Valentine’s Food and Drink Picks!!
Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa
Distilled at 60 proof, Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa is less sweet than many other coffee liqueurs, and a mix of coffee, chocolate and tequila.
The label and outer box for Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa are dressed in red. You can find Patrón on Facebook here.
Xan Confections
The five new product lines include fortified ingredients targeting wellness, heart, brain, pre-natal and pre-menstrual health.
Nutritional enhancements in selected products include vegetarian Life’s DHA, Wellmune WGP, folic acid, a proprietary blend of Vitamins A, C, D3, and E, chasteberry, bilberry, CoQ10 and Kaneka QH.
Perhaps my favorite line of samples I have been sent lately is the nut packages from Oren’s Kitchen. There are four different varieties: Rosemary Almonds, Smoked Paprika Pecans, Indian Ajwain Cashews, and Coconut Chili Macadamias. My favorite are the macadamias. The nut mix is a blend of toasted and shaved coconut, macadamia nuts, some honey for sweetness, and dried Full Belly Farms red chilies are added for a little flavor kick. They are so addictive I could probably eat 2 or 3 bags in one sitting. 😉 To order, you can go to their website here.
Emanuel Andrén Chocolates (www.emanuelandren.com) are crafted in the small town of Lilla Edet, located just southwest of Stockholm. The family-owned company has been producing confections since 1868, with recipes passed down from generation to generation. Emanuel Andrén, who has followed in his great-great-great-great-grandfather’s footsteps, transformed the family business since becoming CEO in 2002. Today, Emanuel Andrén Chocolates is recognized as some of the world’s most luxurious chocolates and truffles, each of which is deemed a work of art, with Andrén being named “Pastry Chef of The Year” in his country.
Red Carpet was featured at the 54th and 50th Grammy Awards. The Red Carpet collection makes your successes memorable with elegant chocolate creations that celebrate any occasion.
Rich and Robust is an extraordinary luscious sensory-provoking confection created from a selection of the finest spirits and tobacco with a taste of distinction.
Rustic Harmony offers chocolate lovers the creamy and delicious union of chocolate and cheese with a touch of sweet fruit marmalade.
Swedish Strawberries offer fresh aromatic summer berries captured in their purest form to seduce every palate.
Paleo Superfood Potluck!!
Hi there! I am sitting here writing this post while my twitter feed is overflowing with people tweeting about pizzawingsnachossupersh*ttysuperbowlfoodoneword.
Sorry, but WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?!
OK, so I am kind of shaking my head, trying not to judge, and thinking back to a time I didn’t eat so well or look all that good, or for that matter FEEL all that great.
I have been Paleo for eleven months now, and since last March I am stronger, faster, sharper, and just better than ever. An old saying, but I believe it’s true: You are what you eat.
I wouldn’t be writing this if I didn’t care about you.
Or about the health of the human population in general and the quality of our food supply. See, when you buy cheap, processed food, it creates a demand for more of the same. I know it’s easy and convenient to eat fast food or hard to pass up that juicy burger/pizza/french fry basket… but know this: even french fries are fried in cheap soybean oil… most likely grown by seeds from Monsanto and genetically modified in some form. Even the non fast food places in downtown you go to for happy hour. Cheap veggie oil, people!! The only oil you should be (pan) frying in is olive or coconut, PERIOD!
Backing down a bit….
All I am asking is that you make better choices, and your body will be reward you generously.
So many of my friends complain about being sick all the time. I haven’t been sick all year long. I hear about migraines, flu, colds, and the list goes on and on and on and on. I also know if the complainers cut out all the garbage some of these ailments, would in fact magically disappear! If you are skeptical, take a look at my pictures… I will paste them below in a bit…
And also skeptics, all I ask is 30 days of your life. It’s a crazy scary commitment to stop eating your Subway sammies, your pizza, your #crapfoodofchoiceIknowyouhaveonewealldo.
Cut grains, sugar, dairy, and legumes, as well as artificial sweeteners. You’ll probably lose weight, but that will just be a pleasant side note to how much better you will feel in general.
And you can have super fun parties with great food just like this!! (BF’s awesome house not included)
Pour Your Heart Out, a Mended Little Hearts Wine Tasting Fundraiser on February 18th
The fundraiser includes wine tasting, silent auction, and live music! You must be 21 to order ticket(s) and attend – ID will be checked at the venue.
To purchase tickets, and for more information click here. If you wish to donate to the event, you can contact Lorie Walton at mendedlittleheartsgrants at gmail dot com.
Sacramento Film Screening: The Last Crop, January 31st, Sierra 2 Center
The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Sponsors Screening And Discussion To Support The One Farm At A Time Project
SACRAMENTO, CA – A documentary film in progress about the efforts to preserve local farms, The Last Crop, will be screened in Sacramento, Tuesday, January 31, 6:30 p.m., Sierra 2 Community Center, Curtis Hall, 2791 24th Street Sacramento (See Details Below).
Filmmaker Chuck Schultz, pioneering organic farmers Jeff and Annie Main of Good Humus Farm, young farmer and veteran Eric Hart, and innovative leader of the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, Paul Cultrera, will be a part of the panel discussion following the screening.
WHEN: Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 6:30–9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Sierra 2 Community Center, Curtis Hall, 2791 24th Street
TICKETS: $15/$10 Co-op Owners and Students
Advance Registration: (916) 868-6399 or www.sacfoodcoop.com
About: To enjoy local food, we must preserve our local farms. The Last Crop is a documentary film that tells the story of Jeff and Annie Main of Good Humus, who like many farming families, confront an uncertain future as development impinges on their rural community and their children choose careers off the farm. What sets the Mains apart is their resolve to ensure their land will be affordable and productive for future farmers.
While interest in local food is increasing, farmers are getting closer to retirement age and farms are being lost to development. Without local family farms, consumers will lose the local food that they are now beginning to appreciate. One Farm At A Time is a collaborative project that is raising funds and awareness to protect Good Humus Farm, operated by Jeff and Annie Main, and eventually help other local farms to ensure opportunities for young farmers and sustainable sources of local food for generations to come.
One Farm AT A Time has raised approximately $200,000 toward the purchase of an easement to protect Good Humus Farm in perpetuity. $4,000 in matching funds have been offered by the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, Davis Food Co-op and Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation to encourage individual donations at upcoming events over the next month.
For media information contact Karen Bakula & Company, Inc. (916) 442-0957 or (916) 715-9117
Almond, Rosemary and Date Crackers (Gluten Free!)
Last night was one of my favorite nights of the month, wine tasting night (with a local wine group to which I belong) at the Barton Gallery (next to Michaelangelo’s Restaurant.
Typically, we each bring a bottle of wine (based on a theme we decide ahead of time for the month) and a dish (if we can) to share. This month was sort of a competition to choose the themes for the next three months, so we brought bottles to vote. The very best as decided by the group would win the themes for February, March, and April.
Some of varietals, regions, themes present last night were: Alsace, San Luis Obispo, Barbera, Barbaresco, Tour of Italy, Rare Italians, and the Middle East. We decided that next month’s theme would be Alsatian Wines, and it was an easy decision after we tried an Alsatian Riesling (C and R brought, the Domaine Gresser Riesling, Alsace 2007 to be exact) that had all the great characteristics of a Riesling, such as clean, bright, and crisp, without being sticky and cloying.
I brought these Rosemary Date Crackers to the tasting because I wanted to make sure there was some sort of cracker/snack I could eat once I got there. I do sometimes get weak and miss bread/crackers at wine tastings, but these crackers were way more flavorful than store bought. The original inspiration came from Elena over at Elena’s Pantry, but I have changed it up quite a bit. Enjoy!
Almond, Rosemary and Date Crackers (Gluten Free and Paleo!!)
2 cups blanched almond flour
(Tip: Make your own with raw almonds and a food processor)
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tbs fresh or dried rosemary
(Tip: If you use dried, you can grind up with a mortar and pestle to release the oils.)
4-5 Medjool Dates, chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Tbs unsalted organic butter
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine almond flour, salt, rosemary and dates.
3. Mix in egg, butter and oil until well combined. It’s really best if you dig in and mix with your hands.
4. Roll out the mixture between parchment paper with a rolling pin.
5. Cut dough with pizza cutter, or for fun, you can use little cookie cutters. I left the rolled out pieces right on the paper and placed the paper on a cookie sheet to bake.
6. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
7. Bring to wine tasting and people will love you for them. 🙂
Sacramento’s Dine Downtown Week: Mayahuel and the best steak ever!!
Then it was time for dessert. First, our server Francisco, brought out the Pastel de Queso y Chayote (a Chayote cheese cake and mole in chocolate sauce). Mole is a perfect addition to a dessert because of its components and texture. The chayote works in the dessert because it’s a squash and has an inherent slightly sweet taste and tender texture. That being said, I don’t think you’re gonna find this at the Cheesecake Factory, folks, only at Mayahuel! (Thanks to the BF for tasting the sugary treats).
The other dessert option was the Flan de Chile Ancho. It was a flan made with ancho chiles of all things, and finished with Grand Marnier. It has a beautiful strawberry and blueberry garnish. The BF tells me the combination of the ancho and the Grand Marnier was uniquely flavorful.
The tequila we tried was the Jose Cuervo Platino, and it was served in a champagne flute in order to provide the best tasting experience. It’s truly the stemware that makes all the difference in a tasting. It can really bring out the oaky and fruity notes of a particular wine or beverage. What a nice little digestif, and it was such a treat to get some background information on tequila from Oscar.
Sacramento’s Dine Downtown Week: Make Blue Prynt Part of Your Plans!
Sacramento’s Dine Downtown week kicks off on Monday, January 9th and runs through January 18th, 2012. For 10 days only, local chefs will create special three-course dinner menus for only $30 per person.
“Whether you’re a foodie, experienced restaurateur or someone looking for a little excitement in your diet, Dine Downtown is a great reason to venture out and dine at variety of restaurants that you wouldn’t normally try.” said Megan Emmerling of the Downtown Partnership. “From fine dining restaurants to casual neighborhood spots, we love seeing the participating restaurants flourish during the 10 days of Dine Downtown.”
Last night, I was fortunate enough to preview the menu that Chef Jason Lockard has created for Blue Prynt Restaurant. Before I even show pictures or describe the dishes, I can tell you that the amount of food you get for $30 makes Blue Prynt a steal. Also, it was a lot of fun to go to a place brand new to me, and to see that their menu was widely accessible to people on different diets.
To begin our meal, we chose the St. Supery Élu, and chatted about the wine with our server Gary (bonus points to Blue Prynt for knowledgable waitstaff). The evening was already off to a great start because the BF and I love to talk wine!! The Élu is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, and was an excellent choice to pair with the main course that was to come.
I wanted to mention that if you opt for the $30 prix fixe, you’ll also get big basket of warm garlic bread. My BF and I are gluten-free, so we passed on it in order to leave room for the other courses.
The BF ordered the oysters on the half shell, served with a spicy Thai dressing…
And I ordered the shrimp cocktail, lemon poached jumbo prawns served with a fresh grated horseradish cocktail sauce. I didn’t eat a lot of the sauce, because I love fresh seafood by itself, but I really liked that kicked up horseradish flavor!
The additional appetizer option is a Mushroom Basket and is described on the menu as “a mix of sautéed Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms on a bed of house made rosemary garlic bread topped with creamy goat cheese and wrapped in a cumin dusted phyllo dough”
Now do I have your attention? 🙂
Not only did the prix fixe option include bread and an appetizer, we also had a salad/soup option.
There is a seafood chowder on the menu for a soup choice, but I went with a Caesar Salad, and BF went with a spring mix salad with dill and caper dressing.
For dinner we both ordered the “King of New York”, a 12-ounce choice cut strip loin with a crown royal and royal trumpet mushroom chasseur sauce, and served with blue cheese mashed potatoes and green beans. The mashed potatoes aren’t truly allowed in my diet, but I still had a few bites of them to try. I really loved the incorporation of blue cheese. I boxed the rest up to make room for the thick cut of steak on my plate! Beef and mushrooms is one of my favorite flavor combinations. So classic and never goes out of style, so good move by the Chef to include it on the Dine Downtown menu. Also, I want to explain that we each got a full entrée for our main course (one 12-ounce strip each) and did not have to share this plate. The BF polished his entire meal off Adam Richman style, but I don’t think I made it through 5 ounces before I threw in the towel.
Blue Prynt’s Facebook page is located here and you can follow them on twitter here.
For a full list of the Dine Downtown participating restaurants and their menus, you can click here.
Ending the Year in Oakland: Yoshi’s, Brian Culbertson, and the Waterfront Hotel!
Last Thursday, the BF and I traveled to Oakland to see one of our favorite musicians Brian Culbertson play at the famous Jack London Square establishment, Yoshi’s Jazz Club. During the trip, we stayed at the Waterfront Hotel conveniently located one block away.
The BF ordered this for his main dish. It was the sautéed tilapia, with 6 ounces of butter-poached shrimp, ikura, english peas, spinach puree, meyer lemon soy. Yoshi’s really does everything perfectly, especially the plating. Really beautiful.
Later that afternoon, my BF and I visited a winery located in Alameda, that is housed in a converted 40,000 square-foot airplane hangar. Rockwall Winery is located on what was once a Naval Air Base. Also known as Building 24, the hangar is due north of a defensive rock wall which made up the perimeter of the base.
Of course, the winery takes its name from the wall, and the winery building has been retrofitted with the latest winemaking equipment.
The winery building is also a hub to taste other winemakers’ offerings such as: RB Cellars, Carica Wines, Blacksmith Cellars, and Ehrenberg Cellars.
The tasting room… I loved the branches hanging in the rafters with the Christmas decorations on them!
We walked away with a case of wine… my favorites from what we tasted and of course my recommendations to you if you have a chance to try them: The Improviser from RB Cellars and Rockwall’s 2009 Chardonnay Russian River Reserve Lone Oak (disclaimer: this one is buttery and oaky!!). Rockwall Wines tasting room is open Thursday-Sundays from 12-6pm.
Evergreen Escapes Wacky Quacky Holiday Lights and Wine Tour
Are you in Seattle for Christmas/New Years or will you be traveling there? If so, I want to tell you about a fantastic holiday venture that will delight any food and wine lover! The Wacky Quacky Holiday Lights and Wine Tour!
Evergreen Escapes has teamed with Ride the Ducks of Seattle, Fall Line Winery, and Maven Meals for a ride through downtown Seattle to view the prettiest light displays, followed by the ultimate food and wine experience at the Fall Line tasting room.
Lights Tour: This is the ceiling of the vehicle. All decked out for the holidays!! The vehicle is semi-open, so bundle up and cover up with the blankets provided in the vehicle (the DUKW ‘Duck’ — an amphibious landing craft developed by the U.S. Army during World War II) on the tour.
This is Macy’s display, which is right across from the Mayflower Park Hotel where we stayed.
The tasting room was decorated so pretty with lights and little herb baskets (containing rosemary and sage). The lights in the room were turned down and the tables were lit with candles.
Food (provided by Seattle’s Maven Meals) and wine for the evening were set up at three stations. The first station (the Snoqualmic Pass Station) featured this table of appetizers which included locally made Beecher’s Cheeses, cured meats, an olive tapenade, and a roasted vegetable spread. The wines for this course included a 2008 Red Mountain Artz Vineyard Bordeaux-Style Blend and a 2008 Yakima Valley Boushey Vinyeard Bordeaux-Style Blend.
At the Crystal Mountain Station, a Carnival Squash Lasagna layered with a sage bechamel sauce and cheeses was served with a garlicky grilled broccoli. This pairing included two more wines, the 2008 Red Willow Vineyard – Yakima Valley and a 2009 El Otro – Yakima Valley Tempranillo with which the BF absolutely fell in love (before he found out it was rated 92 points in Wine Advocate)!
46% cabernet franc, 34% merlot, 16% cabernet sauvignon, 4% tempranillo). The last wine of the evening was the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon – Yakima Valley.
Dessert was a duo of Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and a Bittersweet Chocolate Cake. They went over very well with the crowd around me as I had another glass of the Exhibition instead. I really want to stress that no one was left hungry and the portions were sizable. If there was something left on the table and you wanted another taste, you were welcome to have it. The same goes for the wines.
A whole case of Tempranillo, and another case of mixed wine.
Do you want to get in on this tour and wine/food tasting fun?? There are still seats remaining for December 23rd and December 30th! You can book your experience here. Also, if you are a participant on the Holiday Lights and Wine tour, you will receive a 15% discount on a purchase of three bottles of wine or more.
You can find Evergreen Escapes on Facebook here and on twitter here.
Ride the Ducks is on Facebook here and on twitter here.
Fall Line Winery’s Facebook page is here.
Maven Meals is on Facebook here and on twitter here.
Andaluca Restaurant in the Mayflower Park Hotel
The beginning-of-meal bread basket comes with a ramekin of house made hummus. Hummus is real treat for me (because I really don’t eat legumes anymore at all), but I didn’t touch the bread. Instead, I used the hummus as a dressing on the salad I ordered.
with mixed organic greens, stilton cheese, hazelnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette.
with mixed organic greens, goat cheese, marcona almonds, roasted carrots, and sherry shallot vinaigrette.
shallots, mushrooms, black currant jus. I had just had an exquisite quail appetizer at Hurley’s in Yountville a few weeks prior, so I saw no reason to quit my quail habit anytime soon. It was cooked perfectly (it’s a tiny creature and easy to overcook).
fried yukon gold potatoes, chorizo, and roasted mushrooms. I had most of the egg–I love dishes with runny egg.
baby tomatoes, sizzling lemon butter, rosemary, lemons, and finished with white wine. I have had my share of gamey, metallic mussels, but these tasted sweet and subtle. I would eat mussels all the time if they were more like these.
1 oz. cow and goat milk cheese blend from the north of Spain, with a pear and almond compote. To my surprise, it was a blue cheese (my favorite!)
This is the Garrotxa plate that the BF ordered. It has 1 oz. goat’s milk cheese from the Catalonia region with red wine tempranillo reduction and grapes and crostini.
The head chef at Andaluca is Wayne Johnson. He has been at the helm since 1999. Some of you might have seen his appearance on Iron Chef America this year when he competed against Michael Symon. The secret ingredient was cucumbers! You can see video of the competition here.
Napa Trip Day Two: Hurley’s Restaurant in Yountville
Next, I ordered this shrimp salad, and it didn’t even need dressing. The shrimp were plump and fresh delicately tucked into the crisp lettuce. It might have been 100 calories at most and so I splurged a little on my appetizer and main entrée (which you will see below).
One thing I really like about Hurley’s is that they have a regular menu and a menu that is completely gluten-free. These menus are a step that all restaurants should take, because so many people are gluten sensitive, or are like me and choose not to eat gluten or grains at all for vanity reasons. 😉
What are you doing NewYears Eve? Hurley’s is celebrating with a special four course prix fixe celebration dinner.
The menu is located here and it looks pretty amazing… 🙂
The dinner is $85 per person and each guest will receive a complimentary glass of Domaine Chandon, Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine.
Napa Trip Day Two: Napa Valley Marriott: Wowed by the Transformation!
The remodel project was completed in two phases over 15 months. At the end of it all, 275 rooms, the spa, meeting space, fitness center and the hotel lobby were redone.
• a heated outdoor pool and whirlpool
• a fitness center
• 275 guest rooms, featuring Marriott’s Revive bedding
• VINeleven Restaurant and Bar
• 20,000 square feet of event space
• a complimentary daily wine and cheese tasting
What I can’t get over is that it was such a nice place to stay before the remodel (not to mention now), and so what I can honestly say is this: For the ambiance of the hotel and the quality of the room versus the price (rates begin at about $159 per night), it’s the best hotel deal Napa Valley has to offer. Also, here’s a list of their current package deals, combining a stay at the Napa Valley Marriott with such activities as the Napa Valley Wine Train, a golf outing, or a hot air balloon adventure.
For more photos of the property please check out their photo gallery here.
Here’s a picture of the new dining area (VINeleven Restaurant and Bar). We were on our way to dinner at Hurley’s (post to come) when I took this shot of one of the handsome bar tables (there are three or four large ones in the room.)
I was not aware the Napa Valley Marriott had the updated restaurant with such a desirable menu (hello Artisanal Cheese Plate!!), or I would have considered eating dinner right in the hotel that night! Extra tip: My buddy Rick Bakas recommends the chickpea fries. I guess they really are “Crazy Good” as the menu states.
Who goes to Napa to workout? I DO, OK?! 😉 Here’s a photo of the gym (located right next door to the hotel), equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and free weights. There’s also a little towel refrigerator which was a nice added touch.
Below is a picture of the room we stayed in. The patio door opens up to a little seating area outside. We had coffee outside the next day and listened to all the activity on the patio during breakfast. 🙂
There’s a great laid back and positive vibe going on in the lobby both in the morning and at night. I witnessed the staff and how they are happy to be there in their behavior towards other guests (not just me). In turn, the guests all seemed to be enjoying themselves and their surroundings.
During the evening, there is a complimentary daily wine and cheese tasting, featuring various area wineries.
Groovus
Balloon Drop at Midnight
Party favors
Midnight Toast sponsored by Domaine Chandon
Disco attire suggested and awards for Best Dressed Male and Female
Photo booth on-hand with free, unlimited photo prints of you and your friends
2012 Fortune Teller
Raffle and Silent Auction to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Napa Valley featuring hotel stays, spa treatments, trips, wine and more!Tickets to the party are $75.00 per person + taxes/fees. You can click here to order!
Or if you are interested in staying overnight, the NVM has a package that includes all of the above plus:
Overnight accommodations for 2
2 tickets to the Napa Boogie Bash
A New Year’s Day Recovery Breakfast for 2: featuring our “KC Barbecue Bloody Mary’s”, Breakfast Chorizo Burger “Sliders” and big screen football games
Late check out of 1pm on Sunday, January 1st
$299.00 + tax per couple.
You can click here to purchase the package.
You can find the Napa Valley Marriott on Facebook here, and follow them on twitter here.
Place Pigalle in Seattle: Romance on the Waterfront
But dear readers, while it is fresh in my mind I want to tell you about a restaurant we visited in Seattle just last Friday night called Place Pigalle. My meal at Place Pigalle was THE most romantic dinner I have ever had (so far, that is)! Place Pigalleis located through a little corridor behind Seattle’s Pike Place Market Fish Throwers and overlooks Seattle’s Puget Sound.Place Pigalle began as a watering hole called the Lotus Inn. The Lotus Inn used to be a hub at which sailors could imbibe before meeting up with a lady friend at the bordello upstairs.
A woman by the name of Nellie Curtis ran the bordello (which she masked as a hotel). Then eventually the owners of the hotel, Rosuke and T.K. Kodama, were sent to an internment camp in 1942, and Curtis purchased the hotel lease. She ran her business for years, evading crackdowns and even an earthquake in 1949.
Sometime in the 50’s, The Lotus (equipped with a sawdust floor and an alleged blind accordion player) became Place Pigalle. The name comes from the red-light district in Paris. Patrons of Place Pigalle used to toss beer and wine bottles out the west windows and watch them sail 50 feet down to the sidewalk and ravine.
By the 60’s the biker crowd that frequented the tavern called it “Pig Alley”, and it became a popular venue for bikers and commoners.
In the 70’s, Place Pigalle became a mecca of sorts for artists, merchant marines, hippies and world travelers. Visitors were attracted by the view and the jukebox, which played everything from Edith Piaf to Jimi Hendrix.
In 1982, Place Pigalle was remodeled when Bill Frank (the bartender) took ownership. He made major improvements to the menu and even the equipment in the kitchen (by tearing out the Sears electric range). It was shortly after that, the restaurant began to attract a more serious following by distinctive diners.
Seth and Lluvia Walker now own Place Pigalle and keep a strong commitment to the restaurant’s tradition and history.
To accompany dinner, we ordered a bottle of a Bordeaux blend, the 2004 Château Greysac, Cru Bourgeois, Médoc. The Médoc part of the name refers to the region (and Médoc is the largest wine making region of Bordeaux, France). A perfect little French wine to go with what was to come next!
My BF’s Cattail Farms Lamb Foreshank with a chestnut purée, squash Napolean, and swimming in a little moat of jus. And I think I actually liked the lamb just a tiny bit better than my dinner! As flavorful as the rabbit was, the lamb was on the very next level. With the food and the wine and the company being so perfect, I could not have asked for more. I only wish I could have taken photos of the view from our table, but they just don’t do it justice.
Near the end of our dinner, Seth, (one of the owners of Place Pigalle) came by our table and introduced himself. We talked a little bit about food, wine and social media. Yes, my favorite topics! 😉
Place Pigalle is open for lunch 11:30-3:00 everyday and for dinner 5:30-9:30 Monday-Thursday and 5:30-10:00 Friday-Saturday. They close at 3:00 on Sunday.
You can follow Place Pigalle on twitter here and you can find them on Facebook here. To make a reservation, you can go here or you can call the restaurant at 206.624.1756. Tell them you NEED table four!
PS: (Extra tip) There is free parking available After 5pm in the Public Market Parking Garage. The Public Market Parking garage offers covered parking and is connected to the Market’s Main Arcade by an elevator and sky bridge.
Casque Wines: Exceptional Rhone and Bordeaux-Style Wines in Loomis
Today I’d like to tell you about a winery that’s pretty much right in our own backyard (that is, if you live near Sacramento), and a talented winemaker named Kevin Stevenson.
The winery is called Casque Wines, and they are located in Loomis off of Taylor road in their new tasting room. If the name sounds familiar, it might be because they used to share a tasting room with Wise Villas, or maybe because in 2010 they took Best of Show at the California State Fair.
Or perhaps this is the first time you have ever heard of them. Well, I am happy to introduce you. Though there some very good wineries in the Placer area, this one is actually my new favorite. I had the chance to go through their entire portfolio a few months ago at The Grape Days of Summer, and since I love interesting white wines, they had me at Roussanne.
Right now in the Casque tasting room, they are doing a three-year vertical tasting of their Roussanne (pictured above). What is remarkable about this, is that you can really taste the difference in vintages, as well as see the color change. When I first tried the wines, it was very comparable to a tequila tasting, as in tequila the flavor gets more caramel, heavier, and the color darker as it ages.
The same goes for the Casque Roussannes. I find it a little better to try the youngest vintage first, so request to do that if you can. The BF and I walked away with the 2010 (his favorite) and the 2008 (my favorite).
Here are the tasting notes on the wines (provided by the winery):
| 2008 Roussanne Our 2008 Roussanne displays a deep, golden straw color in the glass. On the nose, the wine displays classic honeysuckle and apricot notes, with hints of fresh melon and vanilla. In the mouth, the wine is rich and lush, with added notes of peach and crushed nuts. The finish is framed by sweet, but balanced, oak. This rich, full-bodied wine pairs wonderfully with flavorful white meat dishes and stronger cheeses.2009 Roussanne Our 2009 Roussanne displays a rich gold color. Classic varietal aromas of apricot, honey and flowers start slowly but open beautifully in the glass. These meld seemlessly into a rich, round palate with some subtle vanilla notes added to the mix, all of which echo on the long, lingering finish. The fruit for our 2009 Roussanne comes from two different vineyard sources. This year’s bottling was fermented in a combination of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels (approximately 75% stainless, 25% oak).2010 Roussanne Our 2010 Roussanne displays a pale gold color in the glass. On the nose the wine exhibits wonderful aromas of beeswax and melon along with a strong minerality. The mid-palate shows an unexpected lushness, given the wine’s strong minerality, with added notes of peach sherbet and cream. All of the components meld into a long, seamless finish, with subtle hints of vanilla and caramel making an encore appearance. |
You can buy wine from Casque here, but I really suggest you go to the winery itself if possible and meet the winemaker (who also happens to sing and play guitar), taste the wines, and chat for a while.
If you’re not into whites, they are making a Malbec I am really digging, and then there is their proprietary wine, Adrian that we both also loved.
And now a great excuse to visit the Casque tasting room this very weekend!!
Holidays in the Hills: Placer County Wine Trail Event on December 10th and 11th from 12-5pm
Admission is Free with Toy Donation:
Bring a new unwrapped child’s toy to donate for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation Toy Drive and wine tasting is free for the day! All toys collected will be donated to needy children throughout Placer County. (Otherwise, individual winery tasting fees apply).
Home for the Holidays (Decorations and Prizes):
In honor of our troops coming home and families reuniting for the holidays, each winery will decorate with their interpretation of what it means to be “home for the holidays.” See different displays and enter a drawing for a chance to win a mixed case of Placer County Wines and other prizes.
Participating Wineries:
Bonitata • Casque • Cante Ao Vinho • Ciotti • Cristaldi • Dono dal Cielo • Fawnridge • Fortezza • Green Family • Lone Buffalo • Mt. Vernon • PaZa • Popie • Rancho Roble • Secret Ravine • Viña Castellano • Wise Villa
Here’s what Casque will be doing:
FOOD: FireVine Pizza on Saturday and Sunday: Personal Pizzas made to order ($8 – $10) or bring your own picnic.
MUSIC: By the Fire Pits
Saturday, 12-4pm – Matt Cooksey (new age guitarist)
Saturday, 5-8 pm – Terry Sharp (singer/songwriter guitarist)
Sunday – 4 on 6 (jazz group)
DECOR: Come to see our themed Christmas tree: “Badges of Honor”
DISCOUNTS: Enjoy 10% wine and logoed glass discounts to help you get ready for the holidays. (Wine Club Members receive this discount in addition to their standard discount)
GIFT WRAPPING: Complimentary Gift Wrapping and signing of bottles by the winemaker
LATE HOURS: Join us on Saturday evening from 5 until 8pm for our wine bar and wine flights plus additional music by the fireside.
For more information on the event and other wineries participating, you can go to Placer Wine’s website.
You can find Casque Wines on Facebook here.
Custom Holiday Meals from Whole Foods
 |
| The Holiday Order Station at Whole Foods Sacramento, at the left entrance of the store. |
To learn more about the holiday menu selections, you can go to http://holidayworthsharing.com You can also follow Whole Foods on Twitter @WFMNorCal Tag #WholeForTheHolidays for a chance to a win a turkey dinner! There will be one winner a week. Good luck!
To order your holiday meals you can go to: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop and to see a complete holiday forum with recipes and tips for a perfect party, you can go here:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/holidays/
Taste of History Dinner at Sutter’s Fort = History Tastes Delicious!
On September 25th, the Annual Taste of History Dinner at Sutter’s Fort was held. I attended with a fellow food blogger and we enjoyed an evening of music, conversation, and eating a multi-course dinner outdoors at a beautiful table settings inside the fort walls.
The evening began with a reception with appetizers by Whole Foods and Selland’s Market. Whole Foods made pear “hand-pies”, cider with sparkling water, and also sampled pistachios and yellow watermelon. Selland’s offered little cups of corn soup, cheese and honey served on cedar planks, and tiny pot pies with vegetable filling. Around the corner, Ten22 was serving fresh fried corn tortilla chips and mole sauce.
While we were waiting to be seated, we ventured off around Sutter’s Fort and looked into some of the exhibit rooms. There are recorded guides to inform you of your surroundings and the purpose of each room.
This was the first course, a Chicken Mole Salad prepared by Chef Jay Veregge of Ten 22 in Old Sacramento. It was paired with a River City Brewing Vienna Lager.
The third course, was quite possibly my favorite and sadly I don’t have a better picture of it. It was a slow cooked Beef Brisket with shell beans, corn, and Del Rio Farms herb salsa prepared by Scott Rose. For those of you in Paleo land, I didn’t eat the corn, but did have a few delicious beans. 😉 This course was paired with a wine from Bogle.
Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook: Making Paleo Accessible to Everyone
Last Friday evening, I stopped by my condo to check the mail and found a copy of the Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook waiting for me to review. What an awesome surprise! I quickly flipped through it and realized that if it did not say “Paleo” on the cover, I would not have known at first that it was a Paleo cookbook. What does this mean? Well, it means that these recipes are a collection of super delicious meals, snacks, and desserts accessible to ANYONE, even those who are not following a Paleo diet.
What is Paleo? Well, if you have never heard of the Paleo diet, I am glad you are here. The best way to explain it in a nutshell is that it is a diet rich in proteins and fat. A typical day for me is grass-fed beef or organic chicken, a TON of vegetables like broccoli, onions, and cauliflower, butternut squash (and any kind of squash you can think of for that matter, including PUMPKIN!!), a little avocado, bacon on some days, coconut milk, coconut oil, treats like cashews and dates, fruit (berries and citrus). I do have cheese (raw milk blue is my favorite!!), but I am going to dial that back in the upcoming weeks as I would like to lean out just a little bit more. To learn a little more about my diet, you can click here.
When I tell people that I don’t eat bread, processed grains, or dairy other than raw milk cheese, I get a lot of resistance, almost like they are horrified at the thought of ever giving up those things themselves. I guess maybe it is a big deal to some people, but I am not sure why there is not more of a demand for clean and healthy food that doesn’t make us sick. I am not sure why most people take medicine if they have heartburn or high blood pressure when they should first simply take a look at what they had to eat over the last month or year or even at their last meal and maybe ask themselves how long has it been since they walked or jogged a mile? I’m not trying to be a jerk, I’m just merely making a suggestion.
I am so puzzled by people who continue to shove known poison into their bodies for the sake of “it tastes good”, “it is cheap”, “it is convenient”. I kind of have a rule for myself as far as what I eat now… usually if it has a commercial or a marketing campaign, I don’t eat it. This pretty much means anything that comes in a package. If it has bright colors or loud fonts, that’s another red flag.
Ah, I rant therefore I am.
The thing is, I am not going to convince someone who is already gulping down transfatty donuts and eating bags of chips and cookies (and oh yeah, those cute little sugar as crackpipe cupcakes I used to make not so long ago) and boxes of Little Debbies (WTF is in a “Star Crunch” anyway?!?) already on the crazytrain fasttrack to heart, colon, pancreatic, liver and kidney diseases. I guess if you are happy living that life, go for it.
But, if you are tired of feeling sick and tired, constantly on a diet and feeling starved all the time (with little to no results), and just frustrated with CONSTANLY CRAVING SUGAR and never feeling full or satiated…well, try dropping a few things from the rotation like the morning cinnamon roll… 😉 Even the evil Weight Watchers has it in for you with their little processed snack cakes. I don’t care if it is only one “point”. 😉
Oopsy, ranting again…
The Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook is a great resource if you are already Paleo, or if you are just starting out. It has numerous meal ideas and tips, tricks, and even kitchen equipment suggestions to help you make the most of your Paleo cooking. You have no more excuses to eat poorly.
You can buy the Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook here on Amazon. So many great recipes in one place for under $20. What a bargain for your health and your loved ones who might resist the idea of giving up certain foods. This book is a great transition into the Paleo diet without the feeling deprived.
Just read some of the recipe titles: Bacon Wrapped Dates, Chunky Guacamole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Fried Chicken… does that sound like deprivation to you?
By the way, I made the “Paleo Spiced Nuts” on page 62 and took them along to 2 different parties over the weekend. Guess what? I didn’t have to say, “Oh, these are Paleo” or “Oh, I made these because they follow my diet plan” I made them because I knew they would be freaking delicious!! Just take a gander at the recipe below (I added golden raisins to the mix, they were not a part of the original recipe):
1.5 teaspoons cumin
.5 teaspoons chili powder
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
.25 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 cups raw nuts (NO PEANUTS! They are beans, far less nutritious, and not Paleo.)
Nuts to include the following: cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, brazil nuts.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil or organic butter
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup red wine
1. Simmer the raisins in the red wine to plump them up and drain them in a sieve. Set aside.
2. Mix the spices in a bowl and set aside.
3. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Add nuts and toast until lightly browned, be careful not to burn.
5. Add the oil or butter and vanilla and toss to coat, then sprinkle your spices over the nuts and stir until well combined.
6. Spread the nuts out on a lined cookie sheet (easier clean up this way) and speckle them with the raisins–just place them wherever in little bunches on the sheet amongst the nuts. The raisins give a little sweet to the spiciness that I just love.
7. I set the cookie sheet back in the oven at about 150 to keep warm until I was ready to serve them. Be careful once again not to burn.
You can like Paleo Comfort Foods on Facebook here or follow them on twitter here. Thank you, Julie and Charles Mayfield, what a great book and what awesome people you are. Saving the world one meal at time…
If you are Paleo and looking for mealtime inspiration, or if you are the opposite of Paleo, I encourage you to check out this book.
My Audition for Cupcake Wars… and things that were edited out of my audition… ;)
If you could watch this and “like” the video on You Tube, share it with your friends, leave a comment, etc… I would be so very happy!
UPDATE!! Here is the new video!!
Thank you to Donahue Photography 😀
Yard House and Train at Thunder Valley = Love
The newest place to be in Roseville is Yard House, which recently opened in the Fountains at Roseville shopping and dining strip.I visited last Saturday with my roommate before we headed to Thunder Valley for an AWESOME Train concert.
Yard House is a chain restaurant that began in Southern California. The restaurant was founded by Steele Platt (along with partners Harald Herrmann and Carlito Jocson) who wanted to create a restaurant that would offer one of the largest selections of draft beers, and a vast menu of American fare. The first Yard House opened along the Long Beach waterfront in Southern California in 1996.
Yard House is obviously famous for all those beers on tap, but here is a quick snap of the wine they serve by the glass. (You can click on the picture to enlarge it).
The view from where we were seated… in a booth large enough to lie down in.
This Caesar salad came out with our entrees (we each got one this size). My favorite part of it was the parmesan crisps. I didn’t even need my croutons or dressing.
cavegrrl.com 
