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Sacramento Food Film Festival is March 10th! Tickets going fast!!

Some of the best movies I have seen in the past few years have been all about food!!

More specifically, documentaries about our food and its production and distribution.

Needless to say, the inaugural Sacramento Food Film Festival is right up my alley! It will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at Guild Theater from 10am to 10pm. So basically, come out like you are camping out for a deal on an HDTV at Best Buy on Black Friday, ok? 😉

I know a lot of you seem to be aware and conscious of the serious food issues/problems that this world faces, but these movies will educate you (as well as entertain and provoke thought) to what is really going on and really going wrong with our global food supply.

Here is the film lineup for the day:

10:15 Lunch Line 63 min.

Lunch Line follows six kids from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago as they set out to fix school lunch — and end up at the White House. Their unlikely journey parallels the dramatic transformation of school lunch from a patchwork of local anti-hunger efforts to a robust national feeding program. The film tracks the behind-the-scenes details of school lunch and childhood hunger from key moments in the 1940s, 1960s, and 1980s to the present, revealing political twists, surprising alliances, and more common ground than people might realize.

11:30 The Last Crop 50 min.

The Last Crop follows Jeff and Annie Main, and examines how one family’s mission to preserve their small working farm’s existence for future farmers is challenging the status quo of farmland conservation and farm succession policies within California’s 36 billion dollar agricultural industry. I saw this movie early this month and absolutely loved it. Since the filmmaker keeps adding on to the length of the film as the story progresses (as it is a work in progress), it will be a little longer than 50 minutes.

12:30 Dive 53 min.

Inspired by a curiosity about our country’s careless habit of sending food straight to landfills, the multi award-winning documentary DIVE! follows filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of Los Angeles’ supermarkets. In the process, they salvage thousands of dollars worth of good, edible food – resulting in an inspiring documentary that is equal parts entertainment, guerilla journalism and call to action.

1:30 Future of Food 88 min.

The Future of Food has been a key tool in the American and international anti-GMO grassroots activist movements and played widely in the environmental and activist circuits since its release in 2004. The film is widely acknowledged for its role in educating voters and the subsequent success of passing Measure H in Mendocino County, California, one of the first local initiatives in the country to ban the planting of GMO crops. Indicative of its popularity, the Future of Food showed to a sold out audience of 1,500 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco in 2004, a benefit for Slow Food, where it was introduced by Alice Waters.

3:00 Food Matters 80 min.

With nutritionally-depleted foods, chemical additives and our tendency to rely upon pharmaceutical drugs to treat what’s wrong with our malnourished bodies, it’s no wonder that modern society is getting sicker. Food Matters sets about uncovering the trillion dollar worldwide ‘sickness industry’ and gives people some scientifically verifiable solutions for overcoming illness naturally.

4:30 Ingredients 67 min.

Inspiring and rich, INGREDIENTS unearths the roots of the local food movement and digs into the stories of the chefs, farmers and activists transforming our broken food system. This upbeat, beautifully-photographed film introduces us to the verdant farms and pioneering restaurants where good food is produced and served. From innovative farm-to-table programs in Harlem to picturesque sheep farms in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, INGREDIENTS shows the heart of an alternative food system – healthy, sustainable and tasty.

Through interviews with world-class chefs such as Alice Waters and Greg Higgins and sustainability-minded farmers in Oregon, New York and Ohio, INGREDIENTS weaves an uplifting tale that is equal parts earthy rebellion and mouth-watering homage.

Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth, INGREDIENTS is a fun, open-minded film that will satiate both veteran slow-food fans and the uninitiated alike.

Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth? Guys, need I say more? 🙂

6:00 Farmaggedon 90 min.Farmageddon highlights the urgency of food freedom, encouraging farmers and consumers alike to take action to preserve individuals’ rights to access food of their choice and farmers’ rights to produce these foods safely and free from unreasona-bly burdensome regulations. The film serves to put policymakers and regulators on notice that there is a growing movement of people aware that their freedom to choose the foods they want is in danger, a movement that is taking action with its dollars and its voting power to protect and preserve the dwindling number of family farms that are struggling to survive.

7:45 Farmers Panel Discussion 60 min.

9:00 What’s Organic about Organic? 59 min.

WHAT’S ORGANIC ABOUT “ORGANIC?” delves into the debates that arise when a grassroots agricultural movement evolves into a booming international market. As the film moves from farm fields to government meetings to industry trade shows, we see the hidden costs of conventional agriculture. We also see how our health, the health of our planet, and the agricultural needs of our society are all intimately connected. The film compels us to look forward, towards a new vision for our culture and encourages us to ask, “How can we eat with an ecological consciousness?”

For more information on the event go to: http://sacfoodfilmfest.com

Special thanks to sponsors Simply Recipes, Whole Foods, Slow Food Sacramento, Munchie Musings, Mikuni Sushi, Guild Theatre, and the Sacramento Co-op.

You can find the Sacramento Food Film Festival on Facebook here!!

PS: If you buy a ticket by March 1st, you will be automatically entered to win a restaurant gift card from deVere’s or Ella.

Buy tickets here now! Hurry because the Guild only holds 200 people and tickets are going fast!!

Posted by cavegrrl | February 17, 2012 | Categories: events, festival, food, movie, organic, paleo, sacramento | Leave a comment

Last Night We Had a Paleo Dinner at: Il Fornaio, Downtown Sacramento

I thought I might start a little series on my website called “Last Night We Had a Paleo Dinner at…”

I will showcase all the meals we have out and show you how you can eat almost 100% Paleo anywhere you go. It’s all about choices… 🙂

Seafood Trio Appetizer with parsley sauce.

House salad… we could have asked for no beans (but, my legume consumption is a rarity anyway and not the worst of Paleo offenses), I did ask for the dressing on the side. 🙂

We split a meal of game hen, sausage, and lamb with carrots, green beans, and spinach!!

Posted by cavegrrl | February 15, 2012 | Categories: dinner, food, il Fornaio, Last Night We Had a Paleo Dinner at:, paleo, wine | Leave a comment

Paleo Recipe: True Love Blood Orange and Red Onion Salad with Kalamata Olives

I just love going to the farmer’s market and buying whatever catches my eye. Last Sunday, it was blood oranges. Here’s a quick salad that’s completely Paleo using those that beautiful citrus I picked up!! This recipe serves 2 people as an appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients:

3 blood oranges, sliced widthwise

1 red onion, sliced into rings

10-12 Kalamata olives, sliced into rings

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used Gaea Laconia P.G.I.,

kindly sent to me by the reps at Gaea.)

Procedure:

Peel the oranges and slice them widthwise so the slices will look like the picture above. Lay one layer of them out on a plate and then slice the onion into rings and lay them over/on the oranges. Then arrange another bit of oranges around the onions. As you are doing this, you can squeeze a little of the juice over the onions and the plate. Then chop the olives into little rings and sprinkle over the onions and orange slices. To finish, drizzle the olive oil over the salad.

So unique, but simple to prepare, and beautiful on the plate. I named the recipe “true love” because of the ring shapes in the salad (the symbol of eternity), and all that red/orange color in the mix.

It might sound like an odd combination, but I hope you try it. 🙂

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted by cavegrrl | February 14, 2012 | Categories: love, paleo, Recipes, salad, valentine's day | Leave a comment

Valentine’s Food and Drink Picks!!

Here are a few things I have tried lately that sort of fall into the Valentine’s category, and since today happens to be Valentine’s Day, I would like to share them with you.

Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa

This brand new liqueur combines Patrón Silver tequila, the light essence of coffee and the richness of chocolate.

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

Xan Confections was started by Susan Johnson and Kerry Johnson Anthony of Susan’s Healthy Gourmet. With the combination of chocolatiering creativity and Kerry and Susan’s vision of healthy, Xan created indulgent artisan chocolates, caramels, and other handcrafted treats using distinctive flavors with only the finest, all-natural ingredients. Many of the Xan products are gluten-free. I was sent a few of the CocoXan products to try, a line of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate European-style truffles paired with a selection of nutritionally enhanced ingredients.

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.

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

Oren’s Kitchen

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.

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

Emanuel Andrén Chocolates

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.

Royal Tribute a Swedish inspired array of noble flavors reaching a new level of sophistication and designed in honor of Sweden Royalty.

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.

You can like Emanuel Andrén on Facebook here, and follow on twitter here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted by cavegrrl | February 14, 2012 | Categories: chocolate, food, Oren's, Reviews, tequila, valentine's day | Leave a comment

Second Annual Riedel Wine Glass Seminar on Tuesday, February 28th

The Second Annual Riedel Wine Glass Seminar presented by the National Association of Catering Executives, Sacramento Chapter and Sacramento Magazine/Our Wedding Magazine in association with Sean Minor Wines and Arden Hills Resort Club and Spa will take place on Tuesday February 28, 2012.

Time: 6:30p.m.– 9:00p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)

Tickets $75 are per person and $85 after February 15. To register, please click here.

Arden Hills Resort Club and Spa is located at 1220 Arden Hills Lane Sacramento, CA.

This unique and fascinating wine glass seminar will be led by Sylvie Laly of the world famous Riedel Glassware. She will showcase Riedel’s Vinum XL glasses and teach about the relationship between the shape of the glass and how the wine tastes, and the enjoyment of wine to our Sacramento community.

The seminar includes a set of four Vinum XL glasses ($123 value) post presentation hors d’oeuvres and sample wine from Sean Minor Wines. Sacramento NACE is offering this fascinating seminar to all interested parties (over the age of 21), whether you are a sommelier, in the food and beverage field locally, a restaurant owner, or a wine connoisseur.

Please join this spectacular presentation where everyone will gain new perspective on how the bouquet, taste, balance, and finish of wines are affected by the shape of the glass. Representatives of all the newspaper companies, TV channels and free lance journalists are cordially invited to make this event a successful one. Doors open at 6:00p.m. Seminar starts at 6:30p.m. Post seminar hors d’oeuvres are from 8:00 – 9:00p.m. For more information please visit: Sacnace.com

Below is footage from last year’s seminar:

Posted by cavegrrl | February 9, 2012 | Categories: arden hills, riedel, sacramento, sacramento magazine, wine, wine tasting | Leave a comment

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)

Here’s the whole spread. So much good food. Eat like this everyday with even minimal exercise and you will lose and maintain your weight and live to be 100 years old. True story.

Our good friend Rick brought this Macadamia Nut Crusted Ahi Tuna Salad. So for those of you who say “I don’t have time to eat Paleo/prep food…” Sorry, yes, you do. Super convenient to stop by Nugget Market, Whole Foods, etc, and point to what you want. As long as it’s grain/gluten/sugar/dairy free.

Great contribution to the potluck, Rick. I believe this salad can be defined as a pot of luck. 😉

Thank goodness I hung on to my hotel/catering pans and equipment. This dish is actually Brussels sprouts, which I shredded in my food processor. I baked 2 pounds of bacon (because it was a double recipe) and crumbled it up and also dried out some roasted chestnuts and chopped them up to throw them in the mix as well.

So recipe is basically something like this:

Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts (or Pecans)

1 pound of shredded Brussel sprouts

2 sliced onions

1 jar of roasted chestnuts* chopped

*(Optional, really. You can also use a nut of your

choice like pecans, walnuts or almonds.)

1 pound of bacon

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Garlic

You should prep the sprouts in advance, shred them in the food processor.

Bake the bacon on a sheet pan on parchment to get it extra crispy.

The parchment will absorb the extra bacon grease.

Dry out the chestnuts or toast your nut of choice and chop up.

Sauté the onions in the olive oil and add some salt, get them carmelize-y… 😉

Add the Brussel Sprouts and cook to barely wilt them.

Place sprouts/onions in a hotel pan or jelly roll pan and douse them with balsamic vinegar. Roast for about 10 mins at 400. Then take em out and top with the chopped bacon and nuts of choice. Ding!

Gluten Free Almond and Hazelnut Rosemary Crackers

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

1 cup hazelnut flour

1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

2 teaspoons rosemary, minced

8 medjool dates, chopped

3 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 tablespoon olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond flour, hazelnut flour, salt, soda,

rosemary and chopped dates.

Mix in egg and oil until well combined

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until ⅛ inch thick

Cut dough with pizza cutter into the size of cracker you like.

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes.

Greek Meatballs (recipe to come). I think these were my favorite dish of the night…

Well, unless you count the Bacon Wrapped Dates natch 😉

This was salad a contribution from our dear friend and fellow wine lover, Lynda.

It was a spinach salad with dried cranberries, with goat cheese, walnuts, an orange vinaigrette.

Andy’s famous Girlfriend-Fetching Bacon Wrapped Dates

(So, I’d go on a date with that guy any day.)

To make them: I am pretty sure he just gets the Medjool dates (love!!) and some really swanky thick cut bacon from Taylor’s Market. Then pits the dates, places a pecan in the middle, and wraps a half slice of bacon around the date. Then you bake them at 400 degrees. Watch them closely. The natural sugar in the dates will burn easily. And don’t use the maple bacon. It will burn and maybe catch on fire. That is not what you want. 😉

Catherine brought a chocolate fudge torte thing. Recipe and proper name of the dish to come!!

Here’s the little centerpiece I labored on. I do kind of miss cake decorating.

The cakegrrl still lurks inside of the cavegrrl. 😉

But, I use my powers for good and not evil, so you will never see me make anything with sugar or flour or and processed crap. #Iwillnotberesponsibleforyougettingcancer. #sugargivesyoucancer

Almond butter filling inside the cake. Recipes to come in the next few days.

Paleo cake pop. Yes, that just happened.

Recipe to come.

That’s all for now. Nighty night from Paleo land.

Oh yeah, BTW… I promised my pics.

OK here’s one of chubby wubby from last year around this time.

Photo taken by Diana Miller.

And then here’s me on New Year’s Eve!! Oh yeah!! Thank you Paleo!!

Self indulgent MySpace-esque photo taken by… MYSELF!! Wheeeee!!!

IF you are local to Sacramento and want to LEARN more about Paleo, you can join my Facebook group, Sacramento Beyond the Paleo. Lots of love and support in the group in a really unsupportive world of gluttony, dough, flour and things rolled in sugar.

One life to live and one shot in this world.

Why look or feel anything less than your best?

Posted by cavegrrl | February 6, 2012 | Categories: events, food, paleo, wine | Leave a comment

Pour Your Heart Out, a Mended Little Hearts Wine Tasting Fundraiser on February 18th

Pour Your Heart Out, a Mended Little Hearts of Sacramento Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, February 18 at 6:00pm at the Carvalho Family Winery in the Old Sugar Mill, 35265 Willow Avenue, Clarksburg, CA.

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.

Tickets are $45 through January 31st, $50 from February 1st-to event date, and $55 at the door.
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.

Proceeds will go toward buying AED (Automated External Defibrillator) machines for local schools. Also, there will be a “wall of wine” and all raffles will win off that wall!

Elk Grove Hampton Inn & Suites is offering special room and shuttle rates for Pour Your Heart Out guests. To book your accommodations, you can click here. You have until February 5th to book the special rate.

The event is sponsored by Carvalho Family Winery, Clarksburg Wine Company, Kobasic’s Candies, Old Soul Co, Better Foods Deli, Colby Red, the UC Davis Health System, Sutter Children’s Center, and Pinnacle Capital Mortgage.

Posted by cavegrrl | January 28, 2012 | Categories: events, food, fundraiser, Hampton Inn Elk Grove, mended little hearts, wine | Leave a comment

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.

THE EVENT: The Last Crop, a documentary film in progress about the efforts to preserve local farms will be screened in Sacramento followed by a panel discussion with the 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 co-op movement Paul Cultrera, General Manager, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

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.

You can like The Last Crop on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.

For media information contact Karen Bakula & Company, Inc. (916) 442-0957 or (916) 715-9117

Posted by cavegrrl | January 24, 2012 | Categories: events, food, movie, paleo, Sierra 2 Center, The Last Crop | Leave a comment

Hyatt Renovation Celebration

So, if you haven’t been to the Hyatt Regency Sacramento recently, you must swing by and take a peek!

A little party was held there last night to celebrate the newly renovated lobby, lounge, Vines Restaurant, second floor meeting space, 12th floor suite and the amazing 360 degree view of the 15th floor Capitol View Room. I felt like one of the luckiest girls in the world–sipping wine at the top of the Hyatt with my sweetie, and taking in the absolute best view in town of Sacramento and the State Capitol.

Me and my date! 🙂

The Hyatt Sacramento applied for and received a Hyatt Community Grant
which nominates and honors local non-profit organizations for funding
built around the Hyatt’s philanthropic pillars–Environmental
sustainability, education and personal advancement, economic development
and investment or health and wellness. Hyatt Sacramento is one of only
27 Hyatt properties worldwide to be recognized to receive a grant. Their
nominated non-profit organization, the Stanford Settlement Neighborhood
Center received this honor and a $15,000 check at the event. KCRA’s footage of the new space is here.

Another reason to check out the Hyatt? It’s Dine Downtown week through January 18th, and Dawson’s Restaurant is one of the participating restaurants. You can check out their menu here, and make a reservation on Open Table here.

Built in 1988, the Hyatt Regency Sacramento was considered a key pillar in the redevelopment of the central downtown business community and a vital part of the future of Sacramento’s tourism industry.