Foodbuzz fest, round two: Eat, drink and be

Friday morning was the start of three days of fun & food with some friends I already had and some I was yet to meet.

Friday breakfast- For those of us who signed up for the focus group we were lucky enough to get the 2nd best meal of the festival. Bocadillos has amazing desserts and we've had apps there, but now I am all about their breakfast.

What if I answer some questions for you I get to drink mimosas and eat Serrano ham? Sweet!!

Photo Courtesy Laura Sampson

The egg sandwiches with Serrano ham, the cheese plates, crispy potatoes with romesco sauce & fresh fruit were perfect and the company was great. This was the most personal I got with any of the Foodbuzz staff over the weekend and it was great. 

photo courtesy Laura Sampson

They care about our thoughts and opinions, which is important. I will admit that once or twice I felt they were asking different questions than what they were looking for.

Oh yeah and when you're invited to be a part of a focus group? Please don't dominate the conversation.

Friday night- I got to meet up with a lot of my local pals & meet some of my newer twitter followers.

I love the gift exchange idea, though I heard some people didn't bring gifts (party foul) or were rude about what they got (party foul) or couldn't figure out how to successfully trade a gift they didn't like.

I was happy with my gift. And the person I gifted seemed pretty happy, too, so yeah!

Also I landed at a great table with fun people (okay, I have to say it, one of the people was not fun. She was scary. And local. Seriously, I'm praying she was just drunk. Otherwise I have no explanation.)

Now the whole weekend would have been a lot less fun without: Heather, Sam, Arnold, Steph, Tracy, Laura, Elise, Irv,Annelies, Crystal, Amir, and a host of other amazing people who should just tell me I forget them!
 
4505 as usual rocked the house so much I had to go outside and tell the guys on the grill thanks. Pork with jalapeno on a cornmeal sesame bun? I do!

Magnolia had my favorite beer of the night with a Bitter that was clean & smooth and indeed very drinkable.

Hand over the cookie and no one gets hurt..... Courtesy Laura Sampson

Tacolicious was good but sorry, Namu super rocked the taconess with a Korean taco: nori wrapper cradling short ribs, rice, kimchee... I don't even know, but it all made my mouth super happy. Namu? I luv you.

My Roli Roti plate caused the same stir as last year. I get it without the bread and people assumed I said I was gluten free. Roli Roti isn't like that! Just tell them you don't want bread and they'll hook you up with all the yums without the bread. You ain't gotta lie to kick it, peeps.

Photo Courtesy Laura Sampson

I was bummed by the lobster cappuccino & escargot. I would never have known that was escargot. But the puff pastry was nice.

As always the fabulous Randall Grahm had a wonderful offering in the Contra, and my glass of wine included a hug, which made it even better. Wine crush!

The Saturday morning Video blogging panel was really informative.

*Content is key
*If you want success, you have to find it
*You don't have to be in the picture to video blog. And you can always add a voiceover
*The more content you have, the more traffic you get


Evening- I was disappointed that some of the people who were helpful and informative on Twitter and sessions were not really that friendly in person. They were so busy being 'famous' they forget to just be real. I love my friends because they are themselves all the time.

It's cool to be a well known blogger and major kudos to you if you are able to make a living from it. You might want to make a little note to self: without your fans? You'd be back at a 9-5. So be a little less "I'm too cool for you."

The lesson came via Laura, aka Hey What's for Dinner Mom, who pointed out that people don't become asses after they are famous. If you are a genuine person (ahem, Elise aka Simply Recipes? BEST hugger EVER) then you won't let fame go to your head.

On the plus side, I think I was at one of the funnest tables in the joint and can honestly say I would be happy to dine on a Golden beet tart like that again and again.

My scallops were perfectly cooked. No really. Perfect.

The lamb (and there were quite a few lamb jokes earlier in the week, so great timing!) was beautiful, juicy, & well matched with the squash.

Each course was paired with Bonny Doon Vineyard wine (Wine Crush!) and gorgeous.....

Until I was bummed about dessert.

The fruit was lovely. After the tart, the scallops and the lamb, though, that dessert was a letdown.

We went and chocolate toffee cookies from Hot Cookie in the Castro and they were awesome.

Who's a Hot Cookie?! Laura, of course.

Sunday- I wanted bacon and orange juice but settle for bacon & tea.

After brunch we went to Art Fibers where Heather tells us we can 'taste' the yarn before we buy it. This of course leads to a frenzy of yarn tasting. Yummy!

All in all, this was a great weekend, full of food, love, laughter, food, magic, heart, soul, food and friendship. Even if some people, for me, got lost in translation.

Foodbuzz Fest: The excitement builds!

This is me. Hello!

Last year I met some of the most amazing people ever in the history of the planet. And the best part is that I have become very good friends with some of them in real time and the rest on Twitter.

If you aren't a member of Foodbuzz, I think you are missing out.

Being a part of a community of food lover's who write about food, eat food and really sincerely care about the food they eat is such a fantastic experience. In this life we don't always get opportunities to meet like minded people. So this is one that should be taken advantage of.

Last year we took classes, we ate, we drank, we photographed everything! We laughed, we chatted and we meet some remarkable people who wanted to teach us some great new stuff.

I am excited because have since made new friends who are coming for Foodbuzz and because Heather, who was ill last year, actually gets to come and have fun this time around too!! YEAH!!!! And she introduced me to Laura, who will help me lovingly terrorize, should it come to that.

My little-sister-friend Tracy will be there this year, as will Jerry, Elise, & Crystal and Amir, and that is only the beginning!

Now, if you are coming to the Fest, here are some things you need to know:

1) Get ready to meet a lot of people. No, really, a lot.


2) Bring plenty of business cards. No, really. Plenty.


3) I know its been unseasonably warm but bring warm clothes. This is San Francisco, not L.A. We have microclimates and you will freeze if you decide to wear shorts and a tank top in November. And it happens pretty suddenly too!


4) Drink plenty of water. We are on the go from Friday night. We are made up of water. Hence staying hydrated will help you keep with the whirlwind pace.


5) Relax. Smile. If you feel to shy to say hello, but you are smiling, it makes you more approachable. 


6) Learn. Laugh. Live. Life is short. How about this weekend, you maybe taking yourself a touch less seriously and just really enjoy these moments? I promise it will be worth it.

Okay, well that is all for now, and I say, you look fantastic today! See you this weekend.

David Benton is one to watch

I meet a lot of people I like, but it is not every day that you meet someone you like so much that after you interview them, you really want to be their friend.

I woke up this morning to such an awesome email: It was David telling me he loved the article I wrote on him and thanking me for getting him right.

I am really happy about this, because I really do thing he is going to be the next big thing, and if he isn't it's so totally your fault!

This is what I wrote after first meeting David but I must say it is nothing like experiencing his desserts and his personality for yourself. He'll be hanging out with me at the Tasting Pavilion Saturday afternoon at Foodbuzz, so read the article before you meet the man!

The Blogger in Me: Project FoodBuzz

Baking pastry is like magic
like all the food I create
love pours from my fingers
in the form of butter, sugar and eggs
whipped, creamed, beaten
so they can thrive to become
the gift of a kitchen witch
and I can share my soul

Cooking is creation
the joys of the share
food can be a revelation
with sweet scents in the air
pumpkin challah, rosewater cupcakes,
or just plain old chorizo soup
let me make you a little happier
and help chase away your blues

Eat oysters and sushi with me
we will drink champagne until dawn
I am so much more than just a food blogger
chef, singer, artist,
creator of desserts so right they are wrong

I write because I love it and
words flow from my fingers
like sugar into a bowl as
I make cranberry pecan brownies
and drink a classic cocktail

Come into my kitchen
magic you will see,
I create with passionate joy
and with passionate joy you eat

The Duo Dishes on Luna's Kitchen Magic!

We are two young, passionate eaters and experimental cooks based in Los Angeles. We are not professional chefs, as our culinary training solely stems from our ability and desire to cook fearlessly. With roots that span from the North and South tips of the East coast, we love to mix and match everything that speaks to family traditions, regional fare and new ethnic flavors when we create meals for ourselves and others. We have catered graduation parties to baby christenings, and we host frequent dinner parties for 10-15 of our closest friends.



In the last year, we have been able to give thousands of people a glimpse into our kitchens. The most recent showcase was a live demonstration of our winning recipe selected by Bertolli Test Kitchen chefs at the 1st Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival on November 7, 2009. We also won First Place in KCRW's 1st Annual Good Food Pie Contest in the "Savory Pie" category.


We are also food bloggers with a popular cooking and recipe blog, www.duodishes.com, that has become the easiest forum for us to share what we cook with friends, family and other readers. For us, cooking is meant to be a pleasure, and food is meant to be enjoyed. Everyone is invited to grab a fork and sit down at our table.

Luna's Kitchen Magic airs 7 pm PST, 4 pm EST www.radiodentata.com/RDplayer/lunaraven/
podcast

Foodbuzz Fest: The Final Word

At the streetfood fest, I met @TheDuoDishes, @Biggie, @chefthinks, @liquiddouglas, @alphaprep, @inuyaki and @biteandbooze, among others.

FoodBuzz fest was certainly the most organized of the fests I attended last year and I issue a huge, gigantic thanks to the folks at Foodbuzz and everyone who helped, the chefs, the cooks, the vendors, all of you are fantastic and deserve serious accolades.

The dinner at Greenleaf was so amazing that it is truly beyond words. Eating dinner with Ryan, Arnold, Patricia was fun and so enjoyable.

The foodbuzz fest gave birth to the Bay Area Food Blogger group. I was inspired by Kristi, who told me that they meet up in Austin once a month.

I mentioned that to Stephanie and she then created the google group which has allowed us to form a network of people who support and care about each other.

What I took away from foodbuzz fest is that each of us is writing in a unique way, and there are a lot of us, but room for each and everyone.

There are people I didn't meet, and people I look forward to seeing during the next big festival. Thank you foodbuzz for being so super awesome!

Foodbuzz Fest: Street Food

Cocktails and street food were for meeting, greeting and creating. We had a central spot close to the oysters which was perfect. One could wander off, get some yums and come back to find new faces wandering about.

First of all, I just really appreciate Elise from Simply Recipes who is a real pleasure to talk to and about more than just food. Second, she is a great resource. I love a person who likes to share knowledge, kindness and is adorable to boot.

RyeSF was pouring cocktails using Skyy, and Roli Roti had the most kick ass porchetta ever!

The Pie Truck had a gruyere & steak pocket pie that made you smile. I love talking to the creators of good food, as you will usually find that people who make good food, are good themselves. No really! test this theory out, if you meet someone who isn't very nice, their food, well...



The Coconut Almond Cupcakes were insane they were so good. Trust me, I am a coconut snob. I know the real deal.



Midi provided the apps while we were at Hotel Vitale. The puffs were filled with bacon cream and were incredible.



At Hog Island, our friendly shucker is Ian the Executive Chef of Hog Island in the Ferry Building. This is also where I met Amir, one half of the Duo who Dishes! This is sort of funny because someone was trying to get him to try the oysters even as he protested. He gently kept saying he didn't like them even as the flavor got to him. We convinced him oysters are love. I also met the funny and cute Jess, so check out her site!



I also discovered that I really love crispy pork skin. Thank you 4505! Seriously, my dad would be your biggest fan!

Street food was crazy The meeting and creating of relationships with so many people of like mind. The really great part is that I met others who I relate to about more than just food. This is certainly the best one I have attended this year!

Foodbuzz Fest, Cocktails, baby!

Cocktails at Hotel Vitale was fantastic because you cannot believe the view. We could across the Bay, looking out at the Bay Bridge and the Clock above the Ferry Bldg. It was night, and it was a unbelievable!

Kristi introduced me to Ryan Adams (@nosetotailathome) who I will raave more about later! He went to drop his swag in his car and we worked our way up to the top of the hotel.

We walked onto the patio and just started chatting with people. A woman stuck out her hand and said "Hi, I'm Elise" and in typical Luna style, I went fan girl on her.

Me: "Oh my god!"

Elise: "Who are you?"

Me: "That totally doesn't matter, you're like, totally famous!!"

Lucky for me, she laughed and grabbed my badge. She then told me she'd be chilling with me for the evening. Wow.

Elise is amazingly open and down to earth. I don't mean because she is Simply Recipes. I mean because frankly, many people I meet are the opposite of open and cool. One of the most wonderful things about Elise is that if she likes you, she introduces you to everybody.

I met so many incredible people! In no particular order:

Patricia @brownies4dinner
Jay D @biteandbooze
Arnold @inuyaki
Diana @DianasaurDishes
Amir and Chrystal @theDuoDishes
Biggie @Biggie
Kristen @passion4eating
Gudrun @kitchengirl
Samantha @alphaprep
Jeff and Zoe @Artisanbreadin5

If I forgot you, please remind me, cause it ain't personal, I promise!

At the end of the night I finally met the one person I had actually been hunting high and low for. I am so happy to have finally met Stephanie Stiavetti with whom I have had plenty of crazy of convos with on Twitter. lest you think I am never gonna talk about the food, stay tuned, cause that is next!

Foodbuzz Fest: the good, part 1

Where do I start? Well the day: I went to go meet Kristi (@austinfarm2table) for an ice cream adventure when went smashingly. We tried Bi Rite’s much exalted sea salt caramel and it most certainly lives up to its rep. Wonderfully creamy, a perfect balance of salt & caramel. Strangely perfect for rainy weather.



Next we wandered to Humphry Slocombe. If you haven’t done this, the walk holds some serious surprises, such as the completely magical front garden at the corner of 21st and Gurerro, which one of my friends assures me is indeed a residence.



I think I tried literally every flavor. Thai Chili Lime, the totally awesome fudgesicle, the ever popular secret breakfast, balsamic caramel, a lager (I don’t recall which one. I mean really, that’s a lot of ice cream!)



I love the kitsch factor at Slocombe as well as the really friendly service. I settled on (but didn’t finish) the Hot Mess, vanilla ice cream with marshmallow, butterscotch and bananas. I am sorry to say I wasn’t wild about the ice cream, which had a funky, sticky consistency.

I also got to try Kristi’s Foie Gras ice cream sandwich. The Foie Gras ice cream is odd tasting, but sandwiched between two ginger cookies, it’s a snappy, yummy little kick.



My favorite thing of all? The Boccalone lard caramel. Hell yeah, that is what I said! Lard caramels. Soft, creamy, with a slight spicy kick at the end. Oh. Wow.

Oh yeah, and the writing is certainly on the wall...