New Sonoma culinary tour takes you behind closed doors

April 3rd, 2013

by Janice Neider

Even though I’ve lived in the Bay Area for over ten years and thought I had experienced the best of Sonoma, I found out I was sorely mistaken after joining Access Trips for a one-day sample of their new five-day, Wine Country Culinary Tour.

Signing up with Access, guarantees you access to the areas area’s most accomplished chefs, biodynamic farmers, legendary winemakers, fascinating historians knowledgeable historians and local guide, artisanal cheese makers and chocolatiers.

MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa- a total delight
Our tour started at MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa, a just-off-the-beaten-track luxury hotel, rated as one of the “World’s Best” US hotels in Conde Nast Traveler’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards, which is your “home” for the next five days.

Originally a 19th century estate in the middle of a 300 acre vineyard and working ranch, MacArthur Place has been transformed into country-chic accommodations consisting of the historic main house and a handful of Victorian-style cottages, surrounded by spectacular flower and herb gardens, original flagstone paths, abundant fruit trees, whimsical sculptures (including a life-size chess set and chair swings made from repurposed ski lifts) and original flagstone paths leading to an inviting outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool.

Each of the 64 rooms and suites has its own individual “sense of place” featuring sumptuous feather beds, designer linens, cozy fireplace, comfy seating areas, eclectic paintings by local artists, a mini bar with refrigerator, premium coffee maker and a thoughtfully laid out bathroom with European walk-in showers and a fab assortment of their special grape seed bath amenities.

Note to self: next time plan on spending some quality time at the tempting Garden Spa, which offers dozens of “Farm to Massage Table” facial and body treatments utilizing the inn’s home-gown flowers and herbs. One of their signature treatments, named Red Red Wine – 100 blissful minutes of a Red Wine Grapeseed Bath, Grapeseed Body Polish, topped off with a Grapeseed Essential Oil Massage, was shouting my name.

Cooking with the all-stars at Harvest Moon Café
But no time for that now, because we’re off to a private cooking class, at the Harvest Moon Café, one of the hottest restos in town, where co-owner, Chef Jen Demerest and her trusty sous-chef, Shawn Henton, patiently spent the next three hours sharing their culinary expertise. Amazingly enough, our rather culinary -challenged group managed to produce a ridiculously good meal including a marinated beet salad with avocado relish, handmade ricotta raviolis (Shawn politely suggested that I might have added too much Parmesean cheese in my filling but to my way of thinking, a girl can never have too much Parm!) topped with a tangle of sautéed greens and an addictive nut pesto, followed by a Frangipane-Red Wine Poached Pear Tartlette for dessert.

Stuffed to the max, we were happy to work off some calories (at least one ravioli’s worth) on a fascinating cultural heritage walking tour led by a Sonoma historian and author, Arthur Dawson. When asked what Sonoma meant, he explained that there were several meanings but that in the native Wappo language, Sonoma means a “good place to live” and from all the smiling locals we encountered, I’d vote for that one.

Insider’s tour of Stone Edge Farm
It’s a vicious circle but after our walk we were thirsty again and more than ready for our visit to the shangrila-ish Stone Edge Farm, a private artisanal winery with organic vineyards, olive groves, and a holistic farm complete buzzing with honeybees, happy chickens and a one-acre heirloom veggie garden that supplies local restaurants. The striking landscape blends harmoniously with the dramatic tasting room (only open to their collectors) and other buildings including an observatory housing a 20-inch telescope.

The incredibly knowledgeable (and hunky) head gardener, Colby Eierman, walked us around the property, enthusiastically explaining the principles of sustainable farming, stopping to point out the baby asparagus stalks that were just poking out of the dirt, which would be delish simply roasted in a little Stone Edge Farm Manzanillo olive oil.

A waft of chocolate filled the air as we headed to the garage-turned-kitchen, where we found the Culinary Director of Stone Edge Farm, Chef John McReynolds, pulling out a sheet pan of chocolate cookies from the oven.
“Have one while they’re hot,” he encouraged. We didn’t need a second invitation.
John’s farm-fresh appetizers were waiting for us in the classy, minimalist tasting room. They paired perfectly with a couple of their organic, estate wines: a newly released 2008 Stone Edge Farm Cabernet Sauvignon, a complex Pepper Spice girl, loaded with berry flavor as well as the Farm’s first release, the 2006 Stone Edge Farm Cabernet Sauvignon (only 200 cases produced) a lushly layered wine with big tannins that should soften beautifully with age.

Sadly, our wonderful day came to an end. I was happily stuffed but not sated and will definitely be returning for the full five day itinerary.  For more information on this (and many other exotic learning vacation) visit Access Trips website.
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The National Dish of the Balkans: Ćevapčići

October 28th, 2012

Story courtesy of World on a Fork. Click here for A Recipe for Ćevapčići.

From the U.S. to Ljubljana to Triglav National Park in Slovenia, south on the wine route and into Croatia, east to Bosnia through Mostar to Sarajevo … this is the road-trip-by-car route that would steer us to Sarajevo’s best local restaurant for Ćevapčići – the life-altering dish of the Balkan region that we would continue to seek daily during a month-long adventure through Bosnia and Croatia. …The dish any of us at WOAF would dance on hot stones for to eat again and again in its pure form.

Simple Ćevapčići from Sarajevo’s Zeljo

What it is: meat, herbs and spices molded into link-sized sausages then grilled. Served with pureed red pepper, raw white onion, and chopped parsley on fluffy mnjami bread. There are of course variations of this, but this is its purest form.

Lovers of a cheap meal – take note! It cost less than ten euro for two people.

The Best Ćevapčići (or ‘Ćevapi’ for short) in Sarajevo

At Cevabdzinica Zeljo, there are no hosts, few outside tables, no smoking, no alcohol and just a spoonful of chatter. This is a place without pomp, without much circumstance, just where to come eat the best authentic “quick food.” Don’t be surprised if you share a table with locals sitting across from you, plainly watching you eat. We sat across from a young couple. They ate quickly and left. A Bosnian mother and her adult daughter took their place. We sat across and looked at them and they looked at us. It was the kind of place where there is just one or two items on the menu at different quantities. We couldn’t pronounce it, just pointed to the top item

Menu at Sarajevo’s Famous Ćevapčići House: Zeljo

(usually the spot reserved for the specialty dish of the house), and finished with a shot of liquid yogurt. There was a certain languidness of movement here – sort of like watching Baraka, or ordering a cheesesteak from Pat’s – “order fast, we’ll do the rest, food will come fast, don’t dawdle, and get the f&@* out. Next!”

Best meal of our lives.

We recanted this story with traveling friends from Slovenia as round two of Rattlers (pre-mixed beer and lime juice) came and storytelling commenced. “Best meal of our lives,” I said. “You really are Balkans!” Neja laughed, “that’s the best Ćevapi in Sarajevo!”

Ćevapi in Split, Croatia

Days later, we descended upon Kantun Paulina. Ćevapčići, Split style.

We sat at a table in an alley off of a side street on the outside of the city center. The bar was on the west corner, the restaurant on the east. We ordered beer and Ćevapi, respectively – two different vendors, one terrific meal. A man passed us holding a crate stacked with fluffly flatbread, a bun fell onto the street, and he picked it up and put it back into the crate. Mmm. Street dirt – delicious. This is what really goes on in restaurants worldwide, a cautionary tale and fact we must deal with and largely ignore if we want to eat the best food on earth. He wheeled the crate to the back door of the restaurant. A few minutes later came a woman out of a different door, a door blind to the eye. She carried a baking sheet platform cradling mounds of meat and wandered into the restaurant behind the man with the bread – this alley was not owned by pedestrians or motorists, but by purveyors of Ćevapčići. This restaurant in Split, a favorite of the locals, and now us.

Champagne Jazz Concert at Thornton Winery

September 9th, 2012

Kenny G and his band at Thornton Winery’s Champagne Jazz

By Norman E. Hill (Photos by Maralyn D. Hill)

“A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and…”  At Thornton Winery’s 24th Annual Champagne Jazz Series, John Thornton looked over the outdoor setting and said, “this will be the concert of your life.” He was right.

Two virtuoso smooth jazz performers were featured consecutively, Earl Kluge, a guitarist, and Kenny G on saxophone. With Kluge’s 75 minute set, a short break and Kenny G for nearly two hours – this concert at 3 ½ hours was definitely the longest and, arguably, the best concert I’ve ever attended.

Earl Kluge and Band at Thornton Winery

Kluge’s band is comprised of four members: Lee, Finney, Cox, and Nelson Rangell – expertly alternating between sax and drums. Ear-catching highlight? Rangell’s drawn out whistle and an extended drum solo.

Kenny G works the crowd

Kenny G and his ensemble made a noteworthy entrance – working his world-class magic from the back of the outdoor crowd – gradually, deliberately working his way up to the podium and his band members. He lived up to his reputation as a master showman during this audience walk. He would do this again later, this time up to the audience situated in the bleachers. Everyone had a closeup of legendary Kenny G in Temecula that day.

Thornton Winery’s acclaimed 2010 Barbera

Music fun-fact delivered on the event program: In 1997, Kenny G was entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone. Amazing! During one of his sets, one of his notes surely came close to that record in beautiful, long drawn out fashion.

Kenny’s band members have, in most cases, been with him for over 20 years. They were Robert Dempson on piano, John Raymond on guitar, Daniel Batterano on drums, Ron Powell on percussion, and newcomer Chris Golden on bass. Powell was masterful on percussion.

Right at the start, G announced that he would give away one of his saxes to a winning number.  The delighted winning couple came to the podium and stayed there to listen to one of the selections. He continued a love affair with the audience by saying he would stay awhile after the concert to autograph his CDs that were purchased by concert-goers.

The concert was deservedly sold out – what a memorable way to celebrate a California mid-summer evening.

There was more to music this evening – dinner from award winning Cafe Champagne included a starter of fig salad, an entrée of short ribs and roasted garlic potatoes, and dessert of chocolate trilogy and raspberry coulis. We were greeted with Thornton’s Méthode Champenoise champagne (their specialty!) and each course was paired with a selection from the vineyards. While we both always enjoy the champagne, Maralyn’s favorite on this night was Thornton’s standout 2010 Barbera.

For me, the food, wine, and world class performances of Kluge and Kenny G make this a concert one that will be forever remembered.
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