I have been working with the folks at A Million Cooks for about a year.  A Million Cooks is a resource for people interested in the food they eat, who grows the food, where it comes from, where to buy and how to best prepare good food.

A Million Cooks features over 200+ food experts – award winning writers, schools, chefs and instructors and A Daily Dish of soundBites covering culinary insight and food tips.  Based in Sonoma, California, A Million Cooks is led by a unique team of professionals with experience in the culinary world, program distribution, programming development, business development, ecommerce, marketing and production. 

Each week, I record soundBites (audio podcasts) for A Million Cooks on two different topics:  SF Bay Area Farmers Markets and World Food.  Here is a direct link to my recordings at A Million Cooks!

Melissa and Sean McArdle recently opened a new online shop, Reverie-Daydream Boutique .  They feature unique and beautiful artisan products from around the world.  Their goal is to bring to their customers creatively-designed, earth-friendly goods that are made with love.  They believe that every piece they carry has a story – that it was the hand-crafter’s dream. 

I am especially fond of their tea towels and of their hand-crafted cards with natural themes.  Every package I have received from them was handled with loving care.  The pieces were individually wrapped and a nice thank-you card was enclosed. 

They will be constantly adding to their inventory so be sure to check back often.  And be sure to check out their blogsite at:  http://www.reverie-daydream.blogspot.com. 

Reverie-Daydream Boutique
www.reverie-daydream.com/

I recently visited Willem Boot in his coffee lab in Mill Valley, California, for a coffee tasting.  Willem founded Boot Coffee Consulting in 1999.  He has been in the coffee industry since age 14.  He was co-owner of his family’s coffee business in The Netherlands.  Willem has also been managing several coffee development programs in Ethiopia, El Salvador, Columbia, Panama and Papua New Guinea. Boot Coffee Consulting offers consulting services and training to professionals in the coffee industry. 

We tasted 11 different coffees and talked about the attributes of each - the aroma, the taste, the body, the acidity, etc. We analyzed each of the 11 beans to see the extent to which they were roasted. I learned that I could detect the most aroma and taste in the beans that had been roasted to medium darkness. It makes sense that if the roast is too dark, it can destroy some of the taste and aroma of the beans. My favorite picks were two different beans from Kenya and a bean from Ethiopia. I had so much fun that I now want to figure out food and coffee pairings.

If you know of anyone in the coffee industry who would like to enhance their knowledge and skills, please pass on the information on Boot Coffee Consulting.

I was in Sonoma Valley recently and discovered the most gorgeous luxury vacation rentals!  The historic Chauvet building in downtown Glen Ellen has converted six spacious luxury condominiums into gorgeous vacation rentals for visitors to Sonoma Valley. 

The three-story yellow brick building itself is quite unique, and no detail has been spared in the extensive renovation.  The luxury 2000 square feet condominiums each include three bedrooms, two baths, a chef’s kitchen, a formal dining room,  and a large living room with beautiful brick walls.   Each unit has been exquisitely furnished with antique pieces, artwork from well-known local artists, custom tables, live plants and the latest in electronics, such as I-Home Ipod players, flat screen television sets in each bedroom and the living room, on-demand movies and WiFi.  The linens are luxurious and feature 650-thread count sheets, as well as fine duvet covers and shams.   

I was truly amazed at the level of detailed planning that went into each unit.  The units are available for daily (3-night minimum), weekly or long-term rentals. 

The Chauvet is within walking distance of Zagat-rated restaurants, a gourmet market, a fabulous cheese shop, one of the best chocolate shops in Sonoma Valley, an olive press, and a deli specializing in locally-produced gourmet items.  And, of course, hundreds of wineries are within an easy drive from Glen Ellen. 

The Chauvet Vacation Rentals
(707) 996-6720
www.chauvetvacationrentals.com

Have you ever wanted to know more about wine and food topics such as: why wines have sulfites, what makes wines balanced, what does it take to plant a vineyard and get it into production, what is barrel building, why hang-time is such an issue, what are the latest trends in wine barrels, are “wine legs” a good sign, how olive oil is made, how artisan honey is produced, what are the Thanksgiving traditions in various parts of the country, and many other food and wine related topics? If so, you must tune into Napa Valley Wine Radio. You don’t just go there and read about these topics – you actually listen to experts explaining the subject matter in a fun and educational interview format. David Topper and the folks at Napa Valley Wine Radio are diligent about the quality of these broadcasts. They make sure that each session is packed with interesting and useful information for the listener. These broadcasts come out on a bi-weekly basis, are normally kept to about 20 minutes in length and are so informative and fun. Be sure to check this out!

Here is a wine e-newsletter that I really enjoy!

Nat Decants FREE wine e-newsletter is full of wine picks, articles and humor from Natalie MacLean, named the World’s Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia. Natalie is also the author of Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass. For more details on this book and to sign up for the newsletter, visit www.nataliemaclean.com.

You must check out the delicious:days website.  We had the great fortune to meet the owners of this site when we were in Munich last year.  They are great people who are totally into food, and they have done an unbelievable job with this site.  The recipes, the links to the food blogs, the stories, the news articles, the book recommendations, the information on Munich and other areas - all top notch!

Another favorite partner of ours is Silverado Vineyards in Napa Valley. Their wines are excellent and the views from the terrace outside their wine tasting room are just amazing! Try their Solo and their Late Harvest Reserve for truly decadent treats! They are located at: 6121 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558.

Check out the beautiful selection of wines offered by Goosecross Cellars in Napa Valley. Their wines pair so well with the Culinary Getaways recipes. I especially like their Syrah, Viognier and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Their staff is always so nice and friendly – they truly understand what customer experience is all about! (And did I mention that their wines are outstanding?) They are located at: 1119 State Lane, Yountville, CA 94599.