Bay Area HMC Events

Penelope Gordon

Bay Area HMC Events

This post is intended to collaborate on ideas for various types of HMC community events to be held in the Bay Area.  Please add your ideas in comments at the bottom of the page.

Thanks! – Penelope Gordon, ’87, pegordon@1plug.com, Moderator

Food Related

‘Beyond Mudd πs’: a series of food related events to be held once a quarter (or more).

Boudin Bakery Museum – Fisherman’s Wharf

I suggest starting with an event at the Boudin Bakery Museum, one of my favorite SF museums.  From their site, “As a special treat, sign up for our Roll with the Bakers program.  This unique opportunity will allow you to participate and roll bread with one of our actual bakers.  This enjoyable and entertaining program is also available for private events held in the Bakery Museum.  Please contact us for more details.  For information about Group Tours, please contact our Sales and Events team at 415-928-8882.”  Depending on space availability in the Boudin complex or at some other local space (such as the Ferry Building or La Cocina) we should have a Mudd prof/s talk on the biology of wild yeasts and/or the chemistry of bread baking (with homework to read classic (Julia Child) and contemporary (Josey Baker) treatises on bread baking).

http://www.bistroboudin.com/boudin-flagship/museum-bakery-tour/

La Cocina – incubator for small food businesses in the Mission
http://www.lacocinasf.org/kitchenrentalinfo/

Bread baking
http://www.booksinc.net/book/9781452113685

Food Banks and Kitchens

I’m thinking that at least one of the events in the series should involve a local food kitchen and a local food bank.  For example, serving a meal at GLIDE (http://glide.org/serveameal) followed by a tour of their kitchens.  Regarding a food bank visit, instead of the usual event of working a packing line for a few hours I propose doing a behind the scenes tour of the SF Food Bank to understand their processes from buying to volunteer management and marketing communications especially through social media.  The objective would be to apply more thinking to what works and doesn’t work in order to both get local Mudd alums collaborating on addressing local issues of hunger and malnutrition and to further propagate best practices to other food banks.

http://glide.org/serveameal

http://www.sfmfoodbank.org/volunteer-opportunities

U-Pick and Preserve

Another event should take us fruit picking followed by a lesson in food preservation (pickling, dehydrating, freezing, freeze drying – ooh, ooh… a tour of Just Tomatoes in Westley, canning, …).  Cherries (yummmmmmy – cherries straight from the tree are soooooo goooood) are ready for picking in Brentwood late May through early June.  Peaches are a possibility as are apples.  The advantage of peaches is that commercial pickers usually pick them on the green side so u-pick means that you get a much more flavorful fruit – especially the easily bruised white peaches.  Apples could be the Gravenstein Apple Fair in Sebastopol Aug 9th and 10th followed by a lesson on pressing cider.  (There’s interesting DIY instructions online for making your own cider press involving an old dryer (washer?) drum.)  Or hoshigaki in the Fall.  …  I can’t remember the name of the organization (Second Harvest?) but I believe that there’s a group that harvests produce that farmers can’t take to the commercial markets and then donates the harvest to food pantries… but in the Bay Area that may have been phased out since a lot of smaller fruit can be sold in the numerous farmers’ markets and the vendors donate unsold items to the food banks (who do pickup at the markets).

http://www.yelp.com/biz/dcs-extraordinary-cherries-brentwood

http://www.gravensteinapplefair.com/about/

http://www.otoworchard.com/hoshigaki.html

Olive Oil Production

Another great Fall activity is McEvoy Ranch to view the olive oil production process.

http://www.mcevoyranch.com/tours-and-workshops.html/

SF Ferry Building

http://www.cuesa.org/event/goat-cheese-making-workshop – maybe coordinate a private hands-on pickling workshop?

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/ – lots of foodie shops and a Tuesday farmers’ market and food truck roundup

SF Chinatown

http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/attractions/ggfortunecookie.html – Fortune Cookie Factory
Wok Wiz tour

SF Mission

http://www.charleschocolates.com/tours-and-events/?SID=c9a863b0fbac0a04024eae6c50de0e4c – note the ability to reserve the patio for a private Afternoon Tea party

Alameda County

http://www.tcho.com/private-chocolate-tasting-events-tcho/  –  Berkeley; public tours restarting late June 2014; private tastings available

http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/experiences  –  Oakland; “cuppings”…  Peet’s Coffee is HQd in Alameda and I’d love to tour their facility but we’d need to specially arrange since they don’t offer public tours

http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/morse  –  Oakland; Blue Bottle Coffee’s latest Oakland site will be offering espresso machine instruction

http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/events/valentine-s-day-chocolate-and-coffee-pairing  –  Oakland; a past event combining Blue Bottle Coffee and Charles Chocolates

http://www.stgeorgespirits.com/visit/  –  Alameda; St. George’s Spirits (and Hangar 1 Vodka) distillery tour

http://takarasake.com/tasting-room.php  – Berkeley; Takara Sake

http://smittenicecream.com/locations/  –  Oakland (and San Francisco and Lafayette); patented liquid nitrogen ice cream making machine, new location in Oakland

Non-food SF

Waterfront

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/9921409-wheres-roberta-sf-ferry-building-clock-tower/

http://www.sfcityguides.org/desc.html?tour=25 – can schedule one-hour walking tour of waterfront history

http://sfport.com/index.aspx?page=2234 – virtual tour of waterfront history

http://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/restaurant-cafe – halfway between the Ferry Building and Fisherman’s Wharf

http://www.fishermanswharf.org/history.aspx?q=10027&c=2 – walking tour of Fisherman’s Wharf history

Nob Hill and Chinatown

http://www.sfcablecar.com/barn.html – see the Cable Car cables getting pulled through the streets

http://cablecarmuseum.org/index.html – the Cable Car Museum

Non-food East Bay

Wildlife

Monarch butterflies at Ardenwood.  Ned Mackay Nov 2018.  Ned Mackay Jan 2019.

Ladybugs.

Newts at UCBG; behind DVC.

Neon Scorpions, Mitchell Canyon near Mt Diablo, September.

Wolf spiders.

Tarantulas mate in early Fall.  Places to see them include the Fairy Lantern Trail at Diable Foothills Regional Park and the Mitchell Canyon area of Mount Diablo State Park.  Ned Mackay 2021 October 1.  Ned Mackay 2013 September 13.

Least terns.

Parks

Black Diamond Regional Preserve has the Coal Mine Experience inside the Hazel-Atlas Mine.  2021 Summer EBRPD newsletter: “the Hazel-Atlas Mine transports visitors back in time with an immersive underground experience complete with sights and sounds of an active 1870s-era coal mine that gives visitors a greater understanding and appreciation for the area’s coal mining past.”

In 2021 the former Concord Naval Weapons Station was renamed the “Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50”.  (As an attorney for the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall advocated for the Port Chicago 50 which in turn led to the desegregation of the U.S. military.)

Contacts

Arran McNabb ’07, amcnabb@hmc.edu, 909.621.8557
Penelope Gordon ’87, pegordon@1plug.com, 510-769-7252

2 Replies to “Bay Area HMC Events”

  1. Penelope Gordon on 2014/06/18 at 5:14 pm.

    Fortune Cookie Factory tours in Oakland – M – Th, 10am – 3pm, $1, http://fcf-limited.com/tours.html
    Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company, 56 Ross Alley, San Francisco – 9am – midnight, $0 (it’s not a tour but rather a poke-your-head-in deal), http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/attractions/ggfortunecookie.html

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/06/18 at 5:18 pm.

    For those in Philly, there’s the Lucky Chinese Cookie Factory, http://www.yelp.com/biz/lucky-chinese-cookie-factory-philadelphia

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/06/20 at 1:48 pm.

    Upcoming Happy Girl Kitchen workshops at various Bay Area locations: http://happygirlkitchen.com/pages/workshops . (Happy Girl specializes in pickles and various forms of (home) canned food preservation.)

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/04 at 1:56 pm.

    CUESA article on Marin Roots farm tour which includes a right side bar with links to other local farm tours. http://www.cuesa.org/slideshow/marin-roots-farm-tour

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/12 at 2:06 pm.

    Fenton’s Creamery Artic Tour – http://www.fentonscreamery.com/arctic_tour.php – not sure if the tour is in the Oakland (Piedmont Ave) location as well as the Vacaville location. The Oakland location isn’t too far (1.5 mile walk) from the new Smitten location on College Ave in Oakland (walking distance from the Rockridge BART station). Smitten uses patented liquid nitrogen ice cream makers to produce very smooth ice cream to order. http://smittenicecream.com/events/

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/14 at 2:45 pm.

    Supersonic is a new coffee roastery (with some pretty fancy equipment) and retail brand opening in Berkeley summer of 2014. http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/the-east-bays-caffeine-scene-gets-big-jolt

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/15 at 6:11 pm.

    Raw food: raw desserts class with Chef Chaya-Ryvka Diehl in Berkeley (or as a private class in an alum or parent’s kitchen). http://www.thelivingvision.com/product-category/classes/

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/18 at 2:50 am.

    Natasha and Patrick Myers suggested a workshop related to cheese. I believe that Cowgirl Creamery does a cheese tasting seminar in their shop in the SF Ferry Building. In the North Bay there are some cheese making operations that have tours.

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/20 at 3:39 pm.

    New Cal food research initiative: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-uc-food-20140630-story.html

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/21 at 8:53 pm.

    Love Apple Farms in Santa Cruz offers a wide array of interesting classes that look very suitable for a South Bay food-related event.

    http://www.growbetterveggies.com/

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/23 at 10:58 pm.

    Edible Landscaping Tour: http://acmg.ucanr.edu/Summer_Edibles_2014/

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/23 at 11:04 pm.

    Chocolate Intensive at the Food Craft Institute: http://www.foodcraftinstitute.org/courses/chocolate-intensive ; 65 Webster St. at Embarcadero West, Oakland

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/07/26 at 10:43 pm.

    Happy Girl Kitchen workshops: http://happygirlkitchen.com/pages/workshops
    Gravenstein Apple Fair: http://www.gravensteinapplefair.com/
    The Fork – Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company: https://www.pointreyescheese.com/shop/class_detail ; https://www.pointreyescheese.com/sites/pointreyescheese.com/files/Tour.Tasting%20Packages.weekend.pdf

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/08/11 at 11:53 am.

    Boudin, Vital Vittles, and
    Lundberg Farms (in Richvale near Sacramento; http://www.lundberg.com/Info/Contact_Us.aspx ), Rice-A-Roni (Quaker Oats brand, which is a subsidiary of PepsiCo; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice-A-Roni … Quaker Oats closed Golden Grain HQ plant in San Leandro in 1991; manufacturing now just west of Chicago), Lotus Foods (in Richmond; http://www.lotusfoods.com/Policies/ContactUs.aspx )
    Blue Diamond Almonds – plants in Sacramento, Salida, and Turlock ( http://www.bdingredients.com/about-us/ )
    See’s Candies manufactured in South SF ( http://www.yumsugar.com/Behind-Scenes-Tour-See-Candies-Factory-2936901#photo-2936916 ); Guittard based in Burlingame supplies chocolate to See’s ( http://www.guittard.com/in-the-kitchen/article/faqs ); Ghirardelli Chocolate in manufactured in San Leandro (via twists of Golden Grain);
    Chocolate Workshop with Rachel Dunn in Concord (formerly Grand Avenue Chocolates; http://www.racheldunnchocolates.com/chocolate-making-workshop-with-rachel-dunn-p48.php ; also Chocolate Tempering workshop)
    C&H Sugar refinery in Crockett ( http://www.chsugar.com/our-history )
    Foster Farms; Petaluma Poultry (Rosie and Rocky; http://petalumapoultry.com/ ); Judy’s Family Farm ( http://www.judysfarm.com/ ); Petaluma Butter & Egg Days ( 2015 April 25; http://www.petalumadowntown.com/butter-and-egg-days-parade.html ); Diestel Turkey in Sonora, supplier to Primal Pet Foods ( http://www.diestelturkey.com/ );
    Strauss Family Creamery; Clover; Cowgirl Creamery; Nestle?;
    Harris Ranch; Marin Sun Farms;
    Gilroy Garlic Festival

    For the Denver area: Hammond Candies factory tour ( http://www.hammondscandies.com/factory-tours-parties );

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/08/11 at 12:00 pm.

    Two ideas from last Thursday’s event at Credo in SF: Visit food manufacturing plants at different ends of the spectrum – for example, Foster Farms vs. Petaluma Poultry. Travel up the supply chain. I’ve started capturing this in the above comment.

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/10/05 at 1:00 pm.

    Achadinha Cheese Company in Petaluma will be offering a ranch tour, plant tour, cheese making class, and gourmet lunch on October 25 and November 9. $100 per person. ( http://www.achadinha.com/the-cheese-maker.html ) Listed in 2014 Oct 3 CUESA newsletter.

    CUESA dining guide to restaurants whose buyers shop at the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market: http://www.cuesa.org/eat-seasonally/restaurants

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/10/05 at 1:01 pm.

    Achadinha Cheese Company in Petaluma will be offering a ranch tour, plant tour, cheese making class, and gourmet lunch on October 25 and November 9. $100 per person. ( http://www.achadinha.com/the-cheese-maker.html ) Listed in 2014 Oct 3 CUESA newsletter.

    CUESA event on 2014 Nov 7: “Join us for an all-day adventure to Nicasio Valley Cheese Company and Della Fattoria bakery. First we’ll head to Nicasio Valley Cheese Company to tour the Lafranchi family’s certified organic ranch and farmstead creamery. Then we’ll enjoy bake grilled cheese sandwiches at Della Fattoria in Petaluma, where we’ll visit the Weber family’s 14-acre farmstead and baking facilities, then learn about the art and science of bread making.”

    CUESA dining guide to restaurants whose buyers shop at the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market: http://www.cuesa.org/eat-seasonally/restaurants

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/10/11 at 3:55 pm.

    From the latest CUESA newsletter:
    The Perfect Pair: Bread and Cheese Tour ~ Friday, November 7
    As the weather cools, we’re heading north for the ultimate warming treat: grilled cheese sandwiches. Join us for an all-day adventure to Nicasio Valley Cheese Company and Della Fattoria bakery. First we’ll head to Nicasio Valley Cheese Company to tour the Lafranchi family’s certified organic ranch and farmstead creamery. Then at Della Fattoria in Petaluma, we’ll enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches, baked in their wood-fired brick oven. We’ll visit the Weber family’s 14-acre farmstead and baking facilities and learn about the art and science of bread making.

    Chemistry of the Cocktail: Fall Cocktails of the Farmers Market ~ Wednesday, November 12
    Channel your inner mad scientist as we turn the Grand Hall of the Ferry Building into one gigantic and oh-so-delicious cocktail lab where you can taste the results. Join CUESA, the Unites States Bartenders Guild, and the Exploratorium for a night of experimental cocktails inspired by the fall farmers market. Thirteen of the Bay Area’s best bartenders will dive deep into molecular mixology, while eight chefs will apply basic cooking chemistry to create flavorful bites. Science has never been so fun—or tasty!

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/11/12 at 10:07 pm.

    Alameda just declared a section on the West End ‘Spirits Alley’ recognizing a healthy aggregation of fermented beverage producers. The producers are: Bix Beverage, Building 43 Winery (Steeltown Winery), Faction Brewing Company, Hangar 1 Vodka (Proximo Spirits), Rock Wall Wine Company, and St. George Spirits. (The latter was the first contemporary US producer of absinthe. I know that Hangar 1 and St. George Spirits host tours; I’m not sure about the others.) This fits right in with the fermented foods theme.

    Also refer to: Chemistry of the Cocktail: Fall Cocktails of the Farmers Market ~ Wed, Nov 12 ~ SF Ferry Building. “Join CUESA, the United States Bartenders Guild, and the Exploratorium for a night of experimental cocktails inspired by the fall farmers market. Thirteen of the Bay Area’s best bartenders will dive deep into molecular mixology, while eight chefs will apply basic cooking chemistry to create flavorful bites. Science has never been so fun—or tasty!” http://www.cuesa.org/event/2014/chemistry-cocktail-fall-cocktails-farmers-market

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/11/20 at 12:37 am.

    CUESA Science of Food Celebration 2014 Nov 15 http://www.cuesa.org/event/2014/science-food-celebration

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/11/20 at 12:41 am.

    Will be talking more with Julie at CUESA about a private Saturday version of the new Tuesday Culinary Market Tour, a talk in the 2nd floor meeting room, and/or use of CUESA’s demo kitchen (indoor-outdoor).

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/11/20 at 12:43 am.

    Movie “Food Chains” opening soon in the Bay Area.

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/11/20 at 12:47 am.

    http://www.cuesa.org/seller/farmhouse-culture

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/11/20 at 12:03 pm.

    Dandelion Chocolate (Valencia St, SF) does public tours but their standard tour only accommodates 8 people. Need to contact them about doing a private tour for a larger group.

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/11/22 at 5:33 pm.

    Edible Excursions: http://www.edibleexcursions.net/

    Penelope Gordon on 2014/12/23 at 3:52 pm.

    Nombe in SF is offering Japanese cuisine classes including sake making. http://www.nombesf.com/#!cooking-class/ckzv

    Reply

  2. Naturalist-led programs on tarantulas at Black Diamond Mines in Antioch and at Del Valle Regional Park near Livermore.

    Reply

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