by Tanya Henry
Remember those New Year’s resolutions? Chances are a healthier you was on that well-intentioned list. Circling back to make good on some of those plans, here are a few ideas to keep you—or get you—back on track.
FOOD ON THE BRAIN Book Passage in Corte Madera presents chef Rebecca Katz, who will discuss and sign her new book, The Healthy Mind Cookbook: Big Flavor Recipes to Enhance Brain Function, Mood, Memory, and Mental Clarity. Her book shares how the food we consume can improve the brain’s ability to control cognition, emotion and physical function—hence mood, memory and motion. Katz, author of the award-winning cookbooks The Cancer Fighting Kitchen and The Longevity Kitchen, has worked with a number of leaders in the field, including Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra. She is the director of the Healing Kitchens Institute at Commonweal in Bolinas and a core faculty member at the Center for Mind-Body Awareness, where she serves as the executive chef for their annual Food as Medicine Training Program. Tickets are $110/single or $175/couple, and include lunch, wine, tax, tip and a signed copy of the book. The event will take place at Left Bank, 507 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur, on Sunday, March 29 at 12:30pm.
LUNCH AND LEARN Speak to Me, a forum created for women to learn and explore new ideas together has launched a Lunch & Learn series. It kicks off the spring season with a Health & Wellness program sponsored by Marin General Hospital. Coming up on Thursday, March 19 is a lecture, “What’s Happening to Me? Hormones & Other ‘Taboo’ Topics,” to be presented by K. Jennifer Voss, M.D. and Sujatha D. Pathi, M.D.—both from Marin General Hospital. Tickets are $50 and will include lunch at Piatti’s Restaurant in Mill Valley from 11:30am-1:30pm. Learn more at: www.speaktomeevents.com.
ORDER, ORDER! Want to get involved with local food issues? Marin Food Policy Council (FPC) was created to serve the unique purpose of bringing together various organizations and people who play a role in the local food system in a roundtable format that allows for information exchange, resource identification and prioritization of needs. FPC develops policies and practical solutions based on a systems approach to solving problems of food access. Lean more at: www.ucanr.edu/sites/MarinFoodPolicyCouncil.
SLOW DOWN Here is another opportunity to take a closer look at our food systems and learn about solutions that can help our ever-growing population lead healthier lives. Slow Food San Francisco is holding its annual Childhood Obesity Bay Area Conference; Building Our Community, Empowering Our Children. The conference brings together local stakeholders in childhood obesity prevention to promote innovation and provide insight into work being done on this critical issue. Along with an impressive roster of keynote speakers and panel discussions, the two-day conference will feature opportunities in the spirit of Slow Food, including tastings from sustainable wineries, a school garden workshop led by Education Outside and small group dinners at Hillside Supper Club, Pauline’s Pizza & Wine Bar, Plant Cafe Organic and Bar Tartine. The conference will be held at the UCSF Medical Center, 500 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco, on Friday, March 6 through Saturday, March 7. For more information and to register, visit: www.slowfoodsanfrancisco.com/event/childhood-obesity-bay-area-conference-2015.
CONGRATS TO OUR NORTH BAY NEIGHBORS Finally, a big congratulations is in order! The James Beard Award Semi-Finalists—the country’s top food and wine professionals—were announced last week. A number of San Francisco chefs and restaurants were nominated, but I want to give a nod to our neighbors further north in the wine country who also made it onto this impressive short list. Winners will be announced on Saturday, March 24.
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Outstanding Baker Edmund and Kathleen Weber, Della Fattoria, Petaluma, CA
Outstanding Restaurateur Cindy Pawlcyn, Napa, CA (Mustards Grill and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen)
Outstanding Wine Program PRESS, St. Helena, CA | La Toque, Napa, CA
Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional Ted Lemon, Littorai Wines, Sebastopol, CA | Steve Matthiasson, Matthiasson Wines, Napa, CA
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