Culinary Event Updates: February 2000

We look forward first of all to the Tapas Tasting Party, Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m at Blacks Beach Cafe, featuring Chef Robert Morris. Blacks Beach Cafe is located at 15th and East Cliff Dr. in Santa Cruz. Tickets are $25.00 per person. Contact Marjorie Young for reservations.

Next is the Wine and Mushroom Festival, Saturday, March 11, from 7:00 - 9:30 P.M. at the Louden Nelson Community Center, 300 Center St., Santa Cruz. The annual Wine & Mushroom festival takes place with your help and the help of our local wineries. It's a fun event, but we can't do it without you. If you plan to attend, fungal members and guests must bring huge quantities of food. Literally! Each person in yoμr party should plan on bringing enough finger food for 10 to 20 people. So if there are 4 people in your party, that's finger food for 40 to 80 people. It might sound like too much, but at the end of 2 1/2 hours and 130 people there won't be a morsel left. A few of the possible wineries participating will be: Santa Cruz Mountain, David Bruce, and Ridge wineries. The participating wineries will bring the wine and we will bring the food.

Also coming up is the Continental Picnic, Sunday, April 16. The foray will start at 10:00 AM, and at 12:00 noon we will start the mushroom tasting, potluck and beer. I know a lot of Fungus Fed members are also members of the Sempervirens Fund, a public non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the natural character of California's Santa Cruz Mountains. Sempervirens has purchased an old camp, 6.5 miles up the road from Boulder Creek. The wooded site has tent cabins, an unheated swimming pool, and a volleyball court. Originally this event was held in April, but for the past few years 1t was held in June. We unanimously decided to return to the April schedule, because there's a better chance for finding mushrooms. The Home-Brew Club brings the beer, and Fungus Fed members provide the mushrooms and all the food. Plan to join us on April 16: it's a beautiful drive on a Sunday to the foray/picnic site.