Oh I wish I were !

Yesterday I had another childhood fantasy fulfilled. I got to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile! A fellow employee had spotted the mobile earlier in the day at a hotel in Mill Valley so I started the hunt for the giant hotdog on a bun. I reasoned that there had to be an event nearby that was hosting the Wiernermobile. I cruised the internet, checked the Kraftfoods.com website with no success. My hopes dwindled as the day went by. On the way home I was already starting to get into the weekend mode, looking forward to dinner and drinks, when there it was - parked on the fringe of the Northgate Mall tucked behind a tree that partially concealed it. I swung a left turn into the mall, parked, pulled out the trusty point-and-shoot and snapped a few. There were a couple of other crazy people standing around checking out the rig. No occupants or promotion was going on. Just then a clean cut kid with a cell phone camera walked up. I thought to myself this advertising icon must be multi generational, not just a passing memory of my faded youth. As I snapped a few more photos’s the young man opened the side door boarded, started it up and drove away. Bye big hot dog, until we meet again.



I researched the Wienermobile and found the following facts. The original model debuted in 1936. There is a fleet of mobiles than travel around to promote Oscar Mayer. Each unit has its own vanity license plate. The one I spotted was WNR MBLE.



Most of the celebrities I’ve seen have been a little less large in person that on the screen. The Wienermobile is just the opposite, larger that expected. So if anyone sees it driving around Northern California, shoot me a email! I sure would love to have a wienerwhistle.

Join me if you will in song. Oh I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener that is truly what I’d like to be. Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener everyone would be in love with me.

Kitchen Sink Peaches

Last Saturday we were fully engaged in our home improvement mode. We stopped at Lowe’s in Rohnert Park and managed to spend more than expected on bits and pieces for our project. It popped into my brain that the Sebastopol Farmer’s Market was just up the road a ways. Why not a little diversion?

The market is small town friendly. We purchased some lovely spinach quiche still warm from the oven. The vendor was a beautiful young lady with a killer smile. We wanted to chat with her about the products but she was being "inspected" by another woman carrying a clipboard with a laminated ID badge hanging from her neck. I’m sure the health department has good intentions but she wanted the vendor to refrigerate the quiche. Yuck! These goodies would probably be sold long before they would present a health risk.

A few booths away the beautiful color and aroma of peaches beckoned. There in all their glory were several different varieties of peaches that begged to be eaten. The case price was less than a dollar a pound. The vendor from Twin Peaks Orchard explained that there had been a warm spell and many had ripened at once. He cautioned that they were picked dead ripe and would need to be dealt with rapidly.



My definition of a "kitchen sink peach" is one that must be eaten over the sink so the juice won't drip all over you. These specimens fit that profile. What do you do with all those peaches? Let’s see - there is peach pie, peach cobbler, peach ice cream. I'm starting to sound like Bubba Gump. The first thing I did was eat one over the sink.

The inner bartender in me thought of Bellinis. I pureed a few of the “June Flame" peaches in the food processor, added a touch of sugar and the juice from half a lemon. Pour the puree into a glass and add sparkling wine of your choice. Garnish with peach slice of course!



My wife, the pastry chef, adapted a peach crostata from Chef Tyler Florence's recipe from the Food Network. Behold the result.


Peachy!

Healdsburg Daytrip

After a serious bout with cabin fever,the wife and I decided to take a ride to Healdsburg.Each time I come here the town becomes more gentrified. What once was a charming country town has become more like Beverly Hills. A couple of nights at one of the new upscale hotels here will set you back a large mortgage payment.Don't despair, they still haven't started charging admission. There is still charm at a reasonable price if you keep your eyes open.

On Fathers' Day I was the lucky recipient of a new digital camera. This bad boy has all the knobs and gizmo's one could want.At this point I'm still in the auto mode but am learning fast. Our trip to Healdsburg gave me ample photo opportunity.

The first bit of advice I would offer about Healdsburg is to arrive early. Parking is a cinch at 8:30 in the morning but becomes a bear after noon. On Saturdays at 9:00 am there is a lovely Farmers' market just off the main drag.The market still has that old time charm. After the market we cruised the town square. There are several cafes that offer coffee and treats, mixed in between the pricey boutiques.Safeway across from the farmers' market has bakery items at a more modest price.Whichever you choose, get it to go and take up residence on a bench on the town square.This is people watching paradise. Enjoy the beautiful people,listen in on their converstions - all this at no charge.We even had a celebrity sighting when a local newscaster dashed to his SUV holding tight to his morning coffee.

At 10:30 we were off to wineries. There are so many wineries! We chose our two standards. Our first stop was Ferrari Carrano. This winery would represent the more upscale style of winery. The magnificent formal gardens are open to the public for free. The tasting room is located in a Italian style villa.Very chi chi, oh, and the wines are good too.

Our final stop was Preston Vineyards. This is our favorite. Organic wines, bread, olive oil, olives and cheese are available in the tasting room. This winery feels comfortable to me, with its laid back country atmosphere. There are picnic grounds adjacent to the organic garden. Onions and garlic drying in the sun, lazy sleeping cats here and about, lots of butterflies; yes, this is my kind of place.