Getting In Tune With the Local Growing Season

Those of us who live in the San Francisco Bay area are privileged with an abundance of seasonal produce to enjoy. The seasons create a natural time interval for reviewing our menu and adding or changing items to take advantage of the fruits and vegetables the market has to offer.

There are many websites that can help you find the foods from our local area. One suggestion is http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop.eatseasonal/ where you will find help locating your local farmers market, or an itemized list of foods that are air-freighted, and answer questions on food related issues There are also recipes to help you learn to cook like a pro. For those who want to take a more radical approach to “eating sustainable” look for the sun-shy porker on the hoof. He will be the link to the thought provoking “watch the meatrix” website. Between the two websites you will find information and opinions on issues in regard to additives, antibiotics, the environmental impact made by factory farms and family farms. Love the opportunity to camp and grill? Check out the recipes for meat lovers or vegetarians.

http://www.localharvest.org/ features a calendar of farm and food events in your local area. You also have the option to buy from an extensive family farm listing. From apples to pet needs you will find what you need from the on-line stores. You will also find the answers to your questions about Organic foods. Many people do not understand the regulations regarding the production and marketing of USDA certified –organic foods. This website gives you specific guidelines for your reference.

We look forward to serving our Members throughout all the seasons and encourage your questions and comments. Bon Appetite!

Slice, Dice & Roll

This past Tuesday evening, City Club members were treated to some one-on-one time with our very own Executive Chef Michael & Executive Sous Chef Danny. All the elements came together, as we set up cutting boards, honing knife, and a sharpening stone, and (normally very shy) Chef Michael gave a brief presentation and demonstrated the how-to of sharpening kitchen knives. He also honed the edges, giving a nice smoothness to the blade and removing any nicks or roughness left after the running it on the sharpening stone. Dull knives make slicing, dicing and brunoise SO hard; a sharp knife makes all the difference!

Members also got to get their hand sticky! Chef had at the ready a whole sushi-making station. In pairs and on their own, members spread prepared sushi rice on nori, filled it with yummy julienned fruits & vegetables, tossed in fresh salmon or tuna to taste, and spread spicy aioli over everything – making personalized sushi to taste! Chefs Michael and Danny also gave hands-on instruction on how to press and roll sushi, and those sharp knives came in handy for slicing the rolls. My favorite part was that everyone had the opportunity to try everyone else’s handiwork, as members generously shared their creations with each other.

If you missed it, stay tuned for future mini-classes – this one only lasted an hour, but offered a full evening’s worth of fun! This event was complimentary for members and their guests - just one of the benefits of membership!

Chef’s Luis’s Secret Spicy Aioli Recipe

Blend in food processor:
Six Egg Yolks
2 whole eggs
Throw in:
¼ cup lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
With the processor running, slowly pour in:
3 c extra virgin olive oil
Until thick aioli consistency
Add:
3 tbsp of Cajun seasoning (garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, ground white pepper, red chili flakes)
1 tbsp of tabasco

Makes Approximately 2 quarts

For a listing of other upcoming events, take a look at our online calendar as we are always adding in events. See you next time!

Larissa Lorian
Member Services Manager

"I'll have Buttercream please"

The City Club now showcases our “2nd Tuesday’s, Wedding & Event Showcase” well every second Tuesday of the month. Our guests are booked and prospective Bride's & Grooms or corporate event meeting planners. They have become very popular and we always receive a good turnout. One of the advantages of attending our 2nd Tuesday is our special guest (vendors) spotlight. This month, we featured Tracey from The Buttercream Studios, whom brought sample cake’s to the open house in addition to her yummy cake samples of Butter Almond cake with Vanilla Butter cream and Organic Apricot Preserves, Belgian Chocolate Cake with Oreo Butter cream and Vanilla Bean Cake with Raspberry Butter cream.
She is a very enthusiastic, creative, and a delightful wedding & event cake baker & designer. One of my favorite things about Tracey is her color plalete she offers to clients for their cakes. It looks something like a paint color palette you would find at Home Depot, very impressive to get that specific color you may be looking for! I find Tracey to be very easygoing, precise, and best of all LOVES her job. Meg, a bride whose wedding is coming up in August at the City Club attended our 2nd Tuesday this month with her florist. She is also using Tracy for her wedding cake and wanted them to meet, as she is having fresh floral on her cake. Again, our 2nd Tuesday’s is a great opportunity to have all vendors meet under one roof, and I being her Wedding Coordinator was there as well.

Please view Tracy’s website for further information about her & Buttercream Studios and more pictures. The link is http://www.thebuttercreamstudio.com/, The Buttercream Studio is also on Facebook and Twitter at tracyacakes.

-Alison Angelo
Sales & Catering Manager

Climb for the Cure

On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, the City Club hosted a kickoff meeting for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s 3rd Annual Point B Climb for a Cure. Local business leaders from such companies as Point B, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Kaiser and Google met to create corporate teams in support of this fundraising event.

Point B Climb for a Cure is the CF Foundation’s annual stair climb event. Participants form teams to hike up 72 flights of stairs in the One Front Street Tower. The event ends with a celebration on the 28th floor—including music, food, mimosas, massages and a raffle. Climb for a Cure takes place on Saturday, September 19 at One Front Street with registration beginning at 9 am.

“With so much promising research on the horizon, it’s more important than ever that we raise every dollar we can to fight CF and improve the lives of people with this disease,” said Brian Herriot, volunteer chair of Point B Climb for a Cure. “We are grateful for the contributions of each volunteer and donor who supports Climb for a Cure. Everyone is doing their part in this life-saving effort.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been recognized as one of the most efficient charities in the country. Nearly 90 cents on the dollar raised by the CF Foundation is available to fund CF research and care programs.

Fifty years ago, most children with CF did not live long enough to attend elementary school.
Today, as a result of dramatic improvements in research and care, the median age of survival is more than 37 years old. For more information on cystic fibrosis, visit http://www.cff.org/.

To help fight CF, participate in the Point B Climb for a Cure and register at http://nca.cff.org/stairclimb or contact Jennifer Rucker, Special Events Manager, at jrucker@cff.org or (415) 989-6500.

-The City Club Team

Taking a Look Back

Can you believe the year is almost half over? The Club is filled with conversations of networking opportunities, business speculations and vacation plans. Every floor has a buzz of excitement as we prepare for the next meeting or event. With such gorgeous facilities, it’s not hard to showcase your event with our commitment to excellence that is defined by the beauty of the City by the Bay.

The first six months of this year have been busy with business and social member events. To name a few: the Jamison Roundtable Luncheons have hosted guests Nader Shabahangi, founder of AgeSong and The Pacific Institute, Cari Guittard - Executive Director, Business for Diplomatic Action, Sunny Schwartz who wrote Dreams From the Monster Factory. Our Food & Beverage Department has had tastings from The Balvenie Distillery, Macallan Single Malt Whiskeys and Tre Bicchieri Wines. The Club has been an exciting place during the first half of 2009, our event calendar will reflect the summer vacation months with fewer activities; which gives us ample time to plan for a great fall and holiday season to finish of the 2009 year. We look forward to sharing the good times with you.
Hector Romero - Banquet Manager