The American Red Cross Capital Region Chapter invites you to Tablescapes 2013 on Thursday, September 26th, 2013, at Pottery World, located at 4419 Granite Drive, Rocklin, CA 95667. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. and lasts until 9:00 p.m.
The Tiffany Circle, Society of Women Leaders, of the American Red Cross, is a powerful leadership network of women who want to change lives and strengthen communities through a focused investment of their time, talent and treasure.
Join us for this magnificent annual American Red Cross event and mingle with interior designers, event planners, florists, and artists showcasing themed table setting displays. Gather ideas for every occasion and holiday, as you enjoy live music, wine tasting and light refreshments. Cast your vote for the best design and see how your vote matches up to our panel of local celebrity judges.
Bring your checkbooks as Pottery World is generously offering 15% off all purchases made at this event and 10% of all sales proceeds will go directly to the American Red Cross.
Summer is here with a recipe from the patio and Yellowtail Reserve Pinot Grigio.
First, I’ll let you in on the wine. The kind people at Yellowtail sent me two bottles of their reserve to sample. I’ve been really into whites lately, so I opened the Pinot Grigio first (last Sunday) to drink with some grilled chicken and vegetables we made.
The Yellowtail Pinot Grigio is a 2008, 100% pinot grigio, 100% stainless steel. 11.5% alc. And the bottle is very attractive. I like the label with something I am going to call “wine cleavage” showing through. Look at the label in the picture above and you might see what I mean.
Now, about the recipe! I made pesto with cinnamon basil instead of traditional basil. Cinnamon basil is wonderfully fragrant and a little more spicy on the nose.
Luxe for Life
Elks Tower Ballroom, Downtown Sacramento
7:30pm | Private VIP Reception beginning at 6:30pm
This year, Luxe for Life will be held at the Elks Tower Ballroom on August 17th, starting at 7:30 p.m. The event will showcase local restaurants, cocktails, live and silent auctions and a live band, complete with dancing. The evening’s host will be artist David Garibaldi.
Evening includes:
Cocktails
Tasty nibbles by Sacramento’s finest restaurants
“Objects of Desire” silent and live auction
Dancing to live music
Cocktail Attire strongly suggested.
Ticket information:
Single tickets: $125
Jet Set Couple Package: $300;
Includes Two (2) VIP event tickets, with reserved VIP seating, private VIP reception & hosted Bar; name recognition on event website; and name recognition on event signage.
For sponsorship information, please contact Sarah Mullins at 916.290.8201.
The Sacramento Children’s Home is committed to helping build strong families; to opening doors to the future; to maximizing potential; and ending the cycle of child abuse. The Sacramento Children’s Home provides care to the most vulnerable children and families in the Sacramento community. Established in 1867, the Sacramento Children’s Home has always been deeply committed to the care of children and families. Our community-based, residential and educational programs address the issues of children, newborn to 21, and range from prevention of child abuse and parenting education, to acute trauma treatment.
The Sacramento Burger Battle is September 18th, at 7pm, Raley Field!! Purchase a VIP ticket and skip those burger lines!!
Everybody eat up
Everybody eat up
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
If you haven’t heard ’bout the juicy burgers
About the throwdown on top of Raley Field
You live under a rock
I feel so bad for you
Maybe you’ll be there this time…
Everybody eat up
OK now it was close, the burger competition
Won by Chef’s Table, but, can they do it this year?
You don’t need to mustard
Hey, hey, hey
You don’t need no ketchup
Hey, hey, hey
To be the winning burger
And that’s why I’m gon’ get a burger
I know you want it
I know you want it
I know you want it
Tasty burger
Can’t let it get past me
Not wrapped in plastic
Talk about those grill marks
I hate these burger lines
I know you want it
I know you want it
I know you want it
But you’re a burger
The way you tasted
Must wanna win badly
Go ahead, vote for me
Everybody eat up
What do they make fries for
When you got a burger?
What do we need buns for?
That’s hottest bite in this place!
Make them feel lucky
Hey, hey, hey
Raise so much money
Hey, hey, hey
The Burger Battle
Hey, hey, hey
OK now it was close, the burger competition
Won by Chef’s Table, but, can they do it this year?
You don’t need to mustard
Hey, hey, hey
You don’t need no ketchup
Hey, hey, hey
To be the winning burger
Everybody eat up
Everybody eat up
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
OK, sorry, I love that song… had to put it to good use! Here’s all you need to know about this year’s Sacramento Burger Battle!
Ticket sales are on for the 2013 Sacramento Burger Battle, which will be held at Raley Field on Wednesday, September 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at Ticketmaster or at the Raley Field box office.
Prices start at $55 and include burger samples, drinks and side items from vendors, and parking. For $75 guests can purchase a VIP ticket, which includes early admission to the event and a raffle ticket.
Competing restaurants include 2012 champion Chef’s Table and People’s Choice winner Krush Burger. They will be met on the field of battle by returning contenders de Vere’s Irish Pub and Ettore’s, as well as newcomers Roxy Restaurant and Bar and Bacon & Butter. The remaining competitors will be announced over the weeks leading up to the event.
The winner of the 2013 Sacramento Burger Battle will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes food writer Chris Macias, award-winning chefs Patrick Mulvaney and Randall Selland, and Rick Mindermann from Corti Brothers. The competitor with the best burger will receive the custom-made belt presented to last year’s victor and will go on to represent Sacramento in the Burger Division at the World Food Championship in Las Vegas later this year. The People’s Choice award will be given to the competitor with the most votes by event guests.
Conceived by nationally ranked burger blogger and Sacramento resident Rodney Blackwell, the Sacramento Burger Battle is designed to showcase the local food and dining scene as well as raise money for CCFA. “I’m excited to see what burgers will be presented, and especially what returning competitors have in store for the judges and guests,” says Blackwell.
To stay updated on the latest news regarding competitors and vendors, as well as special announcements, follow Sacramento Burger Battle’s Facebook Page and Twitter account, or sign up for the free e-newsletter at sacburgerbattle.com
Look at that beautiful crowd! I want to thank all the people who came out to our cooking demo at the California State Fair. I realize many people were just passing through the kitchen and saw a place to sit down for a while, but there were a lot of people who stayed through our class, and many who actually new about Paleo, and wanted more information.
I was impressed there were a few couples in the crowd that showed up to see the demo because they already practice the Paleo/Primal diet/lifestyle. They were so nice to us (important because of my semi-stage fright/shyness), and it was fun to compare notes and results. It was a real encouragement to have like-minded people in the audience cheering us on!
Andy made a dish from last year, his ever-popular Bacon Wrapped Dates, which are simply three of the best ingredients you can find, bundled in a little package and secured with a toothpick. Pecan halves, Medjool dates and thick-cut premium (preferably applewood-smoked) bacon. Below is Andy making a tray to be baked in the oven (while we are actually doing the cooking demo) so some samples would be ready to be passed around before the end of the class.
We were supplied with pitted Medjool dates (along with the rest of our ingredients) this year thanks to Savemart. The pitted dates saved a step in prepping those trays, as Andy places half a pecan in place of the pit, and wraps the date in one half slice of thick cut bacon, then secures each piece with a toothpick.
After your tray looks like this, place in the oven at 400°F and bake for 12-15 minutes (start checking them when it gets close). The bacon should be cooked and browned.
For my part of the demo, I made this Paleo Mud Pie. Recipe is below:
Serves 30-40 people
Crust:
3 cups almond flour/almond meal
1 stick of butter or 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
Combine crust ingredients and spread on a large baking/jellyroll pan (you’ll want the pan to be at least 2″ deep).
Bake the crust for 20 mins at 375°F, or until you can smell the butter and the crust has turned golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Meanwhile, prepare your filling:
For the Filling:
8 medium -10 large Avocados
1 cup honey (ohhh yeahhhh)
8 Tbs Almond butter (once again, ohhh yeahhh)
1 cup cocoa powder
3 Tbs instant coffee
1/4 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
1-2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Place the instant coffee in the hot water and allow to dissolve completely.
So, since there are a lot of ingredients quantity wise, you’ll want to split the recipe into half and then mix it all together in a big bowl. For instance: In a food processor, pureé the 4-5 avocados in a food processor, add 1/2 cup honey, 4 Tbs almond butter, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, then 1/2 the coffee mixture and 1 tsp vanilla. Transfer the mixture into one big bowl, then repeat with the remainder of the ingredients.
Then you’ll combine both chocolatey mixtures into one big bowl and stir together to incorporate fully. When the two mixtures are combined completely, spread them over the cooled crust, and then refrigerate the pie for 2-3 hours before serving.
To serve, sprinkle 1-2 cups chocolate chips over the pie. If you can get mini-chips, even better. I prefer the Enjoy Life brand because they are dairy free.
Paleo. Chocolatey. Mocha. Goodness.
The State Fair experience makes me want to do some local cooking demos/classes. Would anyone be willing to attend/pay for that sort of thing? Just curious. Leave me a note and tell me your thoughts!! xo
Well, I’m kind of in the mood to celebrate. The past few days have gone way better than my past few months. I started this morning by calling the bank and paying off my school loan. I start working again tomorrow after being laid off twice this year. So that means I get to proceed planning for Andy’s birthday. And, tomorrow is 21 months together! Yep, longevity like a McDonald’s cheeseburger left in a coat pocket! 😛
Anyway, if I could pick a place to celebrate right now, I’d go back to Fandango Restaurant in Pacific Grove. We dined there the last night of our Carmel weekend in June. The staff sat us right by the fireplace at a table for two. It was a little chilly that evening and the perfect little nook for our perfect little dinner.
The restaurant was named for the dance (scroll to about 30 seconds in), fast and often furious. The “dance” at Fandango began in 1983, when a man by the name of Walter Georis decided to turn an old house into a restaurant. Among the first customers were Pierre and Marietta Bain, who eventually became the owners in 1986. Pierre was no stranger to the hospitality industry when he took the helm–his family has operated Grand Hôtel Bain at Comp-sur-Artuby in the south of France since 1737, and he had been the manager of Club XIX at The Lodge at Pebble Beach for several years.
Shortly upon being seated, you are greeted with a bowl of olives, an ample cube of butter and a loaf of fresh bread. The olives have been a staple since the beginning and something the owners feel would be missed by loyal customers if they were to disappear. That’s Andy in the background, frantically flipping through the wine list (which is more like a Bible at Fandango, and I mean that in a good way). Jaw droppage took place when he spotted a 1929 Chateau Lafite Rothschild. OK, maybe another time. 😉
Since the Bains purchased Fandango, they have added an upstairs dining room with its own kitchen, and converted the outdoor patio into a new dining room. What did not change is the atmosphere, the charm of the restaurant and the classic European food. Dishes like steak frites, paella, osso bucco and duck a l’orange offer something pleasing for any palate.
And what pleases my palate? Sharing a split of Rombauer Chardonnay with my partner in crime. And pairing the wine with seared scallops. A must-have on the appetizer menu.
We followed up with another appetizer. A classic that happened to be on the specials menu that evening. A caprese salad. The tomatoes were beautiful and just coming into season. It was perfect. I just love fresh basil. It’s probably one of my favorite summer ingredients. It’s the ribbon that ties together the acidity of the tomatoes, the butteriness of the olive oil and the creaminess of the cheese. 🙂
For our main courses, Andy and I 😉 decided on this bottle of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, because it complemented both entreés. (You know me, I could drink rosé with everything!)
Andy ordered the short ribs, a regular menu item, which are slowly braised in red wine and served with seasonal vegetables.
And I ordered the petite filet and shrimp duo (also a regular menu item). It was served with broccoli and scalloped potatoes. The shrimp were cooked in butter, garlic and wine (scampi). The steak was served with green peppercorn, cognac, wine sauce. I usually order a steak rare so that if it is over-cooked by a little it still comes out suitable for me at medium rare, and I don’t have to send it back. This one came exactly as I ordered it, because this is a place that handles meat and seafood with precision.
These were just two appetizers and two of many classic dishes served at Fandango. I was tempted by other selections such as the lamb shank, a cassoulet, the lobster tail and even curious to see their take on a hamburger and fries! Other less paleo-friendly selections include canneloni with veal, salmon fettucine, pasta puttanesca, spaghetti siracusa and tortellini maison.
COMING SOON! Fandango Restaurant is celebrating the mushroom for the whole month of September. Pierre and Marietta have created a dish called Mushroom Provencal and are including it with soup or salad to start and dessert to finish for only $14.95. Available September 1-30 (for lunch only).
There are several recipes on Fandango’s website so you can enjoy the restaurant’s favorites in the comfort of your own home, or if you are more interested in learning about the story behind Fandango (it’s a pretty fascinated and celebrity studded one!) you can order the book here. PS: It has a ton of recipes in it, too! I was lucky enough to have Pierre himself sign my copy. 🙂
You can find Fandango Restaurant on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here. I would like to graciously thank Pierre and his staff for a wonderful meal and service. I am looking forward to dining at Fandango again soon and sitting across from Andy at our table by the fireplace. 🙂
A few weeks ago, I was chosen by Total Wine & More for their Total Wine & More “Local Favorite!” program. This program features a local media “influencer” each month and allows them to pick their favorite wines to recommend to customers. For the next month, I’ll be pictured next to my wine selections (with a tag that will resemble the one above) in the Sacramento (Arden) store with a link back to this website.
I was very honored to be approached, and I quickly decided I would select some rosés for the month of August. I couldn’t think of a more perfect wine for summer––a wine that pairs well with almost anything. I feel rosés are overlooked, slightly under appreciated and all too often confused with that sickly sweet white zinfandel stuff that was first made by mistake, (but a serendipitous one for them at that) by Sutter Home in 1975.
No, the rosés I am talking about are so much more than their cloying white zin “dopplegängers”. These wines have finesse, refinement and are fruity and flavorful, yet much drier. I discovered I truly did like pink colored wines again (and the difference between a white zinfandel and a rosé) a few years ago (2008 to be exact) when I tasted the Valley of the Moon Rosato di Sangiovese at the California State Fair’s Grape and Gourmet event. Since then, the rosé thing has been slowly catching on. I have tried and enjoyed several since: Bray Vineyard’s Rose of Barbera and Nichelini’s Rose of Cabernet to name a few.
Since that Grape and Gourmet event, every time the thermometer rises, my go-to wine is a rosé. And I think this summer especially, I am completely obsessed with interested in them and want to try as many as possible so I can learn even more about them.
Andy and I met up with Total Wine’s (Arden Store) Wine Manager Theo Snyder last Friday evening to taste an assortment of French and California rosés, so I could personally recommend three of them to you and the customers at Total Wine & More, Arden.
My first selection is a French rosé, Domaine Rabiotte Aix Provence Rosé 2012 ($11.99). It would fall into the “very dry” category, and it’s almost apricot/peach in color. It’s great appetizer wine, but I would be just as happy drinking it with sushi, a light fish dish, or even pork loin. It’s everything I look for in a rosé and it’s French, so it has sex appeal, no? 😉
My second pick is the Sobon Rose Rezerve 2012 ($11.99). This rosé is a special blend of grenache, syrah and carignane and another great food wine. I could really smell the fruit when I examined the wine, and I could taste some minerality (I tend to love a little bit of earthiness in my wines) present. I wasn’t shocked that this rosé made my top three, because I have been a Sobon fan for years. Check out their Cougar Hill Zinfandel and their Barbera for more tasty adventures. 🙂
My third choice is the Truett Hurst Zin Rosé Dry Creek 2012 ($17.99), which I feel is the perfect rosé wine for red wine lovers who might think they aren’t a fan of rosés. It delivers a burst of flavor and settles in between a Goldilocks-esque not-too-sweet, yet not-too dry flavor. This one works with or without food and if I stuck with straight rosés through a whole dinner, I would have this one for dessert with fresh fruits and cheeses.
Here’s a press release from my friends at Eres Rice Communications! Don’t forget to leave a comment below and enter to win a pair of tickets to Off to the Races, Saturday, August 17th at the Pavilions!! 🙂 -cg
SACRAMENTO––As Race for the Arts celebrates 15 years, “Off to the Races,” the Race for the Arts’ premiere event, continues its tradition in the beautiful garden setting of The Pavilions Shopping Center on Fair Oaks Boulevard. Guests will be treated to music performed by six-time Elly Award winner El Dorado Musical Theatre, along with additional entertainment.
Guests will taste a sampling of wines from Napa Cellars, St. Supéry Vineyards & Winery, Mount Aukum Winery, Sean Minor Wines, Cielo Estate Winery, Barefoot Wines, Heringer Estate Winery, and Lava Cap Winery.
An assortment of scrumptious hors d’oeuvres will be prepared by Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Fabian’s Italian Bistro, Monsoon – Cuisine of India, Roxy’s Restaurant & Bar, Sutter Street Steakhouse, The Mandarin, T&R Taste of Texas, Florez Bar Grill, Cafe Bernardo, and Raley’s Fine Foods, and Starbucks.
Honoring this year’s artwork provided by world-renowned Sacramento artist Wayne Thiebaud, Capital Confections will be sampling their Sofi-Award winning gelato.
August 1 – 17, enter the Pavilions’ Shopping Spree – a chance to win a $1,000 Shopping Spree at any of the shops in the Pavilions Shopping Center. Additionally, win $1,000 for your chosen arts organization or school program. One entry form per store per day, please.
“Off to the Races”, Race for the Arts’ premiere event, a wine & food tasting sponsored by The Pavilions
When: Saturday, August 17
Time: 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Where: Pavilions Shopping Center, Fair Oaks Boulevard (east of Howe Avenue) Sacramento
Cost: $50
INFORMATION: (916) 933-4056, www.raceforthearts.com, and tickets available online and at the door.
ENTER TO WIN! Win a pair of tickets to Off to the Races by leaving a comment below. Which one of the featured restaurants (listed above) are you looking forward to trying? I will draw a winner on Friday. Remember, if you follow me on twitter and retweet this blog post, you get an extra entry!
I just made a terrific summer inspired dinner with ingredients from Whole Foods. I spent $54 dollars for everything you see in the above picture. And, it comfortably feeds four people.
My friends at Whole Foods had this great idea for a gift card giveaway on cavegrrl.com and sent me $40 to buy ingredients and showcase a recipe. Well, I spent a little over $40, but I did get more than a pound of chicken sausage (1.12 pounds), a package of sliced pancetta, a 1/2 pound of hazelnuts, 1/3 pound of mushrooms, 1 1/3 pounds yellow squash, 1 1/3 pounds zucchini squash, 1/3 pound of olives, 1 package of tarragon, 3 shallots, 1 lemon, an entire bag of kale salad (1 pound), 2 baguettes made by Against the Grain Gourmet, AND a bottle of French white wine. 🙂
And what did I prepare with all of the groceries? A brown butter summer squash linguine with chicken sausage, a warm kale salad, garlic buttered baguettes, served with a French blanc de blancs.
For the warm kale salad you will need:
1 pound kale salad
1/3 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 package of pancetta, sliced or diced (if sliced, you will want to chop/cut into finer pieces)
3 shallots, finely diced
1 Tbs olive oil
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and sauté the shallots until they are translucent. Then add the pancetta and the mushrooms and cook together until the pancetta browns. Add the kale and turn with the ingredients, allowing it to wilt in the pan. Cover the pan with a lid to help wilt the kale. Add all of the salad and steam until the kale is barely tender. Set aside and prepare your summer squash linguine.
For the Brown Butter Squash Linguine, you will need a tool called a julienne slicer. I just bought one this past weekend in order to make the recipe and it has kind of changed my life. I’ll be making squash linguine at least once a month now! 🙂
1-1/2 lb. young yellow (summer) squash (about 4)
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
1/2 lemon
You’re basically going to slice 4-6 summer squashes (I used green and yellow) to their core with the julienne slicer. It’ll make fine strips that when cooked are the texture and size of spaghetti noodles (linguine, maybe not so much as the recipe advertises) 😉
You’ll melt the butter and add the hazelnuts cooking until the butter reaches a nutty brown color, about 2 minutes. Then you’ll add the squash and salt. Coat the squash with the butter and hazelnuts, and continue cooking for about a minute. Then you’ll stir in half of the chopped herbs, and squeeze a little of the lemon over the squash and toss. It’s a pretty easy and totally rewarding operation! 🙂
The sausages were easy to prepare. I bought the house special chicken sausage with spinach and feta, exclusively made at Whole Foods. All I did was sear them in a hot pan and finish them off in the oven. Then, I sliced them on a bias to serve. 🙂
The bread was prepared with a little bit of crushed garlic stirred into melted butter and lightly brushed on the baguette slices. I placed them under the broiler until they were toasted to perfection.
And that, my friends… is one wonderful meal at about $13.50 per person including wine. 🙂
My friends at Whole Foods want to give you a $20 gift card. So, enter by commenting below (tell me your favorite summer recipe or meal), and if you have a twitter account, follow me and retweet the link to this blog post for an extra entry (be sure to leave me your twitter handle in your comment!). I will announce the winner this Sunday. Good luck!
Here’s a press release from my friends at the Placer County Vintners Association! Hope you can join us for the 4th Annual Grape Days of Summer 🙂 -cg
AUBURN, Calif., July 16, 2013—Many Sacramento residents aren’t aware that there are nearly 20 award-winning wineries right in their own backyard—along the Placer County Wine Trail. The trail runs from Lincoln to Loomis, Newcastle to Auburn and up into Meadow Vista, which is also convenient for Reno and Tahoe residents. On August 3rd and 4th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Placer County vintners invite local residents to try the region’s noteworthy wines at Grape Days of Summer, a farm-to-table wine tasting event.
Vintners are partnering with local restaurants and artisans for the annual event in which attendees will enjoy wine and barrel tastings, complementary fare, live music, vineyard tours and educational experiences. Educational activities will include sessions on winemaking, farming, sustainable practices in the vineyard and more. Tickets are $30 per person in advance and can be purchased at http://bit.ly/vKYTb3, $40 per person at the door.
Highlights of Grape Days of Summer include:
Celebrate local agriculture at Le Casque with an Alpaca demonstration, hayrides and a historical farm tour. Food provided by Flower Farm Catering.
Dono dal Cielo will feature the local sounds of Ghost of the Opera House on Saturday afternoon and Two Barrels Shy on Sunday afternoon. Karen McGillivray, the winery’s owner, will lead educational vineyard tours at 12 and 2 p.m. both days and food will be provided by the Chef’s Table.
Have a “A Zinful Experience!” at Lone Buffalo Vineyards, where you’ll experience an interactive sensory tasting, sip the winery’s gold medal-winning 2010 Thunder Beast Zinfandel, and enjoy grass-fed bison and PlacerGROWN beef sliders prepared by Café’ Zorro’s Gourmet Garage Catering.
Popie Wines and Ciotti Cellars will provide an interactive bottling session of a special PlacerGROWN blend of wine and the High Hand Café will provide food & wine pairings.
Wise Villa Winery will offer guests live music and gourmet tastes from its on-site bistro.
For a Grape Days of Summer event map and other information, visit www.placerwine.com.
ABOUT PLACER COUNTY VINTNERS ASSOCIATION:
The Placer County Wine Trail is organized by the Placer County Vintners Association, a nonprofit association created to provide a forum for wineries to collaborate on events and programs. Together the Association also develops marketing programs to raise awareness of the Placer County wine region. The group believes that sharing best practices with all county wineries inspires the vintners to provide a high quality experience for winery visitors. For more information and maps, visit www.placerwine.com or call (916) 663‐4486.
ABOUT PLACERGROWN:
Supported by Placer County, PlacerGROWN is the information source dedicated to educating residents about the freshest agricultural products the region has to offer. Through its website, social media channels, and other outreach programs, PlacerGROWN connects community members with the farms, orchards, ranches, wineries, nurseries, farmers’ markets and specialty food stores in one of the most diverse growing areas in Northern California. To discover the bounty of agricultural products produced by farmers who call Placer County home, or for more information about PlacerGROWN, visit www.placergrown.org.
The Placer County Wine Trail runs from Lincoln to Loomis to Newcastle and Auburn and is easily accessible from I-80 and Highway 49.
cavegrrl.com 