Calendar for San Jose Frugal Foodies

Please note that unless stated otherwise, all the below occur in Downtown San Jose.
All nights cost $8/person.

Wednesday, February 1^st - Bacon Night Redux (in Downtown SJ)
Warning to all Vegetarians and those with heart problems: you may want to stay away from a west-coast Frugal Foodies first where we will be featuring the meat as a guest ingredient....Not just any meat, but BACON!!! Upon popular demand, "the gateway meat" will be included in every dish in some unique and delicious way--dessert will be specifically interesting! Join us at Laurel & Danny's house for a night that would make Homer Simpson proud!

Thursday, February 16^th - Lunar New Year Night (in Mtn View)
Enter the Dragon
Help us celebrate the Lunar New Year at Frugal Foodies. This week's menu will be featuring a vegetarian remix of traditional New Year's dishes, to ensure your good fortune in the coming annum. How about some crispy-fried dumplings, said to bring prosperity because they look like golden ingots? Or some long, ginger noodles, to help ensure your long life? We'll be making these and more savory delights to welcome the year of the dragon!

RSVP for an upcoming night:

Important Note: Please remember that you must pre-register for any and all Frugal Foodies nights so please contact us at to do so.  We look forward to seeing you this month at Frugal Foodies.

Past Events

February 2009

Wednesday, February 25^th — Join Brian and Erin for "Stan night". We'll be cooking up dishes from central Asia - tasty offerings from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and their neighbors.
     Dishes are still being finalized from our Silk Road cookbook, but early contenders are pomegranate and eggplant rice polow, Afghan Garlic Chive Bhoulani, and desserts along the lines of rosewater sesame brittle.
All dishes vegetarian, some contain dairy.

March 2009

Wednesday, March 4^th — Join Laurel and Danny - "Breakfast for Dinner" night.

Wednesday, March 18^th — Join Brian and Erin for "Polska Night."
Maybe you've encountered heavy, bland, veggie-hostile Polish food in the past? You've been had! Come discover how tasty it can be!
We'll be cooking up Pierogi (of course), Borsht, Golabki, Kapusta z Grochem (Cabbage and split peas), Dynia w Smietanie (Creamed pumpkin soup), and maybe some stuffed Naleshniki (crepe pancakes) and round it all out with Makowiec (sweet poppy cake) or Sernik (cheese cake).

April 2009

Wednesday, April 1^st — Come partake in mystery Foodies night at Laurel and Danny's house. In honor of April Fool's Day you'll find new and exciting (if not unusual) spins on many of your favorite dishes. As usual, we're going to aim not only for great tasting dishes, but fun ways to make them as well!

Wednesday, April 15^th — This is when New Year's Day is celebrated in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. We'll be joining in by creating a variety of dishes from Cambodia, using both exotic and common ingredients. The menu will include dishes like fried cassava curry fingers, eggplant pumpkin and bitter melon stew, coconut rice with black-eyed peas, pancakes with bean sprouts and jicama, coleslaw with daikon and carrots, and sweet mung bean dumplings.

The meal will be a good one for vegans. It's also a good choice for people who like coconut! (Hosted by Erin and Brian)

Wednesday, April 29^th — Join Laurel, Danny, Eric and Melinda for Ballpark Night.
With baseball season starting up, come celebrate the eating traditions surrounding America's Pastime - with a vegetarian twist of course. Think homemade churros, garlic fries, and maybe even cracker-jacks to start. Bring your appetite and be ready to cook up tasty new takes on some stadium favorites.

May 2009

Wednesday, May 6^th — Join Brian and Erin for "Kitchen Gadget night".
When people know you like cooking, they feel compelled to get you kitchen stuff come the holidays. Such folly enables our kitchen gadget night. We'll breathe live back into our pasta machine, panini press, and pizzelle iron. We've discovered a lot of garlic lovers out there in previous FF evenings, so we'll break out the garlic tools. Pizzelle go well with gelato - so we'll break out the ice cream maker. It'll be a fun-filled and tasty evening to play with kitchen devices and toys. (When RSVPing - if you own an impractical gadget you'd like an excuse to exercise, let us know and we'll see if it'll work with our menu).

Wednesday, May 20^th — "Express Eats" night.
Even the most skilled cooks will admit that sometimes they're just not in the mood to cook. Join Eric, Melinda, Danny, and Laurel as they embrace this culinary laziness and share with you some of their favorite quick, easy, and nutricious recipes. For Express Eats, they have a wide aray of dishes planned so you'll be sure to find a new favorite recipe to work into your weeknight routine. And save room for dessert - they have a chocolate fondue that will be to die for!

June 2009

Wednesday, June 3^rd — Ethiopian night.
Ethiopians celebrate "Downfall of the Dergue" around this time, for the overthowing of the Derg/Dergue regime in 1991. Erin and Brian will celebrate by exploring several Ethiopian dishes. We'll be making salads and tasty vegetables stews including lentils, garbanzo beans, collard greens, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, and carrots. We'll serve it all with injera, a flat bread and eat with our hands (forks will be of course be available!). Join us for a variety of traditional exotic flavors.

Wednesday, June 17^th — Thai night.
Thai food has become an international phenomenon, and we're here to prove it to you. We'll be using the freshest exotic ingredients in preparing meals for spicy lovers and non as well. Come and partake in accentuating the sensual flavors of an authentic, well-balanced meal while satisfying every part of your taste buds!

July 2009

Wednesday, July 1^st — Colonial Night.
Get in the spirit of independence day by cooking and eating dishes that were favorites back in July of 1776. We hold the tastiness of these dishes to be self-evident: Peanut Soup, Spoon Bread, vegetarian Welsh rabbit/rarebit, cherry bounce and apple tansey.
Join Erin and Brian for this colonial feast.

Wednesday, July 15^th — Iron Chef Night
Join us for a South Bay first; Iron Chef night, where you'll be an assistant chef in this culinary challenge that's been adapted especially for Frugal Foodies. Two supreme master chefs will be pitted one against the other in an epic battle to win the hearts, minds, and stomachs of the Frugal Foodie attendees. The foodies will be split up and randomly assigned to assist a chef. Both chefs will be given the same theme ingredient, and will be charged with preparing an appetizer, entree, and dessert within a two hour time frame. At the end of the night, all will be able to vote for their favorite dishes and the first Iron Chef Frugal Foodies will be crowned!

Wednesday, July 29^th — French Guest Chef Night
Join hosts Brian and Erin and Guest Chef Cécile Poyet for a mouth-watering night of fine french dishes. Early contenders for the dish list are: French onion soup, Warm Goat Cheese Salad with walnuts, Steamed mussels (or tofu) in light cream sauce with curry, vegetarian sweetbreads and mushrooms in cream sauce over puff pastry, Bittersweet Chocolate Fondant, and Classic Créme Brulée. Let's have a nice big turnout to welcome Cécile's first time as a guest chef!

August 2009

Wednesday, August 12^th — No-Cook Meals and BBQ Night
Join us and embrace the heat of a hot August night by preparing easy, no-cook meals as well as a couple of dishes on the outdoor grill. The recipes will feature many home grown vegetables, including delicious heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. Some early contenders include an Italian vegetable hoagie, creamy avocado and garbanzo wraps, and a chilled melon soup.

Wednesday, August 26^th — Turkish Night
Turkish food uses all the ingredients we can get fresh this time of year including eggplants, green beans, tomatoes, chard, carrots, cucumbers and onions. We'll explore the bounty of summer while preparing fresh, tasty dishes such as "The Imam Swooned" (a dish with eggplant, tomatoes and onions), swiss chard nests, garbanzo bean pilaf, and a Black Sea grape dessert.
Note for vegans, approximately half the dishes will include egg or milk products.

Wednesday, September 23^rd — Basil Night
Join Erin and Brian for Basil Night! Basil is found in cuisine from all over the world - from Italy to Thailand to South America. We'll use basil in traditional and exotic recipes, including, of course, a delicious basil dessert.

Thursday, October 8^th — CSA Night - Take 2
Join us for another SJ Frugal Foodies first: Community Supported Agriculture Night. This night will see a shift from Wednesday to Thursday evening (Sept. 10th) where we will utilize freshly picked, locally grown fruits and veggies from the Live Earth Farms program. This night's featured recipes will be off of the Live Earth Farm's website (http://www.liveearthfarm.net) which provides excellent and tasty ways to prepare the bountiful selection of produce that arrives in the weekly CSA box.

Wednesday, October 21^st — Guest Chef Italian Night
Frequent Frugal Foodie attendee Paolo puts on the guest chef hat - Come join him at Erin and Brian's for regional dishes from his native Liguria and other dishes that you usually don't find in Italian restaurants in the United States.
Some of the early contenders are: gnocchi alla romana, minestrone alla Genovese, pansotti (triangular stuffed pasta) with walnut sauce, and salame del papa (chocolate dessert).
Note: all dishes are vegetarian, but include eggs and diary products.

Wednesday, November 11^th — Cooking with Alcohol Night
Eric and Melinda are saucing things up with Cooking with Alcohol Night, which will feature an element of hard alcohol in every single dish. BBQ Tofu and Whiskey? Wine Salad? Orange Crepes with Triple Sec? Beer Cheese and Bread? It will all be done in a delicious way - with booze!

Wednesday, November 25^th — A Very Veggie Thanksgiving
This is the night before thanksgiving - so enjoy a pleasant evening cooking our veggie takes of thanksgiving traditional dishes. No work the next day (for most) should make this even more of a fun and relaxed cooking night than usual.
Last year we had Cranberry Apple relish, Tofu Pumpkin Pie, Balsalmic Braised Brusselsprouts and more. This year should be even better!

Wednesday, December 2^nd — Vegetarian Fast Food Night
For the first Wednesday of December join Danny and Laurel for a night featuring recipes from a great cookbook by Rose Elliot entitled "Vegetarian Fast Food." Don't be fooled by the name - the recipes in this book are not for greasy vegetarian hamburgers or soggy french fries! We'll be cooking a varied theme of fresh, hearty, and gourmet dishes, all prepared in record time. This night promises to get you out of your food rut and teach you some great quick, easy, and delicious recipes!

Wednesday, December 16^th — Indian Night
Come join us for an Indian/Fijian cooking night with special guest Chef Lachmin Singh. We'll be preparing a traditional Fijian dalo, along with tomato chutney and maybe bhaaji (spinach - but not to be confused with saag), urdi ke dhal (really teeny tiny black beans), roti, raita, rice pulao and a tasty kheer for dessert.

Wednesday, January 13^th — Middle Eastern Night
Join us for a wonderful night of Middle Eastern treats as we feature Turkish, Lebanese, and Arabic food. From hummus to falafel, we will enlighten your taste buds with vegetarian editions of various classic Middle Eastern dishes from our native Lebanese and Palestinian hosts. As delicious as traveling there, without the airline security checks!

Wednesday, January 27^th — Spanish Night
It's all the things people love about Spanish food, but without the ham. Dishes we are currently working on include a vegetarian paella, a tortilla, mushroom tapas and sweet potato turnovers. The evening should be vegan friendly, although not exclusively vegan (we're planning one egg dish.) This "Spain in Winter" evening will include lots of the fresh ingredients available this time of year.

Wednesday, February 10^th — Peanut Night
Join us for Peanut Night! Every dish will consist of this delicious treat, from the appetizers all the way to the dessert! Every hearty dish will feature a different side of the peanut, whether it be savory or sweet - so unless you're allergic, this night promises to be a delight.

Wednesday, February 24^th — Less Than 7 Night
Come join Brian and Erin for Less Than 7 Night. Every dish is not only tasty and healthy, but is assembled from fewer than seven ingredients! Our current lineup looks to be at least: Artichoke Heart and Spinach Gratin, Beets with Mint and Yogurt, Carrot & Cilantro Soup, Fusilli w/ Broccoli & Ricotta, Spaghetti Squash Pancakes, and a dessert of pecan graham crisps. Simply delicious.

Wednesday, March 10^th — Breakfast for Dinner Night
It is often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day... and many would argue that it is potentially the most delicious. However, there is often very little time to prepare an elaborate and exciting breakfast unless we break the unwritten rules of mealtime and have Breakfast for Dinner! So, come join us at Danny & Laurel's for a FF favorite, Breakfast for Dinner, that will feature both the savory and the sweet side of the most important meal of the day.

TUESDAY, March 23^rd — French Almond Night
French night with Guest Chef Cécile will be back on a special Tuesday evening, this time with a nutty twist. We'll explore the delights of traditional and adopted French recipes combined with California's most important agricultural export, almonds. Almonds will be part of every dish, whether as a main ingredient or to go along with other flavors. Our menu will include dates with goat cheese, roasted eggplants in virgin olive oil, spinach salad, tajine of vegetables served with semolina and a traditional fun dessert with frangipane.

Wednesday, April 7^th — Mexican Night
Danny and Laurel will be hosting a San Jose Frugal Foodies first: Mexican Night. Vamos a cocinar platos tradicionales de varias regiones mexicanas, con un enfasis en verduras de la estacion. Cada plato prometa ser delicioso, entonces venga a esta noche especial! If you didn't understand the last few sentences, join us for a wonderful evening of Mexican food and we'll teach you a word or two of Spanish!

Wednesday, April 21^st — Mushroom Night
Eric and Melinda will be hosting a Mushroom night. Details to follow.

Wednesday, May 5^th — Iron Chef Night #2
Defending Iron Chef Danny takes on an Italian Challenger Paolo. Theme ingredient: Lemons!

Thursday, May 20^th — Avocado Night
Join Erin and Brian for a night dedicated to that most healthy and versatile of fruits - Avocados! We'll be enjoying Avocado Risotto, Avocado Pear Mousse, Toasted Quinoa and Avo Salad, Avo Spring Rolls, and Avo Corn Chowder, to name a few. Avos have heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, betacarotene, vitamins C, E, B-6, and... well, do you really need any more reasons to partake of their rich, creamy texture and exquisite flavor? Mmmm... Avocado Night!

Wednesday, June 9^th — South African Night
In June, all eyes will be turned toward the nation of South Africa as the World Cup is being played. This week at Frugal Foodies, we will get a little insight into this country by sampling some of their more renowned fare. Join us for some good food, great people, and maybe even a match or two! But, be sure to sign up quickly because we are going to limit the number of signups to 10 people this time.

Wednesday, June 23^rd — Rosemary Night
Join Brian and Erin for Rosemary Night. Its aromatic delights will be worked into every dish and dessert to tantalize your tastebuds. We'll be having rosemary and gorgonzola cream puffs, watermelon salad (with rosemary and feta), white bean rosemary hummus, rosemary vegetable skewers, rosemary peach lemonade, and rosemary pignoli cookies.

Wednesday, July 7^th — Corn Night
On Wednesday, July 7th, bring your floss and toothpicks because we're coming at you with Corn Night, a celebration of America's favorite summer vegetable. Cornbread, roasted corn, corn soup, and a random corny dessert that we've yet to come up with. Come one, come all to Corn Night!

Wednesday, July 21^st — Persian Night
Join Brian and Erin for Persian night. Persian dishes feature ingredients like rose water, garlic, saffron, cardamom, cinnamon and nuts. Think eggplant, pilows (rice dishes), kukus (vegetable and egg dishes), and of course a scrumptious persian dessert. We've got lots of delicious dishes in mind - the more folks who sign up, the more variety we'll all be able to taste at the end of the night.

Wednesday, August 11^th — Picnic Night
Join us for a warm summer evening of picnic foods and a screening of the film The Goonies at San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose! We'll meet up before the movie to prepare a delicious variety of picnic foods, then take our fixings to San Pedro Square to enjoy the movie. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Goonies, it's a 1985 action-adventure flic based on a Steven Spielberg story about a group of teenagers who set off on an underground adventure to find a legendary pirate's treasure.

Tuesday, August 24^th — Tomato Night
We're moving Frugal Foodies up to a Tuesday this week, partly to give you all another chance to attend if you have Wednesday commitments, and partly to pull it earlier in the week - when the farmer's market provides incredible varieties of fresh tomatoes.
Come join Brian and Erin for a night of dishes dedicated to the tomato. We're avoiding a lot of the old standbys to focus on more unique dishes. We'll be having: Tiered Tomato Soup, Tomato and fennel tart, Tomato and Sweet Onion Crumble, an Indian rice dish, Tomatoes in Spicy Yogurt and, a Tomato Compote for dessert.

Thursday, September 9^th — Cheese Night
Neufchâtel, Chèvre, Brousse, Brocciu, Ricotta, Urda, Mizithra, Geitost Mozzarella, Lebne, Quesillo, Gouda, Sharp Cheddar, Paneer, Havarti....if you haven't guessed it yet, we'll be featuring an evening of cheese! Join us as we explore a variety of cheese from around the world and create delicious dishes filled with cheesy goodness.

Wednesday, September 22^nd — Eggplant Night
This will be a night dedicated to eggplants, aubergines, melongenes, brinjals - even called a "mad apple" by some. We'll be branching out from the normal purple goodness and exploring some preparations you might not have tried before, including an eggplant dessert (a delightful Amalfi coast dish called Melanzane al cioccolato). Just about every culture has come up with incredible dishes for the eggplant, come cook and taste them with Brian and Erin.

Thursday, October 7^th — Winter Squash Night
As the cool weather kicks in for fall, we'll be celebrating the beginning of the holiday season with a night dedicated to winter squash. We'll explore recipes featuring pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash and zucchini. In addition to being delicious, squash is full of fiber, protein, vitamin C, riboflavin (vitamin B), and potassium. Please join us for good times and some new recipe ideas for the holidays!

Wednesday, October 20^th — Oat Night in Palo Alto
Come join our newest hosts, Steve and Christl, in our Palo Alto debut: If your only experience with oats is instant oatmeal -- an unfortunate culinary concoction with the texture (and often the flavor) of kindergarten paste -- then you're missing out on an amazing world of possibilities surrounding this inexpensive and amazingly healthful grain. Join us as we create and consume dishes showcasing the many available forms of oats -- including an oat-based risotto (...or should we call it "ris-oat-o"?) and a savory oat and goat-cheese salad.

Wednesday, November 24^th — Veggie Thanksgiving
Our traditional night before thanksgiving frugal foodies is on again. Come partake in a pleasant evening cooking new and old veggie versions of thanksgiving dishes. A holiday the next day (for most) will make this even more of a festive and relaxed cooking night than usual. Last year we had Thanksgiving Spoon Bread, Cranberry Apple relish, Tofu Pumpkin Pie and more. This year should be even better!

Thursday, December 9^th — Breakfast for Dinner
Join Melinda and Eric for Breakfast for Dinner night. All of your favorite breakfast delights will be presented in a hearty, delicious meal with a few twists. It's the most important meal of the day - at 6:30 p.m.!

Wednesday, December 22^nd — Cinnamon Night
Cinnamon is a favorite spice this time of year - it's found in all sorts of delicious winter goodies. But, it is also a spice in cuisine from around the world. We'll explore the cuisines of Morocco, Greece, and India, along with some traditional American food on our culinary tour. Save a Cinnamon Bun for me!

Wednesday, January 5^th — Top 40 Night (in Mountain View)
Tired of Christmas carols? Ready for something with a beat that you can dance - or cook - to? Join us for Frugal Foodies Top-40 Night, where the meal is drawn from the lyrics of your favorite songs. Our menu will include root vegetables with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme ("Scarborough Fair," by Simon and Garfunkel) and lentil soup in the pressure cooker ("Under Pressure" by Queen).
Hosted by Christl and Steve in Mountain View.

Thursday, January 27^th — South American Night
Fresh back from their vacation to Chile, Danny and Laurel will be hosting a night of South American themed delights. The menu will focus primarily on Chilean dishes such as savory empanadas, recipes using the country's famously delicious avocados and fresh corn, pastel de tres leches, and perhaps even some delicious Chilean wine to finish off the evening. If the only "south of the border" food you're familiar with is Mexican, you'll be in for a real surprise!

Thursday, February 10^th — Peppercorn Night
This night's dishes will all be tributes to the peppercorn, and pepper in all of its varieties. This versatile spice gives us a lot of room for delicious dishes, but we've assembled a nice mix for you all.
Some of this night's choices: Thai Garlic and Black Pepper Tofu, Pongal (a favorite Indian comfort food), Black pepper and Parmesan cheese straws, Peppered Plum Chutney, Sesame Braised Cabbage and leeks, and Triple Citrus Black Pepper Pound Cake.

Thursday, February 24^th - Ginger Night
Join Laurel and Danny for ginger night, featuring a guest ingredient that is considered a delicacy, medicine, and spice. This night will focus on the delicious ginger root that adds a spicy flair to many dishes. A sneak preview of what this night will offer...carrot soup with ginger essence and lemon-ginger frozen yogurt.

Thursday, March 10^th - Sephardic Night
Sephardic Jewish cooking is an international cuisine, with its roots in 14th century Spain and Portugal. As Sephardic Jews migrated out of Iberia, their cooking came to incorporate techniques and ingredients from all over the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Western Asia. Their cuisine is bursting with flavors like citrus, olive, mint, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and pepper. Come taste the result! Our menu will include tempting dishes such as Moroccan Orange Salad with Olives, Bukaharan Savory Pumpkin Pies, and Tunisian Couscous Cake with Dates.

Wednesday, March 30^th - Orange Night
Ladies and Gentlemen, Start your Zesters! This will be a night dedicated to that tangy wintry citrus, the orange. We'll be doing savory and sweet concoctions using this juicy and versatile fruit.

Thursday, April 14^th - Garlic Night
Warn your loved ones....it's Garlic Night again! By popular demand, we are bringing back the stinkiest night we have ever had! Garlic, which is locally grown and processed in nearby Gilroy, will be featured in every dish. But, you will just have to show up to find out how we can make a delicious dessert with it!

Wednesday, April 27^th - Korean Night (Downtown SJ)
Come join Brian and Erin for a tasty night of Korean cuisine. We've been enjoying the local Bibimbap and the variety of banchan side dishes for years, but have never taken it on at a Frugal Foodies night - until now!

Tuesday, May 10^th - Mango Night (Mountain View)
Christl and Steven will be delighting us all with an evening dedicated to the mango. Sweet and juicy, tasty and colorful, you really can't go wrong adding mango to anything. Come join your frugal foodie friends to see just how good mangoes dishes can get.

Thursday, June 9^th - Soul Food Night
Join Erin and Brian for a night drawn from our Soul Food cookbooks. We'll be cooking up wonderful dishes inspired from African-American cuisine out of the Southern United States. Using ingredients such as black-eyed peas, collard greens, okra, and sweet potatoes, this will be a night full of tasty comfort food.

Tuesday, June 28^th - Mexican Fusion Night (rescheduled)
Join us for a fiesta of flavors at the next Frugal Foodies! Laurel and Danny have put together a menu that is sure to delight the senses and surprise you. Mexican Fusion will be the theme of the evening, as we put a modern, some say, "Californian" spin on some traditional south-of-the-border recipes. Sure, there will be tacos, but think Bean and Butternut Squash Tacos! With twists like this, you can only imagine what we will do with dessert! See you there!

Thursday, July 14^th - Fire and Ice Night (in Mtn View)
Do you have a burning desire to attend the coolest event of the season? Join us as we alternately celebrate and escape the heat of summer with "Fire and Ice" night. Menu to feature roasted peppers, cool mint, piquant portobello mushrooms, and iceberg lettuce as you've never seen it before. And for our finale... flaming Bananas Foster over frosty ice cream!

Thursday, July 28^th - Plum Night
Join Erin and Brian for a night devoted to plums. Whether sweet, salty, pickled, or dried, plums in every dish will be exciting your tastebuds!

Wednesday, August 10^th - Pickling Night
Please join Laurel and Danny for a Frugal Foodies first: pickling! If you've ever been faced with more fresh veggies than you can eat before they wither, you should consider learning how to pickle your fruits and veggies to save them long after your summer garden has peaked. For this night, we'll be hosting a potluck dinner (so we don't have to cook dinner and pickle at the same time), and each attendee will be sent home with many jars of pickled summer vegetables (and maybe even a quick fruit jam!).

Please plan on bringing the following to pickling night:

1. A vegetarian snack, side dish, or dessert to share (hosts will provide vegetarian lasagna);
2. Glass jars with lids - the hosts have purchased jars, but to help keep costs down they would appreciate any additional jars that attendees could bring (they don't have to be canning jars)

Cost for pickling night will be $8/pp as usual.

Thursday, August 25^th - Ramadan Night
We're in the middle of Ramadan - the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This is the time for reflecting on patience, spirituality, self-discipline, and humility - and is accompanied by a fast during daylight hours. This is generally followed by an incredible meal to break the fast at the end of each day at sundown. That's where we come in...

We will have a secular tribute to the wonderful foods of Ramadan at our next Frugal Foodies. There will be recipes drawn from around the Muslim world, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Your hosts, Brian and Erin, don't practice this faith, but have had the pleasure of breaking the fast with Muslim friends in the past. This will be a respectful tribute to the wonderful foods we've encountered at this observance.

Tuesday, September 20^th - Fire and Ice Night (Take 2, in downtown SJ)
Do you have a burning desire to attend the coolest event of the season? Join us as we alternately celebrate and escape the heat of the end of summer with "Fire and Ice" night. Menu to feature roasted peppers, cool mint, piquant portobello mushrooms, and iceberg lettuce as you've never seen it before. And for our finale... flaming Bananas Foster over frosty ice cream!

Tuesday, October 4^th - Japanese Night (in downtown SJ)
Join Brian and Erin for a night of vegetarian japanese cooking. We'll be doing our own hand-rolled sushi with a rich variety of fillings (no boring kappa/cucumber!). Some tasty gyoza, followed by maybe some potate korokke and our favorite Mustard/Miso Eggplant. And so many good soups to choose from (stay tuned). We'll finish off the night with homemade mochi ice cream balls. Come join us for an evening of social fun and delightful eats.

Wednesday, October 19^th - Autumn Colors Night (in Mountain View)
Fall is upon us, and it's time to enjoy the colors and flavors unique to this season! We'll make several innovative recipes, including pumpkin pizza with goat cheese and cashews, and stuffed tomatoes with grilled corn salad. For dessert, we will honor the brown leaves falling from the trees with (...this one's for you, Danny...) warm chocolate stout cake. Yes, "stout" as in "beer." That should help us shake off the autumn chill!

Tuesday, November 8^th - Food & Wine's Best Night
Inspired by the recent release of Food and Wine Magazine's best recipes of the year, Danny and Laurel will be hosting an evening featuring receipes inspired from the highlights of the cookbook. Some of the featured recipes may include Lemony Chickpea and Oven-Dried Tomato Stew, Butterscotch Sticky Buns,and a Frugal Foodies twist on the popular new asian style street tacos. Please join us as we meld the gourmet with the frugal!

Tuesday, November 22^nd - Foodies Thanksgiving
Join Brian and Erin for our annual not-so-traditional Thanksgiving feast. Old favorites with a few new additions will grace our thanksgiving table this time around.

Wednesday, December 7^th - Miso Night (in Mountain View)
"When Soybeans Go Bad"
Miso isn't just a soup served with sushi. The thick paste, usually made from fermented soybeans, is a versatile and underrated source of "umami" -- the "fifth taste", often translated as "savoriness". Every region of Japan has its own variety, varying in color, flavor, and texture. Join us for "Miso Night" and experience this marvelous ingredient in ways you might never suspect... or believe. In sweet potato soup? Or apple cobbler? You bet!

Tuesday, December 20^th - Bacon Night
Warning to all Vegetarians and those with heart problems: you may want to stay away from a west-coast Frugal Foodies first where we will be featuring the meat as a guest ingredient....Not just any meat, but BACON!!! Upon popular demand, "the gateway meat" will be included in every dish in some unique and delicious way--dessert will be specifically interesting! Join us at Laurel & Danny's house for a night that would make Homer Simpson proud!

Thursday, January 19^th - Shakespeare Night (in Downtown SJ)
Good Greetings, Lords and Ladies! I do humbly beseech thee to join our Frugal Foodies Shakespeare Night. Our meal will include such delicacies as Sweet peas and capers, watercress with roasted parsnips or sweet beets in puff pastry. Methinks the eve will be filled with mirth and merriment.
(We will be cooking dishes from "Shakespeare's Kitchen: Renaissance recipes for the contemporary cook")