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Recipe: Veggie February, Redwood Goat Milk Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

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For our first seafood & vegetable dinner this weekend, I made stuffed mushrooms and used three different products I picked up or were sent to me from vendors at the San Francisco Winter Fancy Food Show.

Redwood Hill Farm sent me three different products to taste, and one of them was a goat milk cheddar cheese. I was instantly intrigued because I love cheddar cheese. I had bought a few dozen crimini mushrooms earlier in the week, and needed to use them. So, I thought I could use the cheese somehow to make stuffed mushrooms. Another important element I used was a gluten-free seasoned coating mix from Hodgson Mill I also brought home from the food show. The final result was amazingly good, and I didn’t even use any eggs as a binder. Andy sautéed some shrimp (a wonderful departure from red meat) and I made a big salad to round out the meal.

My recipe for the stuffed mushrooms is below. I’d like to thank Redwood Hill Farms for the cheese samples and for the coupons for some of their other products that were sent to me.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Redwood Hill Farms Goat Milk Cheddar Cheese

Ingredients:
12 medium to large crimini mushrooms
1 diced onion
2 Tbs crushed garlic
1/3 cup almond meal
1/2 block of Redwood Hill Farms Goat Milk Cheddar Cheese (finely grated)
1/4 cup Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Seasoned Coating Mix
2 Tbs Karoun Dairy Lite Kefir Cheese (Labne)
1 Tbs olive oil or butter
cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 385°F. Remove stems from mushrooms and chop finely. Lightly oil a 13×9 pan and place mushroom caps gill side down on the pan. Roast the mushrooms while you are preparing the stuffing filling (10 minutes once oven has come to temperature.)

Then heat a pan with your oil of choice and sauté the onion with the mushroom stems. You probably won’t need any salt in this dish because the seasoning mix and the cheeses are salty enough on their own. Cook until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have cooked through. At this point, the mushroom caps should be ready to take out of the oven. Remove the caps from the oven and flip them over, allowing them to cool as you prepare the rest of the mushroom filling.

Add the crushed garlic, almond meal and the seasoned coating mix to the mushroom stem/onion mixture and coat evenly. Then add the kefir cheese and stir until well combined. Lastly add about 3/4 of the shredded goat milk cheddar (save 1/4 of it to top the mushrooms once they’ve been filled). Add a little bit of cracked pepper to your mushroom filling and then fill the caps. I find it is easier to pick up the caps and scoop filling into them rather than trying to fill them with a spoon. Then once I have scooped some filling into a cap, I dip it into the extra shredded cheese so that the cheese sticks to the top of the mushroom rather than a bunch of cheese ending up on the pan.

Once you have filled the mushrooms and topped them with cheese, return the pan to the oven and bake at 385°F for about 25 minutes. The cheese will turn a nice golden brown on top and the mushrooms will develop an even more roasted flavor. I was so happy with the way they turned out and I hope you will give them a try!

For some fun cheese and wine pairings, you can go to Redwood Hill Farms’ website here.

You can find Redwood Hill Farms on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.

Posted by  |  February 4, 2013 | Categories: Recipes, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cobb Salad Featuring Santé Nuts

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On the evening of January 31st, I made my favorite meal–a Cobb salad–so that I could enjoy chicken and bacon one last time until March 1st (at least, maybe longer… we’ll see how it goes). During the month of February, I’ll only be eating seafood and eggs as my main sources of protein. Gone are the days of bacon-wrapped dates, at least for a while… 😉

Why am I going mostly vegetarian? I just felt like I was eating too much meat, that’s all. It was getting to be pork or chicken or beef almost every single night for dinner. I don’t feel like it’s very good for me or for the environment, even though I buy organic and grass-fed meats when at all possible. I asked myself if I would have been willing to kill and butcher every single piece of meat that I had eaten since my diet has been so meat heavy (in the last two years). And, though I would have definitely been willing to hunt/forage/kill/clean some of the meats in the meals Andy and I have enjoyed (especially the holiday ones), I have to admit I would not want to have to kill something everyday or clean it everyday. I’d rather go pick an apple and get down with some almond butter! 😉

I decided since February is the shortest month, it would be completely doable to cut out feathers, fur, or animals with snouts. 😉 I’ll be enjoying seafood once or twice a week, nuts (in moderation), some cheese (organic), Greek yogurt, and rarely–organic beans/lentils for protein. Not as Paleo, but again… I am always questioning why salami or bacon is Paleo and some other things like organically grown beans, corn, or rice aren’t…

I had a charcuterie plate for dinner about 2 weeks ago, and I was just sitting there thinking, man… I probably shouldn’t be eating this. So many calories and cholesterol… So much meat… So much salt. Need. To. Cut. Back!

So veggies for a month it is! But first…

I studded my last meaty meal with Santé Roasted Salted Pecans, sent to me after attending the NASFT Winter San Francisco Fancy Food Show. What I liked best about this variety of Santé is that it didn’t have any added sugar like some of the other varieties do. I rarely buy pecans because of their high calorie content, so when I get them sent to me, it’s a rare treat.

In addition to the Roasted Salted variety, Santé also offers Candied Pecans, Cinnamon Pecans, Sweet & Spicy Pecans, Candied Walnuts, Cardamom Cashews, Chipotle Almonds, and Garlic Almonds.

Some fun nut and wine pairings can be found on their website here.

You can buy Santé Nuts local to Sacramento at Whole Foods market and at Draeger’s in the Bay area. There is also a product locator you can use on their website. You can find them on Facebook here and follow them on Twitter here.

This month, stay tuned for some vegetarian recipes using more products from manufacturers I met at the Fancy Food show! It will be exciting to use my creativity in the kitchen and share with you here… maybe even gain some vegetarian readers while I am at it.

Posted by  |  February 3, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gluten Free Expo in San Francisco, February 9th & 10th!


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The 1st annual San Francisco, CA Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo (www.gfafexpo.com) will be held on February 9 and 10, 2013 at the San Francisco Marriott Airport Waterfront Hotel.  Jenny McCarthy’s non-profit organization Generation Rescue is the primary sponsor for the event (www.generationrescue.org).  In addition, Dr. Peter Green from Columbia University will be the keynote speaker (www.celiacdiseasecenter.org).

The Gluten and Allergen-Free Expo was started by Jen Cafferty of gfreelife.com in 2008. Jen’s team is excited to include San Francisco as part of their “road show” in 2013. More than 2,500 people are anticipated to attend the Bay Area’s first sizeable gluten-free event in years!

The following gluten-free experts will be at the expo:

Silvana Nardone (www.silvanaskitchen.com), founding editor-in-chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine

Cybele Pascal (www.cybelepascal.com), who has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show

Kyra Bussanich of Crave Bake Shop (www.cravebakeshop.com), who won two episodes of Cupcake Wars on the Food Network

Kathy Smart of Live the Smart Way (livethesmartway.com), who has appeared on the Dr. Oz show and will be the face of GlutenFreeFind.com

Brandy Wendler, Mrs. Alaska 2011 (brandywendler.blogspot.com)

Amy Fothergill (www.amythefamilychef.com), who is a chef in San Francisco

The Gluten and Allergen-Free Expo is the largest and fastest growing gluten-free consumer event in the United States. Their growth continues in 2013 as the GFAF Expo expands its event locations as well as their focused demographic.

The Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo will bring the nation’s leading chefs, best-selling cookbook authors, and highly regarded nutrition and health experts to help people learn how to prepare healthy, tasty meals and baked goods without gluten and some of the most common allergens. With over 100 vendors, attendees can sample products before buying them at the store.

“Living on a restricted diet doesn’t have to mean living without the joy of cooking, baking and eating foods that look and taste great,” said Jen Cafferty, mother of two and founder of the Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo. “There is nothing like this in the area – a place where individuals, parents, and others can spend from a few hours to a full day sampling hundreds of products, and discovering that special dietary needs and cookies that taste like cardboard are not synonymous.”

I can’t wait to connect with other gluten-free people as well as gluten free product manufacturers, and bring some of their products to this website!

Open to the general public, the event features themed cooking sessions that will enlighten both beginners and more experienced home chefs, as well as a vendor fair, where attendees will meet and sample among more than 100 gluten-free companies under one roof. All of the vendors are 100 percent gluten-free and many also will showcase products free of the top eight allergens: milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.

The Expo will include a dedicated area featuring nut-free products. The Expo is not just for those who are gluten sensitive and have food allergies. It is a great resource for those who have celiac disease, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, food intolerances, anti-inflammatory diseases and those who are autistic. The Expo is a perfect platform for athletes and those who are health-conscious. Offerings will include raw foods, supplements, health foods, protein bars and shakes, and detox options.

A variety of experts will give presentations on topics including:

-Pie Crust 101

-The Science Behind Gluten-Free Baking

-Safely Eat Out & Travel Gluten & Allergen-Free

A detailed schedule can be found at http://www.gfafexpo.com/san-francisco/classes

The Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo Vendor Fair will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, February 9 and Sunday, February 10, 2013 at the San Francisco Marriott Airport Waterfront Hotel. The cost to attend the Vendor Fair is $20 for adults and $5 for children ages 3 – 12. Early admission tickets (9 a.m.) are available for an additional fee online. General tickets are available online or at the door. The ticket price also includes an allergen-free arts and crafts area for kids, as well as staged presentations related to gluten-free living and cooking.

To purchase tickets or obtain additional information, including vendors, presenters’ bios and the full schedule of classes and stage presentations for each day, visit www.gfafexpo.com.

There are 45 million people with food allergies and intolerances. More than 18 million Americans are on a gluten-free diet. Over 3 million Americans have celiac disease. Celiac disease is two times more common than Type 1 Diabetes and seven times more common than Multiple Sclerosis. About 1 in every 133 people has celiac disease – a condition in which the body cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and commercially available oats. More than 300 symptoms ranging from digestive issues to depression are linked to celiac disease, and more than 95 percent of people who have it are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. A gluten-free diet is essential for those with celiac disease, which many sufferers erroneously believe or have been told by medical professionals is irritable bowel syndrome or lactose intolerance. In addition, many families with autistic children are reporting a reduction in their children’s symptoms with a gluten-free diet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that an average of 1 in 110 U.S. children has an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

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About the Expo:

The Gluten and Allergen-Free Expo is the premier gluten and allergen free event in the United States. The GFAF Expo serves over 20,000 people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivities, auto-immune/anti-inflammatory diseases and autism as well as athletes and the health conscious community each year.

As founder of the Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo and President of Gluten Free Classes, Jen Cafferty is a nationally recognized expert on cooking and living gluten & allergen-free. She considers it her personal mission to help others who follow a restricted diet learn delicious, nutritious and convenient ways to live a happy and healthy life.

Posted by  |  January 31, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Cauliflower “Breadsticks” Recipe & Wild Garden Hummus

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At this year’s San Francisco Winter Fancy Food show, I saw that one of my favorite products (Wild Garden Hummus) was on display. This product is not considered “paleo” or “primal”, as it’s main ingredient is garbanzo beans (not accepted in the paleo diet), but I personally find it to be a nutritious and delicious snack food, and healthier than bacon (which is double the calories and fat per serving and completely accepted by paleos.) Wild Garden Hummus is completely portable, convenient and does not need to be refrigerated until opened.

Wild Garden Hummus comes in jars, triangle-shaped tetra packs, and boxed with a bag of pita chips for the ultimate snacker. 😉 I took pictures of the products that the vendor sent home with me, and also a picture of the product on sale at one of my sponsors: Nugget Market (at West Sacramento, last week).

Wild Garden Hummus comes in 6 flavors: Traditional,  Sun Dried Tomato, Roasted Garlic, Jalepeno, Fire Roasted Red Pepper, and Black Olive.

Wild Garden Hummus is all-natural, preservative and trans-fat free. It is vegetarian and features the healthiest ingredients available. I used a 1/2 tomato sauce and 1/2 Wild Garden Hummus ratio to make a dipping sauce for my cheesy cauliflower breadsticks! I went with the Traditional flavor which only contains 6 ingredients (and that includes water). Also the hummus is only 35 calories per serving (2 tablespoons).

And now, here’s the recipe for the breadsticks (modified recipe from Fast Paleo):

Ingredients:
2 heads of cauliflower
2 tablespoons of Italian seasonings
(mix anything you like: basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel, garlic, onion powder, red pepper flakes)
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, not the powder kind, the GOOD kind. 😉
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Steam cauliflower until it is mushy and almost overly cooked. I do it in the microwave and it takes a while. You could even cook the cauliflower the night before and do the remaining steps the next day. Cool slightly (so you don’t prematurely cook the eggs) and pulse in a food processor with the eggs until you form a purée.

3. Add your spice mixture and pulse until well combined.

4. Add the parmesan sheet and pulse until the cheese is also incorporated.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Invest in a roll of parchment paper. It’s well worth the sticks NOT sticking to your pan. Spread the cauliflower mixture on the parchment in an even, medium thick layer (3/4 in thick).

6. Place in oven and bake until the sticks start to dry out and turn golden brown. Then, remove from oven.

7. Flip bread over and cut it into “sticks”. Top with a little more cheese if desired. Place under oven broiler to complete the browning and get the sticks slightly crispy. Watch closely to prevent burning.

Tip: Don’t roll out the mixture too thin on the baking sheet, and don’t skip step 7! It really gets the breadsticks more like “breadsticks”…crispy/chewy on the the outside and softer in the middle.

Enjoy! Is it Friday yet? 😉

You can find Wild Garden Hummus on Facebook here, or for more information, you can visit their website here. Wild Garden Hummus is available at Nugget Markets.

Posted by  |  January 31, 2013 | Categories: Recipes | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Sacramento Food Film Festival Returns March 15th & 16th, 2013

Hey everyone! It’s Wednesday aka “hump day” aka “phone-it-in” day, so that means I am going to simply pass along a press release in the hopes you might read it! Though I won’t be in town to attend, I’d like to share the news about the upcoming Sacramento Food Film Festival, the brainchild of fellow blogger, Catherine Enfield (aka Ms. Munchie). See ya Thursday with another product review!

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Media Release, January 23rd SACRAMENTO–It’s fitting that Sacramento, California was named the “Farm to Fork Capitol” when it is located in the most fertile region of the country. It only makes sense, then, that a city of food lovers also has an appreciation for food films. The Sacramento Food Film Festival brings the love of food and films together and mixes them with a bit of discussion and a pinch of activities.

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Slow Food Sacramento presents the Sacramento Food Film Festival 2013. Slow Food Sacramento is an active non-profit that hosts a wide range of educational and convivial events throughout the year to introduce people to the producers and creators of some of the region’s outstanding foods, farms, and restaurants.

The second year of the Sacramento Food Film Festival expands to two days, March 15 and 16, 2013. The slate of films runs from bees and sushi making to the history of New York butchers and the plight of the farm worker. Sprinkled throughout the two days are activities to keep the festival interactive, informative, and educational.

These themes fall in line with the two organizations supported from the proceeds: Slow Food Sacramento and the California Food Literacy Center. “California Food Literacy Center is thrilled to be part of this event,” said Amber Stott, Executive Director. “Film is an important way to increase food literacy in our community. We look forward to a full day of fun and learning!”

Friday, March 15th, will be a special event ticket for an evening of food and film. For $40 the ticket includes the screening of locally filmed Quest for Local Honey followed by a honey tasting and discussion with the filmmakers. Everyone then moves to the next door Forty Acres Gallery for a sushi tasting and discussion on seafood sustainability with Taro from Mikuni and Billy Ngo from Kru. The evening will end with the screening of Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

The schedule for Saturday, March 16th includes:

  • Scavenger hunt for all ages
  • What’s On Your Plate?
  • A Community of Gardeners
  • Discussion of film with Master Gardener, Bill Maynard
  • Meat Hooked! Sponsored by Selland Family Restaurants
  • Symphony of the Soil
  • American Harvest
  • Discussion regarding farm workers and the part they play in agriculture

On Saturday, the concession stand will be run by Whole Foods Market, providing healthy movie snacks.

Saturday tickets are $25. Individual film tickets are $7. Weekend festival tickets, good for both days, are $55. Tickets can be purchased via the website: SlowFoodSacramento.com

For more information, contact Catherine Enfield at 916-595-7822.

Posted by  |  January 30, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Piatti Sacramento: Welcome Back!

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Sunday evening, Andy and I had dinner at the newly remodeled Piatti Ristorante on Fair Oaks Boulevard in Sacramento. The restaurant (which had been closed for 4 months) has just reopened after a replacement of the flooring, ceiling, lighting, bar top and furniture.

Piatti has been a long time advertiser of cakegrrl.com and cavegrrl.com, but the staff did not know I was going to visit this time around. I say this because I want you to know we were delighted with a wonderful meal and greeted with fantastic service by our server, Chris.

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I ordered one if my favorite dishes on the menu, the Pronti salad with grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, salami, chickpeas, olive, peppers and capers.

Andy tried the crispy skin half chicken with charred Brussels sprouts, bacon and three herb pan jus. I love Brussels sprouts, but I don’t ever remember them tasting that good. The chicken was exactly as advertised. Crispy skin and tender/juicy on the inside.

Andy and I shared a 1/2 liter of chardonnay from the restaurant’s “Barrel to Table” system of wines on tap. Through “Barrel to Table” wines are served through a custom tap and barrel system which eliminates oxidation and brings the freshest, highest-quality wine to the table using the most environmentally sustainable technology – no corks, foils or bottles.

The new head chef is Lance Carlini, formerly of Scott’s Seafood Grill and High Steaks steakhouse at Thunder Valley Casino. I can tell you the menu has not changed much, and many of the appetizers are exactly the same as before. To all my gluten-free/Paleo readers, I can safely say there are many of options for you, even though Piatti is well known for it’s classic pizza and pasta dishes. To get a peek of the Piatti menu, click here then click on “menus”.

On February 25th Piatti will be having a 20th Anniversary party. Proceeds from the event will benefit Assistance League of Sacramento. Come down for the great food, wine, beer, cocktails and live music – it’s for a great cause! The event features a creative menu by Executive Chef Lance Carlini, distinctive wines, craft beers, a special cocktail bar plus live music from Natalie Klempau & The Knockouts. You can purchase tickets here.

Piatti in Pavilions is one of eight restaurants in the California-based group, and the only one in the Sacramento area. For more information or to make dinner reservations, you can call (916) 649-8885 or go to Open Table here. You can find Piatti Sacramento on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.

Posted by  |  January 28, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Seasons 52: Fresh, Healthy, Seasonal and a Destination for Wine Lovers

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Last Wednesday evening I attended a preview dinner at Seasons 52 with a few other Sacramento food bloggers, as well as a number of local TV and radio personalities. Seasons 52 is located in the former Fresh Choice space at Arden Fair Mall.

The “Seasons 52” name and menu are inspired by the seasons and the fresh appeal of the farmer’s market. Every week of the year, the restaurant (under the direction of Senior Director of Culinary Chef Clifford Pleau and Executive Chef Partner Jeffrey Martell) strives to feature the freshest ingredients at the peak of ripeness and flavor, and offers them in ways that showcase culinary art and creativity. Wood-fire grilling and brick-oven cooking result in meals that are naturally lower in calories with nothing on the menu over 475 calories. The award-winning wine list was created and developed by Master Sommelier George Miliotes (you can find his bio here)– one of over 180 Master Sommeliers worldwide – features an international selection of 100 wines, including more than 52 offered by the glass.

The contemporary-style decor is Frank Lloyd Wright inspired and is highlighted by soft lighting, lush greenery, rich colors, contemporary art, stone and warm wood accents which present dramatic architectural lines that also are organically comfortable. There is a circular piano bar featuring live music nightly, an open kitchen with a brick oven, a chef’s table and a customized, climate controlled wine chateau holding upwards of 2,000 bottles of wine. The restaurant also offers two private dining rooms for private and semi-private business and social events.

When I arrived, I was given a glass of champagne (Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee Sainte Anne, Champagne MV) and a short tour of the restaurant, including a walk past the chef’s table, the kitchen (with a view of the aforementioned brick oven and wood-fired grill, the main dining area, the wine cellar, the private dining areas and the bar areas. At the end of the tour, I was seated at a a long table alongside Catherine Enfield aka Ms. Munchie of Munchie Musings and Darrel Ng of Cowtown Eats for a multi-course gastronomical tour of the Seasons 52 menu and wine pairing. Glad I wore my stretch pants. (Kidding!) 😉

To begin, we were presented an amuse of Dungeness crab and Hass avocado on a spoon, paired with Aveleda Vinho Verde, Portugal 2011

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Our first course was a duo of organic salmon, lemongrass sea scallop, roasted on a cedar plank with a glass of Mer Soleil Chardonnay, Central Coast 2010
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The third course served was a salad of organic field greens, grilled mushrooms with toasted pistachios and truffle dressing and a glass of Sinskey Pinot Noir, Carneros 2009.

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The next course was a small plate of Sonoma goat cheese ravioli, roasted garlic, basil, organic tomato broth, and I have to admire the culinary team at Seasons 52 for remembering my gluten-free request. Instead of the ravioli’s they brought me a sampling of the delicious tomato broth, and a mixture of garlic, basil, and goat cheese. I was still able to taste the dish in effect without the pasta element. It was dreamy. The wine pairing was a glass of Retromarcia, Chianti Classic 2009.

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I applaud the kitchen staff for boxing up most of each course as the dinner was served. I enjoyed making it to the end of the meal without being uncomfortably full. I also wanted to bring part of the salmon dish home so Andy (big salmon fan) could try it.

Our last savory course was a mesquite-grilled Piedmontese striploin & Manchester Farms all-natural quail, mashed sweet potatoes and red wine sauce with a double wine pairing: a glass of Alto Moncayo Garnacha, Campo de Borja 2009 and a glass of De Toren Z, Stellenbosch 2009.

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I am pretty sure the sauce must have contained sugar or gluten, because it was omitted from my plate, but the entrée did not need any sauce. I don’t know if you are familiar with grass-fed meat, but it is much more flavorful than standard corn-fed beef. Bonus points for the Brussels sprouts… a personal favorite of mine.

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For the dessert course, we were presented a plate of  “Mini Indulgences“, smaller portions of classic desserts such as cheesecake, lemon pound cake, and s’mores, served parfait-style. I opted for the shot of fresh fruit with no added sugar. Yay! The desserts were served with a glass of Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2010.

Seasons 52 opens tomorrow, January 28th. You can make a reservation on Open Table. You can find Seasons 52 on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.

Posted by  |  January 27, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

SF Winter Fancy Food Show 2013 #WFFS13: Auntie Si’s Lemongrass Vinegar

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Andy and I just returned from the Annual Winter Fancy Food show in San Francisco. I go every year and always find something I have never seen or tasted before. This year, it was Auntie Si Lemongrass Vinegar. (Though, I actually have to give credit to Andy for the find–he’s the one who first spotted the Auntie Si booth at the show, tasted the vinegar and urged me to try it.)

Auntie Si Lemongrass Vinegar was developed by Virginia Wax (aka Auntie Si), a native of Argentina. Wax has been making the vinegar for over 20 years for friends and family, but has only been selling it to the public for the past 2 years.

How did she come up with lemongrass vinegar? Virginia says, “I was taken by the aroma of lemon grass [I discovered at farmers’ markets] and started to experiment with it. I had tried various vinegar infusions, but the lemon grass was my favorite.”

Andy and I met Virginia at the Fancy Food show and spoke to her at length about the product. Not to name drop or anything, but Darrell Corti is a fan of her lemongrass vinegar and thus you can find it locally/buy it at Corti Brothers. You can also buy it by calling 805.481.4102.

Last night, Andy and I made a simple dressing with the vinegar with 1 part olive oil, and 2 parts vinegar. For more recipe ideas, you can visit the Auntie Si recipe page here, or look for them here in the future, as I will be trying it out in a few more meals.

You can follow NASFT on twitter here and find them on Facebook here.

You can like Auntie Si on Facebook here.

Posted by  |  January 21, 2013 | Categories: Recipes, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: Paleo/Primal Meals at Home

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OK, maybe I’ll write a few words. 😉
The above slideshow are shots of a few meals Andy and I have had so far in 2013. All we need is a monster salad, a slab of meat and perhaps some root vegetables. I often enjoy these dinners more than dining out because we control all the ingredients, portion size and the cost of our meal. I even made parmesan “chips” to go on our salads in one of the photos. 🙂

Do you have a favorite Paleo/Primal meal? Please share in the comments section below! I found this recipe for cauliflower breadsticks, and I am thinking of trying them tonight!

Posted by  |  January 16, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Shawn Colvin Comes to Sacramento City College January 27th

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Photo credit: Michael Wilson.

Shawn Colvin will be performing at Sacramento City College Performing Arts Center Sunday, January 27th, 2013, at 7:30pm.

This tour backs up her latest album, All Fall Down.

Shawn talks about her latest album on her website, “I didn’t have a specific theme in mind when I started writing,” Colvin admits, “but I think the album is imbued with a sense of loss. I had gone through a relationship that didn’t work out. I’m getting older and so are my parents. So it’s a kind of breakup album, if you will. Not quite about reflection as much as it is about working through something painful. It portrays a sense of loss and redemption and “—she hastens to add—“resolution.”

A number of musicians make guest appearances on her latest release including Emmylou Harris, Allison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Jakob Dylan as well as fiddle-player Stuart Duncan.

In addition to the Sacramento date, Shawn will play at Yoshi’s in San Francisco, January 23rd, 24th & 25th, as well as make a stop at the Napa Valley Opera House on January 26th.

To purchase tickets, you can click here. For a list of all tour dates, you can click here.

The concert is presented by: SBL Entertainment.

Sacramento City College Performing Arts Center is located at 3835 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA, 95822.

You can find Shawn Colvin’s Facebook page here, and follow her on twitter here.

Posted by  |  January 15, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | Leave a comment