New Year, New You! Kick off 2024 by giving your system a boost with this delicious Ginger Wellness Shot!
Happy New Year 2024
May the coming year bring you good health, happiness & prosperity!
Celebrate Little Labels with Fairtrade America, Marine Stewardship Council and the Non-GMO Project
If you’re like many shoppers, you want to know how the food you buy affects people and the planet, including how it was grown, harvested and produced. You seek out greater transparency from stores like ours, as well as from your favorite brands and the companies who produce your food.
We, too, believe you have a right to know if what you’re buying aligns with your values! That’s where third party certifications play a big role. When you see the little labels by independent third-party certifiers on your food, you know that product underwent a rigorous evaluation to ensure it met a set of strict standards.
To highlight the positive impacts these labels make, this January we’re celebrating Think Big, Shop Little Labels all month – honoring Fairtrade America, Marine Stewardship Council and the Non-GMO Project! By looking for the Non-GMO Project, Fairtrade America and Marine Stewardship Council labels, you can shop sustainably throughout our store! Read on to learn how they are driving big, meaningful change in our food system!
What is Non-GMO Project Verified?
GMOs (or genetically modified organisms) are living organisms whose genetic material has been manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and/or virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.
Non-GMO Project verification means that a product is compliant with the Non-GMO Project Standard, the most rigorous third-party standard for GMO avoidance, which includes stringent provisions for ingredient testing and traceability and the most up-to-date definitions around new GMO techniques.
What is Fairtrade America?
Every day, we enjoy products planted, grown, harvested and transported by farmers and workers around the world. These farmers and workers often do not earn enough to have a decent living — that is, to eat nutritious food, send their kids to school, have adequate shelter and weather a crisis. Many live on less than $2 per day.
The Fairtrade Mark works towards rebalancing trade. By choosing Fairtrade, you are choosing to prioritize the farmers and workers behind our everyday purchases. You are choosing products that are certified to meet the rigorous standards developed in partnership with producers.
What is MSC Certified?
The MSC blue fish label is an ecolabel that can be found on seafood products from fresh, canned, and frozen seafood to omega-3 supplements and even pet food. It can also be found alongside seafood items on menus. The blue fish helps shoppers and diners identify seafood that is wild-caught and that has been independently verified for environmental sustainability, because a healthy ocean is vital for people and the planet. By purchasing products with the MSC blue fish label, you are directly supporting well-managed fisheries that have been assessed by a third-party on its impacts on wild fish populations and the ecosystems they’re part of.
When you see the MSC blue fish label on packaging, you can feel good knowing you are supporting continuous changes on the water to help protect the ocean for the future. 95% of MSC certified fisheries make improvements so they continue to meet the high bar of the MSC Fisheries Standard.
Why do we need such labels on food anyway?
“Natural” food and “fair” food are big business these days and greenwashing has become a serious problem. By making unverified or uncertified claims about how their food is grown, caught, or processed (“self-made” marketing claims), some unscrupulous companies capitalize on shoppers’ desire for high-quality food because it supports people and the planet. In response, there is a sea of different labels popping up with claims that sound really good, but have little backing them up.
How does an informed shopper know what label is supported and which are empty marketing words? Choosing well-recognized, independent, third-party certification labels on products is the best place to start. Labels like the Fairtrade Mark, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certified, and Non-GMO Project Verified represent rigorous standards with requirements that must be followed in order to receive the label. This may actually require laboratory testing and supply chain accountability that allows for “identity preservation.”
Fairtrade America, Marine Stewardship Council, and the Non-GMO Project are all nonprofit organizations driven by their collective mission to change how food is harvested or made in order to better serve people and the planet. Fairtrade has been operating internationally since 1989, MSC’s sustainable fishing standard has been in effect since 1998, and Non-GMO Project has been verifying products since 2010. The nonprofits publish their standards on their websites to give shoppers full transparency. Brands both large and small showcase this compliance by including the Fairtrade, MSC, or Non-GMO Project labels on their packaging. This further gives shoppers assurance that it’s not a fad but a sustainability tool used by brands to have a true, positive impact.
What you can do Think big and shop the labels! Our store will be highlighting products that are Fairtrade, MSC Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified throughout January. Support brands working towards a more sustainable future, and try something new.
Want to learn more?
Follow the Butterfly with the Non-GMO Project. Sign up for their newsletters and like them on social
media @NonGMOProject.
Get the scoop on Fairtrade. Sign up to receive Fairtrade America’s newsletter and follow them on
social media @FairtradeMarkUS.
Learn how your choices at the grocery store can make a big difference for the health of our ocean
at MSC.org. Get to know the people behind the label that make sustainable seafood possible at @MSCbluefish.
Seafood Stew Recipe
The feast of seven fishes is a traditional Italian American meal served on Christmas Eve. As the name implies, it’s seven courses featuring fish and seafood options. This seafood stew might not be as grand as the feast of seven fishes, but it certainly satisfies a craving for a rich, warming seafood meal. Plus, it can be on the table in just over half an hour. Now that’s something worth celebrating!
Seafood Stew
Serves 4–6
Total Time: 35–40 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup minced shallots, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
28 ounces fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
¾ pound mussels, scrubbed
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)
1 pound cod fillet, cubed
1 lemon, wedged (optional)
Crusty bread
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 2–3 minutes or until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze pan with white wine then add tomatoes, broth, thyme, chili flakes, sea salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste at this point.
- Add mussels and shrimp and bring stew back to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1 minute then add cod. Continue to cook until shrimp is opaque, mussels are open (discard unopened ones), and the cod flakes.
- Serve promptly with crusty bread and lemon wedges, if using.
Bubble Bash 2023
The Annual Bubble Bash Sale & Tasting is this weekend!
Sushi Waffles Recipe
Rolling sushi is arguably the hardest part of making your own rolls at home. Skip that step and answer the age-old question of “will it waffle”? Using a waffle iron creates an irresistibly crispy base for all your favorite sushi toppings.
Sushi Waffles
Makes 16 portions
Total Time: 45 minutes
Gluten free
2 cups sushi rice
3 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons cane sugar
3 tablespoons furikake sushi seasoning (optional, some kinds contain fish)
Toppings
6 ounces cooked crab*
1 ½ cups chopped cucumber
1 large ripe avocado, chopped
½ cup seasoned mayo
¼ cup sriracha
½ cup crispy fried onions
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Place rice, water, and salt in a medium pan and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low, cooking for 15–18 minutes. Turn off heat and allow rice to rest for 10 minutes. Place cooked rice on a baking sheet and allow to cool for 3 minutes before seasoning.
- Stir together rice wine vinegar and cane sugar until dissolved. Pour over rice, sprinkle on furikake (if using), and fold rice to incorporate. Divide rice mixture into 4 even portions.
- To make sushi rice waffles, heat a waffle maker to high. Spray with cooking spray and carefully press one rice portion into the bottom iron. Close the waffle maker and allow rice to crisp, approximately 15 minutes or until desired crispness is achieved.
- Remove sushi waffle from the waffle maker and allow to cool for a few minutes, then top with toppings in the order they’re listed above.
*Substitute cooked, chopped shrimp, or ahi tuna.
Cranberry Hot Toddy Recipe
When you’re looking for a seasonal drink to keep the cold at bay, try this cranberry hot toddy. With a base of warming spices and an optional tipple of whiskey, this toddy will soothe your throat and keep you wassailing all season long!
Cranberry Hot Toddy
Serves 4
Total Time: 15 minutes
Vegetarian
2 ¾ cups cranberry juice (unsweetened)
1 ¼ cups water
6 tablespoons honey
¼ cup cane sugar
1 orange, sliced
3 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
3–4 inches fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 star anise
½ cup Bourbon or Whiskey (optional)
- In a quart-size saucepan, add all the ingredients except for the bourbon.
- Bring mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 5–10 minutes. Turn off heat and adjust sweetness to taste by adding more cane sugar and/or honey.
- Carefully strain mixture and add bourbon, if using.
- Serve in heat proof mugs and garnish with orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and fresh cranberries.
Substitute agave for honey to make vegan.
The Annex Sessions: El Tren Quartet on Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 6-8:30pm will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex) – “The Annex Sessions”
El Tren Quartet:
Julio Pérez – percussion
Carlos Caro – percussion
Saul Sierra – bass
Marco Diaz – piano
With roots in Mexico. Cuba, Puerto Rico and US-Guatemala, El Tren quartet has been performing together for over twenty years. Their musical range captures music styles from the late 1800’s to their modern day composition and arrangements of Latin American and American Classics.
Julio Perez: Conga
Born in Puerto Rico, Julio Perez shares a long history with other band members Marco Diaz, Saul Sierra, and Carlos Caro making music in the San Francisco Bay Area and also when he visits home in Puerto Rico. Julio plays all the percussion instruments with precision and feeling, and from memory as well, since he lost his sight as a young boy. Julio brings great musicianship and great friendship to VibraSON and co-stars in a number of other productions around the area including concerts by Bobi Cespedes, John Santos, Marco Diaz and other local bands.
Carlos Caro: Percussion
Carlos Caro, originally from Cuba, has a long and distinguished career in music. He has played with many other great musicians as one of the best percussionists in the world. Carlos plays with a number of Salsa bands in the Bay Area, including his own band called Vission Latina. He also is a great instructor for aspiring musicians, and a 2014 GRAMMY® Award Winning percussionist.
A native of Havana, Cuba. Born on August 13 on 1967. Carlos Caro was musically educated throughout his youth, graduating from the Alejandro Garcia Cultural Conservatory in Havana and the ENIA (National School of Arts Instructors), after which he began his professional career with the group “Clave.”
He has performed on tour with and has recorded for some of Cuba’s biggest names in music including Paulo Fernandez Gallo and Jackeline Castellano’s best selling “La Dama Del Son”Caro immigrated to Mexico City in 1993 where he was commissioned to record and perform a work in the Danzon style with the Mexico City Philharmonic.
He then appeared on the West Coast music scene in 1996 to quickly become one of the most sought-after Latin percussionists, simultaneously playing in the best Cubano, Salsa, and Latin Rock bands throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Carlos Caro released his first album with Vission Latina and the second one in April of 2010. Music from this CD was recently chosen for a movie soundtrack!
Saùl Sierra-Alonso: Bass
Saùl Sierra-Alonso has played with many of the Latin bands in the Bay Area and studied at the famous Berklee School of Music in Boston. Saùl has worked extensively in the Salsa and Latin music scene and offers great expertise and musical experience.
Saúl Sierra Born and raised in Mexico City, where he started playing professionally in 1990. He moved to Boston Mass. in 1995 and attended the Berklee College of Music where he graduated in the summer of 1999, with a major in Performance. Some of his teachers included Oscar Stagnaro, Rich Appleman, Daniel Morris, and Jim Stinnet. He received the US Scholarship tour award and the Outstanding Performer award at Berklee.
As a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area since the fall of 1999, Saúl has performed, toured or recorded with Nestor Torres, Jimmy Bosh, Eddie Montalvo, Johny Rodríguez, Orestes Vilató, Bobi Céspedes, Antonio Sánchez, Miles Peña, John Santos, Jesús Díaz, Rebeca Mauleón, Mark Levine, Greg Landau, Mike Spiro, Jackeline Rago, Chuchito Valdez, Alexander Livinali, Wayne Wallace, Aquiles Baez, Marco Granados, Anthony Blea, Doug Beavers, and María Márquez, among others.
For the past 10 years Saúl has been a member of some of the leading bands in the Bay Area, including The John Santos Quintet/Sextet, Bobi Cespedes’ band, Dr. Loco’s Rocking Jalapeño Band, El Tren Trío, Anthony Blea y su Charanga, The Snake Trío, Jesús Díaz y su QBA, The Bay Area Afro-Cuban All Stars, The Venezuelan Music Project, Corazón Sur, and Sababa band.
A founding member of Vission Latina, the band that he co-leads with Carlos Caro, percussionist extraordinaire, and Marco Díaz, virtuoso multi-instrumentalist (piano/trumpet ), Saúl keeps himself busy performing, composing, arranging and teaching in the world class musical community of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Marco Diaz: Piano
Marco Diaz was born and raised in San Francisco and was introduced to the trumpet in the fourth grade at E.R. Taylor Elementary School. His formal training in both piano and trumpet began at the age of 14. He earned a scholarship from the Community Music Center in San Francisco, and began playing professionally at the age of 17 throughout the Bay Area with various Latin Jazz, Salsa, Reggae, and R&B bands. Upon graduating from high school, he continued his studies at San Francisco State University pursing a Bachelors of Arts in Popular Music and a minor in Economics.
In addition to his studies Marco has been influenced by Afro-Cuban music through world renowned musicians, such as, Jesus Diaz, who he played and recorded with for eight years, John Santos, Orestes Vilato, Edgardo Cambon, and Carlos Caro.
Today, Marco is part of the faculty at the Community Music Center in San Francisco and has been a part of the SFJAZZ teaching artist program since 2017. He is an accomplished recording musician who has shared the stage with Grammy Award winning artist, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Nelson Gonzales, Jimmy Bosch, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, Ska Cubano (Europe), Tito Rojas, Nino Segarra, Anthony Cruz, Anthony Blea, Jovino Santos Neto, Joe Santiago, and is an integral member of the John Santos sextet, and the musical director for Bobi Cespedes. Marco has participated in the San Francisco Symphony AIM program since 2000 and currently produces records and performs music throughout the country while also co-leading Vission Latina, an Afro-Caribbean dance band, and director of his own quartet, The Marco Diaz Quartet.
In 2011, Marco Diaz was part of the faculty at Jazz Camp West. He toured the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State with Bobi Cespedes, teaching children and adults the roots of Afro-Cuban music. Marco also performed at the San Francisco, Tanglewood, and Monterey Jazz Festivals, and the Smithsonian Museum with world renowned ethno-musicologist, John Santos and his Sextet. In the Fall, Marco began his ninth season with the San Francisco Symphony’s AIM (adventures in music) program.
The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music Productions.
SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.
All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.
Javier Navarrette Music Productions continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.
COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES
Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.
TICKETS
Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the registers.
Mini Wine Tasting at The Annex: Meet Winemaker Paul Durroussay Thursday, December 7, 2023
Please join us in The Annex Wine & Beer Department on Thursday, December 7, 2023 between 4:30pm and 5:30pm! We are going to hold a Mini Wine Tasting with Paul Durroussay, the winemaker of Voleur Wines. He will be here to pour tastes of his wines from California, some of his family’s wines from France and talk with you about them. Come meet the winemaker!
There is a small tasting fee of $5 and you must be 21+ to participate.
The Annex Sessions: Is On Pause This Week!
We’ve hit pause on The Annex Sessions this week because of a little thing called Thanksgiving. Live music will return on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.
Just because we don’t have a show this week doesn’t mean you can’t make a donation to SunJams.
We are THANKFUL for your support of this music series and fundraising campaign to provide music education in our schools!