon Essa splits her time between Santa Barbara and Europe, writing and leading culinary-based tours in Spain and Italy. We sent her to the Valley Vino Wine Bar to their Spanish-themed event, thinking it just might be up her alley. And we think it was…

Dispatch from Spain By Way of Solvang

by Shannon Essa; photography by Tenley Fohl

I love Spanish food (and wine) so I was thrilled to be able to attend an event that Valley Vino Wine Bar held this spring in collaboration with the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Club and Succulent Cafe. This event combined Spanish food with some of Santa Barbara’s excellent Spanish varietal wines. I also spend quite a bit of time in Spain, so the bar has been set high. They pulled off a truly Spanish fiesta of an event, one that had no problem standing up to an experience in Spain itself.

The party started off with a paella demonstration on the patio. A huge paella pan was set up over a propane burner, and our co-host Miren Armenta discussed the history and tradition of paella as she showed us how to prepare the dish.

The demonstration was accompanied by glasses of Curran 2009 Grenache Rose, a plate of aged Manchego cheese and some Spanish chorizo, as well as solo guitarist Chris Fossek strumming the music of Spain. We were all offered tastes of the paella—which was extraordinarily delicious—at the end of the demonstration.

We then all moved into the wine bar which had been transformed into an atmospheric dining room complete with red candelabras and gorgeous red roses, where we were served another FOUR fabulous courses prepared by Succulent Café next door. Our first course was a bowl of “Ajo Blanco con Uvas” – a white gazpacho with green grapes and almonds, accompanied by a butterleaf salad dressed with a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.

The soup was a standout—a perfect starter for a very warm night—and the salad was light and perfectly dressed. This course was served with Bernat “Insight ‘10” Grenache Blanc—one of those varietals I am very happy to be able to buy here in Santa Barbara County. It is a great food wine that stands up to almost everything.

The second plated course—served family style—was a delicious filet of sole in an Albariño wine and mushroom sauce, along with spears of fried eggplant and braised Brussels sprouts and a pairing of Tre Anelli 2010 Albariño. Tre Anelli winemaker Brett Escalera was on hand to answer any questions about his wines. I had no questions, but complemented him on his Albariño, as it is a wine to be proud of.

Thankfully the evening lasted many hours, so we were ready—well almost—when the meat course came out. We were served (again, family-style) large platters of “Pollo en Pepitoria” (chicken in an egg, almond and sherry sauce) and “Conejo Salmantino” (rabbit confit) as well as a delectable Swiss chard and potato casserole (I could have eaten an entire pan of this if there weren’t all this other food) and green beans with jamon (Spanish ham.) All of this was served with not one but two wines—Longoria 2008 Tempranillo and Curtis 2009 Monastrell.

Dessert was a chocolate mousse with Sherry and an almond lace cookie. The paired wine was amazing—a 1927 Pedro Ximenez Sherry from Spain. It was the only wine produced in Spain of the evening, but what a special treat it was to be able to try it! Dense and amber-colored, it was hard to believe this dessert wine was over 80 years old. Sweet but not cloyingly so, and an education into what good Sherry can be.

Jon McDaniel, wine director at the Los Olivos Cafe, spoke about the various varietals before each course. After dinner, we were treated to a flamenco show performed by the flamenco troupe Cuatro Caminos Flamenco.

Flamenco music and dance should be passionate and intense, and the audience at Valley Vino was not disappointed. The show was as good as any I have seen in Spain.

Valley Vino plans to recreate this event next year, and over the summer they will be having the Paella demonstration and tasting several times. Keep an eye on our event calendar for dates, and whatever you do, do not miss Viva España when it returns!

Valley Vino Wine Bar & Merchant
Newly opened in Solvang, this wine bar features outstanding wines by local winemakers and beer on tap. 1557 Mission Dr., Solvang; valleyvinowinebar.com

Santa Ynez Valley Wine Club
santaynezwineclub.com

Succulent Café & Trading Company
Succulent Café is a family-owned business specializing in handcrafted and artisan culinary goods. Featuring buttermilk biscuit sandwiches at breakfast, gourmet sandwiches and salads at lunch and unique local centric plates at dinner. Lunch Wed–Sun 11am–3pm; breakfast Sat–Sun 9am–2pm; dinner Thu–Sat 6–9pm. 1555 Mission Drive, Solvang; 805 691-9444; succulentcafe.com

Marianne Romeo and Chantal Peterson created the website Free Capacity as a space for art and community. Their current project is called the Mural Project and takes these Santa Barbara residentsto Kenya, Ethiopia, Turkey and Israel. They collaborate with women's and children's centers to co-create murals in their communities. From the road they sent in this guest blog entry.

Dispatch from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

by Chantal Peterson, photography by Marianne Romeo

As Santa Barbara residents, we are blessed with a variety of quality local coffee shops and more and more the standard is that of organic, fairly traded, ethically grown beans, with a preference for smaller-scale production. To a conscious consumer with a sensitive pallet, all of these elements are important. For these reasons, we find that Cafe Choche, located far from the central pacific coast in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is worthy of recognition by these coffee-loving Californian locavores.

Nestled at the far end of the historical railway building at La Gare bus station in downtown Addis Ababa, Cafe Choche is one of the city's most refined and delectable coffee houses. Owned by Rahel Zewde Slewagen, wife to the Belgian Ambassador of Ethiopia and managed by her younger brother, the cafe has a certain nostalgic charm which is apparent in the décor as well as the mannerisms of its staff. Frequented by locals and foreigners alike, the cafe's clientele ranges from sharply dressed business men to young chatty students and foreign tourists.

Cafe Choche's beans are all sourced locally from a handful of established Ethiopian growers and roasted on site in a small 10x10 roasting room just behind the cafe. Inside this room is a beautiful small-batch iron coffee roaster in which all of Choche's beans are roasted and then sifted and laid to dry on burlap.

They are then poured into a metal pot and transferred to a tiny temperature-controlled room adjacent to the cafe where customers can purchase Choche coffee by the pound.

Ethiopian coffee is world famous; and they are known for their age old traditional coffee ceremony, still very much alive in modern culture. The coffee ceremony, often taking place in a traditional restaurant or in thatched roof hut on a side street, is a delight for the senses and the spirit alike. The spread is often decorated with fresh flowers and the thick sweet smoke of incense burn on hot coals at the center of the table.

Coffee beans are roasted in batches no bigger than two handfuls on a flat iron skillet over hot coals. The woman serving the coffee will scoop out two teaspoons of sugar and then pour fresh coffee from a traditional vessel with a spout designed to allow for only a thin stream of coffee to pour. Conversely, in more metropolitan areas like Addis Ababa, coffee is brewed espresso-style to accommodate a higher volume of customers.

As Californians, we are blessed to have an abundant variety of coffee to choose from. With the revival of slow food and conscious consumerism, it is a joy and a privilege to have the opportunity to become educated about local food movements throughout the world. Cafe Choche is one such place in which tradition and modernity find themselves well paired in the revival of respect and dedication to a sustainable local food movement.

— Marianne Romeo and Chantal Peterson

Visit their website at freecapacity.org, their central hub and space to share, communicate and grow. Interviews and picture profiles of artists and interesting cultural finds will be featured and updated often.

Edible Notable: Tessa Marie Sparkling Vermentino

Here's something from our Spring issue Edible Notables that would be perfect for spring parties and Easter brunch.

Vermentino is a crisp white wine varietal from Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean. As a fan of Italian varietals, winemaker Tessa Marie Parker made her first vintage of Vermentino in 2009 and now has released her first sparkling Vermentino. The grapes come from the Camp 4 Vineyard in Santa Ynez and were harvested in 2010.

The resulting wine is an easy-to-drink sparkler delicious on its own or paired with any number of seafood dishes, from raw oysters to sushi to fish accompanied by rich sauces.

Tessa Marie Sparkling Vermentino ($35) is only available at the tasting room, or it can be ordered on their website. The tasting room is open Thursday through Monday 11:30am–5pm and is located at 2901 Grand Ave. Suite C, Los Olivos; 805 688-6081; tessamariewines.com

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Story and photographs by Jeanine Brandi McLychok

I have been buying almonds from Fat Uncle Farms for a few years now. I became friends with Nate and Bekki while shopping at the Montecito farmers market; the small market where I spent many Friday mornings with my infant daughter napping on my chest. I remember asking them about the farm, especially curious about the blossoms. Did almond trees have showy flowers like cherry trees? They described it to me, and the idea of it stuck in my mind, something I had to see for myself. Nate invited us up to the farm for a visit, but we weren’t able to make it until the following year.

With my sense of adventure and my camera, I decided to take my little one and make the 3.5 hour drive out to the central valley. At the last minute, my friend Dina and her daughter decided to come along, and I was happy to have the company! It snowed on our drive over the mountains, something I hadn’t seen in a while. Weaving our way down from the mountains and into the valley, the sun came out and all of a sudden it felt like spring. We passed orchards in bloom, acres and acres of them. The landscape here was shaped by industrial agriculture with large, rectangular plots of land. With the trees are in bloom, it softened the edges.

We arrived at the town of Wasco, about a half hour northwest of Bakersfield. Just on the edge of town was Fat Uncle Farms. Nate showed us around, and we walked through the orchards, in full bloom. The sky was a crisp blue and the white blossoms gave the feeling of being in snow. The rows of trees had standing water in between them, to help protect against a chance of frost that night. The reflections added another dimension to the orchard. Looking east, there was a road, train track, more blossoms, and in the distance, the snowy foothills of the Sierras. We enjoyed the afternoon getting acquainted with the farm’s inhabitants: horses, chickens, bunnies, dogs and cats, and other kids. There was and lots of space to run around and explore.

The next morning, I awoke before sunrise, and snuck out of bed hoping not to wake my daughter. I pulled on my jacket and hat, grabbed my camera and went outside. It was cold! I could see my breath and the half moon hanging above me in the dark blue sky, the light changing as the sun got closer to the horizon.

I walked into the orchard alone, enjoying a moment to myself. In the cold and quiet morning I could smell the sweet scent of the almond blossoms and hear the trickling of water in between the rows of trees. As the sun’s first rays burst over the horizon I squinted my eyes in the bright orange light. Steam began to rise off the water (helping me to understand why it protects against frost). I felt privileged to stand in the middle of all those tiny little flowers that could one day become almonds. I was witnessing something, and it felt like a spiritual moment, aware of myself within the cycles of nature. I breathed it all in. Birds began to chirp and cars began to drive by on the road; as the world awoke I no longer felt like I was the only one in it.

After spending time photographing and walking around the orchard I was ready to go inside to warm up and have breakfast. I was grateful for the experience of being alone in the orchard, another amazing moment that adds to the unique fabric of my life.

Signs in the produce and grocery sections at Whole Foods® Santa Barbara announce The Joshua Project. What does that mean? 

Joshua is a visually impaired 8-year-old who reads using Braille. On a grocery store visit with his mom he asked why the shelves couldn’t be labeled in Braille so he and others with low or no vision could find the items they need.

Joshua’s mother, Christie, asked a manager at their local Whole Foods in Thousand Oaks if she could put up four or five of Joshua’s Braille labels to give him an opportunity to participate in the family’s grocery shopping trips. The response astonished her. Marketing manager Ashley Eaton not only helped them put up the labels, she offered to work with Joshua and his family on a program to make the store more accessible to Joshua and other visually-impaired shoppers.

Santa Barbara is the third Whole Foods to respond to Joshua’s Braille labeling project. The second store was near Boston, where Joshua received a Hands On! Award from the National Braille Press, a prestigious award given for helping blind children and adults succeed in their own lives. Joshua spoke about his project at the awards ceremony held in October of last year.

At our recent Santa Barbara program launch, Joshua showed me where the Braille characters are located in the produce section—they are right on top of the printed name of the item on a card attached to the box containing that product.

His fingers moved quickly to identify the item before he reached into the box to verify the label. His mom told me that another person using the identification labels was surprised to discover a label that said “White Peaches,” not having realized that peaches can come in different colors.

Joshua’s dad Evan explained that Joshua uses a Braille machine to make the labels for each store. That’s a lot of labels.

The grocery aisles have signs at both ends that list the items on the shelves in that aisle. Rae van Seenus, the local Marketing Supervisor, says they are working on a directory written in Braille for the front of the Santa Barbara store.

Joshua’s family and their friends have formed The Joshua Project, a non-profit with a mission to raise awareness and continue to expand the shelf labeling program. Joshua is particularly hopeful that Target (his favorite store) will agree to Braille labels. But for now, he’s happy to be able to navigate easily through Whole Foods to the shelf that contains the Oreo-type cookies. 

Long-time family friend and board member for the Joshua Project, Sarah Behzadi, points out that this is about empowerment. Joshua identified a problem, proposed a solution and has followed it up with a commitment and determination that inspires others. In less than a year’s time Joshua has begun to make a significant impact on the resources available to help visually impaired shoppers to shop independently.

Tickets Now On Sale

Tickets are now on sale for the Edible Institute — a weekend of talks, presentations, and local food & wine tastings by some of the local food movement's most influential thinkers, writers, and producers. March 10-11, 2012, Santa Barbara, CA. 

Admission to Edible Institute is $250 and includes all the Saturday and Sunday sessions, including lunch on both days—and the Food & Wine Gala on Saturday night. Click here to buy tickets.

KEYNOTE: Nikki Henderson

photo: Sarah Adler/SF Chronicle

We are excited to announce that the Edible Institute 2012 Keynote speaker is Nikki Henderson, Executive Director of the People’s Grocery in Oakland, CA. Nikki began her work in social justice through the foster care system in Southern California, having been raised with seven older foster brothers. Through mentoring, tutoring, and directing Foster Youth Empowerment Workshops, she developed her passion for youth leadership development among communities of color. She later shifted into sustainability, developing course curriculum for the University of California system and advocating across the state for environmental justice and political ecology.

SESSIONS

Barry Estabrook in conversation with Tracie McMillan and Jonathan Bloom.

CULTIVATING FOOD JUSTICE ON THE WEB with moderator Gary Nabhan
and speakers:

• Naomi Starkman / Civil Eats
• Leslie Hatfield / Eco Centric
• Nichol Nelson / Take Part Media 

CREATING FOOD COMMUNITIES ON THE WEB with moderator Molly Watson
and peakers:

• Darya Pino / Summer Tomato
• Cathy Erway / Not Eating Out in NY
• Sean Timberlake / Punk Domestics

WOMEN OF THE SEA: SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD CHALLENGES IN CALIFORNIA with moderator Clare Leschin-Hoar and speakers:

• Stephanie Mutz, President, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, Inc.
• Anna Larsen, SirenSeaSA
• Helene York, BAMCO

DRINKING SANTA BARBARA: TERROIR, ORGANIC, BIODYNAMIC AND NATURAL WINES with moderator Gillian Handelman
(Prior to the discussion we'll take a short break while the winemakers pour several of the wines.)
Speakers:

• Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat
• Bob Lindquist, Qupe
• Sashi Moorman, Stolpman and Piedrasassi

Saturday Keynote with Brian Halweil of Edible East End, Edible Manhattan, and Edible Brooklyn.

Sunday Session: TELLING SUSTAINABLE MEAT STORIES: How ranchers, retailers, and restaurateurs take their meat and their message to consumers.

• Jeff Tripican, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Sales, Niman Ranch
• Will Harris, President of White Oak Pastures
• Chris Arnold, Director of Communications, Chipotle
• Whole Foods Markets

EDIBLE GALA

Announcing our second annual Edible Institute Food & Drink Gala (at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum) featuring the finest food and drink artisans, restaurants and producers from the Santa Barbara community including:

• Buttonwood Farm Winery
• Full of Life Flatbread
• New West Catering
• Seagrass Restaurant
• Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Café
• Bell Street Farm Eatery
• Succulent Cafe
• Bacara Resort
• Whole Foods
• Goodland Kitchen
• Chocolate Maya/Le Crepe Shoppe
• IxCacao Brownies
• Here's the Scoop Gelato
• Telegraph Brewing Co.
• The Hitching Post II
• Alma Rosa Winery
• Au Bon Climat Winery
• Margerum Wine Company
• Oreana Winery
• Qupe Winery
• Riverbench Winery
• Zaca Mesa Winery

Admission to the Food & Drink Gala is included in the admission price to Edible Institute.

The Edible Institute Sunday Sessions will feature film presentations from U. Roberto Romano, Sanjay Rawal, and Daniel Klein.

Award-Winning producer, director, director of photography, and still photographer U. Roberto (Robin) Romano will give an extended presentation on two of his films. THE HARVEST, a feature documentary on the life of migrant children and their families in America and DARK SIDE OF CHOCOLATE, a feature documentary on slavery in the West Africa cocoa trade. See a clip of Roberto Romano’s documentary THE HARVEST here.

Producer and director Sanjay Rawal will give an extended presentation on his farm labor film entitled FOOD CHAIN (release date of fall 2012) featuring Barry Estabrook, Eric Schlosser, and others.

Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine will give an extended presentation on THE PERENNIAL PLATE, an online weekly documentary series dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating. These episodes follow the culinary, agricultural and hunting explorations of chef and activist, Daniel Klein and his trip across America, taking the viewer on a journey to appreciate and understand where good food comes from and how to enjoy it. Check out some of the films from Daniel and Mirra’s trip online at: PerennialPlate.com.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets to the Edible Institute

Meet Phil Harris, Black Cod Fisherman from NOAA Ocean Media Center on Vimeo.

For more information, visit Phil's website.

Three Problem Solving Recipes

It's the day or so before Thanksgiving and you've pretty much got everything planned out. But there's always a way to make it better. Here are three recipes that we love and that will make your Thanksgiving a little easier, stress-free and delicious.

A Side Dish That Everyone Can Eat

What dish can you make that will please your friend the vegan, your family members who are on diets and the others who just want something that tastes good and goes with all the other rich food. How about a fresh take on a Waldorf Salad? This one skips the traditional mayonnaise dressing in favor of a vinaigrette.

• Click here for the Celery, Apple and Walnut Salad recipe

Easy Gravy

What's the most stressful part of making Thanksgiving dinner? It's got to be the last 30 minutes or so when the turkey comes out of the oven and you're scrambling to turn the pan juices into a delicious, lump-free gravy. Here's a way to make the gravy ahead of time without sacrificing one bit of flavor.

• Click here for the Make Ahead Roast Turkey Gravy recipe

A Dessert You’ll Have Room For

After a huge Thanksgiving meal some people are ready for pie and others want something a little lighter. This ice cream will work perfectly with a slice of pumpkin pie or, for many of us, a scoop of this by itself will make the perfect finale to the Thanksgiving meal.

• Click here for the Pumpkin Date Ice Cream recipe

Above: Melissa Gomez and Julia Crookston, Goodland Kitchen

How to Turn Your Passions Into Profits
On December 8th, join WEV and four local food entrepreneurs at Goodland Kitchen to learn about starting or growing a specialty food business. Panelists include many that have been profiled in Edible Santa Barbara:

Julia Crookston, Preserves Santa Barbara, Goodland Kitchen & Market: Julia is a career culinarian with over 30 years of production and development experience. She is a lifelong promoter and practitioner of handmade high-quality foods and is deeply involved with local food production systems.

Gail Zannon, Santa Barbara Pistachios: The Zannons planted their first 50 acres of organically grown pistachios in Cuyama in 199. Now, with 440 acres in production, Santa Barbara Pistachios is a family farm and business. A veteran of fancy food shows and farmers markets, Gail knows more ways to serve and sell a pistachio than just about anybody.

Heidi Whitney, IxCacoa Brownies: IxCacoa Brownies is an all natural, premium chocolate brownie company which specializes in using spices from around the world to create unique flavors. Heidi combines her passion for good chocolate and travel with a degree in business to grow a company that she hopes to take global.

Elizabeth Poett, Rancho San Julian Beef: Elizabeth Poett was born and raised on her family’s historic cattle ranch, Rancho San Julian and is dedicated to good food and preserving the environment. She has been providing Rancho San Julian Beef to Farmers Markets and restaurants along the Central Coast for the last three years and makes beef jerky in the Goodland Kitchen.

Melissa Gomez will be the moderator for the discussion.

• Date: Thursday, December 8
• Time: 6–7:30pm Panel Discussion / 7:30–8pm Networking
• Location: Goodland Kitchen, 231 S. Magnolia, Old Town Goleta

To sign up go to http://wevonline.givezooks.com/events/foodstuff-how-to-turn-your-passion-into-profits