I’m really excited about a new project that I am putting in place. I’ll be doing cooking demonstrations at one of the Farmer’s Markets in San Francisco twice a month this summer. You know all those lovely veggies at the farmer’s market that you have never seen before and haven’t a clue how to prepare? I’ll be on hand to answer any food related and cooking questions you may have. I’ll be doing cooking demonstrations using vegetables and products exclusively from the market. I will also be selling my first product at the market too!
Selling a product and doing cooking demos at the market is far more complicated than it sounds. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and I finally think that I am ready. I have to find a commercial kitchen (got one, natch.), navigate the San Francisco Department of Public Health, change my liability insurance to cover the farmer’s market space and the commercial kitchen rental….it’s a lot. It’s why I have put off creating a product for so long. It’s time though. I’m looking at this as a test run. If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. Vendor licenses have to be renewed every 90 days in San Francisco so it is a short term (although pricey) investment. My assistant and right hand, Justine, will be partnering with me on this adventure.
I’m particularly pleased that I will be doing cooking demonstrations in the community. I passionately believe that we need to support our local farmers and in doing so, our local economy. In this modern world of facebook, email and skype we need to have more family connections around a dinner table filled with authentic foods and smells. Food nourishes us and has the power to enrich our lives. I want to share with you how to best utilize your time in the kitchen so that you have more time for yourself, your family and your friends. Cooking for yourself and your family can be like homework. You may moan and groan about it, but you feel good once it is done and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor (in this case a good meal and not a good grade on a test!)
I will be sure to keep you updated as things move along. Wish me luck!!
Phoebe
One of the questions that I am asked most frequently about what I do is: Where do you shop? The answer is a long list of places all over the San Francisco Bay area. It depends on where I am cooking, convenience, and who has the highest quality ingredients available. I typically go to the Farmer’s market on the weekend for most of my produce shopping. For fish, I highly recommend Cook’s Seafood in Menlo Park—I rarely purchase seafood anywhere else. On the other side of the bay I recommend Monterey Fish Market. I shop Whole Foods for items such as flour, sugar etc.
Most Tuesday mornings you will find me at Bianchini’s Market in Portola Valley. Portola Valley has a remote quality that makes it feel very unique. It is undeveloped and whenever I am there I find it hard to believe that I am just 40 minutes away from an urban city center. You will probably see a doe and her babies meandering by the side of the road. If you are driving only a few miles over the speed limit, or come to a ‘rolling stop’, the local law enforcement will surely stop you. It’s that kind of town. The easiest way to get to Portola Valley (from SF) is to take 280 south to the Alpine Road exit. Bianchini’s is located just off of the freeway, on the main road through town. It is family owned and operated. Bianchini’s opened as a full service grocery store in 1998. It now has a second store in San Carlos that opened last spring. What I like the most about the store is the commitment to quality and their support of local farms. 
Of course, they do carry long distance items such as bananas and pineapples but they really make an effort to bring in local produce. I believe that they have some of the best local produce in the area. Chanterelle mushrooms when they are in season, a bounty of tomatoes and stone fruit in the summer, squash and apples in the fall. The meat department is also excellent. They do a fantastic job trimming and tying roasts, and the butchers are extremely knowledgeable. They carry high quality grass fed beef from Marin Sun Farms, items such as waygu brisket, as well as Mary’s air chilled chicken. They have high points for customer service too. The only department that I am not impressed by is the seafood department. However, it is worth a stop if you are driving thru Portola Valley.
One of the questions that I am asked most frequently about what I do is: Where do you shop? The answer is a long list of places all over the San Francisco Bay area. It depends on where I am cooking, convenience, and who has the highest quality ingredients available. I typically go to the Farmer’s market on the weekend for most of my produce shopping. For fish, I highly recommend Cook’s Seafood in Menlo Park–>Portola Valley has a remote quality that makes it feel very unique. It is undeveloped and whenever I am there I find it hard to believe that I am just 40 minutes away from an urban city center. You will probably see a doe and her babies meandering by the side of the road. If you are driving only a few miles over the speed limit, or come to a ‘rolling stop’, the local law enforcement will surely stop you. It’s that kind of town. The easiest way to get to Portola Valley (from SF) is to take 280 south to the Alpine Road exit. Bianchini’s is located just off of the freeway, on the main road through town. It is family owned and operated. Bianchini’s opened as a full service grocery store in 1998. It now has a second store in San Carlos that opened last spring. What I like the most about the store is the commitment to quality and their support of local farms. Of course, they do carry long distance items such as bananas and pineapples but they really make an effort to bring in local produce. I believe that they have some of the best local produce in the area. Chanterelle mushrooms when they are in season, a bounty of tomatoes and stone fruit in the summer, squash and apples in the fall. The meat department is also excellent. They do a fantastic job trimming and tying roasts, and the butchers are extremely knowledgeable. They carry high quality grass fed beef from Marin Sun Farms, items such as waygu brisket, as well as Mary’s air chilled chicken. They have high points for customer service too. The only department that I am not impressed by is the seafood department. However, it is worth a stop if you are driving thru Portola Valley.
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