I am still entering my notes from the BlogHer Food conference at the St. Regis in San Francisco.  Phew!  It was quite informative and revealing on so many levels (translation: I have much work to do:-) There were seminars on “Finding Your Voice in a Crowded Blogosphere,” to “How Food Blogs Can Save the World” (yeah!)  Mix that with heavy networking, food demos, and even a lunchtime treat in the name of hottie Rocco DiSpirito, who was peddling frozen foods, which had the room all in a twitter (now that certainly has a new meaning!) I mean, we ARE food bloggers, afterall…

The cocktail party was electric with fanatic foodies, writers, photographers, sponsors and media.  (To think I barely scratched the surface – isn’t that always the way at conferences?)  And the swag – OY!  I still have a sense of guilty pleasure every time I dig in (let’s just say there was plenty of Scharfenberger chocolate involved.)

The Gluten Free Gang

As I continue to download, edit and tweak the backlog of recipes and healthy tidbits I have in store, I wanted to send a shout out to you – my loyal readers – for continuing to support the discovery of my voice while influencing even a tiny change in the world…one walnut at a time.  Recipe tomorrow!

It’s Friday…happy hour somewhere…and I am preparing to attend the first BlogHer Food conference in San Francisco tomorrow. I have the usual butterflies – going into a room filled with ‘celebrity’ writers in my field, knowing them only through pumpkin pies and sustainable seafood, and being somewhat overwhelmed by the list of questions I have compiled for at least 20 of the speakers (me and the rest of the participants;-)  So as I study-up re-reading blogs by many of my fellow foodies, I thought it was only fitting that I pull out the Vita-Mix and take the edge off…

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It seems everywhere I turn these days, ‘gluten free’ has become all the rage.  This is in NO way to disparage the need for gluten free products.   As a semi-gluten free baker myself (I’m not gluten intolerant, but am a therapeutic chef) – I am thrilled there is more awareness and that the choices are more widely available AND tasty, too.  But I am often asked if it is necessary or healthier to remove gluten from our diets entirely.  The answer is complex and variable.  Let’s explore…

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I am still craving fresh, sweet corn (and from the looks of it…Indian Summer is in the forecast!) and through my friend Steve at Rancho Gordo, I found a recipe which combines another favorite food – beans.  Tomatoes are finally in their prime, and put them all together for a wonderful side dish (to ribs) or along with a salad as a main course.  For the health benefits, you get lots of fiber (beans and corn), vitamin C (tomatoes) and antioxidants from the garlic.  All in, this dish costs about $1.25 per serving!

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I wanted to get this in before the end of summer.  Here in Napa, the weather has been purdy strange.  It was almost 100 degrees yesterday, and this morning we woke up to rain and thunder! But last night we had a hankerin’ for baby back ribs with BBQ sauce.  Trouble is, store bought sauces are usually loaded with corn syrup and can be overly sweet for my taste.  So, I played around with some recipes, changed and reduced the sugar, and came up with this kickass homemade version…

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Hike in Pagosa Springs, CO

I’m back!  Thanks for sticking around.  We had a glorious trip through Colorado.  Did you know they have 54 mountains with an elevation of 14,000 feet or more?  Quite impressive.  I’d like to say we hiked them, but just tackling 9500 feet was ‘breathtaking.’  We ate very well along the way, even scored a few farmers’ markets.  Let me know if any of you are planning to travel there; I have plenty of suggestions on where to eat – from Boulder and Telluride, to Crested Butte and Aspen.

Speaking of food (that’s why you’re here, right?)…a few weeks ago I mentioned a dish I made for my final presentation at Bauman College. It was a Coconut Chai Panna Cotta with a Nectarine Coulis and Orange Tuile.  As you know, I don’t usually post complicated recipes, but while this one may have one or two more steps, believe me when I tell you it is out.of.this.world.

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