05/23/2016 - The Water Show

In today's Slow Living Radio, we learn that, like wine, water has terroir. Water is not just H2O - it's a complex mingling of flavor profiles, salinity, minerality and bubble.  It comes from all around the world in many shapes and from many sources - rain, volcanic, glacial and more.  We welcome America's only  certified "Water Sommelier", Martin Riese, to give us a taste of his Water 101 and teach us how to better appreciate water, and even to use it in pairing.  But first we travel to Oregon to Butte Falls to hear one family's story of creating a bottling plant to bring the town's pristine water to the US and, in turn, helping the economy of the town.

Martin Riese
Water Sommelier

Martin Riese began his renowned career in his native Germany.  Today, he is a Water Tasting Educator, acclaimed author, Water Sommelier at Patina Restaurant Group in Los Angeles, and the world’s foremost expert on water.

Riese began his culinary journey as an apprentice at the Relais & Châteaux Hotel Stadt Hamburg in the island of Sylt in northern Germany. After completion of a multi-year training program, he continued to work in various positions in the culinary industry in Hamburg, before traveling across the pond to the United States.

In 2010 Martin Riese received his certification as a Mineral Water Sommelier from the German Mineral Water Trade Association. 

Riese’s expert knowledge of water has led to appearances on television and radio programs throughout Europe, South America, and Asia, with the German press referring to him as the country’s foremost water sommelier. In 2009 he also co-authored the critically acclaimed book Die Welt des Wasser (World of Water), which is considered the leading European book on the subject. 

In 2013, Riese unveiled his signature water program at Ray’s & Stark Bar at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and in 2014 at the Patina Restaurant in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In Summer 2014 he launched the Water 101 Class, where Riese educates students on the unique qualities and characteristics of mineral water. 

Since his return to the U.S, Riese has appeared on numerous national media outlets including Good Morning America, CNN, The New York Times, Bon Appétite, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Buzzfeed and Conan O’Brien.

 See Martin with Conan O'Brien:

 

 Bill Risser
CoFounder,
Cascade Mountain Mineral Water

It all began years ago when Harold and Delores brought the family (Curt and Delora) to Butte Falls, Oregon,  in 1965. This small town that has a population of 400 is known for its “land of pure water, pure air, sunshine and health.”

In 1980 Curt ventured off to college in Boise, Idaho while Delora attended a college in Oregon. During that time they both had met their significant others and moved to begin their families. Curt and Mary had children and continued to live in Medford, Oregon while Delora ventured to Southern California with her husband Bill and their son Wyatt.

Bill graduated with degrees in water purification and pursued his passion in 1993; he and Delora began a Water Store. After vacationing every year to Butte Falls, the mayor approached Bill and Delora in 2002 seeking help with the town’s proposed new bottling plant. Bill kindly offered his expertise over the next nine years free of charge with hopes the bottling plant would bring great things back to a community that has been unstable. Once Bill, Delora and Curt realized the town wasn’t going to move forward with the bottling project, they asked to become a part of it and help bring this project to life.

The exciting, big moment was when the town’s city council voted Cascade Mountain Spring Water in and a contract founded. The startup of the water bottling facility has given Curt and Delora a unique opportunity to return to the special small town they grew up in. They have the passion to bring back jobs to the community and give back to the local schools where Curt and Delora graduated.

Being “locals”, it was important to include the “Angel Wings” on the glass bottle. The angel wings are historically known to past generations and are noticeable when the snow melts in the crevasses on Mt. McLaughlin and is talk of the town. The team also feels that it’s important to utilize the natural water source so consumers have access to superior natural spring water in an elegant glass bottle that will not leach harmful compounds into the water.

The family at Fancy Food San Francisco, with Bill to the far right

Cascade Mountain Spring Water was fortunate to gain access to Ginger Springs, which is a product of one of the world’s finest natural water resources. The spring is located at the base of Mt. McLoughlin in the Southern Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon. This pristine mountain spring is well known for its high quality water, which begins life as rain and snowmelt that penetrates into the Earth’s surface. The water is then naturally filtered by volcanic rock absorbing high quality minerals resulting in a clean refreshing taste that is a perfect balanced pH (pHerfect).

05/16/2016 - A Musical and Aritstic Prodigy, Mars Lasar, and Behind the Scenes at SF Mazarine Coffee

Slow Living Radio enjoys a lesson in coffee and nitro brews with San Francisco's Mazarine, before a memorable interview with Platinum award winning composer/music producer/sound designer/visual artist and fine art photographer, Mars Lasar. Prepare to be entertained with his stories - a true inspiration for all aspiring musicians.

Jason Miller

Operations Manager and Director of Coffee

Mazarine Coffee

 

The name Mazarine takes its inspiration from a majestic public library many thousands of miles away in Paris, the very first public library in France. The Bibliothèque is a collector’s collection, comprising a wealth of literature and art, which make it a symbol of its country of origin: it is a center of culture, democracy, and taste.

The idea that an artfully assembled collection might serve the public good struck a deep chord with the team, as they aspire to treat with curatorial zeal each new coffee that is sourced from the most accomplished roasters, and each pastry that is selected from partner bakeries. Their goal was for Mazarine to be a place where you can appreciate the best coffees collected from all over the world, where you can have engaging conversations with friends and colleagues, and where you can accomplish your own great works.
A concise description of Mazarine Coffee:  Cafe serving specialty coffee, toast, beer, and wine on Market Street in the Financial District, San Francisco.

Working with many of the best roasters in the Western US and even Canada, Including Ritual Coffee Roasters in San Francisco, Temple Coffee in Sacramento, Coava Coffee Roasters in Portland, Supersonic Coffee in Berkeley, 49th Parallel in Vancouver, and Klatch Coffee in LA, among others, Mazarine actively rotates coffee selections just like a chef might rotate their wine and food pairings, providing regulars with a new experience and taste education. 

Add to that their amazing nitro brews, including a delightful Earl Grey Tea, some freshly created salads and toasts, waffles and more, and no wonder why both indoor and outdoor seats at this hole in the wall San Francisco gem are hard to come by.

 

 Mars Lasar

Platinum award winning composer/music producer/sound designer/visual artist and fine art photographer

 

Born in Germany and raised in Australia, Mars Lasar is a prolific keyboardist and composer. Predominantly electronic, his music also contains elements of jazz, pop, world, new age and rock. Mars started playing piano at 11 years old, and over a few years of extensive classical and jazz training, he rapidly became drawn to all kinds of music. At 14, Mars began composing, recording and publishing his own music professionally.

To date Mars has successfully released over 25 solo albums and has a full arsenal of production credits to match. Mars' music can be heard on NBC's Conviction, The Medium, Extreme Makeover, the Bachelor, Disney, Law and Order SVU, America's Got Talent, and Fox's Emmy Awarding winning show "24". Mars' first solo album Olympus was frequently used by CBS during their broadcast of the Winter Olympic Games from Albertville France 1992, and the record reached Top Ten in the Progressive Adult Contemporary radio charts. His second solo album The Eleventh Hour represented an adventurous future path for Lasar; pushing the boundaries of what is considered New Age into areas of avant-garde, dance, acid jazz, industrial, and world beat.

 

The Eleventh Hour can still be heard at radio across America, Canada, and Mexico with continued success in Europe, Asia and South America. Considered cutting-edge in composition, style and production, this record reached American Billboard's Top 10 NAC. The fourth CD,

 

Olympic National Park, showcases yet another dimension of Mars' talent. Celebrating America's National Parks, Mars fuses the sounds of nature with his composition, producing an uplifting and provoking musical journey. Escape & Sapphire Dreams quickly followed. His 8th release in 2001 Karma hit #4 NAV (New Age Voice) Top 100. His music is frequently heard on television and in films, including "Jason's Lyric" and the "6th Man". Songs from Mars' solo albums have also been heard on television shows including Baywatch, Young & The Restless, General Hospital and Hard Copy to name but a few. His song writing and production talents span a multitude of genres including New Age, Pop, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Classical and Electronica. See his solo album catalog

Mars has been featured in such publications as the LA Times, Spin,The Chicago Sun Times and Billboard Magazine. He has appeared on The Discovery Channel's Movie Magic for his technical wizardry, and received numerous awards, including two platinum records. The first for his work on Crazy, the hit record by England's recording artist Seal, and his second for, "Love Is Still Enough", a song Mars wrote and produced with America's Sovory. Love Is Still Enough was featured on the soundtrack from the movie Jason's Lyric. Mars has worked with such Artists as T.a.t.u, Divinyls, Jon Stevens (INXS), Rick Dufay (Aerosmith), Steve Balsamo, Erin Williams, Xavier, and Siedah Garrett (best known for her collaborations with Michael Jackson and The Brand New Heavies). He has also produced Herbie Hancock, John Sykes (White Snake), French Diva Liane Foly and Sovory. In 2002 hit Russian band T.a.t.u hired Mars to write and produce songs for their project. As a result of their collaboration, one of the tracks was entered into the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest earning third place amongst the 26 countries entered.

Mars' production BigBox was licensed to Apple Macintosh for their promotion of the IBook Computer. This album has received much attention, with multiple tracks reaching #1 on MP3.com's Industrial Electronica charts. BigBox was recently joined by Vertical Velocity, an equally cutting-edge yet slightly more melodic album. Also, in this style are Organized Chaos 1 & 2.

Mars' follow up to The Eleventh Hour. Aptly titled 11:02 was eagerly embraced by fans both new and old. 2000 saw the release of Mars' 7th CD eclectic groove release, When Worlds Collide. Then followed by  Karma, Mars' 8th release, takes you into the genre of 'world music'. Karma is an embracing and energetic album that takes you places you haven't been before.

In November 2005 Mars releases his album "11.22 Arrival". One more gem in the Eleventh Hour series, soaring into undiscovered musical galaxies. Captures the essence of an ecclectic variety of styles but with the distinct flavor of Mars' plight for hope and renewal within modern existence. An adventurous collection of songs that bravely explore brand new sonic dimensions.

In December 2005 mars released his Baby Escapes series. This 8 CD set is comprised of music composed specifically for infants and children to age 7. Carefully calibrated to work with a child's natural rhythm, Baby Escapes is a gentle lullaby that seamlessly repeats. A perfect soundtrack to help your child sleep.

Also in 2001 upon popular request Mars released his first Christmas album titled Christmas from Mars. This collection of classic Christmas songs fused with Mars' production and songwriting genius is something for your Christmas cd collection.

In late 2003 Mars completed his newest set of albums 11.04-Panorama the fourth in the Eleventh Hour series, Final Frontier the first in the motivational series, Nocturnal Diaries another eclectic tribute to nature & Collaborations, a sound diary of Mars' collaborations with friends over the years. Not only does Mars create the music but he also creates the artwork for each album. In most cases each album image is from his fine art collection.

 

Mars' 2006 release Yosemite Valley of the Giants, hit the top 10 position on the NAR top 100 chart. This transcendent musical adventure is a multi-sensory journey through one of the world 's most magical creations of nature, Yosemite Valley. You will smell the pungent wildflowers, feel the glacial winds on your face, hear the roar of the skyscraping waterfalls and experience deep inner peace and mystic contemplation inspired by the spirit of mother nature 's most awesome masterpiece, Yosemite. Wash in a symphony of multicultural rhythms, melodies and organic sounds that will sooth and inspire you to the core. Truly a living, breathing musical experience for your soul, from the home of the Valley of the Giants via the extraordinary Mars Lasar. Tahoe Spirit was released in 2009 to accompany Yosemite. This is an adventure into the Tahoe Nevada region.

By popular request, in 2011 Mars released the sequel to Final Frontier, named  Final Frontier 2. This collection follows the motivational formula loved by Final Frontier fans.

In 2013 Mars releases a sequel to Karma  named AfterWorld. This is an ecelectic fusion of world instrumentation and dramatic styles. Be sure to check it out "AfterWorld". If you're a Karma fan, you're going to like this one.

in 2015 Mars releases his piano collection "Piano Moods From Mars II" inspired by the success of the original Piano Moods from Mars and Sapphire Dreams. Piano Moods from Mars II depicts the core nature of Mars' classical and modern style. Simple evocative and memorable pieces for your Mars Lasar collection.

Be sure to check out Mars' fine art photography catalog at www.picsfrommars.com. His fine art modern landscapes and vistas are prominently displayed in galleries, businesses and homes around the country. You can see his most recent fine art pieces at his Recently Added gallery. 

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05/09/2015 - Tablehopper; Telluride Wine Festival

Marcia Gagliardi

Tablehopper

A freelance food writer since 2002, and resident of San Francisco since 1994, Marcia Gagliardi is best known in the SF food community as “the tablehopper.” Voted “Most Obsessive Restaurant Informant” by 7x7 magazine, her cheeky weekly e-column, is archived on tablehopper.com.

The tablehopper e-column is chock-full of insider news and gossip about the SF Bay Area restaurant and bar scene, covering what’s hot, opening, or closing, along with restaurant reviews, culinary events, domestic and international travel guides, and even star sightings in restaurants.

She is currently living in New York for six months after winning Time Out New York’s Win the Ultimate New York City Life contest, where she is writing for Time Out’s New York and National sites.

Marcia just finished writing the restaurants, bars, and good things chapters for the Louis Vuitton 2017 San Francisco city guidebook.

Marcia also wrote a groundbreaking restaurant guidebook, The Tablehopper’s Guide to Dining and Drinking in San Francisco: Find the Right Spot for Every Occasion, published by Ten Speed Press, and a late-night dining app.

For more tips and sass, follow @tablehopper on Twitter and Instagram and someone (yes, you) is gonna get hungry.

Laurel Robinson,

Executive Director
Telluride Wine Festival

Laurel Robinson is the current Executive Director of the 35 year-old Telluride Wine Festival, the oldest Wine Festival in CO.  Laurel has been involved in food and wine since her early days as a fry cook at her father’s fast food restaurants in GA.  Since then, she has worked as a commercial fisherman and fish spotter in Alaska, a cowgirl in Northern Colorado, cheese maker in New Zealand and in her off-time she has made both beer and wine in her kitchen. 

She and her then-partner started the first Community Supported Agriculture in Georgia in the 80s and she continues to farm and raise sheep on her 5 acres in Colorado.

Currently, she is working to redefine the Telluride Wine Festival into THE consumer wine festival in the country and to add a Telluride Winter Wine Festival in late January 2017.

 About the Festival

The Telluride Wine Festival is a giving organization that holds events to promote Telluride as a culinary destination, supporting the overall health, character and vitality of its community.  The mission of the Telluride Wine Festival is to stimulate the local economy, educate attendees and donate a large portion of event proceeds to support the Telluride region’s food-producing community.  They plan to provide grants to local entrepreneurs producing food in new and sustainable ways as well as offering education for children in the Culinary Arts.  In addition, through the Monica Callard Foundation, they work to give scholarships to talented Telluride residents who would greatly benefit themselves and the community through wine and/or culinary education. Their long-term goal is to create a community kitchen to be used for cooking classes and to provide a low-cost production facility for local entrepreneurs to create their food-based products.

About Telluride

At the heart of San Miguel County lie the communities of Telluride and Mountain Village. These two unique towns are known internationally for world-class alpine skiing and summer cultural events.

The tiny Victorian enclave of Telluride is tucked within a box canyon surrounded by 13,000 foot peaks. The town proper is only twelve blocks long and eight blocks wide. In 1964, due to its importance in American history, the core area of Telluride was designated as a National Historic Landmark District. Being listed as such is the highest level of historical status that can be bestowed by the United States Secretary of the Interior. The result is that the town is a well preserved jewel box of Victorian architecture with colorful homes, clapboard storefronts, brick buildings, tin covered sheds, and other historical buildings. You can explore the many galleries, restaurants, shops, and more that further embellish the character of this beautiful town.

The younger Mountain Village sits above the valley floor at 9,500 feet, and resides as the base of the Telluride Ski Resort. The town was founded in 1987 and includes nearly 2,100 acres of aspen and spruce covered mountainside. The European-style village exudes a certain elegance that entices guests with the best of everything in the region. The town prides itself on green practices and sustainable growth in its everyday operations.

The towns of Telluride and Mountain Village are connected by a unique free gondola, offering stunning views of the towns and surrounding mountain ranges.It remains the only public transportation of it’s kind in North America. The 13-minute ride serves as many residents’ “commute”. Getting around and exploring these two towns is easy with the convenience of the gondola.

Chefs can be seen here

05/02/2016 - Wine Tales: Anthony Giglio, Jeff Prather, Kari Auringer

We begin our episode with the inspirational and witty story of Anthony Giglio's rise to fame: a marvelous entertainer and wealth of wine knowledge.  Then to tackle some wine issues, we invite Jeff Prather, educator and writer, and Kari Auringer, winemaker, to join Anthony to give their views on our challenges.

 Anthony Giglio

Anthony Giglio is one of the most entertaining wine and spirits authorities on the planet. He is a writer, educator and raconteur who motivates countless imbibers to trust their own tastes and relax the rules. Giglio’s witty, unpretentious style can be discerned in the weekly “Ask the Wine Wise Guy” column he wrote for several years for Details.com’s “Food + Drinks” section. Anthony is also the Wine Director for The Centurion^SM Lounge, a groundbreaking network of premium airport lounges by American Express. Giglio has written ten books, including three editions of the annual FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE Wine Guide review of 1,000+ wines; five editions of the enormously popular Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide, and his highly-regarded first book, Cocktails in New York. Giglio contributes articles regularly to FOOD & WINE, Travel + Leisure and Departures.

Throughout his career Anthony has attracted countless fans and admirers nationally, all of whom appreciate his sense of humor as much as they do his insight and his perspective, which is that wine is best regarded as a pleasure, not a problem. Giglio is currently a wine reporter for CBS News Radio and Details.com, as well as the longtime “Online Sommelier” for the FOOD & WINE Magazine’s Connoisseur Club, as well as for Departures Magazine’s Reserve Wine Club. Giglio has written for numerous publications, including Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, New York, Esquire, Details, The New York Observer, Robb Report, Worth, Every Day with Rachael Ray and Parade. He has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, Food Network, CNBC, and FOX Business News and been featured in The New York Times. Anthony is also the “Resident Sensualist” blogger at TheImprovisedLife.com, as well as the “Official Vino Blogger” for ItalianMade.com, a commercial site for the Italian Trade Commission. He is also an occasional guest on American Public Media’s “The Splendid Table” with Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Giglio has been invited twice to speak at The Moth, a Peabody Award-winning not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling.

Twitter / Instagram: @anthonygiglio| Facebook: facebook.com/anthony.giglio




Jeff Prather
Jeff Prather - Certified Master of the Obvious

With decades of experience in the food and wine business, Jeff Prather shares his wealth of knowledge through engaging, and often amusing, wine content for the website and wine shop. Having been an actor in his earlier years, Jeff is a natural as one of our entertaining tasting class instructors.

After opening the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley in 1995 as the Restaurant Director and Cellar Master, Jeff served as Director of Wine Education at Shafer Vineyards, Flora Springs Winery, as well as the historic Beaulieu Vineyard. After serving as Senior Wine Merchant for the original Wine.com with Peter Granoff and Bo Thompson, Jeff was the managing Director of Azalea Springs Winery.

Jeff became known for his decade of work as Wine Director for Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle which merited him several awards, including four James Beard Award nominations, Restaurant Hospitality Magazine’s Best American Wine List, Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence, and Restaurant Wine Magazine’s Wine Marketer of the Year nominee.

Jeff judges at wine competitions and is a frequent speaker and guest sommelier at national wine events. As a writer, he has been published in several magazines, was a correspondent for the Microsoft Online Network (MSN), a contributor to Oz Clark’s Microsoft Wine Guide CD-ROM and is co-author of the book “Northwest Wines.”

 

Kari Auringer

After a successful career as a graphic designer and entrepreneur, Kari’s desire to begin a career as a winemaker lured her from Chicago to the Bay area and eventually to Napa Valley. She was determined to make the transition from designing wine labels and drinking great wine to her ultimate goal of making wine.

With the purchase of half a ton of grapes and a book on winemaking, she embarked on a whole new adventure.  While experimenting with winemaking at home, she began working with some of California’s great winemakers and also managed to put herself through enology school. She spent six years working with vintner-consultant, Celia Welch, who is responsible for some of Napa Valley’s most impressive wines: Scarecrow, Lindstrom, Hollywood & Vine, Keever, Kelly Fleming, Jim Barbour and Celia’s brand, Corra. 

Kari describes herself as a hands-on winemaker and has expertise in all aspects of the process from vineyard to bottle. Her style is all about rolling up her sleeves and staying intimately involved with every step of the intricate process, from vineyard sourcing and hands-on berry sorting to the myriad details of winemaking, sensory analysis and the infinitely nuanced art and science of blending. If you don’t find her tasting barrel samples in the winery, she is probably out kicking the dirt in a vineyard.

As a consulting winemaker for boutique estate programs, she has spent the last decade crafting ultra-premium wines from some of the best vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma. Along with Pedras Wines, Kari also is the consulting winemaker for Napa-based Silver Trident Winery, Bryter Estates, Madrone Estates Pinot Noir program in Sonoma, and Plume Napa Valley.

Kari is a rising star and believes her success is a combination of dedication, hard work, talent and working with great people. Kari puts it best when she says, “As I look back on a career that has included several highly regarded cult wines, making really good wine is definitely a team sport, and I’ve been on some fantastic teams.”