SF Chefs, San Francisco’s food, wine and spirits festival returns for its fourth year on July 30-August 5, 2012, with the Grand Tasting Tent events taking place in the legendary Union Square on August 3-August 5, 2012.

Presented by Visa Signature and produced by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA), the celebration will highlight Northern California’s bounty of ingredients, chefs and restaurants, winemakers and wineries, bartenders and bars, breweries, farmers and artisan producers.

As SF Chefs continues to grow into its fourth year, the festival is committed to strengthening the community and continuing to increase its commitment to charities. Various events will support the San Francisco Food Bank, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, the James Beard Foundation and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association Scholarship Fund.

Culinary camaraderie will take the spotlight this year and the event will highlight the unique relationships that Bay Area chefs have with their peers, purveyors and farmers. The Bay Area chef community is based on mutual assistance, education and the strengthening of the bonds that impact the culinary landscape. It’s something worth celebrating!

“As a Chef, there is no better place to call home than the Bay Area,” commented Pastry Chef, Emily Luchetti of Farallon and Waterbar and co-chair of the festival’s Chef Advisory Board. “Not only is the culinary community filled with talented individuals who care deeply about their products, we also care about one another. We appreciate and respect each other’s styles and work hard to make San Francisco one of the best culinary cities in the country.”

The festival will be centered on the Grand Tasting Tent, set in San Francisco’s legendary Union Square. In the Grand Tasting Tent from Friday, August 3rd to Sunday, August 5th, attendees will savor tastes from over 100 acclaimed Bay Area chefs.

Notable Bay Area chefs that have already committed to the event include Martin Yan, Craig Stoll, Emily Luchetti, Gary Danko, Charles Phan, Hubert Keller,Joanne Weir, Thomas McNaughton, Mourad Lahlou, Anthony Strong, David Lawrence, Chris Cosentino, Hoss Zare, Jen Biesty, Russell Jackson, Perry Hoffman, and Ryan Scott.

In addition, attendees can enjoy specialty cocktails mixed with fresh, local ingredients by some of the city’s best bartenders, wine tastings from local and international wineries.

During the week of the festival, attendees can participate in cooking demonstrations, classes and seminars and listen to panel discussions hosted by notable industry professionals at The Westin St. Francis. On Thursday, August 2 and Friday August 3, the Food Arts Industry Series will offer demos and panel discussions designed for hospitality industry professionals.

There are a number of new and exciting events planned for 2012. In anticipation of the main event, on May 14th SF Chefs will host “SF Chefs at the Ballpark” in partnership with the San Francisco Giants. A pre-game tasting with Chefs, the event will highlight their takes on classic ballpark food

SF Chefs will also host The Dinner Party Project, a series of pop-up dinners showcasing groups of chef friends collaborating for one night to create unique menus: a blend of cooking styles, a fusion of their signature cuisines or a new restaurant concept. The series will benefit CUESA.

Image Courtesy of   SFChefs. Food. Wine.

The article Culinary Joys at San Francisco 4th Annual Food, Wine & Spirits Festival appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Amid two wars, the United States’ military is having a difficult time with mental illness.  Extended terms and repeated deployments contribute to the rising mental illness and suicide rates in the military.  One such example can be seen with Pfc. David Lawrence, 20.  Lawrence allegedly shot and killed a captured Taliban member on last October.  The prisoner was sleeping in his cell when he was killed.  Lawrence faces premeditated murder charges and, if convicted, could face life in jail or execution.  What does the military need to do differently?

For starters, it needs to take mental illness far more seriously.  Should a person with a serious mental illness be in charge of prisoners or be given a gun?  Lawrence was on a prescribed anti-depressant at the time of the shooting.  In the weeks leading up to the shooting, Lawrence had revealed to family members that he was hearing voices.   During a military court hearing held in December, testimony revealed that Lawrence had asked for and received help from mental health providers in Afghanistan.  However, when he returned to his unit, he was not given any additional supervision.  Instead, according to Lawrence’s civilian attorney James Culp, he received longer-than-normal shifts on guard duty.

Despite the evidence to the contrary, prosecutors suggested he was faking mental illness in hopes of getting a lighter sentence.   They said Lawrence didn’t tell Army officials until after the shooting that he was hearing voices, and that after his arrest he spoke of “playing the crazy card.”   At the hearing, prosecutors also described Lawrence as a zealot bent on killing the enemy. They said his words and actions indicated he deliberately arranged to be the only guard on duty at the prisoner’s cell.

This case is a representation of the problems with mental health in the military.  “I think what this case shows is there’s these complex, contradictory needs in the military,” said Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinical psychologist and founder of Give An Hour, a nonprofit that provides free mental health services to returning troops and their families.  “On the one hand … we have to look out for these folks,” she said. “On the other hand, we have to keep control of our forces.”

Lawrence’s father and attorney describe David as a young man with a family history of schizophrenia.  Schizophrenia is often triggered by a stressful event.  Lawrence was badly shaken by the death of two friends in Afghanistan.  Van Dahlen said a trained mental health provider will be able to determine whether David Lawrence has schizophrenia.  “You can’t really fake being schizophrenic … not when an evaluator is looking at this,” she said.

Last month, Army psychiatrists certified Lawrence as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia.  Even so, the US Army has notified the Lawrence family they are proceeding with the court martial. If convicted, David Lawrence faces at the least life in prison up to the death penalty.

The article U.S. Military and Mental Illness: Case of David Lawrence appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.