tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1 2009-07-03T21:48:57Z Movable Type 3.31 tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.297 2009-07-03T20:18:43Z 2009-07-03T21:48:57Z

As part of the upcoming Urban Ag Fest, Slow Food Sacramento recently lobbied the Sacramento City Council to adopt a resolution naming July 11, 2009 “Urban Ag Day!” It embodies Slow Food’s belief that is important to enable residents...

Ann Martin Rolke www.handsoffcooking.com/test As part of the upcoming Urban Ag Fest, Slow Food Sacramento recently lobbied the Sacramento City Council to adopt a resolution naming July 11, 2009 “Urban Ag Day!” It embodies Slow Food’s belief that is important to enable residents to grow, glean, and swap food crops within the urban limits. Slow Food's Ag Fest is being called "Common Table," and it consists of a variety of tours, workshops, films, and a gourmet three-course dinner from Magpie Caterers to be held at the Fremont Community Garden. The goal is to raise awareness about local urban gardening and food programs, as well as to advocate for improved city, county, and state food policies that enable more locally grown foods in urban locations. The event benefits the Sacramento Hunger Coalition (a program of the Community Services Planning Council), an organization that works to alleviate hunger and increase food security, and the Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition, an organization dedicated to expanding urban locations for growing fruits and vegetables. The workshops and tours include a day on the farm with Soil Born Farm, the "What's Growing On" bike tour of urban locations for growing food, and seminars on the basics of composting, growing organically, and what hunger means. Two movies will be screened: “The Garden” and “FRESH” — both document the need for more locally grown, healthful food. Dinner speaker Brahm Ahmadi of People’s Grocery in Oakland will share his insights on Innovative Solutions for Food Justice. Saturday, July 11, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. (various events, locations, and prices) For more information, visit the Slow Food site, where they encourage you to buy your tickets by July 6 at Brown Paper Tickets.]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.296 2009-07-03T16:45:19Z 2009-07-03T17:44:51Z

My friend Chris has a glorious garden. I asked how it came to fruition. This is part one, from Chris. "Hey we should plant the garden this year”; Queenie (my girlfriend) said. This statement began our yearly ritual of...

Lynn Gowdy My friend Chris has a glorious garden. I asked how it came to fruition. This is part one, from Chris. "Hey we should plant the garden this year”; Queenie (my girlfriend) said. This statement began our yearly ritual of planning our garden, but never putting it in. Other household projects took precedence but this year, there was nothing standing in the way. In less than a week, we had a garden ready for planting. Our Barren Yard Early the next morning, I researched soil. Since our ground can only grow weeds, we decided on raised beds and needed good topsoil. We settled on Hastie's, purchased four yards of soil (two yards too much) and they delivered the next day. Hastie’s "mini dump" truck pulled up at eight a.m. and dropped off four yards of the most gorgeous soil I've ever seen. Dark, rich, loamy soil that smelled of earth and potential, I could not help but drive my hand deep into the soil and feel it envelope my fingers. As I lifted my hand out, the dirt spilled through my fingers and back onto the pile, “This is good soil.” I thought to myself. ]]> Redwood planks and post because it looks nice, ages well, is naturally rot and insect resistant and doesn't have all the chemicals that are in pressure-treated lumber. We planned on (2) 8‘x4’ beds, 12 inches high. We left with (12) 8’ 2x6 planks for the walls and (2) 8’ 2x4 for the posts. Before planting, we cleared the grass underneath the beds. While the step may have been unnecessary, it allowed us to level the ground and break up the earth underneath. We have hard packed clay soil and knew drainage was important for a successful garden. This was the hardest part of building our garden. It took a lot of digging and picking and raking to get everything level and clear. Using the old adage “measure twice and cut once”, building the beds was easy. With a few cuts, I had the lumber ready to assemble into 4x8 beds. I built the boxes and secured them with treated screws to resist rust. I stacked one frame on another, squared them up, pounded the posts into the corners and screwed the boxes to the posts. Nice and secure, and also empty. Time to move the four yards of soil into the boxes! To make it easier, I removed the end boards of the beds so we could maneuver the wheelbarrow in and dump the soil. I have a confession to make, I had to teach that evening, so I moved one wheelbarrow full just to say I helped. The rest of the work was done by Queenie and her mom. When I returned, the beds were filled and looked amazing. Queenie screwed the end boards back on (she's very handy like that) and the soil was level and ready for planting. An added surprise was a ceramic cat placed in the bed. The purpose I was told was to keep real cats from using it as a litter box. One would think two 4x8 beds would be enough. But Queenie and I had the same thought; We needed more. We had two yards of soil left so why not. That next morning while heading to an appointment, I saw a sign for Berco Redwood out of the corner of my eye. Thankfully the street was clear as I cut across several lanes and turned in. I talked to the helpful staff and placed my order. (An aside, the lumber was better quality, lower priced and the best part, they cut it to length!) Twenty minutes later, my CRV was packed to the brim with freshly cut Redwood and smelling like a forest. I continued on to my appointment. Once home I prepped the rest of the yard. Where these beds were going the ground was much firmer and required a fork to even break up the soil to get a shovel into it. But once that was done, everything went smoothly. With Queenie’s help we built four 4x4 beds, lined them up with the existing beds, leveled and filled them with soil. We knew we wanted berries so in addition to the materials for the beds I picked up (4) 7’ 4x4 posts. I sunk two into the ground along our fence and between them I amended the soil with good quality topsoil, chicken manure and loam. I strung wire between the posts for our future berry branches to climb. With any luck, we’ll have berries in the spring. Was it hard work? Damb straight! But as you can see from the photos, we went from a barren backyard to six raised beds and a trellis. We believe it a much more responsible and enjoyable use of land. The best part is the fun was just about to begin, deciding what to sow and plant in our new beds. ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.295 2009-06-26T22:00:07Z 2009-06-26T22:13:02Z

Join Pesticide Watch Education Fund on Friday, July 3rd for the screening of the much-anticipated movie Food, Inc. Already the film has generated quite the buzz, including apparently making USDA head Tom Vilsack "uncomfortable" at one screening. Purchase tickets...

Ann Martin Rolke www.handsoffcooking.com/test Join Pesticide Watch Education Fund on Friday, July 3rd for the screening of the much-anticipated movie Food, Inc. Already the film has generated quite the buzz, including apparently making USDA head Tom Vilsack "uncomfortable" at one screening. Purchase tickets at the Crest Theatre. Cost: $12.00 Film: 8 - 9:30pm, The Crest Theatre, 1013 "K" Street Panel: 9:30 - 10:30pm, featuring:

• Ann Martin Rolke, author Hands-Off Cooking, Sacatomato.com, and chef
• Jaclyn Hopkins, coordinator EAT (Environment & Agriculture Taskforce), Sacramento
• Gail Feenstra, Food Systems Analyst, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP)
• Elizabeth Martin-Craig, Community Organizer, Pesticide Watch Education Fund
• Paul Muller, Full Belly Farm

Food, Inc., lifts the veil off our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of the US Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. A handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment now control our nation's food supply. Food, Inc. reveals surprising -- and often shocking truths -- about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are headed. The Sacramento Valley is home to a number of the largest industrialized agri-businesses in the country, growing crops such as olives, rice, nuts, and citrus as well as cattle-raising. However, the region is also home to an emerging movement of local and sustainable agriculture. ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.291 2009-06-23T00:34:10Z 2009-06-23T00:37:24Z

Those of us who live in Northern California are lucky, especially if you are interested in quality food. We have easy access to so many wonderful artisan food producers and growers. CSA (Consumer Sponsored Agriculture) box choices are aplenty,...

Lynn Gowdy Those of us who live in Northern California are lucky, especially if you are interested in quality food. We have easy access to so many wonderful artisan food producers and growers. CSA (Consumer Sponsored Agriculture) box choices are aplenty, fresh and seasonal at your fingertips, and passionate people with visions scattered about. Three women are just such passionate people whose visions came to fruition. Dubbed the “G.O.A.T. Girls”, they know a few things about goats and goat milk products because they are truly pioneers in what they do, with years of experience behind them. These successful ladies are Laura Howard (pictured above with Jethro) of Laloo’s Goat’s Milk Ice Cream, Jennifer Lynn Bice of Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, and Mary Keehn of Cypress Grove Chevre. They’ve recently come together in a campaign to educate consumers about the multitude of health benefits and wide variety of goat’s milk products available to us, and that goats are green. The start of this campaign is at ]]> dollop of Cypress chevre stuffed in a fresh fig? Or disc slices of a Redwood Hill crotton heated on a slice of levain bread and drizzled with balsamic reduction? Then I met Laloo’s goat ice cream and fooled my husband. When he grabbed the pint from the fridge, he looked at it funny then asked where the great mint ice cream was that I’d gotten him….(Ha, ha!) Jennifer at Redwood Hill Hearing the three joined forces caught my attention. What I learned is they are committed and they’ve got core values of fair trade, green environmental and humane practices in all they do. For example, Redwood Hill is the first U.S. goat dairy qualified as a Humane Farm Animal Care (HCFA) dairy. This means all goats are humanely raised and handled. Laloo’s works with Waterkeeper Alliance promoting watershed protection in the U.S. Last year, Cypress Grove received the Green Entrepreneur Award from SAFE-BIDCO, a California organization who recognizes companies that champion sustainable business practices and are committed to environmental stewardship. Each of them continually gives back to their community in some form or another! Mary Keehn, Cypress Grove So now, if your curiosity is peaked, head to the portal. Or better yet, head to Corti Brothers, Taylor’s Market, Whole Foods Market, or the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op to pick up some goat cheese or ice cream to try. So what's the G.O.A.T message? Goats are the “greatest of all time”. Go to Super Goat to find out more! ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.294 2009-06-18T14:24:18Z 2009-06-18T22:32:38Z

East Bay Restaurant Supply is offering their Kids and Adult Celebrity Chef Training Camp for $275, a $100 reduction from the original price of $375. According to chef Carolyn Kumpe, Culinary Center Event Coordinator, they’ve decided to drop their...

Lynn Gowdy East Bay Restaurant Supply is offering their Kids and Adult Celebrity Chef Training Camp for $275, a $100 reduction from the original price of $375. According to chef Carolyn Kumpe, Culinary Center Event Coordinator, they’ve decided to drop their price so more people can take advantage of the camp during these difficult economic times. They are substituting aprons and hats for real chef’s uniforms to help make the class more affordable. Date: June 22-26 Time: 9:00 - 12:30 p.m. Limited to 15 students For reservations, call Carolyn at (916) 440-0623 Price Includes: • Chef's Apron & Hat • 5 days in our Studio Audience watching CBS13 noon cooking segments • 5 Gourmet Breakfasts and Lunches cooked with Experienced Chefs • Learn 15 or more Chef Approved Recipes • Make your own 3 minute cooking segment CD for personal promotion • Cooking Segment CD Supply Fee $50.00 payable by check to Steve Davis Productions Check out their fun video about the camp on YouTube here! ]]> Monday Breakfast: Honeyed Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Compote Lunch: Panko Breaded Chicken Strips, Shoestring Potatoes & Seasonal Veggies Dessert: Brownies a la mode Tuesday Breakfast: Frittata di Pasta & Fruit Salad Lunch: Designer Panini served with Julienne Carrots in Lemon & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dessert: Chocolate Chunk Cookies Wednesday Breakfast: Buttermilk Souffle Pancakes with Peach & Caramel Syrup Lunch: Acini de Pepe en Brodo, Chicken Noodle Soup Dessert: Panna Cotta with Ripe Berries Thursday Breakfast: Chilaquiles: Crispy Tortilla Triangles with Scrambled Eggs & Monterey Jack Lunch: Tacos al Carbon: Grilled Chicken & Carne Asada Tacos Dessert: Mexican Wedding Cookies June 26th Graduation Day 9am- 3p.m. Receive Toque & Record your Graduation CD! Breakfast: Crepes with Nutella & Bananas Lunch: Gratin of Rigatoni & Four Cheeses served with Salad Dessert: Double Chocolate Pudding East Bay is located at 522 North 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.292 2009-06-12T18:54:47Z 2009-06-12T19:28:49Z

Things I've Been Meaning to Post or Just Caught My Attention DISH, the shop for vintage kitchenware, is having a garage sale! Sat., June 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Most of the items in the sale come from a...

Ann Martin Rolke www.handsoffcooking.com/test DISH, the shop for vintage kitchenware, is having a garage sale! Sat., June 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Most of the items in the sale come from a 1930s Land Park home. Almost everything dates from the 1920s through the 1950s, with an emphasis on glassware, dishes, kitchen items, and vintage accessories. Riverside Blvd. at Markham Way in Land Park. 448-1418 Enotria Patio Tasting and Sales Extravaganza Sat., June 20, 2:30 to 5 p.m. More than 20 wines will be available to taste and purchase--all for the low, low entry price of $20. Wineries include: Frank Family Vineyards, BV George de Latour, Cloudy Bay from New Zealand, Jayson by Pahlmeyer, Peter Franus Wines, and many more. 1431 Del Paso Blvd. Call 922-6792 to reserve your spot. The Sacramento Zoo Kings of Feasts Sat., June 27, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Stroll the zoo grounds after hours while enjoying food and drink from a variety of area restaurants. Live music by the Rhythm Vandals. Participating restaurants include JR's Texas Bar-b-que, Dad's Kitchen, Sandra Dee's, Vic's Ice Cream; beverages include Barefoot Wine and Bubbly, Gekkeikan Sake, margarita stations, and Sac's own Revolution Wines. Advance tickets: $50 general; $45 zoo members. See the Zoo Site or call 808-5888.]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.290 2009-06-01T23:47:15Z 2009-06-01T23:51:14Z

Thanks to all of you for entering our cookbook giveaway for Cooking Club: Great Ideas and Delicious Recipes for Fabulous Get-Togethers I found a fun random name picker online and used the Fruit Machine option. The lucky winner is GAIL!...

Ann Martin Rolke www.handsoffcooking.com/test Cooking Club: Great Ideas and Delicious Recipes for Fabulous Get-Togethers I found a fun random name picker online and used the Fruit Machine option. The lucky winner is GAIL! I'll email her to plan a book hand-off. Get your copy of the book signed this Saturday, June 6 at the Borders in Folsom. The authors will be there 2 to 4 p.m. at 2765 Bidwell St. and they'll do a cooking demo as well! ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.289 2009-05-28T18:08:10Z 2009-05-31T01:37:10Z

I really like figs and goat cheese (stinker and aged even better), and arugula. I'd gotten a bunch of spring onions at the farmer's market and wanted to do something a little different. This tart, with an almond crust...

Lynn Gowdy I really like figs and goat cheese (stinker and aged even better), and arugula. I'd gotten a bunch of spring onions at the farmer's market and wanted to do something a little different. This tart, with an almond crust sounded fun so with alterations, it became a light dinner. I used my last jar of home-made fig jam. Instead of butter, I used Earth Balance to lighten the cholesterol hit. Plus, I don't always like the taste of butter. It has it's place and it's a wonderful addition to things, but I really wanted to taste the almond and other ingredients here. Also, I admit I'm trying to cook heart healthy these days. But for you butter lovers, use the butter because you'll like the tart better! I served this with a Sangiovese from Auriga Winery in El Dorado County/Camino. A nice pairing!]]> Spring Onion, Fig and Goat Cheese Tart with Arugula Ingredients: 1/2 cup ground almonds (Bob’s Red Mill almond meal/flour works great) 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces 2 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey) 1/3 cup fig jam or spread 2 cups spring onions, both white and green parts, chopped 1/3 cup fresh goat cheese, crumbled 2 cups packed baby arugula or mixed salad greens 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper Method: Grind almonds in a food processor with 1/4 cup of the flour until ground to a coarse powder. Add remaining flour and process until well blended. Distribute butter over nut-flour mixture and pulse until blended. While pulsing, add honey and process until clumps of dough begin to form, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Preheat oven to 350°F. While oven is heating, press dough into the bottom of a buttered 8- or 9-inch tart pan, building it evenly up the sides. Bake crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove and let cool a little. While the tart is baking, heat a fry pan over medium-high heat with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Add the onions, turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened and begin to lightly brown (about 10-15 minutes). Set aside until tart is done. Back to the tart… Spread a thin layer of fig jam/spread over the bottom of the cooled crust. Top with cooked onions (it is ok if they are still warm), distributing evenly. Next, evenly distribute the crumbled goat cheese on top of the onions. Combine the balsamic vinegar , olive oil, salt and pepper. Adjust, adding more salt or pepper to taste. Toss arugula with the dressing. Top tart with arugula or put salad on the side. Enjoy immediately. Some notes: You can serve the tart warm by covering and warming 8 or 10 minutes in the oven if desired. It is also great served room temperature. I added thin slices of red and orange bell pepper to the spring onions when cooking, because I needed to use them up! They are a nice addition if you feel so inclined. If you want a slight smoky flavor, top the tart with crumbled bacon (I use a 97% fat-free, lower cholesterol turkey bacon from Whole Foods that tastes great.) If you don’t have spring onions, yellow onions work fine. If you aren’t an arugula lover, spinach or mixed ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.285 2009-05-23T23:58:01Z 2009-05-23T23:57:56Z

No, they are not aliens from outer space! Subdued and mellow, it plays well with other ingredients. It has a slight celery taste but is much more exciting. When cooked, it absorbs flavors from pan partners. These characteristics make...

Lynn Gowdy No, they are not aliens from outer space! Subdued and mellow, it plays well with other ingredients. It has a slight celery taste but is much more exciting. When cooked, it absorbs flavors from pan partners. These characteristics make it simple to cook and result in palate pleasing dishes. I would be remiss if I didn’t share it is great raw, sliced thin and tossed in a salad! My first exposure to Bok Choy was in Chinese food years ago, but there are so many possibilities with this vegetable. You can find it now in abundance at farmer's markets. This is what I did recently… Coconut Braised Baby Bok Choy ]]> Coconut Braised Baby Bok Choy (2 servings) 4 to 6 baby bok choy 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or use a plain oil such as grapeseed or canola) 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup lite coconut milk (regular is fine too) about one teaspoon ginger, finely minced kosher or sea salt and toasted sesame oil, for finishing Cut just a smidgen of the root end off each bok choy, then cut in half lengthwise. In a large fry or sauté pan, melt the coconut oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the bok choy cut side down. Cook a few minutes to sear and brown the cut side. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Turn the bok choy over, sprinkle with the minced garlic and ginger, and add the coconut milk (shake the can well before opening to mix). Cook this mixture for about 10 minutes, uncovered. You may need to add a touch of water and/or a bit more coconut milk if the pan becomes dry. (I mix a little of the coconut milk with vegetable, fish or chicken stock.) The white part of the vegetable should be soft but not mushy. Sprinkle with a little salt and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Enjoy immediately. Serve as a side dish with grilled or pan-seared fish; salmon, halibut, arctic char or black cod come to mind. I made it with Citrus Curried Salmon and together, they were great! ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.288 2009-05-15T21:04:20Z 2009-06-01T23:46:10Z

Local authors Dina Guillen and Michelle Lowrey--authors of The Plank Grilling Cookbook--have just written a new book with perfect timing. Cooking Club: Great Ideas and Delicious Recipes for Fabulous Get-Togethers was released just in time for the outdoor eating...

Ann Martin Rolke www.handsoffcooking.com/test Local authors Dina Guillen and Michelle Lowrey--authors of The Plank Grilling Cookbook--have just written a new book with perfect timing. Cooking Club: Great Ideas and Delicious Recipes for Fabulous Get-Togethers was released just in time for the outdoor eating season. The Folsom residents write about their years of fun as members of a dining club--a rotating party of women who eat together every month or so. As a member of such a club myself, it's really fun to try new dishes and see how your friends throw a dinner party. Since the dinner party concept seems to have fallen off the radar for many people, this is a great way to get back into it. Not only do you get to enjoy eating with friends, but you get to practice cooking for more than yourself and your family. No PB&Js or mac & cheese at these parties (unless they have something special added). It's also relatively affordable. You can feed a party on very little if you know how to budget. Lowrey and Guillen cover not only budgeting, but how to set up a club, recruit members, and determine menus. They give twelve theme-party examples with recipes, like One Night in Bangkok and Hawaiian Luau. They also interview other cooking clubs from around the country about how they got started and what rules they follow. I've included one of their intriguing recipes below (watch out, fellow Epicureans--you might be tasting this at my next dinner!). As a bonus for our readers, Sasquatch has sent me a book to give away to a lucky cook. Just comment below with your favorite dinner party theme and I'll use a random name generator to pick a winner. You have until May 29 to enter (once only per person, please). I'll do the drawing on June 1. Winner: Gail! In the meantime, go see Dina and Michelle at Taylor's Market tomorrow at 11 a.m., where they'll be signing copies of their book. You can also catch them at Borders in Folsom on June 6 from 2-4 p.m., and at Barnes &Noble in the Birdcage Center on July 18 at 1 p.m. ]]> Coconut Tapioca with Minty Lemongrass-Ginger Syrup and Mangoes Makes 8 servings You can substitute rice if you prefer. This dessert makes for a great presentation. Lemongrass-Ginger Syrup 1 stalk fresh lemongrass 3/4 cup water 3/4 cup sugar 1/2-inch piece fresh gingerrot, peeled and thinly sliced 20 fresh mint leaves 3 cups whole milk One 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk 2/3 cup small-pearl tapioca 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice 1/4 cup toasted sweetened coconut 8 sprigs fresh mint To make the syrup: Trim the root ends of the lemongrass, and remove and discard the tough outer layer. Bruise the stalk with the back of a chef's knife, and coarsely chop the stalk. Combine the water, sugar, lemongrass, ginger, and mint in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the syrup to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set it aside for 20 minutes to infuse. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a medium bowl, cover, and let it chill in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To make the tapioca: Whisk together the milk, coconut milk, tapioca, and sugar in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Stirring frequently, let the pudding simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon, being careful that the pudding does not scorch. Transfer the pudding to a large bowl and wrap with plastic, smoothing the wrap directly on the surface of the pudding so that a skin does not form. Chill the pudding in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Divide the pudding among 8 dessert bowls. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of Lemongrass Syrup over each serving and garnish with the mango, coconut, and a sprig of mint.]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.287 2009-05-08T18:35:10Z 2009-05-10T15:55:44Z

A casual symposium is coming our way on Monday, May 18th! Located at Sacramento's own Rail Bridge Cellars, this workshop is brought to you by wine merchant Donal Smith of Corti Bros., and features three wonderfully talented winemakers; Scott...

Lynn Gowdy A casual symposium is coming our way on Monday, May 18th! Located at Sacramento's own Rail Bridge Cellars, this workshop is brought to you by wine merchant Donal Smith of Corti Bros., and features three wonderfully talented winemakers; Scott Harvey of Scott Harvey Wines in Napa (Scott also spent several years making wine in Germany), Reggie Hammond of Ventana Vineyards in Monterey County and Brian Kays of Trefethen Family Vineyards in Napa. Each are veterans of numerous harvests of this intriguing varietal: Riesling. Whether you're already a Riesling fan or just curious, the evening promises to be memorable. Color, Smell, Taste and even the Tactile element of this wine will be discussed, as well as stereotypes, and everything else you wanted to know in a workshop format with Q&A opportunities. During the evening, you'll taste several samples focusing on California, Germany, Austrailia and Washington. (And you never know, Donal may throw in an Alsace Riesling to sample too!) Light hors dourves will accompany the wine courtesy of the Corti Bros. deli. Here are the details: What: Riesling at the Rail Bridge - A tasting/symposium of Riesling Wine When: May 18TH, 2009, 7:30 PM Where: Railbridge Cellars: 400 North 16th Street, Sacramento, CA Reservations: Donal Smith, 916 203-4641, donalswines@yahoo.com Tariff: $39 - cash or check only please (check made payable to Donal Smith) Cut off date for reservations is May 14th so don't be shy, give Donal a call and come join us in the cellar! ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.286 2009-05-01T21:57:22Z 2009-05-01T22:32:33Z

What: Mai Pham, chef of Lemon Grass restaurant and local cookbook author, has just released three Lemon Grass Kitchen sauces in a jar. There are two Thai versions: Green Curry and Yellow Curry, and a Vietnamese version: Lemongrass Ginger....

Ann Martin Rolke www.handsoffcooking.com/test What: Mai Pham, chef of Lemon Grass restaurant and local cookbook author, has just released three Lemon Grass Kitchen sauces in a jar. There are two Thai versions: Green Curry and Yellow Curry, and a Vietnamese version: Lemongrass Ginger. They're all 8-ounce jars that make 6 servings using the recipe on each label. Why: I tried the Lemongrass Ginger version and made the stir-fry recipe provided. It was very easy and resulted in a colorful dish with great flavor. One of the things I liked the most was the distinct flavor of fish sauce, making it taste authentically Vietnamese. Even when I make Vietnamese and Thai recipes at home, I never seem to be brave enough to add enough fish sauce to make them taste really authentic. (I should just double the amounts of spices listed, like I do with Indian recipes in most cookbooks. That often works out well.) It seems like there aren't many (if any) Vietnamese sauces in mainstream groceries, and few Thai varieties, so this should be a good local contribution to expanding people's culinary horizons. Where: I got mine at Whole Foods Market (thanks Lynn!), but you can find them in other specialty stores and grocery sections. You can also catch Chef Pham on some upcoming radio/TV/live demos: Monday, May 4 — Live cooking segment on Sacramento & Co, KXTV, 8 am hour Tuesday, May 5 — Live radio interview with Kitty O’Neal on KFBK 1530, 3 pm hour Tuesday, May 5 — Lecture/book signing/sauce tasting, Borders on Fair Oaks, 7 pm Friday, May 8 — Cooking demo/book signing Whole Foods Culinary Center, Napa Saturday, May 9 — Presentation/book signing at the Culinary Institute of America, Napa]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.284 2009-04-23T18:42:00Z 2009-04-23T18:44:18Z

Ficelle is now open on Saturday evenings for Tapas, as well as Fridays. If you are looking for a Saturday afternoon and evening itinerary that includes food and wine (and maybe music), here you go: Head west on I-80...

Lynn Gowdy Ficelle is now open on Saturday evenings for Tapas, as well as Fridays. If you are looking for a Saturday afternoon and evening itinerary that includes food and wine (and maybe music), here you go: Head west on I-80 to Rominger West Winery in Davis. Next, continue to Purple Pearl Winery in Dixon. For a final wine tasting, visit Berryessa Gap in Winters. From here, continue to Ficelle for fun tapas! If you are up for music after dinner, check in advance to see who is playing at The Palms. Read on for my original review of Ficelle. ]]> here is a fun little write up.) This cute little café is tucked off a side street in Winters. The food du jour on Friday nights is tapas and Carmen gave it two thumbs up for the tapas, the wine by the glass selection, and her favorite, sangria. We headed to Winters last Friday to see what Ficelle was all about. Arriving at 7:15, the place was humming. Ficelle is an ‘order at the counter then find a seat’ cafe. This came about because the owners (fun loving sisters) Joanne Martin and Marianne Washabaugh wanted a food-to-go establishment where they prepared dishes ahead of time. But what happened was they woke up one morning and realized they’d opened a restaurant (opened on St. Patrick’s day 2005). How did they get their name? They wanted to serve European type sandwiches on a small French bread called ‘ficelle’. They also wanted to serve a variety of food and not be tied down to a specific cuisine. Thus it’s not French (although the name would lead you to think so) and the food is described as non-gourmet, great tasting with a peasant worldly twist. The sisters are delightfully random and reserve the right to change the restaurant, menu or their minds at any time. Ficelle seats 35 people. On evenings the weather permits, you can enjoy their tree-laden patio, which has heat lamps for cooler weather. They only serve tapas Friday nights, of which 8 are standard and four or five are specials that change weekly. They have fun, playing with non-traditional tapa varieties too, like “Tapa de Redneck”. Tapas arose out of exhaustion (19 hour days). They sat down with friends over wine one Friday evening, dishes pilled high in the kitchen, neither wanting to do them. Instead, they decided to sit, drink and have a party. Thus tapas were born. On our visit, we started with the delightful “Plato Combinado” which included secchi salami, marinated green beans, fried baby peppers, a Spanish type of bean salad, mixed olives, prunes, goat and manchego cheese, and crostini. The flavors were clean, allowing you to taste each component. An assortment of tapas followed including a Chili Relleno, Cordero Asado (grilled lamb), Crostini con Queso (cheese toasts with scallion, olive and mushroom), Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce), Tapa de Sur (barbeque beef brisket sandwiches), Tapas Tostado and a plate of sliced baguette with house made Ajo (peasant aioli garlic mayonnaise), which is given to every table. We enjoyed each dish and would have tried more had our stomachs permitted. Our least favorite was the Crostini con Queso. Next time (yes, we’ll definitely go back) we'll bring more friends and have our own little party! Ficelle does special events such as birthdays and private dinners. But they do not cater (and don’t want to!) Ficelle 5C East Main Street, Winters, CA 95654 530-795-9593 Click here for directions or hours of operation. ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.283 2009-04-20T19:30:57Z 2009-04-20T19:41:31Z

Got dinner plans tonight? If not, make sure to drop in to Masullo on Riverside Blvd. Through the end of April, all bottles of wine on their list are 50% off on Mondays and Tuesdays. We went last week and...

Ann Martin Rolke www.handsoffcooking.com/test Masullo on Riverside Blvd. Through the end of April, all bottles of wine on their list are 50% off on Mondays and Tuesdays. We went last week and got the Sac-based Revolution Wines Pinot Grigio, which ended up being only $9. It was crisp and citrusy and perfect for the suddenly warm weather. It means you can get even more of their crisp-crust pizza, baked in the wood-burning oven. We shared one with blue cheese, onions, and potatoes and another with chorizo and tomato sauce. Hawks in Granite Bay is also offering a special deal. They started Sunday Suppers in February, where the chefs create a set menu of four inventive courses of comfort food full of seasonal produce. I recently enjoyed spring onion and green garlic soup, housemade gnocchi with nettle purée and black trumpet mushrooms, Maine monkfish and Delta asparagus, and pineapple upside-down cake with toffee sauce. The gnocchi and fish courses were served family style, in large platters for the whole table. The whole wine list is also discounted 25% for these dinners, which are just $35 to $40 per adult and $20 per child. ]]> ]]> tag:WWW.sacatomato.com,2009://1.282 2009-04-13T18:41:21Z 2009-04-13T18:40:30Z

It was stormy here Friday and I love big storms. There were swells of dark grey clouds whirling through the sky with intermittent down pours and wind. Sinking into a comfy chair with a cup of warm something and...

Lynn Gowdy moist and interesting with a sophisticated kind of taste that didn’t want to tell you all. By the time I was done, I didn’t have time to sink into that chair and came back to them five days later. I wasn’t sure if I liked them at first but on that fifth day, the taste was amazing. They are great with a glass of port! My version are gluten-free but you can use all-purpose flour and they’ll be just as good. ]]> Glazed Chocolate Almond Cookies (If you don’t have almond flour, you can pulse raw almonds in a food processor until they are finely chopped.) 1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds (Bob’s Mills brand has a great almond flour.) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup chestnut flour (thanks Dennis!) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons butter (Earth Balance works just as well) 1 tablespoon grated orange zest 3 tablespoons orange juice 1 tablespoon port For glaze: ¾ cup powdered sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 to 3 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon port Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix ground almonds, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a food processor. Add Earth Balance or butter and orange zest. Pulse until mixture becomes like coarse meal. Add orange juice and port and pulse until the mixture comes together. (You can also do this in a bowl with your hands.) Scoop a tablespoon of dough and form into a ball. Press flat to about ¼-inch thick circle. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 15 minutes. Cookies will be slightly puffed and cracked. Cool on a wire rack. Glaze: Mix powdered sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water and the port and stir to combine. If too thick, add the extra tablespoon water a little at a time. Taste. If you prefer a sweeter glaze, add more powdered sugar and a little water. When the cookies are cool, spread glaze over the top with the back of a spoon. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes for the glaze to set. Makes about a dozen. ]]> ]]>