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18 Reasons



"Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!"

-- Author Unknown (but wise)
Survey Reminder
In an effort to better understand the needs, wants, and hopes of our community, we are conducting a brief survey among our members, visitors, neighbors, volunteers, and everyone else who's part of 18 Reasons! The survey ends today, Tuesday the 9th, and we want your feedback! This is a great chance to let us know how we are doing (and even better, you'll have a chance to win two tickets to an upcoming producer dinner at 18 Reasons). So tells us what you think...we are listening! If you have trouble with the links, please visit: http://surveymonkey.com/s/18reasons
Thank you,
The 18 Reasons Team


Thursday, November 11th, 7-9PM, Drop-In
18th Hour: DIY Desserts: UNBELIEVEABLE
$5 door fee

This month's DIY Dessert social is all about revolution! Wow us with your innovation and creativity. Surprise us by making odd-ball combinations that transform into sweet ambrosia in our mouths. Is your confection too good to be true? We'll be the judge of that! Guest judges Matt Stewart (creative wizard), Irvin Lin (local food blogger and winner of SF Food Wars pie contest), and Natalie Luney (Bi-Rite Creamery pastry chef) will determine just who is the most innovative amongst you.

This evening is inspired by Matt Stewart's brilliant new novel The French Revolution, which, in the words of the SF Chronicle, "offers priceless send-ups of the extravagances of San Francisco food culture: 'squid truffle paste, cherry-apple-pork-chop marmalade, goose neck-onion goulash brewed with platinum flakes.'" Matt will be on hand with his own crazy eats and zany readings to get your mouth watering, and of course you'll be able to buy a copy of his bodacious book! And, no, your dessert does not need to include meat-fruit combinations. We invite slightly more traditional takes on the classics. But only slightly.

Friday, November 12th, 11AM-12PM, RSVP
SWAP: Homemade Baby Food
$5 for everyone

Feeding your bambino nutritious and delicious food is important, we all know that. It can also be expensive and time-consuming. So we're tapping our collective blending powers to make the most important of tasks - feeding our children - easier. In return for bringing a batch of organic homemade baby food, you'll get to meet other parents, trade baby food secrets, and leave with 10 different half-pints of pureed deliciousness. We'll have coffee and tea on hand to help fuel the swap and your day. RSVP to: info@18reasons.org

Bring: one large container of your homemade baby food and empty small jars or other containers to bring home everyone else's!

Note: All baby food must be made from 100% organic ingredients. If it is seasonal, even better!

Sunday, November 14th, 4:30-5:30PM, RSVP
SWAP: Homemade Family Dinner
$5 for everyone
Swapping begins at 4:45PM.

Cooking meals is healthier, cheaper, and usually more delicious than eating out. Yet it can be hard to find the time every night to make dinner for a hungry family. 18 Reasons has a solution: combine forces with your community! For this monthly swap we team up with A Little Yumminess writers Stacie Dong and Simran Singh to get your whole family fed for one week. For all the details, like portion size and vegetarian options, please check our calendar. RSVP to info@18reasons.org by November 11th. IF, after RSVP-ing, you cannot make the swap, please let us know AT LEAST two days in advance, so that we can make sure there is enough food for all.

A Little Yumminess is a blog by two San Francisco moms pursuing a passion for eating, cooking and sharing food adventures with their families.

Thursday, November 18th, 6-8PM, Drop-In
18th Hour: Holiday Beer Tasting with Sarah Bouldin!
$10 for 18 Reasons members; $15 for the general public

You're a beer person, but everyone pours wines at Thanksgiving. What do you do? Rebel! Pour beer! But what kind of beer? We're here for you. Bi-Rite's beer guru Sarah Bouldin is hand picking the line-up for tonight's tasting of brews to go with turkey, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, pumpkin pie, figgy pudding, and other seasonal feast foods. Pour an IPA next to that pinot. You can do it. (In fact, one could argue that tradition demands it - those Pilgrims were beer drinkers.)

Friday, November 19th, 7-9PM, Drop-In
Pisco Tasting and DIY Cocktail Pairing Party
$10 for 18 Reasons members; $15 for the general public
(includes all drinks and food)

Just in time for the coming cocktail party season, join us for an unusual and experimental tasting of the delicious spirit behind classic San Francisco cocktails like the Pisco Punch and Pisco Sour. This is a three part experience; first, we'll sample an exciting range of piscos from local importer and distiller Timothy Childs of Vinas De Oro/ClearGrape. At the next station, we will set up a tasting test that lets you compare how different flavors affect your perception of taste and aroma (Think that Quebranta Pisco has notes of toast and dried fruits? Now try it with a roasted hazelnut!) Last, we'll discuss the opportunities in pairing food and spirits and showcase some unusual small plates to inspire your holiday parties.

Bonus: learn how to make a seasonal Pisco Punch, the cocktail Rudyard Kipling said was "compounded of the shavings of cherubs' wings, the glory of a tropical dawn, the red clouds of sunset, and the fragments of lost epics by dead masters." Can't beat that too easily!

Monday, November 22nd, 7-9PM, Ticketed
The Wisdom of Gratitude: A Dinner Conversation
$15 for 18 Reasons members; $20 for the general public
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/137393

A time of thanks is upon us, and before we get swept up in the cranberry sauce, stuffing, and pies ahead, we want to take an evening to learn and talk about gratitude. Over a simple vegetarian supper we will hear about the value of giving thanks from thinkers in a range of fields. The line-up is still being determined, but will likely include perspectives from medicine, religion, and art. We wanted to get this on your calendar now, since we know the holidays get busy quickly.

Thursday, November 25th, 9:30AM-2PM, RSVP required
Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunity: Cooking for Respite
Meet at Respite, 1171 Mission St, at 8th St.
Free

18 Reasons is preparing and serving a meal at The Medical Respite and Sobering Center, an incredible SOMA facility that offers recuperative services to homeless individuals discharged from San Francisco Hospitals. In practice, the Medical Respite gives sick or injured homeless people a respite from the dangers of life on the streets. Respite, as it is called, is small and mighty, and this Thanksgiving we want to support their work by offering the residents and staff a delicious, handmade, and festive meal. To get the job done, we are going to feed 60 people and need 10 volunteers. Please RSVP to info@18reasons.org by November 15th, 2010.

Tuesday, November 30th, 7-9PM, RSVP required
Dessert Lecture: Richard Heinberg and the Post Carbon Institute
$10 for everyone at the door.
This will be a popular event, so RSVP today. Please add the number "18" to your last name to denote that you are RSVP-ing via 18 Reasons.

Join 18 Reasons, The Lexicon of Sustainability, and the Post Carbon Institute for a talk and conversation with Richard Heinberg. Richard is widely regarded as one of the world's most effective communicators of the need to transition away from fossil fuels, and at 18 Reasons will to talk about the role agriculture plays in the transition. We can't wait to get this conversation rolling with you! Desserts will be provided to sweeten the deal.

About our co-host: The Post Carbon Institute provides individuals, communities, businesses, and governments with the resources neededto understand and respond to the interrelated economic, energy, and environmental crises that define the 21st century.
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Co-Sponsored Events

UPDATED with Schedule of Events
Saturday-Sunday, November 13th-14th, All Day, Drop-In

OPENwater
At St. George Spirits: 2601 Monarch St, Alameda
This event is free and open to the public
Food and drink are $5-60

Buy dinner tickets from SFMOMA here.

How does water flow in the Bay Area? Conceived around two dinners and a lunch, OPENwater will propose an immersive experience at the confluence of food, water, politics, ecology and art. Through video, a 3D sound environment, panel discussions and more informal encounters with artists, fishermen, biologists and preservationists OPENwater will examine some of the issues at the heart of the Bay-Delta watershed and the California water system.

Installations and performances by Sita Bhaumik, Denise King, Leslie Terzian Markoff, Lauren Marsden, Travis McFlynn, Jessica Niello, David Wilson, and The Perish Trust. Video works by Kim Anno and Ricardo Rivera, Cynthia Hooper, Martin Machado, Christina McPhee, and Chris Sollars, with others. Sound works by Jen Boyd, and James Goode, with others.

Food by Cal Peternell/Chez Panisse, Chris Lee/Eccolo, Chris Kronner/ Bar Tartine, plus PEKO PEKO, HOG ISLAND, MAGNOLIA BREWERY, BEAUNE IMPORTS, FOUR BARREL COFFEE and ST GEORGE SPIRITS

Saturday November, 13
3PM: Salting and Quick Pickle workshop
4PM: Roundtable discussion with Dena Beard, MATRIX Curatorial Assistant, Berkeley Art Museum; Jennifer Frazier, Cell Biologist and Project Director, Exploratorium; Christopher Richard, Associate Curator of Aquatic Biology, Oakland Museum of California; and Peter Vorster, Hydrogeographer, The Bay Institute.
5:30PM: Dinner - The water cycle

Sunday November, 14
11:30AM: Lunch - The Lower Sacramento Watershed
4PM: Roundtable discussion with Ed Ueber, Moderator; Marc Alley, Fisherman; Lloyd G. Carter, Journalist; Cynthia Hooper, Artist; Jon Rosenfield, President, SalmonAID Foundation; Tom Worthington, Partner, Monterey Fish.
5:30PM: Dinner - The Chinook Salmon

Plus ongoing conversations with water experts from various disciplines
For a full schedule of events, reservations, and updates visit: http://openrestaurant.org

Driving directions and public transit options can be found at www.stgeorgespirits.com.

18 Reasons is a non-profit engaging the community through food and art.

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593 Guerrero Street, San Francisco, CA 94110