Food & Wine

Above Photo Courtesy of Derek Wolfgram; below Photo Courtesy of Paul Vyenielo
The flooding that swamped Crooked Goat Brewing in Sebastopol, below, hasn’t stopped its production of brews such as First Crush raspberry ale.

During the torrential rains that soaked much of Northern California the last week in February, Sebastopol’s Crooked Goat Brewing found itself literally underwater. Flood damage necessitated closing the brewery for approximately six weeks, which was a major hit to the brewery and its employees. It reopened the first week in April and is serving the same excellent brews it made before the flooding.

Christine Moore/ Special to the Town Crier
The right spring wine can be a cellar staple, transitioning from pre-soirée drinks to a weeknight takeout binge.

After a long and particularly wet winter, the recent mild weather has people yearning to socialize. Knowing how to fill your wine glass during the changeable weather of spring can be somewhat perplexing, but if you stock up on a few versatile vintages, you’ll be ready for every entertaining scenario.

It is with some reservation that I share my current go-to bubbly. There’s a portion of me compelled to hoard the remarkable value all to myself. At $14.99, Antech Emotion 2016 Crémant is as well priced as it is delicious.

Courtesy of Blanche Shaheen
Blanche Shaheen’s recipes showcase Middle Eastern flavors and flair. Her Stuffed Butternut Squash is a great source of nutrients.

Middle Eastern people love stuffing vegetables with a tantalizing combination of rice, meat and herbs such as parsley and mint. They stuff everything from zucchini and eggplant to potatoes, tomatoes and even carrots. Imagine the effort it takes to core out a carrot in order to stuff it with rice – but somehow, many a Middle Eastern grandmother has done the deed.

One vegetable “vessel” underutilized in the Middle East is butternut squash, which is not indigenous to the region. This deep-orange-fleshed gourd originated in Central and South America, then moved north to the United States. Butternut squash has a sweet and nutty taste with a tan-yellow outer skin. This vegetable is also a great source of fiber, magnesium and potassium, along with a good dose of vitamins C and A.

Derek Wolfgram/Special to the Town Crier
Off The Rails Brewing Co. brewmaster Michael Barker and his wife, Caroline, shared their Murphy Wheat at Meet the Brewers.

The Meet the Brewers Festival, held annually at Hermitage Brewing Co. in San Jose during SF Beer Week, celebrated its 10th anniversary in February. The brewery was packed full of local brewmasters pouring their wares and attendees enjoying the variety of offerings.

Off The Rails

The newest brewery at the festival this year was Off The Rails Brewing Co. in Sunnyvale, which opened just two weeks before the festival, in the Murphy Street space formerly occupied by Stoddard’s and Firehouse Brewery.

Christine Moore/Special to the Town Crier
The Irish Fry, a meat-centric breakfast made with pig of many kinds, pairs best with strong tea and buttered bread.

It is often said that on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish. And sure, why wouldn’t ye want to be Irish for a day? After all, the Irish are known for their vivacious spirits, ability to lighten the distress of others with their wit and capacity to have a “craic” (Irish slang for a “good time”).

Becoming Irish for a day in Silicon Valley is relatively simple, but only with help from a wide array of cultures, from Irish immigrants importing foods to American industrialists building stately homes and local independent grocers and German meat markets creating Irish delicacies. It is the diversity of Silicon Valley that brings the bounty of Ireland to life here.

Christine Moore/ Special to the Town Crier
Spaghetti and meatballs makes for a romantic and simple dinner.

If only Cupid, that mischievous cherub of love, had enrolled in a home economics course instead of archery. His doing so would have allowed him to wield a needle and thread – stitching lovers’ hearts together rather than zinging couples with bow and arrow.

Nonetheless, I’m convinced that within the endless dirty dishes, kids’ sports schedules, monthly bills, piles of laundry and work trips, romance lurks even after that first zing. While grand gestures of love are noteworthy, sustained care for one another is the stuff of all the greatest relationships. Simple acts of kindness scattered throughout domestic life stoke the passions of love, and demonstrate how two hearts can become one in life.