It feels like I've been living out of suitcase all past month. In just a few days after I returned to LA from Italy, I packed again and left for San Francisco to spend a long weekend, because we were going to have a book launch dinner event at Bar Tartine in San Francisco on November 2.
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Kyle and Katina picked me up at the airport and we drove up to Healdsburg, Sonoma. That's where they live and they are going to open a new restaurant/ farms/ inn called, Single Thread Farms in early 2016! Once I dropped off my suitcase at their place, we went to our friends, Dan and Kathryn's house to join a dinner party they hosted for friends. They live in the same neighborhood.
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With wonderful wines from Sonoma, amazing Bossam (Korean-style slow roasted pork) dinner which super-talented chef, Dan prepared, and Kamado-san donabe rice, it was such a wonderful dinner. I had so much fun!!
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The next day was Saturday and we were lucky to have warm sunny morning. Kyle took me to his restaurant's site in the heart of Healdsburg. It's quite a big and beautiful building! He gave me a tour of inside which was still under construction. I was so excited to see all of the things being built. I really can't wait for the restaurant to open!
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Just a couple of blocks from there was SHED, which is a very popular shop/ restaurant.
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SHED has been a big supporter of our authentic Iga-yaki donabe. And, guess what I found there...DONABE Cookbook in display with the donabe!
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Then we walked further to a Saturday farmers' market to shop some ingredients for the dinner.
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We came back home and Katina made lovely brunch. It was Saikyo-miso flavored oats with soft yolk boiled eggs (fresh from their farm) and chunky la-yu! It was so delicious!
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In the afternoon, we visited Akiko and Ken at Freeman Winery. They are wonderful people making wonderful Pinot Noir.
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We also had an appointment for a private tasting at Kistler Vineyards.
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It was a great experience to taste their lineup side by side and learn about terroir.
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Dinner was at Kyle & Katina's house. They made donabe shabu shabu dinner!
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With sake I brought back from Japan and the great company, it was such a wonderful dinner.
Happy donabe life.