The Holiday Season is here to enjoy with family and friends.  Check out the new Holidays page which features Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Birthday items in addition to Cooking and Drink Tips.  If you have other useful links to add, please let us know on the new Forum.

Have you wanted to meet Gratitude Gourmet members and share restaurants, recipes, tips, and events? Good news!  A new Forum has been setup with the following topics: Recipes, Planning A Party, Great Finds & Web 2.0, Kids, Cooking Tips, and Drinks/Wine & Food. Do you have a delicious vegan icing recipe?  Go into Recipes, Desserts and Post your recipe!  Check it out here, and let us know how it's working for you. Test it by 2pm Oct. 31 (today) and you may win a ticket to the SF Ski & Board Fest! Send us general site comments here. 

San Francisco Wine Week brings together the new generation of young wine enthusiasts including wine producers, restauranteurs, sommeliers and urban professionals for a unique San Francisco wine experience. For six nights, attendees will sample some of the newest wines and celebrate one of the most defining aspects of Bay Area culture. 
Six Nights of Wine includes exclusive, complimentary wine tasting every night, exciting San Francisco venues, after hours parties, entrance into Saturday's Red Gala, and a portion of proceeds will benefit First Graduate, which helps disadvantaged Bay Area students finish high school and become the first in their families to earn a college degree.
Table Nectar is a caterer featuring California vegetarian and world cuisine, using perfectly ripe organic, seasonal, and local harvested ingredients. Zacherle's Lava Vine Vineyards exclusively farm organically.
One $75 online ticket gives you full access to ALL of the week's events. Space is limited so reserve your tickets now.

Are you looking for cruelty-free Halloween Candy to satisfy your sweet tooth? Several suggestions are located on Peta's site.

Join Colleen Patrick-Goudreau at Micio Mambo in Oakland as she provides guidance and goodies for enjoying a vegetarian Thanksgiving! Come with your questions and leave with everything you need to know about the history of Thanksgiving, about creating a beautiful harvest centerpiece, and about treating family and friends to traditional autumnal desserts. Colleen will sign books, treats will be distributed, and there will be a drawing to win prizes, including a copy of the cookbook, a cooking class gift certificate, and a Micio Mambo gift bag. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=30795879595

The inaugural San Francisco Ski and Snowboard Festival will be held on November 1-2, 2008 at the Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion, celebrating mountain culture and the winter sports lifestyle. Celebrate with two days of wine tasting, beer tasting, and interactive booths featuring your favorite brands and resorts and a huge pre-season winter gear and clothing sale. There is a free lift ticket with admission. I'm planning to attend the Wine Expo on Nov. 1.  More information about both days is here.

Fresh Faces in Fashion returns to San Francisco!!! For the last 13 years, Gen Art’s anchor event, Fresh Faces in Fashion, has shown some of the best emerging fashion designers in womenswear, menswear and accessories on the runway and given runway debuts to fashion’s rising stars including Zac Posen, Rebecca Taylor, Philip Lim (for Development), Katy Rodriguez, Sari Gueron, Shoshanna, Louis Verdad, Chaiken and many more.
The VIP Reception for Fresh Faces in Fashion will take place prior to the runway show and is open to Gen Art Associate Producer & Higher Level members, VIP ticket-holders, press, and fashion industry members. VIPs can preview the designs as they enjoy an acoustic performance by Leerone, hors d'oeuvres provided by First Crush, Roy's , and Straits.
More information and registration details are here.

My great friends Martina and Ryan originally introduced me to Peju Winery in Rutherford, California several years ago, and I immediately became an instant fan of their wines and gourmet food items such as the Raspberry Cabernet Chocolate Fudge and Specialty Mustards and their beautifully landscaped grounds.  I returned last Saturday with my family and friends for a Tour and a Wine & Vegetarian Tapas Tasting arranged by Katie Lewis at Peju and given by Kimberly Mansager.  Kimberly warmly welcomed us and provided us a beautiful tour with information on the sustainable farming practices and solar initiatives.  Peju's H.B. Vineyard in Rutherford is certified organic while the Persephone Vineyard (Pope Valley) and Wappo Vineyard are sustainably farmed with organic certification goals set within the next few years.  Ariana Peju launched the "Harvesting of the Sun" project where 720 solar panels have been installed over 10,000 square feet of the winery's roof which will generate power throughout the winery. 
Now, for the wonderful Peju Wine and Vegetarian pairings.  Kimberly guided us through each pairing which included an amazing array of fabulous wines and delicately and thoughtfully prepared tapas items. Details on the Four Pairings we experienced are below for you to review and enjoy. When you visit, the items of course will change due to seasonal availability. Vegetarian options are available upon request.
2005 Peju Napa Valley Cabernet Franc
Paired with: Lubneh (a middle-eastern yogurt cheese) on cucumber slices, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a Lebanese spice garnish (Zaatar, Hungarian paprika, Herbs de Provence, sesame seeds, sumac)
2005 Peju Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Paired with: Toasted brioche with macadamia nut butter and a brunoise of dried apricot macerated in a clove & cinnamon syrup
2005 Peju Fifty/Fifty
Paired with: Fruited bread topped with chevre and rose petal jelly
2005 Peju Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Franc
Paired with: Baby roasted red bell pepper stuffed with fontina cheese, dipped in tempura batter, flash fried and drizzed with white truffle oil and sea salt
What's next at Peju?
The next Peju event will be this Sunday, October 19 (11am-2pm) to celebrate the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Release.
To reserve a spot and for more information, please contact donna@peju.com
Peju offers vegetarian options for all of their special guests per the guests' request.

Turtle Mountain, makers of America's most popular dairy-free ice creams and frozen novelties, has introduced the world's first ice cream sandwiches made with non-dairy coconut milk ice cream.  I've tried several of the new coconut milk items including Passionate Mango, Coconut Almond, Vanilla, and Banana Split Minis, and Mocha Almond Fudge.  Every single item was Delicious.  If you've already tried Turtle Mountain's other products, you will be very impressed with this new Coconut Milk line! Here's some great news for you! Three lucky Gratitude Gourmet Blog readers who make a blog post comment below on 'So Delicious Dairy Free Made with Coconut Milk sandwiches and bars' will have the chance to win their favorite So Delicious Dairy Free ice cream. Here's the Store Locator: http://turtlemountain.com/locator/locator.html May the best comments win!!

This NY Times article on Food Policy is a must-read.