What is the WorldBeat Cultural Center?

Slow Food Urban San Diego is excited to host this year’s Good Food Community Fair at the WorldBeat Cultural Center in Balboa Park. The Good Food Community Fair is our largest annual gathering of food activists, producers and purveyors. This year we’re integrating the theme of ‘The True Cost and Value of Food’ into the day’s activities. We hope to bring awareness to the parts of the food system people don’t see, good and bad, and to focus on food justice concerns. With this in mind we couldn’t think of a better place to host than the WorldBeat Cultural Center (WBC).

The WorldBeat Center is a non-profit multi-cultural arts organization committed to “healing the world through music, art, dance, education and sustainability” housed in a repurposed 1-million gallon water tower. They provide programs and services that nurture the spirit of children, elderly and everyone in between. Ultimately, they seek to heal the world by creating unity through diversity. Its doors are open every day to all people, regardless of color or creed, as a place to celebrate all cultures, art, music, dance, and people.

THE EDUCATION GARDEN

One of the many beautiful assets of this venue is the Children’s Peace Garden. This native garden is a favorite location for school garden projects, nutritional education programs, summer camps, field trips, and partnerships with local organizations dedicated to food security. Through this garden, the WBC  raises awareness around sustainability, urban wildlife, conservation, and urban gardening teaching inner city children and adults about recycling, composting, gardening and bird watching.

The WBC utilizes this space to educate the public about the role of plants in society today along with the relationship of plants in the local and global indigenous cultures of the past. In 2015, in coalition with the local Kumeyaay, the World Beat Center embarked on a multi-level terraced garden of endemic and indigenous plants and vegetables that are part of the Kumeyaay lasting traditions.

THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING

Not only is the building constructed of a repurposed water tower it’s sustainably run with LEED Certification, solar lighting fixtures, recycling and composting programs & handi-capable bathroom facilities.

With the inside walls covered in murals by local artists brightly commemorating important leaders and historical cultures, there are multiple galleries and small shops within the building where healthy local foods are served, locally-sourced goods are sold, and a gallery of art and artifacts is displayed. Flags of all nations fly from the ceiling while the stage and dancefloor have hosted hundreds of famous and upcoming acts, artists, and events to the delight of tens of thousands of fans and attendees.

Known throughout California and Mexico for its exterior murals celebrating Egyptian, African, and Indigenous Cultures, the WorldBeat Center is leading as one of the most-important multicultural art and event centers in San Diego and we are proud to collaborate with the WBC and host the 2017 Good Food Community Fair in their space. We look forward to seeing you there!

Learn More about the Fair Here:  www.goodfoodfair.com

And get your tickets here (Only a $5 Suggested Donation!) 

Sincerely,

Michelle PolinerGood Food Community Fair Chair

Special Thanks to the WorldBeat Center Website and Facebook page for the photos used in this post. 

Vinavanti Urban Winery Brings Locally Sourced, Craft Wine to San Diego

In a San Diego market overflowing with craft breweries, craft wine could be considered the black sheep (or bottle) of the bunch. Until you try it, that is. Then you just might become a dedicated convert like we are at Slow Food Urban San Diego.

What is craft wine anyway?

According to Eric Van Drunen, winemaker and owner of Vinavanti Urban Winery, “Craft wine is the punk music of the wine world.”

Most makers today have their wines down to a science, adding yeast, sulfites and other flavors to fit a specific “classical” or “pop” flavor profile. Van Drunen, however, takes a truly minimalist approach to winemaking where he adds nothing more than San Diego County grown grapes (they have a great map in the tasting room that shows all the local farms they source from!) and lets nature do its thing. Unique and surprising wines with subtle flavors representative of the grapes and farms where they are grown are the result.

Van Drunen’s Vinavanti label and tasting room evolved out of many hours drinking wine and eating good food with friends. He started buying and blending wines in 2007 to develop flavors that paired well with food and that he could sell at an accessible price. In 2010 he made his own wine for the first time using conventional methods. It turned out so-so. Bored of the limited flavor profiles of traditional wines, in 2011 he made his first natural wine and hasn't looked back. From there, he continued to refine his process, focusing on doing as little as possible (or nothing at all) beyond sourcing local, organically grown grapes and letting nature and wild yeast do the work in the fermentation process. He bottles his wines unfiltered, highlighting the terroir through distinct colors, textures, and tastes.

Now, five years later, Vinavanti has more than 11 wines on their always evolving tasting menu, ranging from a sparkling Ladona Muscat grown in Pauma Valley that tastes something like a cross between a sour beer and kombucha to their most popular GSM, a rich and smoky blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grown in Temecula Valley.

So what can you expect when stopping by the only certified organic winery in San Diego?

“We aim to create an environment where you can enjoy a unique tasting experience in an inviting space,” say Van Drunen.

Van Drunen himself is often pouring glasses at the bar and loves to chat about natural winemaking, his background in physics and many topics in between. Community tables make for great social gathering spaces, and romantic two-tops are perfect for quieter date nights. 

Vinavanti is located at 1477 University Ave in Hillcrest, and as Slow Food Urban San Diego’s newest Member Benefits Partner, they offer a 10% discount on wines to card-carrying Slow Food members. Be sure to check them out for weekly specials and events including cellar tours (they ferment most of their wines right in the urban winery) and movie nights, and ask them about their membership program and wines on tap.

5 Slow Things to Do in San Diego on Black Friday Instead of Shopping

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By Slow Food Urban San Diego Board Member, Kathryn Rogers

In sunny San Diego, with our near-perfect year round weather that is the envy of northern dwellers across the country, one of the strongest indicators (besides those 4:30 sunsets) of the long-anticipated holiday season is a whole lot of marketing. We get e-blasts, mailers and point-of-purchase reminders galore that the best way to celebrate this holiday season is by buying as much as possible.

Long gone are the days when retail employees spent the Thanksgiving holiday at home with their loved ones. Now we can jump on those holiday deals while we’re still in the first clutches of a Thanksgiving feast food coma. We’ve traded retail therapy for good, old-fashioned family time.

This Thanksgiving, Slow Food Urban San Diego invites you to reclaim your dining table with gratitude for the bounty of food and the people who produced it, with a heritage turkey and locally sourced, seasonal side dishes. You can enjoy slow living the whole weekend and throughout the season, perhaps by opting for these five local activities in lieu of the mad crowded rush that is Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

1. Visit a Farmers’ Market. Whether you intend to purchase produce and homemade goods or just want a great reason to taste seasonal fruits and veggies and chat with local farmers, a day at the farmers’ market is sure to be a hit with the whole family. Many markets also have a wide selection of prepared foods (in case you’re still hungry) and some even have live music.

2. Get Outside. The County of San Diego manages more than 120 parks and preserves throughout the region with locations ranging from the beach to the valleys, the mountains to the desert. Not to mention all our local parks and open coastline. These trails, scenic vistas, playgrounds, and lakes are perfect for hiking, cycling, strolling, or horseback riding. Being active is a great way to avoid the crowds and burn off some of those extra calories.

3. Make Homemade Gifts. Nothing says “I love you” more than a gift crafted from the heart. Whether its beeswax candles, a hand knitted hat or your famous holiday cookies, you can “wow” your loved ones while saving time and money by making presents in batches. Stock up on your supplies and ingredients in advance so you can spend all of Black Friday cozy at home, crafting away. Any little ones in your house will surely enjoy lending helping hands as well.

4. Enjoy Arts and Culture. This Friday, Balboa Park has scheduled more than 20 exhibitions, 15 film screenings, botanical garden tours and family activities including holiday puppet shows, many of which are free and open to the public. Hop on your local bus line or bike path to make it a completely green day while avoiding parking woes. Then enjoy the natural and historical beauty in the company of your dear ones.

5. Share your Abundance. As you are feeling extra grateful for all the good in your life, take time to give back to your community. Local organizations offer a number of volunteer opportunities for individuals and families, including preparing and serving meals to people experiencing food insecurity. Wild Willow Farm and Shakti Rising are also hosting a Give 5 Black Friday Challenge where you can volunteer your time or make a donation in support of sustainable farm education programs.

If the buying bug is still tugging on your purse straps or wallet folds, shop local whenever possible. This puts money back in our local economy, and you’re likely to discover more unique gifts compared to online or in big box stores. Check out Edible San Diego’s Holiday Guide for tasty local gift ideas, stroll shops on Adams Avenue during Small Business Saturday (November 28) while enjoying festive libations, or head over to South Park on December 5 for the Holiday Happenings Walkabout.

Wishing you and yours a slow start to the holiday season!

More than Honey and Sweet Sips Networking

Honey tasting.

Big thanks to everyone who came out for our Sweet Sips networking event in July at Local Habit. Mead tastings by Golden Coast Mead, honey tastings offered by Wild Willow Farms and local beekeepers from the San Diego Beekeepers Society and special honey-based dishes by Chef Jimmy. A sweet time, indeed.

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And thanks to all who joined us for the re-screening of the More than Honey documentary. This is an amazing, intriguing, beautiful and quirky film. Please see it if you haven't already.

For those of you interested in learning more about bees and what you can do locally, here are a few great local resources:

San Diego Beekeeping Society holds classes and meetups to encourage responsible beekeeping. Lots of expert members there. You can find a list of beekeepers on their website who perform live bee removals and other bee resources in the county.

Wild Willow Farm is a non-profit organization offering beekeeping classes (also farming classes). The instructor is very knowledgeable about bee issues locally and globally and can tell you about hosting a hive on your property.

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Girl Next Door Honey offers beekeeping classes and workshops, one-on-one consulting, a host-a-hive program and performs live bee removals.

If you need to remove bees from your property, please consider live removal by one of these folks or those listed on the Beekeeping Society website. Bees are important to our food supply and need a helping hand. Stay tuned for future bee-related events.

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Join the SFUSD Board of Directors

Slow Food Urban San Diego is soliciting applications for our Board of Directors. If you are interested in joining our Board, please email a brief bio and letter of interest indicating the position in which you are interested in to info@slowfoodurbansandiego.org by October 15th. In-person interviews will be scheduled in late October. Join us in supporting good, clean & fair food in our community. Positions up for election are described below.

Members of the Board serve up to two two-year terms in any one position, and newly elected Board Members will serve during 2016-17, beginning in January 2016. To be eligible, you must have or obtain a Slow Food membership. 

Education Committee Chair The Education Committee provides the San Diego community with education and enrichment opportunities and supports campus and school chapters. The Committee supports existing programs, including the School Garden program, Edible for San Diego Kids, Farm-to-School, as well as educational programming for families and adults. The Chair oversees the Education Committee, which meets monthly, striving to engage and include Slow Food Urban San Diego’s membership as much as possible.

Farm Liaison / Ark of Taste Liaison The Farm Liaison works to link Slow Food Urban San Diego with the local farming community and recommends strategies for the Chapter to advocate for and support farmers. The Farm Liaison sits on the Slow Food California Ark of Taste Committee (~2 conference calls a month and review of applications to the Ark) and to support Ark of Taste Programming and recognition in San Diego. The Farm Liaison may form a committee.

Membership Coordinator The Membership Coordinator oversees all things membership. S/he maintains and updates the Chapter’s membership list and leads in recruiting and retaining members; reports membership status at each board meeting; organizes membership drives and leads in planning Slow Food Urban San Diego’s “Slow Sips” events. The Membership Coordinator also maintains relationships with our Member Benefit Partners and continues to build the Member Benefit Program. The Membership Coordinator may develop and coordinate additional programs to build the Chapter membership and may form a committee.

Outreach / Food Justice Committee Chair The Outreach / Food Justice Committee spreads the word about Slow Food and collaborates with relevant community partners to promote sustainable food production and urban farming. The Committee represents SFUSD at community events and coordinates with the Membership Chair to develop and coordinate programs to build Chapter membership. The Committee also liaises with the Slow Food University Chapters, the SD Food Systems Alliance, and the Slow Food California Policy Committee, which meets monthly via conference call. The Chair oversees this committee and identifies community events and partnerships that best support the SFUSD mission and programs.

The Fund Development Chair The Fund Development Chair creates, maintains and updates an inventory of resources of potential donors and sponsors; develops and implements a fund-raising campaign to be supported by the Board. The Fund Development Chair may form a committee.

Secretary The Secretary records minutes during monthly Board Meetings, administers annual elections and coordinates a schedule of interviews for Board positions.

Treasurer The Treasurer maintains the books for the organization, handles expense reimbursements, accounts payable, and annual filings. The treasurer is responsible for leading the budgeting process and providing financial guidance to the Board, as well as presenting a Treasurer’s report at monthly board meetings. A working knowledge of Quickbooks is desired but training by the outgoing treasurer will be provided if necessary.

Vice Chair/Chair-elect The Vice Chair works with the current Board Chair to administrate the Slow Food Urban San Diego Board of Directors and maintain chapter standing. Candidates must have served on the Slow Food Urban San Diego Board for a minimum of one year and agree to assume the Board Chair position in 2017 for at least a one-year term.

Communications Committee Chair The Communications Committee facilitates Chapter communications through website maintenance, newsletters, social media and networking and ensures consistency of communications to members, media and the community. The Committee oversees marketing and getting the word out regarding Chapter activities. The Communications Chair oversees the committee and supports the Chapter Co-Leaders in tracking Slow Food California, Slow Food USA and Slow Food International activities of interest and in sharing SFUSD activities with other Slow Food entities. Strong writing, editing and communications skills required.

Sincerely, Slow Food Urban San Diego Board of Directors

2015 Good Food Community Fair

SLOW FOOD URBAN SAN DIEGO'S THIRD ANNUAL

GOOD FOOD COMMUNITY FAIR

WATER WISE SAN DIEGO

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2015

11AM - 3PM

@ QUARTYARD IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO.

Go to GoodFoodFair.com for more information!

A celebration of artisanal food and craft drinks, cooking demos, art and music, discussion panels with local farmers, chefs, food producers and breweries, and more!

Join us downtown at the Quartyard to mix and mingle with San Diegans working towards a sustainable & delicious San Diego. Special programming and events will cover good, clean and fair food in a time of drought. Entrance is free.

It'll be a delicious time! Go to GoodFoodFair.com for more information!

Interested in Participating?  Would your organization like to host a complimentary booth at the fair? Please fill out this form by September 4th.

Questions? Please contact us at membership@slowfoodurbansandiego.org.

Making Mead and Better Food Systems for Us All - An Interview with Golden Coast Mead CEO, Frank Golbeck

A few years ago, Frank Golbeck came home from his eighth 16-hour workday in a row and collapsed from exhaustion on his living room floor. His wife, Theresa, came up to him and said; “Frank, you’re not happy. Look at you, just lying on the floor there miserable after work. If you had all the time, money and energy in the world, what would you do?”

Golbeck had never stopped to ask himself if he enjoyed what he was doing with his life. Prompted by his wife’s question, his mind drifted back to his early years growing up in Orange County. He often visited his grandfather’s apple farm in San Bernardino and has fond memories of watching him share his honey wine (mead), hard cider and fruit wine with customers.

During his college years studying economic development at UC Berkeley, Golbeck and some friends worked at the student organic garden and made mead to share with their friends. Those were some of his favorite moments – breaking open a bottle of home-brewed mead to kick off a dance-until-the-sunrise kind of night.

Inspired by his wife’s encouragement and the joy of recollecting such happy times in his life, Golbeck called up his college friend and fellow mead maker, Joe Colangelo (now Golden Coast Mead Director of Sales and Marketing). They brainstormed about how to turn their love of mead into a viable business plan. Quickly recognizing a need for someone to manage their finances, they reached out to Praveen Ramineni (now Golden Coast Mead CFO), and working together, developed the concept for Golden Coast Mead (of which Golbeck is now CEO).

In 2010, after sending inquiries to more than 50 local breweries and wineries, the Broomell family (of Triple B Ranches and Vesper Vineyards) was the only respondent willing to share their capacity and expertise. With Triple B’s support, the Golden Coast Mead team sold their first batch of mead in 2011.

Today, almost five years later, Golden Coast Mead is fermenting mead in their own fully licensed facility with 4,370 gallons of fermentation capacity, and they distribute their ferments to nearly 100 accounts throughout San Diego County. They also serve select locations in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey.

So what makes Golden Coast Mead special?

Golbeck calls their process and product “magic.”

“We are capturing sunshine and turning it into something you can pour for your friends and drink together,” gushes Golbeck. “Modern mead-making is a journey of discovery and craftsmanship.  Using a combination of innovation, science and educated guesswork, we unlock layers and styles of mead that no one has ever tasted.  There is a whole spectrum of mead for us to create that runs wider and deeper than that of beer and wine, and we are proud to do it in a natural, refreshing, and balanced way with no sulfites, filtration, or forced carbonation.”

Golden Coast Mead’s signature San Diego-style mead is a result of this commitment to innovation.

“By adjusting ingredient ratios, we are able to change the body and flavor profile to make it really well suited to our San Diego climate,” says Golbeck. “By using ale yeast and less honey, we are making meads that are crisp and light instead of thick and syrupy.”

An all natural product? Check. Unique flavor profiles? Check. But what about the impact Golden Coast Mead is having on the bigger ecological system in the San Diego region and beyond?

“The bees enable and inspire this whole thing,” says Golbeck. “With colony collapse disorder, we have an opportunity to right an imbalance caused by monoculture, which is harmful to bees’ fragile immune systems. We are trying to promote organic agriculture business models by helping to build the market for local, organic honey on a large scale.”

So what’s the takeaway?

Golbeck hopes Golden Coast Mead will inspire people to do what they love and share it. In turn, perhaps this will create more sustainable food systems for us all.

You can taste Golden Coast Mead’s latest brews at their tasting rooms in Oceanside and Julian, look for them at a local beer and wine store near you, or try their mead at Slow Food Urban San Diego’s “Sweet Sips” Networking Event and Screening of “More than Honey” on July 23.

Photo credits @Taylor Abeel of www.sojournimagery.com

Who are we?

On the cusp of the transition to 2013, you may be asking yourself a boatload of questions pertaining to your job, your family, your hobbies. How am I making a difference? Is my job meaningful to me? How can I improve my family life in this coming year? Is crocheting for me? The answers to those reflections buzzing around in your head can probably be summarized in a few words: love, happiness, community, health, etc. Those simple words can mean a lot of things, but constructing the connotations behind the widely understood definitions can bring you closer to others you discover feel the same way.

Organizations need to define what is important to them too. Slow Food has a few words that have brought us all together and I think the beginning of a new year is a good time to revisit our purpose. How will Good, Clean, and Fair influence your life choices in 2013?

Good:

The word good can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For Slow Food, the idea of good means enjoying delicious food created with care from healthy plants and animals. The pleasures of good food can also help to build community and celebrate culture and regional diversity.

Clean:

When we talk about clean food, we are talking about nutritious food that is as good for the planet as it is for our bodies. It is grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems and promotes biodiversity.

Fair:

We believe that food is a universal right. Food that is fair should be accessible to all, regardless of income, and produced by people who are treated with dignity and justly compensated for their labor.

TAKE THE $5 CHALLENGE WITH SFUSD ON SEPT. 17TH!

Slow Food vs. Fast Food?

-As Part of Slow Food USA's Campaign to Take Back the 'Value Meal',

Slow Food Urban San Diego Hosts September 17^th Event at Little Italy's Amici Park

As part of Slow Food USA's The $5 Challenge campaign to take back the 'value meal', Slow Food Urban San Diego is proud to announce that it will be hosting 'Together We Can Take Back the Value Meal' on Sept. 17, 2011 from 9:00a.m. - 1:30p.m.  The event will be open to the public and will be held at Amici Park, located at Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101.  Slow Food Urban San Diego is an all volunteer, local chapter of Slow Food USA, a national non-profit working for good, clean and fair food for all.

In response to a lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables, people eating more fast food than home-cooked meals and increasing rates of diet-related disease, Slow Food USA's recently launched campaign is encouraging people across the country to cook slow food that costs no more than five dollars per person, the cost of a typical fast food 'value meal'.  Attendees of Slow Food Urban San Diego's event will take a pledge to do the same.  Supported by SD Weekly Markets, the event will take place alongside the Little Italy Mercato, where vendors will be offering $5 lunch alternatives.  At 12:00pm, the community will gather in a lunchtime convivium.  Slow Food Urban San Diego will be on hand at Amici Park from 9:00a.m. - 1:30p.m. to answer questions and provide member services.

The $5 Challenge's overarching message is that slow food should not have to cost more than fast food and that everyone has a right to it everyday. Slow food - the opposite of fast food - is food that is good for those who eat it, good for farmers and workers, and good for the planet.  

"This is an opportunity for the San Diego urban community to demonstrate together that there is a choice, and that good, clean, and fair food can be affordable and accessible,'" said Kristen Goodrich, a board member of Slow Food San Diego.

The campaign officially launches on Sept. 17 with a National Day of Action.  Along with Slow Food Urban San Diego, thousands of participants will be attending or hosting hundreds of slow food gatherings nationwide.

"Right now, we have policies that make it harder to feed our children fruit than Froot Loops.  But everyday, against the odds, people find ways to cook real food on a budget.  We need to make cooking and eating that way a possibility for everyone," said Viertel, president of Slow Food USA. "If you know how to cook slow food on a budget, The $5 Challenge is a chance to teach someone. If you want to learn, it is a chance to get started. And it is a chance for us all to unite and begin pushing for the change we need."  

There has been a tremendous amount of support from communities across America and the media is catching on too!  From Chicago to New York, Washington DC to Detroit, the $5 Value Meal challenge is sparking the minds of eaters nationwide.  

For more information, please visit SlowFoodUSA.org/5Challenge.  

Join SFUSD on Aug. 27th for Fair Farm Bill mixer!

We'll be celebrating at the World Beat Cultural Center with free food, live son jarocho music, and an amazing lineup of speakers that includes a member of Cesar Chavez's original organizing team, a leader of the San Diego urban ag movement, statewide youth organizers, and SFUSD.   In San Diego, around California, and across the nation, communities are taking action to make healthy, sustainable and fair food more accessible and to help farmers and farmworkers make a good living. Together we can take this work to the next level. Join us on the 27th for a Fair Farm Bill mixer to kick off the final leg of the Road Trip and build power for the changes we want to see in California!  WHEN:  Sat. Aug. 27th WHERE: World Beat Cultural Center in Balboa Park San Diego  CA 92103 Free food, live music and awesome speakers at the Fair Farm Bill mixer!

***SLOW FOOD URBAN SAN DIEGO'S FIRST EVER FOOD SWAP***

Be a part of Slow Food Urban San Diego's First Community Food Swap! Join us on Sunday June 12th at 12 PM @  The Linkery in North Park.   Share your homemade and homegrown foodstuffs with other swappers.  Bring your homemade jams, pickles, breads, crackers, world famous brownies, homegrown fruits, herbs or veggies to swap. Food swaps are gaining popularity across the country, as people reclaim a DIY lifestyle and want to share their incredible creations with their community.  Come celebrate the amazing skills and creativity of your fellow San Diegans and take home some delicious treats in exchange for your own. Swapping takes place silent auction style, but there will be plenty of time to mingle with the other swappers and sample their wares. Please see the attached participation agreement for details on what to bring and how the swap works.  Slow Food Urban San Diego Food Swap Agreement  Once you have completed the form, please email to:  hillary.noyes@gmail.com Slow Food Urban San Diego promotes the inclusion of good, clean and fair food, so please use local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients.   The San Diego Farm Bureau seasonal calendar may aid in your inspiration:  http://www.sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Harvest-Calendar.php The swap will take place in the private room of the Linkery.   *Their excellent food and beverage menu will be available for purchase. Looking forward to sharing this first annual event with our slow food community!!

FOOD MEETS ART WITH AGRI*PLANET

On Thursday, June 9, Alchemy restaurant in South Park will host an artist's reception for local chef and artist Melissa Mayer, whose AGRI*PLANET show was created in collaboration with  Grass Fed Beef Week.

The 411: Opening Reception: "AGRI*PLANET" @ Alchemy June 9th from 6pm-10pm AGRI*PLANET is a suggestive, provocative and often irony-laden series of work within multiple mediums that is a social commentary on the state of our food culture and the food industry.  The artist's reception will include temporary installations and the remaining works within the show will be on view @ Alchemy into early July, 2011. 10% of the proceeds from the sales of the artwork in this collection will benefit Slow Food Urban San Diego, a 100% grassroots organization supporting and promoting food that is good, clean and fair. For more information visit:

http://alchemysandiego.com/ http://martini-media.com/ RSVP for event here: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172281172827959

CINE CUCINA: SLOW FOOD+ITALIAN FILM+YOU

A presentation by chef and filmmaker Jessica Theroux based on her book titled Cooking with Italian Grandmothers will be followed by her short documentary film In Pignata: Calabrian Fireside Cooking and director Ermanno Olmi's 2009 film Rupi del vino (Wine's Stones).

THE 411:  

May 21st  7pm The Birch North Park Theater Tickets: $18 available online or at the event

In Pignata tells the story of fiercely proud Carluccia Colace, a farmer who at 80 still produces almost all the food her family needs, and who maintains the food traditions at the center of her culture. Rupi del vino presents a lush and almost mesmerizing progression of the seasons in northern Italy as these farmers carve mountain stone to make room for their vines and the drywall terraces staggered into the flanks of the Alps.   For more information about this event, visit San Diego Italian Film festival's website

Cheese-Making Class with Peter Zien of AleSmith Brewing Co.

Join us for a cheese-making class led by award-winning brewer Peter Zien, owner of AleSmith Brewing Co.   In addition to being San Diego County's only "Grand Master" Level One Beer Judge, Peter is an accomplished artisan cheese maker and will be demonstrating and sharing his knowledge, techniques and tastes of his own cheese on Saturday, March 12 at 1 p.m.  Class space is limited to Slow Food Urban San Diego members only.  Tickets are non refundable. This event is Sold Out.

Good Food Awards Celebration at Tender Greens

Celebrate the San Diego Finalists and Winners of the Good Food Awards!

Join us at Tender Greens on March 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. to honor and

sample food from the the local artisans who were recognized in this

year's first annual Good Food Awards!

130 finalists in a variety of food categories were chosen as

outstanding producers of delicious, sustainably-produced foods.  Among

the San Diego honorees were Tender Greens for their smoked prosciutto,

pickled baby carrots and spiced apple pumpkin butter, The Linkery's

house cured country ham and Chuao Chocolatier for their Limited

Edition Origins 77% Cacao de Chuao

bar.   Tender Greens and Chuao Chocolatier were awarded one of the top

prizes in the Pickles and Chocolate categories.

Each participant will be on hand at the March 5 event to talk about

their food and craft and share tastes of their products.

Tickets are $30 and include wine and local beer.  Space is limited - purchase tickets here. 

December Metro Mixer - SOLD OUT

This event has SOLD OUT

December Metro Mixer

Wednesday, December 16

5:30pm-7:30pm

Vela Restaurant

Hilton San Diego Bayfront

www.hiltonsandiegobayfront.com

Slow Food Urban San Diego Metro Mixer Save the Date!

Wednesday, December 16, 5:30 p.m. at Vela Restaurant in the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

We're celebrating our first year as a Slow Food chapter and Slow Food International 20th Anniversary and we would like to thank everyone for their continued support and participation.  Please save the date, December 16, to join us for a free farm-to-table mixer at Vela Restaurant, coupled with a Super Food Drive for the San Diego Food Bank.  

Sign up at www.slowfoodurbansandiego.org to be included in our invitation email list. 

To attend: RSVP to the invitation that is emailed.

Cooks Confab: Street Food!

Cooks Confab: Street Food!

At Little Italy Mercato

Saturday, December 5, 2009

9am-1pm

www.cooksconfab.com

From hot dogs and tacos to ceviche and pizelle, what's not to like? Each Confab chef will be set up in a stall and slinging the street food they love...100% of proceeds will be donated to ARTS-- A Reason To Survive. We also encourage you to bring along a new or gently-used musical instrument or unwrapped toy for the kids at ARTS.

Tickets: www.areasontosurvive.org

Sustainable Agriculture: A Necessary Transition

Lecture

December 1, 2009

6:30pm-8:30pm

San Diego Natural History Museum

San Diego, CA 92101

Please Join SFUSD at the San Diego Natural History Museum

Sustainable Planet: Food Lecture Series hosted by Loren Nancarrow.

December 1, 6:30-8:30

 

Dave Hensen, Executive Director , Occidental Arts and Ecology Center.

With a growing human population, climate changes, water insecurity, erosion of good soils, peak oil, and dramatic losses in biological diversity all upon us at once, how will we feed ourselves tomorrow?

Tickets: $5.00 www.sdnhm.org : Sustainable Planet

Food Lecture with Slow Food USA Executive Director, Erika Lesser

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

San Diego Natural History Museum

1788 El Prado, Balboa Park

San Diego, CA 92101

619-232-3821

Cost:  $5 advanced registration

Learn how Slow Food is growing a social movement in the U.S. and around the world to move us toward a food system that is good, clean and fair -- and to a society in which food is both a universal right and a pleasure.  The organization, and our local Slow Food Urban San Diego chapter, is working towards a world in which all people can eat food that is good -- for them, for the people who grow it, and for the planet. 

 
To purchase your ticket Click Here.

Reception for Erika Lesser, Executive Director of Slow Food USA

Monday, October 5, 2009

from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

The Grill at The Lodge at Torrey Pines

Cost: $15 for members

Please join us for a special member reception to meet and welcome Erika Lesser, Executive Director of Slow Food USA.  Erika has worked for Slow Food USA since its founding in 2000, and also spent a year working at Slow Food's international headquarters in Italy for the University of Gastronomic Sciences, before returning to New York in 2004 to take on her current position. A native of Boston, Erika graduated from Brown University with a BA in Italian Studies and Art History, and worked in the food and nonprofit sectors while earning a MA in Food Studies from New York University. Erika also serves on the boards of Community Food Security Coalition and Slow Food International.

Erika is in San Diego to speak about Slow Food: Growing a Social Movement to Change the Food System, part of the San Diego Natural History Museum's Sustainable Planet Series.  Click Here to purchase tickets to her lecture on Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m.  She will also be featured on KPBS' These Days program on Tuesday morning. 

Enjoy a private evening with Erika and other San Diego Slow Food members.  Join us on Monday, October 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Grill at The Lodge at Torrey Pines.  Acclaimed chef Jeff Jackson and the chefs from The Grill will be preparing farm-to-table bites and featuring local drink specials.

The Grill at The Lodge at Torrey Pines is located in the bottom floor of the hotel, adjacent to the Torrey Pines Golf Course.  Free parking is available in the golf course parking lot; free valet service is also offered at The Lodge.  The Grill will also be offering $30, three-course dinners for those who'd like to stay on after the reception.

The cost for this special event is $15, with all proceeds donated to UCSD's International House.  Please Click Here to purchase tickets and RSVP for this not-to-be-missed event!