Alderslys 65th Annual Tivoli Festival, Sunday, September 18th, 10AM to 4 PM, 326 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, Free Admission, Free Shuttle

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(PRWEB) September 06, 2011

Join the fun at Aldersly! Dine on Danish specialty foods, Smørrøbrød (Open Face Sandwiches), Hot Dogs Danish Style, Aebleskiver (Danish pancakes), Kringler (the original Danish pastry), and Waffle Cones with toppings. Sample cakes, cookies and breads at Alderslys Danish Bakery and Café.

Listen to live music with headliners Mads Tolling and Swing Fever. Enjoy Accordionist Jim Murdoch, musician Elliot Kennins Danish Violin, Dave Marty on the banjo, and special performances by the NGL& S Scandinavian Dancers and Instrumentalists, and the Dunsmuir Scottish Dancers.

There will be a special Childrens Area with face painting, games and prizes and a performance by Magic Dan as well as two special building classes from Play- Well Teknologies.

There is a chance to win over a dozen different raffle prize packages including a Seafarer Package and Wine Country Tours and Tasting. Raffle tickets will be sold at the event.

Go to http://www.aldersly.com/the-news for details.

Contact: Gina Pandiani

Aldersly Retirement Community

415/453-3281

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More Pastries Press Releases

Chocolate Dreaming: Bar Cocoa to Open at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte on Friday, September 30, 2011

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Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) September 06, 2011

The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte will open its new Bar Cocoa on Friday, September 30, offering a sweet extension of The Lobby Lounge and a streetside location with daily access to hotel guests and the public. Bar Cocoa will present a sophisticated, all-new chocolate and cocoa experience, featuring food, beverages, retail, teas, dessert dinners and cooking classes centered around the irresistible taste, appeal and drama of chocolate.

Bar Cocoas signature offerings will include daily Chocolate Afternoon Tea, a five-course weekly Chocolate and Champagne Dinner, hands-on culinary classes in the adjoining Cocoa Lab, retail selections including pastries from acclaimed Ritz-Carlton pastry chef Josh Cain and confections from chocolatier Norman Love, and a Chocolate Rehab package for this falls overnight guests. Bar Cocoa will also be open for à la carte chocolate beverage and menu service, highlighted by pastries and other sweet delicacies, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bar Cocoas contemporary take on afternoon tea will be presented seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature six teas plus a signature chocolate tea and hot chocolate with house-made marshmallows. Priced at $ 32 per adult ($ 10 per child under 12) including valet parking, this uniquely modern tea will eschew the formal linens, intricate tabletops and hushed setting of traditional teas in favor of the vibe, energy and movement of the hotels lively Lobby Lounge. With limited seating and a start date of Saturday, October 1st, Chocolate Afternoon Tea at Bar Cocoa will feature flavorful mini-sandwiches, white chocolate and orange scones, petits fours (opera-style, chocolate and salted caramel tart, chocolate mousse with house marshmallow, tiramisu on chocolate sponge), and the restaurants signature Bar Cocoa — layers of praline and gianduja cake, hazelnut dacquoise, chocolate mousse and milk chocolate Chantilly. A special beverage option for the experience is chocolate-mint truffle tea, featuring a blend of Rooibos herbal tea, chocolate cacao nibs and mint, while Bar Cocoas signature hot chocolate beverage will be created with Valrhona Manjari Chocolate, using prized, delicate cocoa beans from Madagascar.

On October 8, Bar Cocoa will introduce its first weekly five-course Chocolate and Champagne Dinner, offered on Saturday evenings and priced at $ 125 per person. Reservations will be accepted up to three months in advance for this exclusive 7 to 10 p.m. all-dessert dining experience, which will be limited to parties of no more than four guests per table, and which will feature desserts created by Executive Chef Jon Farace and The Ritz-Carlton culinary team. Paired champagnes are set to include Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec, Moët & Chandon Nectar Rose Imperial, Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve, and Dom Ruinart.

Renowned chocolatier Norman Love will provide ultra-premium hand-made chocolates and confections for Bar Cocoas retail offering, presenting flavors which are beloved in America and made with the finest chocolate ingredients from around the world. Creator of edible works of art with a focus on freshness and preservative-free preparation, Norman Love Confections was honored as one of the Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America in 2009 by Dessert Magazine, is co-founder of the National Pastry Team Championship and is a regular guest judge on the Food Network Challenge series.

Norman Loves retail confections will be complemented by an array of pastries available for purchase and created by Josh Cain, Pastry Chef for The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte and widely known for his glamorous wedding cakes, holiday dessert buffets and sold-out pastry cooking classes. Cain is also the designer and creator of a five-foot-tall Madam Cocoa chocolate statue which will perch atop a pedestal in The Lobby Lounges animated water feature, and which will beckon guests with an invitation to indulge their love for all things chocolate.

Bar Cocoa has been in the works for a long time, and we are delighted to share this amazing new all-chocolate adventure with hotel guests and the local community, said David Rothwell, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte. The pleasures of chocolate and cocoa are irresistible, and we look forward not only to sharing them on a daily basis, but also to revealing our chefs preparation secrets through a series of uniquely-chocolate cooking classes set to begin in October.

Dates for Bar Cocoas 2011 cooking classes, to be presented in the hotels Cocoa Lab, are October 15, October 29, November 5, November 12 and December 3. Priced at $ 75 per person, which includes parking and a keepsake apron, the hands-on classes for a maximum of eight students will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Cocoa Labs five scheduled instruction dates. For information and reservations, contact The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte at 704-547-2244.

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Embrace Fall with Delicious Comfort Food from the Middle East

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Dallas, TX (PRWEB) September 14, 2011

With shorter days approaching, hours spent by the barbecue are coming to a close. Summer vacation may be over, but the comfort food of fall is just around the corner. Beat the end-of-summer blues with the warmth of simmering spices and comforting flavors from Chef Joumana Accad and TasteofBeirut.com.

The best comfort food tastes like home. Here to inspire you with hers is Chef Joumana Accad, sharing both classic and innovative Middle Eastern fall recipes. Chef Joumana serves up a traditional comfort dish from her native Lebanon: Lamb shanks and rice (roz-be-dfeen). Her addition of dried berries and nuts creates a hearty, festive feel often associated with fall and great for a holiday meal. This one-pot meal can be prepared ahead of time and with many variations from meat type to rice substitutions, making it a party-friendly dish for everyone.

As a side dish, Joumana includes a dandelion greens salad. Popular in the Levant, this healthy, easy dish is served at room temperature and requires few ingredients. Joumana notes that people in rural areas of the Levant still forage for dandelions; time-honored tradition is the invisible tasty ingredient.

Top your meal off with a a classic southern dessert made with a Lebanese twist to create an intriguing blend of culinary traditions.

Celebrate fall with Chef Joumana Accads inviting family-friendly recipes.

Lamb Shanks and Rice (Roz be-dfeen)

8 servings

This is the quintessential comfort dish in the Middle East. Its preparation varies by region, but it always elicits delight when presented on the dinner table. It consists of lamb shanks, cooked until they fall off the bone, in a broth flavored with cumin, allspice, and cinnamon. The shanks are served with rice, chickpeas, and pearl onions.. It is a one-pot meal.

Rice is often substituted with bulgur (the coarse type) or roasted green wheat (freekeh). Craisins and nuts can be added to make it more festive, however this step is not traditional and can be omitted.

This dish is served with a bowl of yogurt on the side. A dollop of yogurt helps balance the warm richness of the rice and lamb.

It can be prepared ahead, which makes it ideal for a party. It can also be made simply with lamb pieces, minus the bones; bones, however, add flavor to the broth and, by extension, to the rice. If lamb shanks are not available, substitute stewing beef and some beef bones and brown the bones to add flavor to the resulting broth. This dish can be also made with chicken. A vegan version could be made as well by simply omitting the meat and switching to a vegetable broth.

1 1/2 pound of lamb shanks, either with the bone or boneless (adding bones to the dish gives more flavor to the broth)

1 pound of pearl or cipollini onions

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups of basmati or long-grain rice, soaked in warm water with a dash of salt until the shanks cook

Spices:

1 tablespoon of cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of white or black pepper (can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoon of seven-spice, 1 teaspoon of allspice, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon)

    1 can of chickpeas (or 1/2 cup of dry chickpeas, soaked in water overnight with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda)

    1/2 cup of Craisins (optional)

    1/4 cup of pine nuts (optional)

    1/4 cup of slivered almonds (optional)

    Clarified butter or olive oil, as needed

    6 cups of water

Equipment needed: 1 large pot to cook shanks and rice. 1 skillet to brown the pearl onions and nuts. 1 bowl to soak the chickpeas in overnight. 1 bowl to soak the rice. 1 serving platter. 1 bowl to serve the yogurt in.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil (or clarified butter) and brown the shanks from all sides. Remove the shanks to a plate. Fry the chopped onions until golden in the same pot. Place the shanks back in the pot; sprinkle with all the spices.

Add to the pot 6 cups of boiling water and simmer the shanks gently until tender, about one hour. If you are using dry chickpeas that have soaked overnight, rinse them and drain them and add them to the shanks now. The chickpeas will cook with the meat.

In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil (or clarified butter) and brown the pearl or cipollini onions. Remove the onions and set aside. Add the almonds and pine nuts and toast them in the same skillet. Set aside.

To cook the rice:

Measure the broth. If you have too much, let it boil down, if too little, add some water. (Just empty the broth into a measuring cup). You need no more than 3 cups of broth for rice or bulgur (or roasted green wheat if using).

Drain the rice and add to the lamb shanks in the pot and simmer for another 30 minutes until the rice has absorbed the broth and the lamb shanks are falling off the bone. If using canned chickpeas, add them along with the rice. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, add the Craisins (if using) and the pearl onions to the pot. Serve the dish with a garnish of toasted nuts and a bowl of yogurt.

Dandelion salad with Halloumi Croutons

4 servings

1 bunch of dandelions

2 onions

1/4 cup of pine nuts

3 cloves of garlic

Olive oil to fry the onions and dandelions

Butter to fry the halloumi

1 Halloumi cheese, cut in cubes (can be replaced with mozzarella-bocconcini)

Salt, pepper

1 Lemon

1.    Wash the dandelions well and cut off the tough ends. Boil a few cups of salted water and drop the dandelions in the boiling water for a few seconds until they turn limp (but not too long to preserve their vibrant color).

2.    Drain the dandelions and set aside. Slice the onions into rings and fry over gentle heat in several tablespoons of oil until golden brown, stirring every couple of minutes and watching them to prevent burning. Mash the garlic with salt in a mortar and set aside. In a smaller skillet, drop three tablespoons of butter and let the butter melt and froth; at this point, fry the halloumi (or bocconcini) cubes on all sides till golden; drain on paper towels. In the same skillet, fry the pine nuts until caramel-colored, drain them on paper towels and set aside.

3.     Squeeze the dandelions of any extra water and drop them in the pan with the onions and pine nuts. Add the garlic paste and stir to combine evenly into the greens. Remove from the skillet onto a platter, serve with the cheese croutons and some quartered lemons on the side.

NOTE: After slicing the onions, you can sprinkle them with salt to make them purge their water and fry to a crispier state. Some people prefer to cut the dandelions in one or two-inch pieces, which makes chewing them easier.

Halloumi is a sheep cheese imported from Cyprus that is very popular in the Levant; it is sold in major supermarkets in the imported cheese aisle; it can be substituted with bocconcini (small mozzarella balls).

Apple Dumplings with Fig Jam

8 servings

An apple covered in pie dough is not a Middle Eastern tradition; it is something I discovered in the South. I stuffed the apple with a Lebanese/Levantine fig jam [made from dried figs, anise, sesame seeds, and walnuts], which can be bought at stores specializing in Middle-Eastern or ethnic foods, or made at home quite easily (see following recipe).

The apple peels can be recycled into apple-flavored syrup which can be used over several days and stored in the refrigerator.

For the crust:

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 cup of softened butter

1 egg yolk (from a large egg)

1 or 2 Tablespoons of cream

3/4 cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla or rose water or orange blossom wa

Related Pastries Press Releases

Francois Dionot, President of LAcademie de Cuisine Announces a New Professional Pastry Arts Program, Evening Session

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Gaithersburg, Maryland (PRWEB) September 14, 2011

Chef Francois Dionot, Founder and Director of LAcademie de Cuisine (LAC), one of the Top Ten culinary schools in the United States, is proud to announce that the school will add an evening professional pastry arts program. Washington has been steadily edging into the top ranks of dining destinations in the United States and LAcademie is responding to the rising demand for highly trained culinary and pastry talent, said Chef Dionot. The Evening Pastry Arts Program is specifically intended for those individuals who are passionate about making a career change and becoming a pastry chef, but must continue to work during the day. LACs Pastry Arts Program, Evening Session will begin on March 26, 2012. Classes will run three evenings during the week from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm and Saturday, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm for a total of 20 hours per week. The program includes lecture, demonstration and hands-on teaching techniques.

Classes are divided into three phases: Phase I (18 weeks) provides students with pastry fundamentals, building the theoretical foundation and technical skills necessary to become a successful pastry chef. Phase II (18 weeks) provides advanced kitchen training to enhance the students’ overall understanding of the professional kitchen and encourage the development of a realistic attitude toward work in the pastry industry. Phase I and II run for nine months (total) with a one week break in between. For Phase III, students work a paid externship in a fine dining restaurant, catering company, hotel or bakery. After successfully completing the course, students are ready to take on the challenges of a pastry career.

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Too Much Fructose a Hazard for Heart Health, From the Harvard Heart Letter

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Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 15, 2011

Fructose, also called fruit sugar, was once a minor part of the American diet. A century ago, the average person took in about 15 grams a day (roughly half an ounce), mostly from eating fruits and vegetables. Today, we get more than triple that amount, almost all of it from the refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup used to make breakfast cereals, pastries, soda and fruit drinks, and other sweet foods. Given the way the body breaks down fructose, that increase may be contributing to liver and heart disease, reports the September 2011 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.

Liver cells are the only cells in the body that metabolize fructose. Surprisingly, fat is a key byproduct of the breakdown of fructose. Give the liver enough fructose, and tiny fat droplets begin to accumulate in the organ. This buildup is called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. If it becomes severe enough, it can cause serious liver damage.

Cycling of fructose through the liver also elevates triglycerides in the bloodstream, increases harmful LDL (so-called bad) cholesterol, promotes the buildup of fat around organs (visceral fat), increases blood pressure, and causes other changes that are harmful to the arteries and heart. Two recent studies have linked higher intake of fructose with higher chances of developing or dying from heart disease.

Avoiding these problems doesn’t mean giving up fruit, which is good for you. Instead, it is another good reason for avoiding sugary drinks and foods with added refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.

Read the full-length article: Abundance of fructose not good for the liver, heart

Also in this issue:


    Peripheral artery disease often goes untreated
    What to do when blood pressure resists control
    Another possible benefit for olive oilstroke prevention
    How do I check my heart rate?

The Harvard Heart Letter is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $ 29 per year. Subscribe at http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).

Media: Contact Raquel Schott at Raquel_Schott(at)hms.harvard(dot)edu for a complimentary copy of the newsletter, or to receive our press releases directly.

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Benchmark Displays Introduces New Food Service Displays

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Palm Desert, CA (PRWEB) September 15, 2011

Benchmark Displays has added a new line of displays for the Food Service Industry. Restaurants, Delis, Bakeries and Food Service outlets are purchasing many of the new items available on-line at DisplaysDirect.net and TaymarPlasticDisplays.com.

One of the most exciting products is the LIDSAVER LID DISPENSER is a single lid dispenser. The LIDSAVER LID DISPENSER keeps beverage stations profitable by helping them stay neat, clean, and sanitary. It flush mounts to any counter and is available with counter-top cup dispensers. No mater the lid model and manufacture, the LIDSAVER requires no installation is available in sanitary, polystyrene construction as well as an optional stainless version.

The LIDSAVER LID DISPENSER is a clean new look for any food service outlet. It prevents excessive handling, exposure and contamination of lid inventory. No more stacked lids that may be exposed to the environment and bacteria. It dispenses one lid at a time and eliminates unnecessary cup lid waste. Customers do not have to fumble with loose stacks and multiple lids stuck together and the appropriate lid size and cup are together. The LIDSAVER LID DISPENSER provides one-hand, one-touch operation that is convenient for on-the-go self serve customers.

The LIDSAVER LID DISPENSER meets Federal Mandate #4-904.11 and is the only dispenser on the market that can guarantee single lid dispensing.

Food outlets and stores can draw attention to their bakery display with space saving, high-volume, high-tech merchandisers of the Euro Curve Bakery Cases line. Euro Curve Bakery Cases are constructed of heavy gauge acrylic are available in several sizes that feature both rear and/or front doors to simplify operation. Clear and black acrylic trays are available and with the attractive curve front case designs, pastry product visibility is vastly enhanced. Euro Curved Bakery Cases have been designed to easily fit on standard self serve food counters.

Additional restaurant items are: condiment and napkin holders, bakery cases, bagel bins, pastry trays and more. Visit TaymarPlasticDisplays.com, for a full listing and prices.

Benchmark Displays specializes in custom designed displays, entrapments, point of purchase displays and merchandisers for retailers as well as pharmaceuticals, the cosmetic and beauty industries, the automotive industry, hospitals, schools and agencies.

Benchmark is capitalizing on its worldwide manufacturing capabilities and resources to make and distribute affordably priced Lucite awards and virtually thousands of display designs for literature and retail products in a variety of materials, many of which are recycled for a greener world.

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Martins Famous Pastry Shoppe Uses Brivo to Control Access at Four Facilities

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Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) September 15, 2011

Brivo Systems LLC, leader in Software as a Service (SaaS) applications for security management, today announced that Martins Famous Pastry Shoppe, located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, is in the process of upgrading their access control management, employing the Brivo ACS Aparato solution. Global Systems Inc. is the integrator for this on-going project.

Martins Famous Pastry Shoppe, founded in 1957, is renowned for perfecting the potato roll. Today, the companys main plant in Chambersburg is a 223,500 square foot state-of-the-art bakery that produces a line of potato roll and bread products that are delivered up and down the east coast. In addition to potato rolls and bread products, Martins also produces potato chips, pretzels, and many other snack items.

Seeking to upgrade access control management, Martins staff evaluated a number of potential options and then saw a demonstration of the Brivo technology at an existing Brivo customer location. At the conclusion of their research, Karl Hansen, Network Systems Manager, and Jim Gehres, MIS technician and the project lead, decided on Brivo for their companys growing needs. The Brivo system manages access at the companys headquarters building in Chambersburg, manufacturing sites in Chambersburg and Valdosta, GA, and a snack manufacturing facility in Marion, PA. At this time, plans call for up to 50 doors, both external and internal, to be managed by the Brivo system.

All four facilities are managed from a single location. For Martins, one of the Brivo technologys key features is ease of use, but they were also impressed with the ease of installation. Paul Dominick, President of Global Systems, remarked, Martins is saving a substantial amount of money because they can do a lot of the installation work using their in-house staff. Other access control systems can be really complicated, but whenever Im involved in putting a Brivo system in, I dont hear about any problems.

We were impressed with Brivos ease of use, commented Hansen. We transferred system administration responsibility to our HR departmentit was a very smooth process and we dont have any issues with running the system. Gehres concurred, We didnt need any training, we took the system out of the box, we probably called Brivo Support twice, and after 15 minutes we were ready to go.

At this time, the Brivo system manages several hundred staff and one of the immediate benefits Gehres saw was that they no longer need to issue keys to their employees. Martins had been controlling access using a rather elaborate system of keys in which each key level offers access to certain buildings and specific doors. The next key level offers different, more expanded access and so on. With Brivo and individual access cards, no more keys. That means no more lost keys, no more re-keying, and providing or denying any employee access to different doors or even entire facilities is only a few keystrokes away. Our goal is eventually nobody will have any keys, said Gehres.

While HR is the main administrator for access management, Hansen and Gehres stay involved with the Brivo system through running reports to check which doors are being activated and when, tracking employee movement through the buildings, and investigating any incidents that arise. The Brivo system has met our expectations. Our buildings are much more secure now, said Gehres.

For more information on the Brivo Online Access Control System, contact Brivo tollfree at 1-866-692-7486, option 1 or email sales(at)brivo(dot)com. To view a demo, visit http://www.brivo.com/demo/.

About Brivo Systems

Brivo Systems, LLC is a SaaS-based security management systems provider for organizations that need to protect and remotely monitor buildings and perimeter entry points. When introduced in 2001, Brivos Web-hosted physical access control system was a unique solutionafter a decade of evolution and innovation, it still is. Brivos groundbreaking physical access control and video solutions empower organizations by giving administrators real-time device control, including immediate visibility of security events and video in local or remote facilitiesanytime, anywhere.

The companys innovative, secure, and open architecture-based products and services enable businesses to protect people and assets, comply with regulations, and improve business operational efficiency. These scalable systemswhether standalone or appliance-based or cloud-basedoffer a solution for every type of business. Brivos security management products are a market-proven fit for commercial office buildings, warehouses, retail stores, manufacturing plants, and sensitive areas, such as server rooms or R&D labs, where real-time control and accountability of entry are important.

With headquarters in Bethesda, MD, Brivo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Duchossois Group, a privately held holding company headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois, which also owns other industry leaders such as AMX, The Chamberlain Group, and Milestone AV Technologies.

Brivo is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Duchossois Group, a privately held holding company, headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois, which owns AMX, The Chamberlain Group and Milestone AV Technologies. Duchossois also holds strategic interests in Churchill Downs, Inc., and a number of other diversified businesses.

For media queries:                

Bruce J. Doneff                

Public Relations                

(201) 966-6583                 

bruce(dot)doneff(at)brivo(dot)com    

For Brivo Systems, please contact:

Rajeev Dubey            

Director, Product Management

301.664.5251

rajeev(dot)dubey(at)brivo(dot)com

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Related Pastries Press Releases

Orlando Food & Wine Weekends to Bring Culinary Focus to Waldorf Astoria Orlando — Luxury Resort Announces October Programming to Complement Epcot Food & Wine Festival

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Orlando, Florida (PRWEB) September 16, 2011

Culinary fans, wine enthusiasts, and foodies will find a delicious home base at Waldorf Astoria Orlando, as the new luxury resort hotel hosts Orlando Food & Wine Weekends, Sept. 30 Oct. 30, 2011.

For five weekends, the resort will feature special programming and events aimed to complement and fill the gaps around the wildly popular Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, held at the nearby Disney theme park.

For the past 15 years, Disney has done an amazing job of building their Food & Wine Festival at Epcot, said Peter Kacheris, managing director of Waldorf Astoria Orlando. As the festival has grown, so has the publics appetite for additional culinary-focused experiences. Weve created our Orlando Food & Wine Weekends to highlight our own culinary team while we complement the Epcot festival.

Orlando Food & Wine Weekends events will be held at Waldorf Astoria Orlando, which is conveniently located less than one mile from Epcot, and accessible inside the gates of the Walt Disney World Resort.

Event highlights include:


Grand Pairings Wine Dinners These exclusive events are scheduled Friday evenings at Bull & Bear restaurant. Diners will enjoy an extravagant prix-fixe meal paired with wines from select wineries. Wine representatives will be on hand to discuss these special pairings. 7pm, $ 200 per person (tax and gratuity included) Reservations: 407-597-5409.
Friday Sept. 30 – featuring Stags Leap Wine Cellars . Presenter will be Lori Barranon from St. Michelle Wine Estates.
Friday Oct. 7 – featuring Robert Mondavi Winery.
Presenter will be Teresa Romi from Constellation Winery.

Friday Oct. 14 – featuring Ferrari Carano Winery.
Presenter will be Jim Boswell of Ferrari Carano Winery.

Bull & Bear Prix-Fixe Chefs Tasting Menu Join us at Bull & Bear as Chef David Sears offers an extraordinary prix-fixe menu featuring superb food and wine pairings. Reservations: 407-597-5409.

Saturday Oct. 1 – featuring Stags Leap Wine Cellars
Saturday Oct. 8 – featuring Robert Mondavi Winery
Saturday Oct. 15 – featuring Ferrari Carano Winery
Saturday Oct. 22 – featuring Stags Leap Wine Cellars
Friday Oct. 28 – winery TBA
Saturday Oct. 29 – winery TBA

Trick or Treating for Adults An event destined for your Facebook photo gallery! Purchase a passport to enjoy a featured drink during your stay at each of six lounge venues: Bull & Bear lounge, Aquamarine pool bar, Peacock Alley lounge, Sir Harrys lounge, La Luce lounge, and Sena lounge. Talk about a treat and no costume is required! ($ 50 per couple)

Ashton Cigars Grand Pairings Wine & Cigar Dinner Featuring Ashton Cigars, Stags Leap Cellars wine, and Glenlivet Scotch. The third course will include bull and bear a briquette of aged striploin with truffle ashes, and pressed black bear braised in Syrah Jus. Lori Barranon will present on behalf of Stags Leap Cellars, and Liz Hannah from Glenlivet Scotch. Reservations: 407-597-5409.
Friday Oct. 21 6:30pm, $ 150 per person (tax and gratuity included)

Up Late at Sir Harrys A Food & Wine Culinary After-Glow — Why go to bed early? Were creating a fun experience for foodies to hang out AFTER the Epcot Food & Wine Festival is over for the evening, and were inviting the entire culinary community to join us! Sir Harrys Lounge becomes the place to be for culinary fans and foodies, as you sit back, relax and enjoy the live music and camaraderie. Also, guests can participate in sampling, and enjoy an assortment of gourmet small bites that showcase our culinary team. (Friday and Saturday nights 10pm until 1am)

Steak and Eggs Breakfast at Bull & Bear In the summer of 2010, we invited a group of food bloggers to indulge in a one-of-a-kind experience: a fine-dining Steak and Eggs Breakfast at Bull & Bear. The participants raved over this memorable meal as they tweeted mouth-watering photos to their fans. Almost immediately, our guests began to ask when we would be offering this opportunity again! So, for one month only, we bring back the spectacle that is known as Steak and Eggs Breakfast at Bull & Bear, featuring Certified Angus Beef Prime. (Sunday mornings in October, from 10:30am until 1pm. Prix-fixe price is $ 49 per person, and includes a drink from the Bloody Mary Station.) Reservations: 407-597-5409.

Waldorf Astoria Chocolate Shop Meet Waldorf Astorias pastry chefs in this special venue created especially for Food & Wine Weekends, as they share tricks and tidbits during sugar-sweetened demos. Friday and Saturday evenings (5-7pm).

Friday Night Flights Wine Tasting Experience, scheduled Friday evenings at Sir Harrys (6-10pm, $ 25 per person)

Friday Sept. 30 – featuring Stags Leap Wine Cellars
Friday Oct. 7 – featuring Robert Mondavi Winery
Friday Oct. 14 – featuring Ferrari Carano Winery
Friday Oct. 21 – featuring Stags Leap Wine Cellars
Friday Oct. 28 – winery TBA

Live Entertainment. After dinner on Friday and Saturday, enjoy the Jazz-infused Joseph Jevanni, appearing live at Peacock Alley, 8:30 11:30pm. Also, the modern lounge vibes of HarvesTown are featured live 10pm-1am in Sir Harry’s Lounge.

Astoria After Dark nightly childrens dining program at WA Kids Club, giving parents the opportunity to dine at our restaurants or attend our events.

A companion Orlando Food & Wine Weekends package includes:

Deluxe guest room

$ 25 gift card to use at the sampling booths in World Showcase, home to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (one per package and per family)

Complimentary scheduled transportation to Epcot® (and other Disney® theme parks)

2pm late check-out on Sunday afternoon

10 percent discount for the Grand Pairings Wine Dinners at Bull & Bear, excluding Ashton Cigar Dinner.

In addition, an opportunity to participate in special events and experiences**

For more information or reservations on this Waldorf Astoria Orlando weekend package, please visit http://www.waldorfastoriaorlando.com, or call 888-353-2009 and reference FDWNFS. For additional schedule updates, visit http://www.bonnetcreekblog.com.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando has put the destination on the map for luxury travelers. Nestled in a nature preserve and conveniently accessed from within the gates of Walt Disney World, the resort is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of neighboring theme parks. Cara Goldsbury, author of Luxury Guide to Disney World, calls it stunningly impressive. Swank and sophisticated, she continued, Waldorf Astoria has redefined local luxury in Orlando.     

The hotel is part of a unique resort complex that also features the top-rated Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria Golf Club. The championship golf course, artfully designed by Rees Jones, has been named one of the most playable courses in the crowded Florida market by two national golf magazines.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando infuses timeless Jazz Age-elegance from The Waldorf=Astoria in New York City, with the vibrant and modern ambiance of Florida. It features 498 guest rooms and suites with sweeping vistas of Walt Disney World and the Bonnet Creek nature preserve. The resorts 171 stunning suites have been called the best rooms in all of Central Florida.

Golf Channel travel writer Brandon Tucker called the resort an exclusive playground for the adult-minded traveler. It includes re-imagined versions of famed New York City restaurants include Bull & Bear, Peacock Alley, and Oscars. Bull & Bear, the hotels signature restaurant, was named Best Fine Dining by Orlando

Mamas Empanadas-SF Mobile Catering Opens in San Francisco

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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) September 19, 2011

Delicious oven-baked gourmet empanadas and Northern Italian cuisine and salads are served by Mamas Empanadas-SF, a mobile catering food truck and catering company serving the San Mateo and San Francisco areas.

Mama’s Empanadas-SF specializes in creating empanadas using fresh and healthy ingredients with a Mediterranean flair. Empanadas are fried or baked pastries stuffed with meats, cheese, vegetables or fruit, among other things. They originated in Spain and Portugal, but Spanish conquistadors spread the dish to Latin America and the Philippines.

Mamas Empanadas is proud to bring their signature oven-baked gourmet empanadas made with fresh, unique, and healthy ingredients with a Mediterranean flair to San Francisco. Savory choices include roasted chicken with red bell peppers, cumin, and pimento stuffed green olives or Niman Ranch Angus ground beef, tomatoes, pepperoncini, onions, garlic, and spicy seasoning blend. They also serve vegetarian empanadas filled with fresh veggies and spices like French-cut green beans, carrots, sweet peas, bell peppers, garlic, onions, and Parmesan cheese. Mamas also serves a soup of the day and an Italian item of the day.

Every Thursday, customers can find Mamas Empanadas-SF serving oven baked gourmet empanadas in San Francisco via Truck Stop, a food truck meet-up where different vendors get together for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Truck Stop gathers a rotating selection of the best food trucks in San Francisco. It is located on Mission Street between First and Fremont.

Mamas Empanadas-SF is also a regular at Off the Grid in downtown San Mateo, a food truck meet-up every Monday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. providing dinner service. Off the Grid is described as a mobile food extravaganza, which holds weekly markets at various locations throughout the Bay Area.

The first Friday of each month, Mamas Empanadas-SF takes part in Moveable Feast at the San Mateo Expo Center. Over 15 food trucks join in this event that includes music, art and other activities for families to enjoy. The previous Moveable Fest was on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2, at the Expo Center, 1364 Saratoga Drive.

For more information about Mamas Empanadas-SF or any of their food truck events, call 650-281-6431. You can visit http://www.truckstopsf.com for more information about Truck Stop and http://www.offthegridsf.com for Off the Grid in downtown San Mateo.

About Mamas Empanadas-SF

Mamas Empanadas-SF, a mobile food truck owned by Christina, operates throughout the Bay Area serving oven baked gourmet Chilean empanadas made with fresh, unique and healthy ingredients that have a Mediterranean flair, as well as salads and Italian dishes.

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San Francisco Northern Italian Restaurant FARINA Hosts One-of-a-Kind Sunday Brunch

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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) September 20, 2011

FARINA Focaccia & Cucina Italiana in San Francisco serves an exquisite and uniquely Ligurian Sunday brunch. From 11 am to 3 pm each Sunday, guests of the San Francisco Italian restaurant can enjoy unique egg plates and traditional Ligurian-style dishes prepared by Chef Laboa and his team. Guests who sit at the Chefs Counter can watch the chefs craft traditional Italian pastries, pizza and pastas.

Guests of FARINA really enjoy the Chefs Counter, where they can watch our chefs make pasta by hand, said Jessica Anaya, Guest Relations Manager at FARINA. The quality of our hand-made pasta and pesto is unrivaled in the Bay Area.

Inside the restaurant, guests of FARINAs Sunday brunch can take pleasure in the lively jazz music selected from musicians all over the world. Or they may enjoy the hustle and bustle of the street and spectacular views of the murals that blanket the nearby Womens Building in FARINAs outdoor dining area.

According to Anaya, FARINA draws a different crowd each week. The Mission district location is blessed with sunlight and a slightly warmer temperature the many other areas in the city, this unique micro-climate draws sun-seekers to enjoy brunch street-side. Many of FARINAs guests are neighbors, and so they often stop to have brunch on the way to Dolores Park. The San Francisco fine dining restaurant also hosts plenty of couples, groups of friends, and has a kid-friendly menu for children.

FARINAs special Sunday brunch gourmet Italian menu includes:

UOVA (eggs) $ 12 – $ 14

Frittatina di finferli e fiori di zucchine

Chanterelle mushrooms and zucchini blossom frittata served with roasted potatoes and fresh brioches

Uova strapazzate con pomodorini e broccolini

Egg white scramble with broccoli di Cicco and cherry tomato

Uova con pomodoro e salsiccia

Two eggs cooked in tomato sauce served with fresh brioches and roasted potato

ANTIPASTI (hors d’oeuvres) $ 10 – $ 16

Misticanza di campo con scaglie di parmigiano

Sweet and bitter green salad with taggiasche olives, shaved parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

Tagliere di salumi e formaggi misti

Selection of Italian cured meat and cheese

PIATTI CALDI (hot plates) $ 16 – $ 18

Melanzane alla parmigiana

Traditional eggplant parmigiana layered with tomato sauce, basil and Buffalo mozzarella

Zuppetta di mais, peperoni e gamberoni

White corn and red bell pepper soup with pan seared wild Santa Barbara spot prawns

Piatto freddo con insalatina estiva

Roasted veal, cooked pink and served cold with a salad of cherry tomatoes, basil and watercress

Mandilli di seta al pesto

Handmade handkerchief pasta with Genovese basil pesto (Paolos pesto won the gold medal during the Pesto World Championship)

Panino della Domenica con patate arrosto

Skirt steak warm panino with arugula, Blu del Moncenisio and balsamic vinaigrette with roasted potatoes

PIZZE (pizza) $ 14 – $ 16

Pizza margherita

Pizza with fresh tomato, buffalo mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and basil

Pizza Buon giorno

Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella Fior di latte, house cured pancetta, egg, Parmesan cheese and olive oil

Pizza diavola

Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella fior di latte, spicy Calabria salami and reggiano cheese

GELATI E PASTICCERIA (frozen desserts and pastries) $ 4 – $ 6

Affogato al caffe con crema

Vanilla ice cream with espresso

Fagottino al cioccolato e alla crema

Handmade chocolate and pastry cream croissant

Cornetti

Handmade cornetto filled with apricot jam

Gelati della casa

House made ice creams

Biscotti della casa

Hand crusted dry biscotti

SPECIALTY COCKTAILS

Bellini Estivo

Prosecco and white peach puree

Farina’s Mary

Tito’s vodka, cherry tomato, chili, basil and balsamic vinegar garnished with carrots and celery

For those who miss or want to forgo brunch, FARINA offers pizza all day on Sundays.

For reservations or more information about Sunday brunch, please call (415) 240-4824 or visit FARINA online at http://www.farina-foods.com or in person at 3560 18th Street at Valencia in San Francisco.

About FARINA

FARINA is a San Francisco Italian restaurant that specializes in traditional Northern Italian, Ligurian cuisine. Grounded in tradition, FARINA is the antithesis of faddish here-today-gone-tomorrow hip food. From the chic, yet functional design of the San Francisco Mission District restaurant to the homegrown recipes Chef Laboa learned at his grandmothers side to the infinite well of ideas that spring from its foundersFARINA is redefining Italian dining in San Francisco.

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