In the company of greatness -- yes, this post IS about food
My, oh my... what a way to spend a Sunday. Truly, in the company of greatness -- great people, great food, great wine, great everything. Even great weather, as luck would have it.
Yes, I'm speaking of the SF Food Bloggers Picnic, the first of what I hope will be a semi-regular gathering -- personally, I'm already thinking about hosting a holiday party (or perhaps a post-holiday-decompression party) for all my lovely peers. Any takers?
With four other fabulous bloggers (Dr. Biggles, Amy, Sam & Jen) and the Biggles' family's hospitality (and smoker), we rounded up a crew of some 40 guests. Each guest was charged with bringing something to share, while Biggles manned the smoker & grill.
From an informal tasting of bacon (Biggles will fill in the blanks, I'm sure)...
to an Absinthe demonstration...
and a gaggle of homemade andouille (courtesy of Haddock)...
...this was a day I will surely remember for many moons.
Five Pints (whose name I've seen but whose blog I had never visited) made a Kabocha dish with squash about as local as it comes -- from his very own garden.
Sam, of course, in keeping with her Eat Local challenge, oven-roasted some delish Early Girl tomatoes and paired them with purslane and sorrel. Her gougeres were equally delicious, and not too salty in the least.
Biggles, of course, graced us with only the very best from the smoker and grill -- Heritage Farms beef, Fatted Calf Porchetta (which, ohmigod, let me tell you is the best pork roast in the world), smoked free range chickens... Well, here, take a look for yourself at the fruits of his labor:
Of course, I haven't said a WORD about the desserts. Shuna made two gorgeous pies with the best. crust. ever. Both loaded with plums and berries, and fragrant with rose geranium. Kim G, who contributes to Bay Area Bites, brought a galette of rhubarb. The Bunrabs (charming couple!) contributed heavenly chocolate macarons, which were my utter downfall -- I ate far, far more than my fair share of those.
Fortunately, Steve from Blue Bottle Coffee was on-hand to brew perfect cups of joe to help aid in the digestion of all these gustatory pleasures.
I finally got to meet some of the bloggers whose work I enjoy so much, including Elise (who so generously shared her apple butter with each of the co-hosts), Joy (and Jon, who shared tales of the Googleteria), Catherine and Mr. Food Musings (who, I'm sure gets told daily that he looks like Vincent D'onofrio) and CookieCrumb and her other half.
There are SO many other people whom I haven't mentioned. Please forgive me. I utterly enjoyed all of your company, and could never do yesterday proper justice. It's the kind of day that you can't properly explain to anyone, except to say, simply, that is was PERFECT.
Tomorrow, I shall post the Kashk-e Bademjaan recipe that several of you asked for, and which was my contribution to the picnic.
Duuuuuude! I can't believe you made Kashk-e Bademjaan and I missed it! I'm so incredibly sad now.
Posted by: Stephanie | August 15, 2005 at 12:34 PM
Thank you so much for posting this, I didn't take many shots and it's good to see everything went so damned well. WE ROCK !!!
Posted by: Dr. Biggles | August 15, 2005 at 12:42 PM
we do! Especially Biggles.
I wonder which of us ate the most of those macarons.
It was just to easy to simply pop one in the mouth everytime I passed the dessert table
Posted by: sam | August 15, 2005 at 02:18 PM
Stef - don't be sad. We'll do a persian cooking party when you get back!
Biggles - YOU rock, dude! I can't believe you did so much cooking that your hand is bugging you today. I'm sorry... C was really excited to use the camera -- he just picked it up last week, and has really been looking for worthy subject matter!
Sam - I agree, they were too delish, and to easy to make disappear. God, they were good.
Posted by: Fatemeh | August 15, 2005 at 02:41 PM
*sigh* Okay, if you insist...can we hit some Persian markets as well?
Posted by: Stephanie | August 15, 2005 at 03:46 PM
Didn't like my satays huh? And this after I got my nails so yellow from skewing all that pork satay on sticks I needed an emergency manicure today.
Ok I'm going ot sulk now.
:-(
Posted by: Pim | August 15, 2005 at 04:10 PM
Pimmette - Oh, shushie... yes, I LOVED your "Chicken" satay! But I was SOOOO full (yes, yes, I KNOW you got lost -- damn us for dragging you to the - gasp - EAST BAY!), I only managed 1 and a half.
I must say, I ADORED the cucumber un-salad. I could have eaten a whole bowlful. And, erm, no one told me you were giving away take-away!
Stef - Of course we can! Where else would we get all the goods to cook with??
BTW - my favorite market in Albany is closing. I'm absolutely devastated.
Posted by: Fatemeh | August 15, 2005 at 04:19 PM
IT'S NOT A SALAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(repeat)
Posted by: five pints | August 15, 2005 at 05:36 PM
Persian cooking party? Can I be the dog-sitter for that one? maybe dry some dishes?
I very much like the layout of this post. I was too overwhelmed to do anything but eat and socialize. We are a great bunch. I'm glad to be a newbie and still part of the action.
Posted by: shuna fish lydon | August 15, 2005 at 06:14 PM
You all are making me hungry again...:)
Posted by: Joy | August 15, 2005 at 10:29 PM
Pim - your satay was extraordinary, really really good.
Fatemeh - thank you so much for helping to organize the day! It was a lot of fun.
Posted by: Elise | August 16, 2005 at 12:27 AM
Which market in Albany is closing?
Posted by: Dr. Biggles | August 16, 2005 at 02:55 PM
I'm soooo jealous of you guys. I'm enjoying the eats in Vancouver, but I sure wish I was home on Sunday! Next year.
Posted by: Arthur | August 16, 2005 at 04:41 PM
Five Pints, that's one of those things "you just had to be there" for... it was hysterically funny.
Joy, I don't think I'll be truly hungry for DAYS.
Elise, thank YOU for the apple butter. It's found it's way to my office. Is it bad that I won't share with C??
Arthur, next year indeed!!!
Posted by: Fatemeh | August 16, 2005 at 11:26 PM
Biggles... My beloved Nick Market on Solano is closing. I'm so, so sad.
But, the family just decided they'd had enough, and really needed to take a break. I hear they've sold it to another family who will be turning it into a grocery, but not a Persian one.
Sooooo sad.
Posted by: Fatemeh | August 16, 2005 at 11:28 PM
Wow, what a feast!
Posted by: Alaina | August 17, 2005 at 10:22 AM
Actually, no one has EVER said Mr. FM resembles d'Onofrio. But I can see it. So lovely to meet you!
Posted by: Catherine | August 17, 2005 at 11:09 AM
Yes Arthur, I was indeed there. That's why I was making the joke.
Pim sure was cute walking in circles like a wind-up godzilla toy shreiking "It's not a salad!! It's a condiment!"
Not wanting to offend her, I didn't heap it on my plate like a bunch of people did (although I was seriously tempted to exclaim loudly "Has everyone tried the Thai salad?")
The satay were very good. Especially with the salad.
Posted by: five pints | August 17, 2005 at 12:39 PM
Shuna-belle... I too was extremely overwhelmed. So I just let the pictures do the talking, I suppose!
Alaina, we really did miss you. Next time, I really hope you are in town and able to make it!
Catherine, I just don't believe you!
Posted by: Fatemeh | August 17, 2005 at 12:41 PM
Five Pints, you are very, very funny. Come back and comment often, won't you, please??
Posted by: Fatemeh | August 17, 2005 at 12:44 PM
And you're good-lookin'.
Posted by: five pints | August 17, 2005 at 04:42 PM
Hi Sugar,
I am new to the city and looking for a down home place to buy my persian spices. Any suggestions?
Posted by: krissy | November 28, 2007 at 10:14 PM