Homemade Agave Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
1 Cup milk of your choice
1 Tbsp LIVfit Superfood® organic Cacao
1 Tbsp BBF organic agave
1/4 tsp BBF organic bourbon madagascar vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Dash peppermint extract
1 tsp BBF organic naturally refined coconut oil

Benchmark Oakland is now open featuring a delightful and lovely Italian-Californian menu prepared with seasonal, often locally sourced, organic ingredients. Executive Chef Peter Swanson and Operations Manager Melissa Swanson are co-owners and husband and wife. Chef Swanson opened Benchmark Pizzeria in Kensington, California in 2012 and Benchmark Oakland is their new restaurant. Assisting him in the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Moffitt who was most recently at Boot & Shoe Service. The restaurant’s house-stretched pasta and doughs for pizza are from sourdough starter made with their own wild yeast. 

If historic architecture delights you, you will love this building as it was built in 1876, and a portion of the restaurant’s mosaic and tile flooring has been in place for almost a century. The 50-seat dining room was designed by Said Jon Eghbal, in collaboration with the Swansons, and include a dark orange and black color scheme, wood-topped tables, high ceiling, over-sized windows and an exhibition kitchen with a wood fired pizza oven. The zinc-topped bar has room for 10 people and there is outdoor sidewalk patio seating. The outdoor street and trees at 499 9th Street, on the corner of Washington Street, are beautifully decorated for the holidays and is beautiful at night!! 

The beverage selection includes an international wine list, assorted beers, and craft cocktails curated by Tamir Ben-Shalom of Bull Valley Roadhouse. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. 

Every item we ordered was exquisitely prepared, fresh with exceptional taste! Saffron in the Seafood Stew is an excellent idea! The Sourdough Crust in the Pizza was mild and perfect! We will be back! A detailed list of items we enjoyed are below along with slideshow pics! Enjoy!!
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Wine
Mourvèdre-Syrah blend
Bedrock Wine Co., Evangelho Vineyard, Contra Costa County 2017

Starters
- Butternut Squash Soup
Warm spice, brown butter, sage
- Singleness Crab from the Wood Oven
Potatoes, Aioli, Spices

Pizza
- Benchmark 
Tomato Sauce, fresh mozarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil

Entree
- Seafood Stew
Saffron broth, crab, clams, mussels, aioli, toast

Chefs, winemakers and dignitaries from the Town of Yountville in the Napa Valley saluted residents of the Veterans Home of California - Yountville on November 7th by preparing a multi-course feast for the 14th Annual Celebrity Chefs Veterans Day Luncheon. The Veterans Home of California - Yountville houses over 800 aged and or disabled United States military veterans and their spouses, nearly a third of the town’s population.

Purple Heart Wines also donated $10,000 to the Purple Heart Foundation in a check ceremony at the Veteran's Home; with this donation, the brand has contributed $70,000 to the non-profit since the projects' inception in 2016. The wine brand—created by the C. Mondavi family—was created as a way to honor the veterans and help the foundation that does so much to serve the needs of military men and women around the country.

Orchestrated by Napa Valley Chef Bob Hurley and the Yountville Chamber of Commerce, this annual luncheon to celebrate our nation’s veterans featured the culinary talents of Chef Cary Delbridge of Brix Restaurant & Gardens, Chef Nate Lindsey of Lucy Restaurant & Bar at Bardessono, Chefs Donald Young and Adam Nichol of the Napa Valley Wine Train, Chef Gregory Short of Bistro Jeanty, Chef Francois Heigel of Bouchon Bakery and Chef Michael Foster of Mustards Grill.

"Preparing this annual feast to honor the sacrifice and service of these brave men and women is a small gesture of our gratitude,” said Chef Hurley. "The Veterans Home is a significant part of our community and many of its residents are unable to visit our restaurants or wineries, so once a year we bring the experience to them. Truth be told, we really enjoy our interactions with the Veterans during this event, it is something we look forward to each year."

Purple Heart Winemaker John Moynier gave a brief speech during both seatings of the luncheon to talk about the Purple Heart Wines' project and the meaning it has as a military veteran in his own right.

Served restaurant-style, the meal was served by over 60 volunteers and Brix Restaurant & Gardens staff, and accompanied by some of Napa Valley's finest wines, including wines from Purple Heart Wines, Duckhorn Vineyards, and Domaine Chandon.

Poppy Seeds come in three different colors: white, blue, and black. There are no distinct differences between these types aside from their color, with the choice mainly depending on the color preference of the baker or the cook and its availability. Poppy seeds add a floral, earthy, and nutty flavor and pleasant color and crunch to all sorts of dishes, from savory and sweet to airy pastries. 

According to Pereg’s resident spice expert, “Poppy seeds are often associated with bagels and breads, but they tend to be forgotten among the other seeds we use when cooking.” For cooking and baking, she recommends adding poppy seeds to muffins, cakes, scones, and sweet rolls, and brushing them on top of bagels, buns, crackers and eggs. Poppy seeds can be added to buttered egg noodles, fruit salad dressings, yogurt and yeast breads, even pancakes too. 

You’ll even gain nutrients from these tiny seeds – they contain some niacin and folate and are also a great source of minerals including calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.
Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed well with COLD water
• 3 cups (720g) organic low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup (80g) finely diced red onion
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30g) red curry paste (I use and love Thai Kitchen brand)
• 3 packed cups of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Optional: red pepper flakes and toasted slivered almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add all the lentils, broth, onion, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper to a medium pot and stir well. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to the lowest heat and cover with a lid, tilted slightly to allow a small amount of steam to escape.
2. Simmer for about 10 minutes (set the timer) and then add the red curry paste and stir through. Cook about 3-5 more minutes until the lentils are perfectly tender. Keep in mind that red lentils are MUCH softer than traditional green lentils that have more of a defined bite, so if you prefer them to have more of a bite, just cook them less time.
3. Add the spinach and lime juice (start with 1 tbsp lime juice) and stir for a couple of minutes until all the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and taste. Add the remaining lime juice if desired and for a kick, red pepper flakes. The curry paste does give a nice mild kick, but I liked the additional kick of red pepper flakes. I would not add them if serving to kids, so they are optional.
4. For a lovely garnish and crunch, add toasted almonds on top. The flavor is amazing against the soup. To toast, simply add as many almonds as desired to a toaster oven and toast just a few minutes until starting to brown. Watch closely so they don't burn. OR, alternatively, add them to a small pan over medium heat on the stove and cook a couple of minutes, stirring often, just until browned.

​12 Linajes releases its Roble 2017 (srp $ 18.99), Crianza 2015 (srp $24.99), and Reserva 2014 (srp $34.99). The 12 Linajes labels include 12 coat-of-arms -paying tribute to Spanish King Alfonso’s Round Table. 12 Linajes is part of the D.O. 5 Hispanobodegas wine group. 
The 12 Linajes wines are all made with 100% Tempranillo. The age of the vines and wood-aging differs with each wine. The Tempranillo used in the Roble comes from 60 year-old vines and the wine is aged 5 months in American oak followed by 4 months of bottle aging. The Tempranillo used to make the Crianza comes from 70 year-old vines and the wine is aged in French and American oak for 14 months followed by 12 months in bottle. While the Reserva is made from 80 year-old vines and it is aged in both French and American oak for 24 months and is then bottle-aged for another 12 months.
12 Linajes is made at Bodegas Gormaz which is located in the Ribera del Duero. The winery was founded in 1972, and was one of the first wineries to receive the official certification of appellation.
Bodegas Gormaz controls over 573 acres of vines in Ribera del Duero’s Soria province, which is the highest and least exploited of the region’s districts. The Gormaz vineyards, which are distributed over more than 1,000 small farms, are planted at altitudes ranging between 845 and 960 meters (2.535 and 2,880 feet). There is a wide diversity of soils, both in terms of composition and diversity, with one common characteristic: the calcareous rock which adds minerality to the grapes.
At the helm of the winery is Ms. Jose Garcia Moren. She is the winery’s Technical Agricultural Engineer, holding a Masters Degree in Viticulture and Oenology. She has been with the winery since 1999. She is a firm believer that winemaking starts in the vineyards. She believes that great wines come from great quality grapes.
D.O.5 Hispanobodegas, owned by Juan Rivero, is a group of boutique wineries which produce quality wines from the most emblematic officially certified winegrowing regions of Spain: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Rueda. The group consists of three wineries: Bodegas Valdelacierva (Rioja), Bodegas Gormaz (Ribera del Duero), and Bodegas Garci Grande (Rueda).
12 Linajes wines are sold in fine wine shops and restaurants throughout the United States.

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter has been blended with Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Flakes to bring an amazing Pumpkin Pie flavor! Check out bnutty Gourmet Peanut Butter With 100% Creamy Pumpkin & Holiday Spices. Perfect the Holiday sandwiches and snacking!

ECOS just announced their new partnership with the American Cancer Society donating $100,000 to support breast cancer awareness and programs. Starting September 1st, for every bottle of ECOS™ Laundry Detergent purchased (100 oz. or larger) they are donating $1 to ACS.  
ECOS™ Laundry Detergent is their best seller. As a matter of fact, it’s the #1 selling laundry detergent in the U.S! 
Did you also know that:

• Plant-powered ingredients are used which are safer for people, pets & planet 
• Products are made in the USA
• Are Family owned and operated for over 50 years
• Are Woman owned and operated
• Have over 100 U.S. EPA Safer Choice-certified products
• Make the first-ever Safer Choice-certified Pet Shampoo 

​We are grateful to feature ECOS and their products.

Are you an Olive fan? Check out Alive & Well organic olives which come from small, family farms and village co-ops in Greece, who follow the same traditional agricultural methods used in the region for thousands of years. Some of the trees are over 1,000 years old. The raw, heirloom olives are grown, harvested and cured to capture their delicious flavors while delivering naturally occurring probiotics and essential nutrients - active cultures, with 3.6 million CFUs (colony forming units) and 55 million CFUs per jar.​ Enjoy as an appetizer, or in your favorite entree!