Kom-what?
When you eat and drink as much as I do on a daily basis, your tummy is often not one hundred percent. Long evenings filled with garlicky pasta, not enough vegetables and probably too much red wine are typically to blame. All too frequently, I find myself waking up in the morning wishing I hadn’t had that fourth taco or that after dinner drink. A few weeks ago, after a particularly spicy Indian feast, my girlfriend mentioned that I should try drinking Kombucha. My initial reaction was one of total disgust. I mean, Kombucha? It sounds like some witches tea, brewed up in a cauldron, doled out in teeny shots to ward off evil spirits. Something crazy like that. You have to know that I trust this friend explicitly, because when she handed me one, I shrugged my shoulders, smiled and accepted it graciously. I was more than a little scared. Her preferred brand is GT’s Synergy, which is 95 percent Kombucha blended with 5 percent natural fruit juice, and this was the “Mystic Mango,” another favorite of hers is the “Guava Goddess.” They all have ethereal, quirky names like that. I thought, all right here goes. Let’s hope I don’t gag. The lid screws off with a quiet, happy fizzing noise, almost Champagne-like. Created from a yeast starter, this living, raw, fermented tea has a surprising effervescence. My first sip, I was more than pleasantly surprised. Not only was it tasty, but by the time I had finished the bottle, my tummy felt so much happier. Since that first fateful sip, I don’t know if I have become a believer in all the supposed magical properties of Kombucha – that it will cure diseases or change your life – but I do believe that the probiotic nature of the drink maintains a healthy digestive system, leaves your skin looking rosy and really tastes nice. Now that I am nurturing my own bottle a day habit, I am considering making my own at home. Professional eating? It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it and I’d do just about anything to aid in that passion for enjoying more good food and wine. Find a great selection of GT’s Kombucha products locally in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods and Sonoma Market.
Feeling corny
Summer is officially over, but right now just so happens to be the optimum time to enjoy fresh corn. I don’t think I have ever met a soul who doesn’t just love corn. That certainly cannot be said for most vegetables. On or off the cob, grilled or steamed, doused in butter, tossed in a salad, gently simmered in a chowder or even cooked into a state of goodness as creamed corn, when at it’s peak of ripeness, there just isn’t a more-loved vegetable. I unquestionably love corn as well. Until recently, my preferred corn eating method was to slice it off the cob and either toss it into just about anything or to make a simple corn sauté consisting of corn and copious amounts of crispy bacon lardons. That is, before I sank my teeth into a cob of corn prepared in the Mexico street food style called Elote. The corn itself is either steamed or grilled and then – here comes the good part! – slathered with mayonnaise and sprinkled abundantly with fresh Cojita cheese. A squeeze of fresh lime or a dusting of cayenne is optional, but obligatory in my humble opinion. At this year’s Sonoma County Fair, I experienced a darn good version that compared to some of the best I’ve had in Mexico City. Tender, perfectly cooked corn with the ratio of toppings applied with the ideal amount of restraint. At the new upscale Mexican hot spot in St. Helena, La Condesa, I experienced a true corn epiphany. Their version, which you absolutely must order, is nothing short of corn perfection. The corn is grilled, ever so slightly charred, and prepared in the traditional manner – mayonnaise and cheese – and then a smoky chile dust is scattered happily, a squeeze of fresh lime brightening up the whole incredibly messy thing. Corn in your teeth and mayonnaise all over your face is a tiny price to pay for this most delicious way to enjoy this, our favorite vegetable. La Condesa is on Main Street in St. Helena. For more information visit lacondesanapavalley-.com
Frozen happiness
Isn’t it peculiar how frozen yogurt typically tastes just like ice cream? This has been a curiosity of mine for quite some now. Yes, these are the things I spend my days pondering. I always wondered, “Why doesn’t frozen yogurt taste more like yogurt, but frozen?” I always wondered that until I tasted a soft serve frozen yogurt that stopped me in my tracks, mid spoonful. Frozen yogurt that utterly tasted like yogurt. You know, that tasty, tangy yogurt flavor? Standing in the doorway at Whole Foods, staring into my cup in disbelief of the deliciousness that I just spooned into my mouth. This yogurt was decadent, creamy and lush, but not excessively sweet. This was my perfect dessert. This yogurt, I was not surprised to discover, was from the amazing local organic dairy, Straus Creamery. If you haven’t tried it, I kid you not, run now and get some. You’ll thank me. Or, it’s possibly you’ll blame me for a yet another locally produced food addiction. Find Straus soft serve frozen yogurt locally in the bakery at Whole Foods.
Harvest celebrations and a pie contest at Sonoma’s Garden Park
The Sonoma Ecology Center’s Garden Park is celebrating harvest during the entire month of October with a series of festive, fall-inspired events for the whole family each Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning October 8. The park’s famous hay bale fort is always fun for the kids, while parents can shop for beautiful seasonal produce, pumpkins and gourds. Each Saturday there are special events including a scarecrow building contest, a fall gardening workshop and a Halloween carnival. I’m particularly looking forward to the festivities on October 15 which include a harvest potluck lunch, live blue grass music and a pie contest. I am thrilled to again be one of the judges for the pie contest, along with councilman Ken Brown and local chefs Alex Bolduc of Café 522 and Sarah Pinkin of Murphy’s Irish Pub. Contestants interested in submitting a pie should contact Caitlin Cornwall at caitlin@sonomaecologycenter.org or by calling 996.0712.
On The Menu
Join Ramekins as they host HopMonk Tavern Executive Chef Billy Reid and Sonoma Springs Brewery’s Tim Goeppinger for a “Brew Master’s Dinner” and cooking class on Friday, October 7 beginning at 6:30 p.m. A special fall-inspired menu will pair with beers all from Sonoma Springs Brewery. Goeppinger will tell the creation stories of these ales and explain how the flavors marry and complement each other. Students will enjoy full portions of each course along with generous portions of Sonoma Springs beers. The cost is $55 per person, plus gratuity. Call HopMonk at 938.9100 to make your reservations.
• There is still a little room at the upcoming “Harvest Dinner” on the beautiful patio at ESTATE on Saturday, October 8. One of my all-time favorite winemakers, Randall Grahm from Bonny Doon Vineyards, will be on hand as their special guest. In celebration of the restaurant group’s farm project, the evening’s menu celebrates the bounty of their two-acre garden which supplies vegetable and fruits to the three restaurants all year long. The entire amazing sounding feast, including wine, is a mere $65 (excluding tax and gratuity). To make your reservations call 933.3663.
• This month’s “Dining Club Rive Gauche” is an evening of African cuisine on Wednesday, October 12, at 7 p.m. Watch belly dance superstar, Nathalie Tedrick, while dining on a lamb and pumpkin stew, coconut rice, smoked fish-stuffed avocado, caramel bananas and more. $35 per person, wine is b.y.o.b. Make reservations by calling 996.9453.
Mexican Corn Street Food Style (Elote)
Serves 4
4 ears of yellow corn, shucked
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated cotija cheese
4 wedges lime
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Grill corn until hot and lightly charred all over, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of the grill. Roll the ears in melted butter and spread evenly with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese and cayenne. Serve immediately with a lime wedge.
Kristin Viguerie is one of Sonoma’s most passionate, food obsessed residents. In this weekly column, she covers all the delicious happenings, foodie events and restaurants in Sonoma, the rest of Wine Country and beyond. Find her blogging daily as the Cook (thecardiganandcook.com) or via email at foodandwine@sonomasun.com.
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