Single Guy’s Planner -- Holiday Edition

Sorry I missed doing a calendar last month, but I was just not into it. But before I let the Grinch totally take control of me, I squeezed out a Single Guy planner for this month, which of course is filled with a lot of holiday cheer. Bundle up and go check out an event!

December 1 (Wednesday) – 18 Reasons’ Tiny Holiday Bazaar. This tiny community food art space in San Francisco’s Mission District is holding its first ever holiday bazaar, where they’ve gathered local artisans to present fun gifts for food lovers and gardeners. (Expect lots of jams and pickled goods, and maybe a few cookbooks.) Also tonight, the space will showcase the work of Maria Schoettler, displaying original paintings under the theme “A Year of What’s to Grow.” Maybe you can buy a painting for a gift. Drop in between 6 to 9 p.m. at 593 Guerrero St. Free. For more information and other events this month, check out the group’s website.

December 2 (Thursday) – Shop and Support People’s Grocery. Along with various holiday parties, there are also a lot of benefits to help those with not that much this season. One of those events is a night of drinking, munching, and shopping in Berkeley, and some of the proceeds will support People’s Grocery, a program that helps build a local health and food economy for the West Oakland area. The event takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. at Vintage Berkeley (a local wine store) at 2949 College Ave. in Berkeley. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Participating vendors include Summer Kitchen (who are also hosts of the event), Blue Chair Fruit, Lucid Designs Contemporary Jewelry, Blueblood and Mrs. Dalloway’s Bookstore. Click here for details.

December 4 (Satuday) – Open Gingerbread House at the Fairmont Hotel. The San Francisco landmark this year created a 22-feet high gingerbread house for the holidays. And you can check it out for free during an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 960 Mason St., San Francisco.

December 5 (Sunday) – Great Cheese and Good Cheer. This benefit that focuses on all that is cheese takes place in Oakland and is a benefit for the California Artisan Cheese Guild. Taste a variety of local cheese, drink some wine and nibble on some bites (by Market Hall Food) from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Grace Street Catering Building, 4629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased from the link on the Guild’s website.

December 5 (Sunday) – Williams-Sonoma Technique Class: The Holiday Dinner. This premium culinary store puts on in-house demonstrations throughout the year, but during the busy holiday month, Williams-Sonoma is putting on demonstrations almost every day. This Sunday class will give you tips on putting on the perfect holiday dinner. Other interesting demonstrations include sweets of the season, peppermint, and stocking stuffers. All the demonstrations occur at most Williams-Sonoma store, so go check out the one near you. (My favorite is the flagship Union Square store in San Francisco because of its large demo kitchen.) You can check out the month’s complete schedule on the company website.

December 9 (Thursday) – Edible Holiday Gift Workshop at Omnivore Books. Tired of running around shopping for gifts and want to find something personal? Learn to make it yourself at this DIY workshop at the Noe Valley cookbook store. Three instructors will teach you how to make things like liqueur and cheese. Workshop begins at 6 p.m. at 3885a Cesar Chavez St. in San Francisco. Cost is $15. The workshop is limited to 25 people and reservations are required. Call the bookstore at 415.282.4712.

December 11 and 12 (Saturday and Sunday) – The Wild Kitchen by forageSF. After taking a month off, forageSF is back with its popular underground dinners using ingredients collected from local gardens and the wild. The meal takes place in a Mission home (disclosed by email after you purchase a ticket) and you dine family-style on a nine-course dinner. Each dinner cost $100 with 10% of the proceeds going to a local charity. To purchase a ticket, go here.

December 18 (Saturday) – SF Underground Market. This month’s San Francisco market with locally made (often home-made) products to eat on the spot or take home takes place at SOMArts Cultural Center at 934 Brannan St. (at 8th). Like past markets, the day will be focused on vendors selling products you can take with you while the evening portion is a party with food purchased to eat on the spot. Admission is $5 and you need to be a member to be allowed in. To register and for more information, go to forageSF.com.