dinner for 4 in berkeley hills, February 11

Another wonderful dinner at my clients Erin and Anthony in the Berkeley hills

Appetizers
-socca with beet nut pate
-collard leaves stuffed with pear roasted tempeh, wild/basmati rice, roasted/pureed butternut squash with chili oil and tahini sauce

Salad
radichio-arugula-spinach-pecan salad with lime cilantro dressing

entree
enchiladas stuffed with almond cheese and wild mushrooms
red mole sauce
mixed grain pilaf
black beans
sauteed brocolini with garlic

Michael Manring dinner/concert, Friday May 6

Friday, May 6, 2011
8 pm
limited seating for 20
location: West Oakland
$55/person
for reservation and more information, vegshaku8 at gmail

Returning to our renowned dinner/concert series is one of the worlds greatest electric bass players, Michael Manring.

appetizer:
TBA

Salad
Blood oranges, roasted beets, roasted fennel, mizuna, black olive tapenade, walnut-orange dressing

Small plate
Sope
homemade tortilla bowls fried and filled with black bean puree, guacamole, pineapple salsa

entree
pea ravioli
pea cream
cauliflower puree
morels sauteed with favas and peas

dessert
strawberry rhubarb tart
strawberry pistachio sorbet

catering a birthday dinner in San Jose, tonight

Homemade breads and dips:
Pumpkin seed multigrain rolls, pita breads
with beet nut pate, and hummus.

First Course:
Blood orange-fennel-watercress salad,
with a blood orange vinaigrette.

Second Course:
Socca
 Topped with caramelized leeks, sun dried tomatoes, olive tapenade. Mizuna salad,

Third Course:
Vegan quiche
 Custard made of silken tofu and homemade soymilk with caramelized onions, spinach,
green onion and shitake, cognac and herbs. Arugula-radicchio salad.

Fourth Course:
Collard rolls
Stuffed with apple roasted tempeh, wild and basmati rice,
and caramelized onions, with a tahini dipping sauce.

Fifth Course:
Almond cheese ravioli with wild mushroom sauce
 (hedgehog, black trumpets, truffle oil) with basil pesto, brocollini.

March 27: Vegan desserts class

Sunday, March 27, 2011
noon
loft in west oakland.
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information or to register vegshaku8 at gmail
Hands on class to delight your sweet tooth.
Incredibly flavorful desserts yet never using any refined sugars.

We will be creating the following dishes:

truffles
cashew based ice cream (rosewater saffron- cardamom)
yuzu-matcha cake
ruggelach
carrot oat cookies
tangerine kanten

March 13 Tempeh class

Sunday, March 13, 2011
noon
limited space for 8
$50/person
for more information vegshaku8 at gmail

A hands on class with all students taking part in the creation and consumption of each dish.

Tempeh class!

Demystify tempeh. Learn how to produce your own tempeh from soybeans and tempeh spores.
We will explore the traditional ways of making tempeh and learn a variety of dishes using freshly made tempeh.

Fried tempeh with chili sauce
tamarind glazed tempeh
Fruit roasted tempeh, wrapped in collard leaves
tempeh - pumpkin red curry
and more

Valentines Sunday Brunch, Feb 13

Wanting to celebrate Valentines Day but can't on Monday? Come celebrate with us for a decadent brunch with 5 courses and a wonderful concert by harp player Chris Caswell on Sunday at 11am.

in the 1970's Chris Caswell was one of the people responsible for reviving the Celtic harp tradition. He is a world renowned performer as well as harp maker, based in Berkeley. Come and enjoy some truly stunningly gorgeous music from around t...he world performed by one of the great Celtic harp players of our time.
http://www.chriscaswell.net/

Limited seating for 20

Sunday, February 13, 2011
11 am
limited seating for 20
$55/person
for more information or to make reservations: vegshaku8 at gmail
location: loft in Oakland.

we will serve Taiwanese high mountain oolong teas through the brunch (Lishan, charcoal roasted alishan and Dong Ding)

Soup:
lemongrass infused pear parsnip soup with kaffir lime leaf/thai basil pesto

Salad Course:
blood orange salad with watercress and fennel with blood orange dressing

small plate
fried dumplings (homemade pasta filled with walnuts/tofu/lotus root)
daikon pickled nukamisozuke style
wakame salad w/ yuzu dressing
chili oil
karashi

Entree:
collard leaves stuffed with apple roasted tempeh (homemade tempeh), wild/basmati rice and pureed roasted butternut squash
red cabbage braised with apples
roasted beets pureed with tahini and dill

Dessert Course:
chocolate truffle cake, double chocolate ice cream with candied pecans and dried cranberries

2 pieces of music

I realize this is my food blog. However i am a musician, even though i have been in denial of that for a few years. Getting back into practicing and putting concerts on the calendar, locally and out of town.

Inspired by some unpleasant and unexpected events in my life i recorded this as i began to  sketch for a new solo piece i am composing, "Dragon Descends into Darkness".



The joy of modern communications, i posted that video on my facebook wall and minutes later, in response to my piece, my good friend and duet partner, Jie Ma improvised and posted this.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150149636524692

please enjoy!


phil