Tofu U and Skinny Bitch's Kim Barnouin

Who: VN Editorial Assistants Brooke Still and Gabrielle Pope

What: Tofu U Event with Skinny Bitch's Kim Barnouin

Where: San Francisco, Calif.

When: October 7, 2010

Why: To learn about Nasoya tofu's latest project and mingle with Kim

The Scoop: As vegans, we need little convincing of the benefits of tofu. But preparing it day-to-day can be another story. Draining, dressing, and devouring tofu at home can be somewhat of a difficult task for those of us who are culinarily challenged (Read: Yours truly). To answer the frustrations of amateur cooks everywhere, tofu brand Nasoya has created Tofu U—a virtual campus that schools the public on how to transform that watery block of soy into something edible, and delicious! To learn more about Tofu U and have a mini-, mid-day-celebration of veg life, Gabrielle and I went to The Plant Café Organic yesterday afternoon for a lunchtime event.

This was my first trip to The Plant Café Organic on Pier 3 in San Francisco's Embarcadero, and it was amazing. The restaurant is on the water (and by on the water, I mean RIGHT on the water), giving us a beautiful view of the ocean and the Bay Bridge. We nestled into our seats, right near the demonstration table. Skinny Bitch's Kim Barnouin, whose new book Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook is due out in mid-October, soon graced us with tofu demonstrations. I loved her idea of cutting tofu into strips, brushing them with almond milk, then dusting them with panko bread crumbs, and baking to create crispy treats, great for salads, stir-fries, or by themselves with a dipping sauce. And Kim was a sweetheart—such a treat to listen to her speak!

Barnouin's tofu demonstration

A treat, of course, nearly upstaged by the scrumptious lunch. We enjoyed a savory salad, tofu tacos with mango chutney, and finished the meal with a heavenly chocolate volcano cake—the kind you cut into a find a warm, gooey center. Delicious!

Our chocolate cake, aka heaven

After we ate, Gabrielle and I mingled with the Nasoya folks and Kim, chatting about tofu, veganism, and California. We were most pleasantly surprised to receive copies of Kim's new book—which this morning Gabrielle and I discovered we both read in bed last night! I for one know it gave me sweet dreams of all the tofu and Skinny Bitch meals to come.

Kim, Brooke, and Gabrielle

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Gabrielle Pope

What: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

Where: San Francisco, Calif.

When: October 1-3, 2010

Why: 750,000 people can't be wrong, a free weekend of bluegrass in the park is a lovely weekend indeed!

The Scoop: This year marks the 10th Anniversary of San Francisco's annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. A bluegrass nut and enthusiastic purveyor of all things free, I've been excited for the festival ever since I stepped off the plane back in the summer. That my boyfriend, Jay, was here visiting for the weekend, and that I live just one block from Golden Gate Park where the festival is held, were just icing on the cake.

With more than 80 acts playing on six stages, one needs a schedule, map, and a plan in order to get the most of what the festival has to offer. This is my advice to myself for next year, because Jay and I were more than a little bit disorientated and indecisive heading to the festival on Saturday after a brief stop in at the SF World VegFest, which was also held in Golden Gate Park. With acts such as MC Hammer, Patty Griffin, Joan Baez, Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, and my personal favorites Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain String Band, Steve Earle & The Dukes, The Avett Brothers, and the David Grisman Quintet to choose from, how am I supposed to make a decision while thousands of people are vying for spots of green to sit down?

We decided to start off at the smaller Porch Stage, where we caught a little bit of Exene while we planned our next move. Considering we were mainly at that stage to gather our thoughts, I really enjoyed Exene's music, which heavily features my favorite instrument, the fiddle.

Exene

We then headed down to the much larger Banjo Stage and were completely overwhelmed by the crowds. The festival attracts all types of people, from aging hippies to teenagers sneaking Pabst Blue Ribbon, and there was definitely an electric feeling in the air just as Joan Baez was about to go onstage. We ended up taking a break from the crowds to buy some yucca fries and watch a quartet of cute busking children play folk tunes before returning to catch the David Grisman Quintet. Jay took me to see David Grisman on our very first date years ago, and we always try to see him every time he is playing a nearby show. I just can't get over what a master he is of his mandolin, which is probably why I failed to snap a pic during his set!

A more relaxed scene at the Porch Stage

Despite being crazy for the music, I don't do too amazingly with crowds, and I needed out! After a jam-packed afternoon featuring lunch at namu restaurant and an evening concert at the Fillmore with Railroad Earth, we were ready to head back to the park on Sunday for more. The Arrow Stage was definitely our scene, so we sat back with some snacks (Stonewall's Jerquee and Trader Joe's Chocolate Almonds, yum!) and enjoyed the Yonder Mountain String Band's set. I've seen the band play several times before, and it always amazes me that they have no percussionist, because they create such a prominent rhythm with their strings. We were able to catch the very impressive first half of The Avett Brothers' set, but when our tummies started growling (when I need food, I need food) we headed to the nearby Marnee Thai restaurant in the Inner Sunset for some satiation.

Our solution for the lines at bike storage!

Next year, I vow to be more organized and catch many more acts, because this event is probably one of the best festivals I've ever been to!

Annual Chile & Beer Dinner at Millennium

Who: VN Editorial Assistants Brooke Still and Gabrielle Pope and VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig

What: Millennium's Annual Chile and Beer Dinner

Where: Millennium Restaurant, San Francisco, Calif.

When: September 29, 2010

Why: To spice up our Wednesday night ... literally.

The Scoop: When VN asked Gabrielle and me if we would be interested in going to Millennium for their chile and beer themed dinner, I don't think either of us ever responded to an email faster. That is until VN asked us if we would like to try the beer pairings that came with the meal—I emphatically typed YES. So we prepared ourselves for a delicious late-night dinner at San Francisco's classiest vegan eatery. And of course, our beloved office manager and friend Lyndsay Orwig just had to come along for the ride.

• VN Editorial Assistant Brooke Still and VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig.

Up until the day of, Gabrielle and I had planned on sitting down to a full night of chili, as in bean-and-tomato-filled stew. Clearly we did not do our homework, because we were treated with instead was a five-course meal based on the multi-faceted tastes of chilies, as in the peppers, from northern California farm Tierra Vegetables, and handpicked by the Millennium staff.

Was there salsa you ask? Oh yes, there was salsa. That and so much more. Our meal began with Seared Chillies and Grilled Flatbread, filled with a white-bean spread and paired with a white beer. Next we had the most savory Blue Corn Mesa Crepe with roasted poblano and tomatillo pozole verde and cilantro salad, matched with a delicious wheat beer. Following that, we were served Steamed Bao, which was probably my favorite course—tea smoked tofu and glazed eggplant atop delicious bread and served with shiitake and mung bean salad.

Steamed Bao with Tea-Smoked Tofu and Anise Glazed Chinese Eggplant

We then had Seared Semolina Dumpling, filled with squash and pepper and paired with a porter. We topped off the whole meal with a decadent Chocolate Ganache Cake and Thai chile-Tom Kha ice cream. I think it's safe to say I'll never eat again.

Chocolate Ganache Cake

An amazing meal at a stellar restaurant was my perfect introduction to Millennium, where I plan to return for every special occasion. My birthday's coming up. Just saying.

Wine Country Weekend

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Gabrielle Pope

What: A relaxing weekend in wine country

Where: Napa and Sonoma Counties, Calif.

When: August 21-22, 2010

Why: Sun, wine, and food! What, you need more?

The Scoop: In honor of my boyfriend, who was down from Canada for the weekend to celebrate his birthday, I threw financial caution to the wind (hello ramen for the entire month of September) and planned an amazing little escape up to wine country. Somehow we managed to plan our trip on a weekend that brought magically sunny weather to the Bay Area, so there wasn't much to "escape" from, but we were happy to nevertheless head up to beautiful Napa and Sonoma Counties.

Do you know what the best thing ever is? GPS navigation. We rented a car equipped with GPS, and I wouldn't shut up all weekend about how ingenious and low-stress it was to program in an address and then just sit back and let the automated voice (whom we fondly dubbed 'Sexy') guide us while we enjoyed the scenery. After a requisite stop at Rainbow Grocery to splurge (the first of many) on some Dr. Cow vegan cheeses to complement our wine, I programmed in our first location: Ubuntu, a "vegetables" restaurant in Napa with a plethora of vegan and veganizable offerings.

Image courtesy of ubuntunapa.com

Ubuntu specializes in creating small plates made with heirloom varieties of gorgeous fruits and vegetables, many of which are grown in Ubuntu's own organic and biodynamic garden. Its mission is to "bring to our customers a bounty of local biodynamically gardened produce handled with care and skill by talented artisans and chefs providing an unparalleled experience connecting our customers to the bounty of the earth." We ordered the freshest salad with three different varieties of tomatoes, two lettuces, and an avocado goddess dressing; marinated beets with eggplant and Meyer lemon blossom raisin paste; tangy artichoke grits with smoked corn husk and cilantro; and our favorite dish of fried chickpea clusters, Romesco stewed chickpeas, and arugula. The food was exquisite, and it was so refreshing to see tourists and locals alike getting excited about the vegetable masterpieces completely devoid of meat.

Creamy artickoke grits with heirloom vegetables

After more GPS-guided driving through beautiful Napa County and a stop at the The Hess Collection Vineyards for a sampling and to check out Donald Hess' impressive art collection, we headed for the The Gables Wine Country Inn in Santa Rosa. A Victorian mansion sitting on three acres of land including an inviting lavender garden, I'd chosen the Gables due to their willingness to prepare a vegan breakfast. The host couple at the inn were pretty much the nicest people in the world, our room was breathtaking, and the complementary wine tasting in a converted barn where we chatted with the other guests was a welcome touch. One omnivorous couple even admired, and then tasted, our vegan cheese.

Image courtesy of thegablesinn.com

Waking from a perfect sleep in our stately and eloquent room, I had breakfast on the brain. Our hosts pulled out all the stops with a full three courses complete with coffee and fresh orange juice. My first course was homemade toast with jam, which was followed by a Champagne glass filled with local fruit dusted with sugar before the star of the show: a savory potato casserole seasoned with fresh herbs and spices, featuring zucchini and peppers from the Inn's garden. Being accommodated as a vegan is always much appreciated despite the fact that I usually end up with a banana and dry toast, but in this case I was truly touched by the thoughtful and creative vegan menu, which fueled me long through more wine tastings and our journey back to the city.