Foie Gras & Flannel

I don’t like to brag¹, but I really do have an awesome job. Thursday night I was working late, and I received a text from Chris (sommelier and co-owner of Trelio):

You want to be a professional wine judge tomorrow…had a judge drop off…

I received the same invitation last year (also the night before, I believe), so I couldn’t decline again.

Now, I’d label myself more of a wine enthusiast, but Chris knows my palette. I showed up at 8:00 a.m. to start tasting, and was placed on the expert panel—there were six panels, two each in three categories: Expert, Millennial and Hispanic.

By 2:00 p.m., we had each judged over 60 wines. Sure, we took a lunch break, but I think I coined a new term: wine fatigue. My taste buds still hurt.

Still, not a bad way to spend a Friday! (Also, the comments were quite positive about that box.) Results will be published by the competition host, San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association.

¹ Okay, I really do like to brag.

I spent Friday in San Francisco for a research field trip. (What I was researching will, hopefully, be revealed soon!)

First stop: Foodspotting, where I met Matt from San Franola Granola. Here he is with Fiona (head of outreach for Foodspotting).

Next, I walked around South Park with fellow Eat Retreaters Kimberley and Emily. No surprise, we talked about food.

For first lunch, Ryan met me in the Financial District.

We walked around taking photos of strangers.

For second lunch, Ryan and I tracked down Mona.

She introduced me to the oyster po’ boy at Queen’s Louisiana, served with hushpuppies and sweet cream butter.

I didn’t want to leave, but at least the drive home was pretty.

Have I mentioned how much I love the city?

One of my earliest memories of childhood in northwest Louisiana is of picking honeysuckle blossoms, in front of our home in a lakeside community of about 800 people.

Paired with that memory is a lesson in treating bee stings with chewing tobacco, but the reward always seemed worth the risk. In fact, at one time I was going to collect the nectar in mason jars and sell them to my neighbors; consider that my first entrepreneurial failing.

Anyway, it’s been years since I’ve recognized that fragrance, but as I rode through the countryside this evening, just outside of city limits, it tickled my nose. It was incredible.

It’s not often that I’m taken back to search early memories—in fact, it’s quite rare. So I’m curious: What scents or flavors take you back?

When I was in high school, I remember going on summer retreats with the church youth group; after climbing to an emotional high, we’d return home with energy and excitement. Eat Retreat reminded me of those youth retreats, only without Jesus and with much better food. Also, several bottles of really good whiskey (we didn’t drink the good stuff back then.)

Beyond that “feeling,” I’m still not sure how to adequately put last weekend’s experience in writing, so I’ll start with the photos. There are a lot of them, but even with what’s here I can think of many moments I missed. What an amazing time!

Sincere thanks to Laura, Kathryn and Emily for pulling so many incredible people together.

Shortcuts:

• The night before
• The road to Eat Retreat
• People and Activities
• Just Eats
• The Scenery

The Night Before

Berries, fresh cheese, a little wine, and the best ice cream sandwiches I’ve ever tasted helped to break the ice. We practiced taking pictures of other people eating.

The Road to Eat Retreat

We hit up the local bakery, then headed north, stopping only for the necessities. Like heirloom seeds in Petaluma, and flash-fried brussel sprouts, grass-fed beef and a bottle of rosé in Guerneville.

People and Activities

We cooked together, learned new recipes and techniques, and then we ate. And ate. And took more pictures of others eating.

Just Eats

Let’s just say we never went hungry.

The Scenery

Go ahead, be jealous.

Monday night was Fresno’s 10th installment of Pecha Kucha Night (“pecha kucha” Japanese for “chit chat”). If you’re not familiar with the concept, presenters are given 20 slides – and 20 seconds per slide – to talk about whatever they want. In the context of a theme, that is. Monday’s was Tasteful/Tasteless

My interpretation was more along the lines of tast-y. It’s embedded below, but before you watch that, check out these other food-related presentations from the event:

Dusty & Kristin from Dusty Buns Bistro

Mmm…now I want their grilled cheese…

Flannery & Katherine from Fashionably Bombed

High energy; high fashion. It’s hard not to smile around the f-bombed girls.

Rebecca Plevin from Vida en el Valle

Reminding us that many of our neighbors don’t enjoy the same luxuries. Thanks for the perspective, Rebecca!

Me

Talking about two of my favorite things: food and flannel. Specifically, my “food journey.”