making + sharing food at Oakland Eat Real Fest

I showed up bright and early to catch the free form tart demo lead by the lovely Laurie Ellen of Tartine Bakery. This was the highlight of my day! I could start by declaring my love for Tartine but Laurie was truly amazing as she went through the all of the steps, answered questions and gave baking tips. After the demo she offered to go through the steps with a few of us one on one! Laurie shared rolling pin techniques while sharing her pin so I could get a feel for it which is essential for me to learn a new skill. Free form tarts are my go to quick item, but now they'll be a favorite for another reason thanks to the great memories from today and my improved techniques and tips that I'm eager to keep practicing. the center quote of food as a common ground almost always makes me weep as a shared experience is such a powerful thing to think about. The mojito was a kind gift from a woman I met during the tart demo (I remember you work for KQED and your blog pie curious but I haven't found you in the internet world yet. If you see this please say hello.) The bottom pics are of pistachio (vegan) sorbet from Scream Sorbet. Their inventive flavors are amazing!