2012 Culinaria’s Wine and Foods Art Festival kicks off with “Sip, Savor, & Shop” tomorrow!

WHEN:     Wednesday, May 16, 6 to 9 p.m.

WHERE:    The Shops at La Cantera

        15900 La Cantera Parkway

        On Main Street at The Falls near Yard House and Z Tejas Grill

TICKETS:     $35 in advance and $50 at the door. Call Culinaria at 210.822.9555 to purchase or visit online here.

Not only will you be able to enjoy tastings from the restaurants listed below, you’ll also sip some amazing wines! You’ll also get a coupon book that will last the entire week from various La Cantera Shop owners.

HINT: Register to be a member of the Shops of La Cantera CLUB Program and receive an exclusive Sip, Savor & Shop bag filled with goodies!

Participating Restaurants:

• Flour Power Bakery
• Bistro Six
• Sur La Table
• Z’ Tejas Southwestern Grill
• Williams-Sonoma
• BRIO Tuscan Grill
• Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
• Cabot Cheese
• Pasha Mediterranean Grill
• 20Nine Restaurant & Wine Bar
• Kirby’s Steakhouse
• Café Bistro (Nordstrom)

Check out some of the pictures from last year below:

Happy birthday to the Pearl Farmers Market!  Today, May 12, 2012, the farmers market turns 3 years old! Many local chefs wished happy birthday with their tasting samples featuring local vendors, produce, and products!

http://pearlfarmersmarket.com/

Become a fan on Facebook, follow @PearlFM on Twitter, and watch their tasty videos on Youtube to hear the latest news and win their giveaways!!  (Like we did by posting a picture on their FB page – a very cute beet shirt!)

I thought it was especially sweet to see the local chefs bring not only some of their staff but also their little helpers (who probably know more about food than the rest of us!)  Chef John Brand of Las Canarias with his youngest and Chef Jason Dady of Tre Trattoria, Bin555, and many other staple San Antonio restaurants with his daughter.

Pearl Farmers Market | Pearl Brewery San Antonio, TX

Check out the list of vendors that come every Saturday morning, starting at 9am, here.  Support your local farmers…they’re doing an incredible job!

Saturday, May 26, 2012, will be the grand opening of the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center at the Witte Museum.  This two-story, 20,000 square foot addition will serve as the permanent home for the Witte’s South Texas collections.  Visitors will be able to experience over 150 years of change and rapid growth in San Antonio and South Texas.

Some of the new exhibits include:

• San Antonio’s Main Plaza – a look at the famous square in the 1840s
• Life along the border
• Early years in South Texas – indigenous people, early settlers, the Missions
• Oil and gas industry
• Gallery dedicated to the 19th and 20th century early Texas art collections

With high-tech guides along the way, families can learn from cinematic robots, touch-screen computers, motion-trigger audio personas, and incredible sound and lighting effects capturing the interest and imagination of visitors young and old.

Kids will get to see what life what like for children in the 1800s.  A wagon display has a peek inside crate full of goods from that time period.  Families can work together to balance goods on a donkey’s back.  Kids can also carry two buckets of water with a yolk like kids back then had to.  In addition to the existing exhibits at the Witte, you’ll want to set aside a lot of time to really go through everything.

GRAND OPENING

Saturday, May 26: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday, May 27: Noon-5 p.m.

Monday, May 28: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Address:  3801 Broadway | San Antonio, TX 78209

• Witte Museum Boot Scoot and 5k Fun Run – opens the festivities with a morning run through Breckenridge Park
• Demonstrations throughout the day
• Cowboy/cowgirl dress up
• Trick Roping
• Horse interactions
• Interactions with San Antonio Living History association
• Much more!!!

SPECIAL EVENTS

The facility can accommodate up to 150 for a cocktail-style reception indoors and 250 for a seated dinner outside.  Please click here for more information.

No stranger to the lineup for Culinaria’s Wine and Culinary Festival, the Westin La Cantera’s fabulously romantic Francesca’s will be participating in the wine maker’s dinner on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

The toast of the evening is their featured wine, the Sommelier’s Selection Cabernet Sauvignon from Raymond Vineyards of Napa Valley. La Cantera’s very own Steven Krueger was one of only nine sommeliers across the COUNTRY selected to help blend this 2009 vintage. To learn more about Steven’s experience blending, check out his blog post here.

Chef Ernie Estrada has created an incredible pairing menu (view here). Call 210-558-2253 to make your reservations, this event WILL sell out! More details here or on the Westin La Cantera’s website, Facebook page, or tweets (@westinlacantera)

Enjoy attention from guest hosts Stephanie Putnam, Director of Winemaking, Raymond Vineyards and Dr. Richard and Bunny Becker, proprietors of Becker Vineyards.

(picture from Steven Krueger’s blog, “Lessons in Wine”)

I have personally attended a couple of the wine tastings hosted at the Westin La Cantera and highly recommend this intimidate experience! Served daily in the Steinheimer’s Lounge, Steven hosts a tasting that will take you across Texas vineyards for only $10. You do not have to be a guest of the hotel to take park. I learned more than I expected to about not only the wines but the wine making process, helping to deepen my appreciation for what Texas vineyards have set out to do.

If you’re like me, every couple of years you’ll do a google search on “margarita machine rental san antonio” in search of a great deal on a crowd favorite. Allow me to shorten your search and recommend:

Get Wild Margarita Machine Rentals

Website:
http://www.getwildmargarita.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/GETWILDMargarita

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/GETWILDMargarit

Become a fan of their FB page like I did and be automatically entered to win (like I did) a discounted rental! I actually won $20 off my rental just for becoming a fan!!

• Most competitive price in San Antonio, best rental AND delivery price ($90)…I looked at several different companies and a lot get you on the delivery charge
• Personalize machine for FREE! Since my sister’s shower was Baylor themed they went above and beyond by ordering special Baylor themed magnets and decorations
• FREE Personalized sign – not only do they personalize the machine, they also personalize the front with the congratulations message
• Includes quality cups (a lot of places will give you flimsy plastic cups), straws, napkins that fit in your theme
• They clean everything up; all you have to do is drink the margaritas!
• Drop off and pick up were very smooth, they let me know when they were on their way and let me pick when would be a good time for me (even though it was Easter they still were very flexible!)

Dan and Lori will help make your special event even better!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Culinaria 2012 will commence May 16, 2012 and end May 20!

Culinaria San Antonio

• Become a Facebook Fan
• Follow @culinariaSA on twitter
• Website: http://www.culinariasa.org

It’s almost time for the 13^th annual Culinaria Wine & Food Arts Festival! From May 16-May 20 there will be upscale affairs featuring sumptuous gourmet creations, elegant wine dinners, extravagant tastings with expensive bottles from many of best global and local wineries and roadside taco trucks, too.

New & Different:

• Tickets to the Grand Tasting will be limited this year to about 1,200 (down from 2,000 normally available – BUY NOW!)
• Food Truck Competition - featuring Latin, Asian and New American cuisine – and yes, tacos, too – served from rolling roadside kitchens.
• Sabado at Casa Hernan - an intimate dinner with Chef Johnny Hernandez

Sip, Savor & Shop
    6 p.m. , Wednesday, May 16

The Shops at La Cantera

$35 in advance, $50 at the door

The festival week once again begins with Sip, Savor & Shop at The Shops at La Cantera on Wednesday, May 16 and the chance to seek your festival fashion for the week through models on display for specific events and shopping incentives at participating retailers.

Food Truck Competition at Alon

    6 p.m., Thursday, May 17

    Alon Market

    $10 in advance, $25 at the door. Ticket entitles bearer to beer, wine and water, guests then purchase items direct from the Food Truck vendor of choice.

San Antonio’s top chefs and mobile chefs serve their fine cuisine right from their mobile trucks! Here, some of the more popular food trucks will gather in one place providing an opportunity to attendees for a stroll around that includes wine, shopping and live entertainment. It’s a casual evening of gourmet foods and, of course, wine and beer. Seize the opportunity to gather and dine with these esteemed guests.

Winemaker Dinners
    7 p.m., Thursday, May 17

    Various Locations, visit culinariasa.com

• Luke San Antonio’s Winemakers Dinner featuring Pedernales Cellars (details here)
• Westin La Cantera‘s Winemakers Dinner featuring Raymonds Vineyard and Becker Vineyards (details here)
• Max’s Wine Dive Winemakes Dinner featuring Hogue (menu here)

    Price varies by restaurant, visit culinariasa.com

Best of Mexico

7 p.m., Friday, May 18

Villita Assembly Building

$50 in advance, $65 at the door

A little bit of action, plenty of spicy flavors and so much fun all in one event – the Best of Mexico. Our local chefs create an event that reflects the tastes from south of the border. Of course, this event also highlights the winners from our Tequila competition but also delivers wine as part of the package along with live entertainment and a silent auction.

Becker Luncheon

    Noon, Friday, May 18

    Becker Vineyards

    $65 (Advance Sales Only)

Friday may be the end of the work week, but, for Culinaria, it signals the start of a weekend full of activities, starting with the popular Luncheon at Becker Vineyards. The Beckers play host to three local chefs each taking one course of the meal and pairing it with the festival’s guest winemakers for the week. The result is an afternoon that is tasty, informative and the perfect way to kick off the weekend.

Sabado at Casa Hernan

11am-1p.m., Saturday, May 19

411 E Cevallos St | San Antonio, TX 78204

$50

Ethnic flavors come together to celebrate this Mexican tradition. Start your Saturday of festival festivities experiencing variations of barbacoa as Chef Johnny Hernandez takes you through the journey through sight, smell and plenty of taste accompanied by fantastic cocktails and entertainment.

 

Sommelier Tasting Seminar

11am-1p.m., Saturday, May 19

411 E Cevallos St | San Antonio, TX 78204

$50

Sommeliers know a thing or two about wine – it’s their business. Guests at this seminar will experience a blind tasting with the experts and our special guests Virginia Philip, Master Sommelier and Guy Stout, CWE, Master Sommelier along with our local wine experts, Dr. Richard Becker, Becker Vineyards and Steven Krueger, Resort Sommelier for the Westin La Cantera. These experienced palates will give you the chance to taste wine like a pro with a combination of white and red wines and certainly a surprise or two along the way.

The Grand Tasting (bubble Room)

7 p.m., Saturday, May 19

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
$100 advance sales, $125 at the door

BUBBLE ROOM: Early access to the Grand Tasting, a designated area for our Bubble Room patrons and bubbles along with a few small bites make this a truly grand night. The first-ever Grand Tasting Bubble Room will be limited to a small number of guests. Purchase of this ticket includes access to the Bubble Room and to the Grand Tasting.

The Grand Tasting Presented by Ambhar Tequila: The name says it all. This Saturday night spectacular features the absolute best of restaurants in town and the culmination of the wines featured throughout the festival. Live entertainment – and room for dancing this year – with a silent auction all set against the backdrop of the San Antonio Riverwalk make this the event to attend.

Burgers, BBQ & Beer, (The Pearl)
Noon, Sunday, May 20

    The Pearl

    $35 advance sales, $50 at the door

The only way to follow an evening of grandeur is to kick back and relax Texas-style. And, the best way to do this is to enjoy Culinaria’s backyard barbecue, also known as Burgers, BBQ and Beer. San Antonio chefs enjoy creating their own spin on burgers and barbecue and attendees have the chance to sample all of the goodness. Live entertainment at the Pearl Amphitheater and eclectic shopping are the best ways to complete this relaxing afternoon.

TICKETS: Call Culinaria at 210.822.9555 or click on the hyperlink name to Eventbrite.

Perry’s Dining is offering a pork chop Friday lunch special THIS Friday, April 20, 2012 for ONLY 79 cents.  Yes people you’ve read that correctly!  Don’t want to take my work for it? Check out their blog post (as these people know social!!) here:

In appreciation for the loyal following of its $11.95 Pork Chop Friday lunch, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille has a special offering for its patrons and online fans. Perry’s will select a random Friday to offer a 79-cent Pork Chop Friday lunch to the first 100 people at each of their nine Steakhouse & Grille locations in Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, in honor of the year Perry’s first opened as a butcher shop in 1979.

…

Perry’s opens for lunch at 11 a.m. on Fridays, so on Flashback Friday, the first 100 people in line outside the restaurant at 11 a.m. will receive cards redeemable for a 79-cent Pork Chop Friday lunch. This special offer is for dine-in only and available on a first come, first serve basis. No reservations will be accepted earlier than 11:30 a.m. the day of the Flashback Friday lunch.

So get there early!  Normally $11.95 on Fridays, this is an incredible deal!

As a mom and IT geek, I wanted to write a quick blog post to remind parents (and people who ever let kids play with their mobile devices or computers) to update the safe search settings for YouTube and Google.

YouTube:

go to http://www.youtube.com/…if you’re on a mobile device it will redirect you to their mobile site.  If you’re on a computer skip down a couple screenshots to step 3.

1 – Go to http://www.youtube.com/

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “Desktop” link:

3.  Scroll all the way down the desktop view and click on the “Safety” drop down.  You’ll be able to toggle safe search on and off from there.

If you are logged in, you can have youtube remember your setting on any device you’re signed into (computer or phone.)

Of course they caveat it with “it’s not 100% safe”…so always monitor your children wisely.  Detailed instructions from YouTube here.

Google Safe Search

After going to https://www.google.com/ scroll to the bottom of the page:

Click “Settings“:

Make sure that “Strict” search is selected:

and scroll to the bottom of the page and save before exiting the browser.

Detailed instructions from Google here.

Check out more information from Google’s Family Safety Center (that I didn’t realize existed before writing this blog post!)  It includes advice from their partners and a lot of other helpful resources:

• Sexually explicit and violent material
• Meeting strangers online
• Sharing too much personal information
• Cyberbullying
• Exposure to vulgar language
• Sites promoting inappropriate behaviors such as eating disorders and drug use
• Malware

In one meal, @SAChefCoalition has set an incredible tone for the SA culinary community as this alliance of chefs strives to live up to their ambitious mission statement (from their inaugural dinner worddoc):

• Community involvement and dedication to charitable work
• Helping Local Farmers and Artisanal Producers
• Education of our Craft, Passion and Drive behind Chef Driven Restaurants
• Food & Fitness, Leading the way for making positive changes for our youth

The money raised during the 1^st supper will go towards 3 SAISD high schools’ culinary programs. Only stipulation to the schools (Burbank, Lanier, and Sam Houston) was that it could not be spent on food…could be used for equipment, training, resources, etc. Learn more about the high school culinary program at Sam Houston here. Especially dear to Burbank 1994 alum Chef Jesse Perez’s heart!

The chefs (and sommelier) behind the Coalition:

The pictures will speak for themselves but it was an amazing dinner. Easily worth the $95, from the second you wandered onto the porch of Tre Trattoria, you knew you were in for a treat. Beautifully set up, each guest received a different potted herb (basil, lavender, and more). Not only were you surrounded by engaging chefs who passionately presented meals made with TLC, the people who signed up for this grassroots meal were self-proclaimed foodies trying to feed their addiction to food porn which ended up being the perfect recipe for a high energy evening full of fun and surprises.

Menu

• For Starters:  Rebecca Creek whiskey sours and charcuterie (which was FABULOUS, accompanied by the perfect mustard), carrot purée, grilled spring onions, and butter nut squash.
• Salads:  Beet salad with crisp green beans, simple leafy salad.
• Leading Ladies and Supporting Acts:  Farm-raised roasted chicken, AMAZING beef cheek with huge cloves of garlic, mushrooms, pomegranates (easily the show stealer of the evening),  polenta, grits, kale, rutabaga, and a farro dish.
• Sweet Ending:  Fresh strawberries in whipped cream and pop rocks.

Fresh ingredients were provided for by the following local farms or vendors:

Beautiful pictures from the event captured by @DavdRangel
here on Flickr.  Even more pictures from Chris Saucedo!

Make sure to follow @SAChefcoalition as they announce the next event, this Thursday!

Amazing charcuterie

Chef Andrew Weissman with John Griffin of SavorSA.com

show stealer for sure - beef cheeks = phenomenal!

#foodiemamas from left to right: @ohmypuddin @definedelicious @safoodnazi @TaraBurkholder & me (@geekettebits)!

What:  Savings Nation, a workshop hosted by Savings.com

When:  March 30 from 6:30-8:30pm

Where:   Alamo Heights United Methodist Church in San Antonio

Cost:  $5 plus a canned good (both of which go to the San Antonio Food Bank!)

Erin will teach participants smart and simple ways to save BIG at the grocery store…basically how to spend less making small changes to the way you shop, use coupons and meal plan. She shares top tips and tricks for saving big…all while being healthier (she’s big on cooking from scratch and eating healthy).

Erin Chase, founder of $5 Dinners.com, been The View, The Rachel Ray Show and ABC News. She grew up in San Antonio, lived outside the country for a while, came back and started her little blog…which sort of blossomed into a national phenomenon which led to a gig on Rachel Ray and two best selling cookbooks.

Register:  http://www.5dollardinners.com/2012/03/san-antonio-coupon-class.html

Why should you go??

• Learn how to save 50% on groceries with coupon strategies for  local stores
• Get valuable and exclusive tools to find the best deals and plan out meals every week
• Connect with neighbors, make new friends, and find a savings buddy to help along the way
• AND you’ll be supporting the local San Antonio Food Bank!

Directions:

Alamo Heights United Methodist Church – 825 E. Basse Road | San Antonio, TX 78209 {map}

Brought to you by Savings.com who believes the key to being a happy, healthy consumer is saving money on the things that you need in order to spend on the things that you want.  Find additional savings from them on their social media channels:

• https://www.facebook.com/Savings
• @savings
• Google+