Chef Training Is Brewing At The Newest New Leaf Community Market On The Santa Cruz West Side

I'd like to introduce you to Chef Jennifer Brewer. In the nutritional and natural food worlds Jennifer needs no introduction. She is a graduate of the Chef's Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Cookery School in New York. She holds a Masters Degree in Nutrition and is a Certified Nutrition Specialist through the American College of Nutrition as well as a James Beard Scholarship recipient.

Jenny has been teaching a variety of classes for the Santa Cruz based New Leaf Community Markets. New Leaf has just opened up a flagship store on the Santa Cruz Westside at 127 Fair Avenue just off Mission Street. This grand new location has its very own Community Classroom for cooking instruction and gatherings. What an ideal setting for Jenny to launch her eight week Natural Chef Training Program. This course quickly sold out but I was lucky enough to slip into the second session which featured cooking with whole grains.


Chef Brewer (on the right) is pictured here with her assistant, Lydia Simmons, who is a recent graduate of another prestigious nutritional culinary school in Santa Cruz, Bauman College.


The theme of the second class in the series was on whole grains. Jenny began with tutorial on their nutritional benefits and then we all quickly slid into some hands-on prep work for our dishes.















Presenting these classes right on location inside the New Leaf Community Market means the very freshest of organic and often locally grown ingredients will be at our fingertips every week.

On the menu for tonight were Caramelized Onion & Rosemary Mini Quiches. We got the onions caramelizing first because it's a step you really can't rush. The key to this dish was lots of fresh rosemary and a touch of balsamic vinegar. To create their fun "mini" size we baked them in muffin pans.


Our quiche entree was flagged beautifully by a pair of very hearty salads. One group made the Quinoa Pumpkin Seed while the other prepared an amazing Kale, Brown Rice and Tahini salad. The big surprise in the Kale dish was that it was completely raw. Instead of even a quick par boiling we only massaged the leaves with sea salt which made them totally tender. Both the quinoa and brown rice starred in leading roles as the focus of our featured subject of whole grains. When we were all asked to evaluate the dishes I commented that either of these salads were so satisfying that they could stand on their own as a main course.

We also roasted some asparagus spears but definitely kicked them up a notch with a delicious Onion Confit topping. The confit was made much like their caramelized counterparts but with a touch of Dijon mustard to make it pop.

Our finishing act was a wonderful Millet Coconut Pudding. As rich and satisfying as it was it still felt like a decadent dessert topped with raw almonds. We all agreed how very flexible this dish could be as a breakfast, snack or dessert. Vanilla, cinnamon and cardamon spices all added to the pleasures here.

And in the end who were the most critical judges of our work? Of course, it was the cooks themselves as we all got to taste the fruits (and grains) of our efforts.


This class will be a Thursday tradition for the next six weeks. I will be back to tell you about each one. One thing is certain. It will be full of surprises and tips on how to make nutritious foods taste great.

Wedding Disc Jockey + Personal Chef... It's The Perfect Recipe For A Fun & Lively Cooking Show

I recently had the opportunity to call the play-by-play at a live cooking demonstration. Food is definitely another one of my passions so I did not think twice when I was asked to narrate the presentation with Personal Chef Elizabeth Bourget of Gourmet To Go. The stage was set at this year's California Home, Garden and Gourmet Show at the Santa Clara Country Fairgrounds.

All of these photos were taken by my good friend from the wedding industry, Mike Danen. This first shot shows off our Neptune theme display created by Denise Stansfield of Denise D. Stansfield Design. Denise's design talents also extend into events with her company called OTOO Productions (Out Of The Ordinary Party & Event Planning).

Left to Right: Elizabeth's Daughter, Michelle, Chef Bourget & myself.

Utilizing Elizbeth's culinary finesse, Michelle's assistance and my gift of gab we had a crowd very hungry for Blackened Shrimp with Pomegranate-Orange Salsa and a fish soup called Olla Bouillabaisse. Both dishes were big on bold Cajun spices. We came prepared very green with all compostable recycled serving bowls, plates, napkins and utensils for the generous samples.


Chef Elizabeth Bourget runs Gourmet To Go with a strong commitment to being green and socially conscious. Everything she buys, prepares and serves is organic, sustainable and recyclable whenever possible. She strongly supports the Slow Food Movement and chooses all her fish according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program.

I'm not really sure who had the most fun at this show. The audience loved the aromas and flavors of the spectacular dishes. Elizabeth was rockin' with sizzling shrimp, spicy salsa and tossing out great tips on kitchen technique. Michelle was our very own stylish Vanna White. While I simply had a blast dishing out the gourmet play-by-play and fielding questions from the peanut gallery. One thing is for certain. This will not be my last tango in the kitchen. - DJ Chef Carl

Pioneering Wedding DJ Becomes Marketing Therapist To The Wedding Industry

Andy Ebon is no stranger to the San Francisco Bay Area wedding scene.

But Andy's work in the bridal industry is now spanning the decades and has morphed into national speaker, consultant and web adviser. For the complete nitty gritty on Andy's illustrious entrepreneurial story check out the about page on his really fun wedding marketing website called Wedding Marketing.net.

Andy and I go back to his days in the mid-eighties when he helmed Designer Music which was one of the premier mobile disc jockey operations in the San Francisco area. We had a lot of fun in those days but Andy knew that his calling was speaking to audiences instead of making them dance. So Andy traded in his DJ microphone for one at the podium and hit the speaking circuit. Today his travels have brought him full circle back to the wedding world where he specializes in wedding and hospitality marketing.


Out of all this experience EBS Virtual Communications was born. Andy's strength is speaking in plain terms to help small and medium size companies keep up with their technical marketing efforts in today's fast paced constantly changing web world.

Andy has been a longstanding active member of NACE wherever he has lived so it was no surprise when he stepped up to fill in for the local Silicon Valley NACE chapter after their scheduled speaker had to cancel.

This twist of fate proved to be not only highly educational but also very entertaining for those of us who attended Andy's fantastic presentation last month on blogging at the San Jose Hilton.

I am a self-proclaimed novice when it comes to blogging but sitting right next to me was someone I call the Queen of Blogging, Stacie Tamaki, who actually speaks on the topic of blogging herself to our industry. Stacie and I agreed that Andy gave one of the best presentations we have ever seen. Not only did he field all the questions beautifully but he kept everyone engaged regardless of their level of blogging expertise. I have taken enough technology classes to really appreciate a presenter who can be effective at speaking to an audience with varying levels of expertise. Andy definitely hit the bull's eye. To find out what's always happening on Andy's own blog check it out at The Wedding Marketing Blog.com.

So the next time you need some great one-on-one advice for your web woes or a great speaker for your association meeting, contact Andy Ebon. He is on it.

-That Carl Guy

An Afternoon Wedding Tea At The Mansion

Fanfare has done it again. Only this time we invited a wonderful group of brides-to-be to an afternoon tea at the amazing Ralston Hall Mansion in Belmont. My first photo shows off their glorious ballroom. And as if their grandiose ceilings aren't dramatic enough, we added the spectacular effects of Enhanced Lighting.

And speaking of Enhanced Lighting, owner Megan Woods, paused for a moment to pose here with our official Fanfare photographer, Teresa Halton.


Our Afternoon Wedding Tea and every other event at Ralston Hall Mansion is really enhanced by the gracious hostessing of Karen Bouquist-Gelineau and Denise Wilkelstein pictured here. Their gentle coordination style really sets a relaxed tone for this stunning setting.


No Fanfare event is complete without hospitality. Even at an afternoon tea our guests were treated to a savory light buffet by Teri Menchini of La Bocca Fina catering. And as a perfect compliment to the savory tastes we all enjoyed the sweet treats of Have Your Cake. Maralyn Tabatsky came through again with four distinct dessert samplings served with a variety of teas during our presentation and raffle. To wrap things up on a really fun note Cynthia Glinka opened up her bag of tricks and dazzled the audience with the help of three very willing newlywed couples-to-be. This light hearted finale was the perfect conclusion to a great afternoon of meeting, greeting and noshing. This close up shot of Maralyn's delectables speaks for itself.


My parting shot here is of myself on the right and my absolute favorite wedding ceremony officiant, Rev. Ed Holt. When it comes to wedding officiants Ed Holt is simply in a league of his own. We had a lot of fun chatting with brides-to-be and their entourages at Ed's table right near the entrance to the mansion.


Chalk up another successful showcase for Fanfare and the Ralston Hall Mansion. The good news we have set a date for our next event on January 13th at the Kohl Mansion. If you know anyone who is planning a wedding, be sure they also know about Fanfare and that is a simple as going to www.fanfareweddings.com. Happy Holidays from all us Fanfarians!

-That Only DJ Guy

Fanfare For The Uncommon Bride

Strike up the band! I've just joined Fanfare. Fanfare is a group of wedding professionals who offer a refreshing counterpoint to the mass produced bridal shows. There is only one vendor in each category and they produce intimate gatherings where bridal clients can meet them up close and personal.

Another big plus with Fanfare is they only present at the area's top venues. Our most recent gathering was at the spectacular Kohl Mansion in Burlingame. Our gracious hostesses were Terri Baldocchi and Dianne Devin who do a fine job managing this great facility.

Fanfare lived up to it's name with a jubilant welcoming of attendees at the front of the mansion by the horns of the Brassworks Music featuring Gabriel's Trumpets.

Another amazing thing about Fanfare is the food. Often these types of showcases offer only nibbles and beverages but not at Fanfare where everyone is treated to a full dinner by one of the area's best known caterers, La Bocca Fina. Pictured here is La Bocca Fina owner, Teri Menchini, who paused briefly to allow me a quick photo of her. Teri's food was amazing and no one left the Kohl that night hungry.


Adding to the festive atmosphere were the flowers of Plan Decor. Owner, Karen Baba, is pictured here with one of her many stunning arrangements. Karen also made all of the bouquets for our fashion show. This show was the debut of one of our newest Friends of Fanare featuring the attire of The Unique Bride with its brand new owner, Tosca Clark.


Then the real fun began with some impromptu dance lessons by Cynthia Glinka, Dance Instructor to the Stars. Cynthia's high energy and great sense of humor made her a really fun co-host as we are pictured together her with our roaving microphones.


And the only way to top all of this was with some serious sugar. Fanfare's representative in the sweets department is Maralyn Tabatsky, of Have Your Cake. So the perfect wind down for the evening was tasting some of Maralyn's delicacies. The Kohl Mansion has an amazing room for displaying your wedding cake as shown here with a pair of Maralyn's cakes we enjoyed.


Here's just few of the Fanfare core group who posed for my little point and shoot:


Diane Tatro of Travel Quest Honeymoons (on the left with the Aloha spirit) and Megan Woods of Enhanced Lighting on the right.




Teresa Halton (our team photographer on the right) with Terri Baldochhi of the Kohl Mansion.




Anna Maria Mendieta of Premiere Harp Songs posed here with her instrument of choice. Rounding out the core group who are regular Fanfare members are Rev. Ed Holt, Hyegraph Invitations & Calligraphy, Classic Party Rentals and Thomas Hughes Video Productions.


Fanfare keeps each event fresh with "Friends of Fanfare" who bring their unique products and services in for a limited basis. At the Kohl we were treated to a brand new company called Well Rehearsed. Kathy Goodman is shown below at her table where all the buzz was about her unique new service specializing in rehearsal dinners.


Among our other Friends of Fanfare who joined us for the excitement at the Kohl show were Il Fornaio Restaurant, M.A.C. Cosmetics at Burlingame, Ambassadors Rolls-Royce Limousine Service, Doubletree Hotel SFO, and Dermalounge.

The bottom line is the core group of Fanfare all have longstanding reputations while the Friends of Fanfare bring in something new with each showcase. The result keeps the entire effort fresh and exciting. Look for our next event on November 2 at the Ralston Hall Mansion in Belmont. For details just visit Fanfare Weddings.com.

Life In The Full Lane

How much can you squeeze into 32 hours? This past weekend was a record for me on several fronts and I am normally a very busy guy who likes to keep his hands and feet moving.

It all began at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning with my 40 year high school reunion. This party was a winner from the get go when those organizing decided to make it a casual picnic at Vasona. It had been nearly twenty years since any formal gathering of the Wildcats of 1968 so the timing for this event was ripe.

I had the pleasure of providing a sound system and music because that's just what I do. I made five playlists in iTunes and then burned them to CD. There was one disc each for 1964 to 1968 when music was great. Motown, Beatles and all those other artists that made music to which you cannot help but sing along. And singing we did with no inherent pressure to dance or even a floor to do it on. Although many could not sit still so they just danced in the grass because this music is still so infectious.

The internet has made connecting with former classmates so much easier. We had a great turnout of about 75 classmates and a few spouses. Although everyone looked good the little name tags with your yearbook photo were included to help jump start your memory. A lot can change in forty years. Of course, I look exactly the same as you can see from my yearbook picture and this photo taken at the reunion below.
Los Gatos High School colors have always been like Halloween, Orange and Black. The only orange and black outfit in my wardrobe are these wild parachute pants and they certainly harvested many comments as well as made me the brunt of several jokes. But it was all worth it in the spirit of the Cats of '68. Posing with me here is Dennis Barrier who was huge in making our 40th happen.

One more sidebar on the reunion was a little girl named Heidi. She is pictured here below with my daughter, Claire. When Heidi arrived she was hoping there would be more children to play with at the park. I made the mistake of telling her that Claire would arrive soon. She took that promise as "any minute" and anticipated Claire's arrival for over an hour. Their eventual connection was a blessing for both of them as they were just about the only two kids at the party. Heidi's story is bittersweet as she was at our reunion with her grandmother, Jeannie Krusee (Nilson) from my class because Jeannie's daughter lost her battle with cancer only one year after Heidi was born. Heidi is now just four years old and will be raised by her relatives. This story will be underscored by my experience on Sunday.

Although the reunion continued well past the scheduled ending time I had to run off to San Francisco for a wedding reception at the incredible Asian Art Museum. You really have to see this place to believe how inspiring architecture can be. I was lucky enough to make this my third wedding in just two months with Jubilee Lau. And what more perfect setting for the wedding celebration of two Ivy League architectural grads, Leonard and Emily Ng, than the AAM. And as if the Samsung Ballroom wasn't stunning enough, they brought in the floral magnificence of Kathleen Deery. Any photograph with my little point and shoot camera simply would not do this setting justice. As they say "you really had to be there" to experience the beauty of this event.

We danced well into Saturday night but then I again had to run off to the third and final leg of my weekend marathon, the Livestrong Challenge very early Sunday morning. For the first time ever this incredible event came to Northern California. Lance Armstrong's celebrity factor is huge but he only uses it to leverage the altruistic mission of his Livestrong Foundation. Just like his autobiography called "It's Not About The Bike" this event is not about Lance. It is about making cancer a national priority. It is about raising money and awareness. It is about saving lives and improving lives of those affected by cancer.

When I first heard about this event we immediately formed a team at my gym, World Gym. I dubbed our team, Headstrong, for the play on words and credo of our team captain, Michele Meliski. Michele's philosophy is that your mental strength ultimately dictates your physical strength. Will power can keep you going long after you "think" your body has shut down.

Four from our team chose the do the entire 100 mile bike ride on Sunday.
Pictured here from left to right are Michele, me, Kristy Sanden and Peter Meyer. We posed for a moment at the first rest stop in Saratoga which was heavily staffed by volunteers from another amazing cancer support group called The Wellness Community. And what a nice surprise to see my lifelong friends, Patty and Steve Tedesco working the rest stop with many others from TWC supporting the Livestrong Challenge. You gotta love the synergy of multiple cancer support groups cross supporting each other.

And then I got the thrill of a lifetime as the first wave of riders came up behind us. We had jumped the gun before the official start at 7:30. After all, it is not a race so we just began our journey a bit early. Leading this huge group of riders was Lance Armstrong so I got to ride about six miles from Saratoga to Los Gatos with the man himself. Only when we hit the climb on Shannon Road did the real cyclists leave us amateurs behind. I can't remember the last time I was so happy to get left in the dust.

The headline in Monday's paper read "Cancer Only loser in Livestrong race" and that summed up Sunday perfectly. The people I met and stories I heard about cancer victims, sufferers and survivors were simply incredible. Cycling jerseys were covered with placards in honor, in support and in memory of so many. The volunteers and support staff made all of us riders feel like celebrities. Strangers positioned themselves along the route and cheered us for eight hours straight.

When people ask me for whom I wear a yellow Livestrong wristband I reply, "Where do you want me to start?" After Sunday I can add hundreds of names to that list from the stories I heard and now for little Heidi as well.

I was proud to finish the century on only two hours of sleep the night before. I was exhausted but fulfilled. I can safely say I had a full weekend. If you are feeling a little empty, flip on your turn signal and try taking a spin in the full lane. Get involved in organizations like Livestrong and The Wellness Community. It's certainly not all downhill but well worth the trip.

That Carl Guy.

What rhymes with Jubilee Lau? Wow!

As if Jubilee Lau isn't already one of the coolest wedding planners going, yesterday she hosted an incredible thank you lunch for us in the Terrace at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco.


Actually, we should have been the ones taking her to lunch.

Jubilee really understands the value of team player vendors and especially the added challenge of what is called the "day of" group or those companies which do much of their work on location during the event itself. After working several successful weddings this year with many of the same professionals it occurred to Jubilee that maybe a luncheon would be a nice way to get together socially and say thanks.

Lunch was amazing and included just about the best French Onion Soup I've ever tasted but we really had the most fun with the array of desserts they presented. One of several sweets they rolled out was a variety of sorbets and gelatos in a sampler complete with the Jubilee Lau Events logo recreated in chocolate!












So who were among the lucky treated yesterday? Pictured here are those who were invited and could attend. From left to right are Megan Woods of Enhanced Lighting, Armando of Get Your Do Up, Carrie Topoian, Todd Rafalovich, John Woods, Jubilee, myself and Bill Kelleher of Stuart Rentals.


All in all it was a delightful luncheon and a most refreshing to spend some quality time with those we normally just see while working or networking. A couple of last parting shots are John Woods admiring Carrie's balancing act with the sorbet sampler. And finally me with my absolute favorite wedding planning person.

Thank YOU Jubilee!