Easter opportunities; Film Festival food film update; Vintage '60s party; New restaurant delivery service

Last minute food films during the Sonoma International Film festival: There are only two full-length food lovers’ movies in the festival this year, although the last few years they have been very popular with standing-room-only attendance. Here are the remaining screenings Friday and Saturday.

“Cheese” short precedes “Finding Gaston,” 9:30 a.m. at Burlingame Hall, Friday, March 27, and 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at Sonoma Woman’s Club.

“Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story,” 5 p.m. Friday at Sonoma Woman’s Club.

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Breaking this week: E. & J. Gallo of Modesto just bought Judy Jordan’s sparkling J Winery, including 300 acres of vineyards. The local tie-in is that Gina Gallo, granddaughter of Julio Gallo, is married to Jean-Charles Boisset, who owns Buena Vista, De Loach and Raymond wineries. She serves as winemaker for Gallo Gamily Vineyards Sonoma Reserve wines. The Gallo-Boissets and their twin daughters live in the Napa Valley.

Maybe not coincidentally, J Winery’s chef, Erik Johnson, prepared the “Bubbles and Brunch 2015” for the California Artisan Cheese Festival Sunday at the Petaluma Sheraton with the hotel’s chef, Danny Mai.

Accompanied by J Winery’s J Cuvee 20 Brut NV, the meal included a baked “poached egg” in a sort of “Wellington” biscuit crust, duck confit with slightly hardened triangles of cornbread drizzled with the same cherry sauce as was poured on the duck, and a pain perdu (leftover bread like French toast) dessert with Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam. I had the honor of sitting with Sue Conley of Cowgirl Creamery and her life partner, and it was slightly embarrassing that Sue’s cheese didn’t make it into many of the dessert servings.

The festival’s marketplace was much more comfortable this year with two tents (instead of one) loaded with cheeses, olive oils, vinegars, ports, charcuterie, chocolates, and that topper, Three Twins ice cream.

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Amy’s Kitchen Inc., based in Sonoma County and elsewhere, has recalled all of its food products sold in the U.S. and Canada that contain spinach on the basis that it might contain listeria.

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While I think we have established pretty firmly in this column that Easter eggs do not come from bunny rabbits, we still have a psychological mindset that somehow they do. After all, the Easter Bunny hides and leaves the baskets of dyed eggs, doesn’t she or he?

If your kids still believe all that, they might not enjoy the most unique dining experience offered this Easter weekend. Glen Ellen Star chef and proprietor Ari Weiswasser will offer Easter additions to his regular menu including rabbit prepared three ways. He says his favorite is chicken-fried rabbit with leek royale, pickled green tomatoes and house ranch dressing. The second of his three ways will be rabbit leg confit with black truffles and pappardelle, and the third will be rabbit pot pie.

Growing up in the hills north of Berkeley I started raising rabbits as a Girl Scout project. I can still see our father and neighbors retrieving the rabbit hutch from the street below each time it rolled down the hill in a big rain storm. (Remember those?)

Of course I often had an overabundance of rabbits, for pretty obvious reasons, and something had to be done with them. I couldn’t face that reality, so occasionally when Dad went to work there would be fewer rabbits in the hutch, and the next morning there would be money under my pillow. About a year ago, I found a 1957 calendar in a Benicia antiques store for the San Pablo Poultry Shop where he took them, told the owner the story, and he gave me the calendar, which now hangs in my kitchen.

To get me to eat a special rabbit dish at the late Beaujolais restaurant in San Francisco about 30 years ago my mother, my husband, and the owner had to ply me with champagne to work up my courage.

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Back to Easter dining. Many Sonoma restaurants are serving their regular menus while a few add special Easter treats. But first, Cline Cellars invites the world to its annual Easter Sunrise Service on Sunday, April 5, near its adobe mission area. Father Kelly of St. Francis Solano church will conduct the service, and all are welcome. Stay afterward for free coffee donated by Scooteria and pastries donated by Basque Boulangerie.

Fred and Nancy Cline have hosted this Easter service for more than 20 years, and say that their property, as the original site of the most northerly mission (now in downtown Sonoma), has been “officially sanctified by the Catholic Church” and can offer churchsanctioned ceremonies there.

The Clines produce wine under the Cline Cellars, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, Oakley 82, Cashmere and Casa Dei labels. They also own the Olive Press, Dillon Beach Resort, Green String Farm, the Green String Institute, the Mizpah Hotel and Tonopah Brewing Company – both in Tonopah, Nevada – and the Villa Laura resort in Italy. Easter sunrise service: 6:15 to 8:30 a.m. 24737 Arnold Drive, Sonoma. 940-4082.

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You can always cook a great breakfast or make deviled eggs at home, or even have a picnic somewhere. If you want to venture out, here are Easter specials where you will not be eating rabbit, in ascending order by cost.

Breakaway Cafe: In addition to Bob Rice’s regular menu, he offers Easter weekend dinner of asparagus soup, roast lamb sirloin with spring vegetable and fingerling potatoes, followed by (how appropriate) carrot cake ($26). 19102 Highway 12, Sonoma. 996-5949. No reservations.

Depot Hotel Restaurant: Sparkling wine, mimosa or orange juice on arrival, with brunch selections among watermelon carpaccio, salad, or a child’s fruit plate for starters. Entree choices include steak, Dungeness crab cannelloni, salmon filet, tortellini, asparagus Bearnaise with eggs and potatoes, or pork osso buco hash. Tiramisu, cheesecake, Limoncello or chocolate mousse cake. Regular dinner menu as well. $44 adults, $22 children under 12. 241 First St. W., Sonoma. 938-2980.

Ramekins: Several savory cooking stations, Easter crafts and cookie decorating for the kids. Two seatings: 10 a.m. and noon. Specify your choice when reserving your family’s places. $50 adults, $25 kids 12 to 18, kids 11 and under free. 450 W. Spain St., Sonoma. Reserve at 933-0450.

Saddles Steakhouse: Sparkling wine, starters of fruits, cheeses and cured meats, oat granola, bagels with salmon, croissants and other pastries. Then indulge in a seafood buffet with crab, prawns, oysters, mussels; a cold buffet of salads, asparagus, and chilled penne; hot buffet of lamb, Sonoma turkey, ham, crepes with fresh ricotta, cheesy grits, chicken apple sausage, eggs Benedict, plus desserts. $65, $35 children 12 and under. 29 E. MacArthur, Sonoma. 933-3180.

Sante Restaurant: Extravagant brunch buffet with live entertainment and omelet and carving stations, shellfish, Sonoma Liberty Duck foie gras, Fulton Valley chicken, chilled terrine of Loch Duart salmon, sausage, Field of Greens eggs, Fra Mani charcuterie, imported and local artisan cheeses, salads, smoked and cured fish, California caviars, Niman Ranch prime rib, leg of lamb, Sebastopol mushroom ravioli coddled eggs, eggs Benedict, breakfast meats, loads of vegetables and an 18-dessert buffet. $99 adults, $49 children 5 to 12, free children 4 and under. 939-2415.

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Reminder:

The Last Wednesday Food Group will meet Thursday, April 2 at Readers’ Books. Paperback copies of M.F.K. Fisher’s “How to Cook A Wolf” are only $16.95, minus our 15 percent discount at Readers’. If you feel like it, cook one of the easy and inexpensive recipes in the book and bring something to share. Free. 7 p.m. 130 E. Napa St., Sonoma. 939-1779.

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The Sonoma International Film Festival kicked off its 2015 season with a party honoring sponsors Sunday evening at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, hosted by Executive Director Kate Eilertsen, Maya Restaurant, to which SIFF Executive Director Kevin McNeely referred as the festival’s “HR office downstairs” served substantial appetizers.

Guests plied themselves with veggie empanadas, pork taquitos, and a mild guacamole on chips to balance out the abundant Muscardini wines and local Hanson’s plain and flavored organic grape vodkas, which dad Scott Hanson says are selling like crazy throughout the country and causing the family to move their production facility to Eighth Street East.

Among the especially strong supporters were Jeanne and Chip Allen, Suzanne Brangham and Jack Lundgren, Marchelle and Curt Carleton, Anya and Michael Crain, Jon Curry, Margarita Ramirez-Dalton, Randy and Harriett Derwingson, John and Deborah Emery, Peter Hansen, Kimberly Hughes, Susan Idell, Nancy King, Marilyn Kravig, Larry and Ginny Krieger, Katharine Kunst, UFOJim Ledwith, Lenny Lieberman, Steve Page, Jeanne Salzman, Diana Sanson, Lia and Blaine Transue, Ron and Ellen Vitt, David Wells, Chuck and Cathy Williamson and Kathy Witkowicki.

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Plan Ahead:

Sommelier Christopher Sawyer of Petaluma and the world will lead a trip through Muscardini wines and Catherine Venturini’s Olive & Vine food at Muscardini’s Red School House on Wednesday, April 8. Only 10 seats left. $60 public, $45 wine club. 9380 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood. RSVP to 933-9305.

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Don’t laugh, but all the supporters of the great programs at Vintage House will gather Friday, April 10, for a “Vintage ’60s Groovy Gathering” fundraiser with DJ Richard Flory playing lots of Stones, Beatles, Dylan, the Doors, Cream, Simon & Garfunkel and more. No auction or speeches, lots of food and dancing.

Their flier says there will be a “‘60s trivia game and costume contest” for which you are invited to “come as a hippie, a protester, an ROTC recruiter, a Viet Nam hero or jeans and a T-shirt.”

Vintage House president and Sonoma Alcaldesa Marcie Waldron’s cousins, Susan and Don Gibbons of Portobello’s Restaurant & Catering in Salinas, will prepare far out fondue, psychedelic salad, kabobs on brown rice loaded with organic veggies, a magic mushroom medley and, of course, brownies. $100. 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets at 996-0311 or info@vintagehouse.org.

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Some of our enterprising local Sherpa family have started a new enterprise, Sonoma Food Taxi, which will deliver food from some restaurants. So far they have signed up Bangkok 9, the Red Grape, Taste of the Himalayas, Maya and B&V Whiskey Bar & Grill. Delivery charges range from $5.99 at lunch to $7.99 for dinner. If you are interested, visit sonomafoodtaxi.com or call 343-7310 or 775-5555.

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Chai’s Gourmet, whom many of us first met at the Tuesday farmers market selling hand pies, now makes delicious gluten free/flourless peanut butter cookies. I ran into him as he was replenishing his small rack of cookies at Amy’s Chinese buffet next to Sonoma Market. They come in a small bag and cost 95 cents for six small cookies that are so good and powerful that you can take small nibbles and be satisfied – until you want more.

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Speaking of gluten-free, the question of gluten in bread came up when Kathleen Weber of Della Fattoria Bakery & Cafe spoke at Readers’ Books a couple of weeks ago and she said something I have suspected to be true. She suggested that maybe it isn’t the gluten in the wheat that causes some of us digestive and other allergy problems, but the chemicals and GMO nature that conventional wheat brings with it into the bread. Della Fattoria uses only organic wheat.

To back up that idea, I can say that while I have intolerance for wheat here with the classic gaseous results of eating some breads, but during my two weeks in France last fall I had absolutely no problem eating foods made with flour. Guess what? Monsanto-treated GMO seeds and chemicals are banned in France, as they are in many countries around the world.

In fact, as of this week, the Kansas Wheat Commission committed to spending $200,000 for two years’ research in how to grow gluten-free wheat. Maybe they should also study the effect of the chemicals they are using to grow the wheat.

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Next week I promise: Jewish Winemakers’ Taste & Nosh