There will be free tastings, recipes, vendors and exhibits. Check it out!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Event : Vegfest
A Celebration of Raw, Vegan and Vegetarian Cuisines, sponsored by the Del Paso Boulevard Partnership.
There will be free tastings, recipes, vendors and exhibits. Check it out!
There will be free tastings, recipes, vendors and exhibits. Check it out!
Have You Checked This Out? : Wildlands Bake Shop
Although I love watching Ace of Cakes, have dated a pastry chef and swoon at the slightest mention of Johnny Iuzzini, given the choice I'd choose cooking savory dishes over baking any day. Baking is an exact science unlike cooking where you can wing it or modify a dish and the word "exact" and me; well, we don't go together so well. Maybe it's because I had a horrible chemistry teacher in high school or maybe it's because I chose a Lite-Brite over an Easy-Bake oven when I was a kid; but I've never had the patience for being precise in the kitchen. Sure, I bake begrudgingly from time to time when I have to but when I need something baked well, I turn to the experts...those that LOVE to bake. You know the ones...they're happiest when they're kneading dough, there's usually a sprinkle of flour on their sleeve or forehead and their kitchens ALWAYS smell warm and inviting. Lucky for me, living in the grid I've come to know the bake-ress of Wildlands Bake Shop, Jenn Garrison. From the first time you meet her, you'll be won over by Garrison's friendly smile and southern grace. A Sacramentan by way of Georgia and Ohio, Jenn's baking goods have slowly won her recognition in the downtown (and surrounding) communities. She started out in the food business at the age of 19 as a server at the Zephyr Restaurant while attending Kent State. Fate took a turn for her when the night baker quit and Garrison was bumped up into the position. She prepared the Zephyr's cheesecakes, assorted daily breads and cookies each night as friends stopped by to chat. Although baking isn't her day job yet, Garrison a senior project manager for an environmental firm, hopes to someday open her own bakery/coffee shop here in the river city.
( Wildland's Bake Shop's Jenn Garrison )
Until the Wildlands Bake Shop makes it's brick and mortar debut, you can place orders via Facebook (under the group name: Wildlands Brown Box) or email wildlandsbakeshop@gmail.com for your baked needs. WBS uses all natural ingredients and strives to use local, seasonal ingredients as much as possible. Currently WBS is offering up homemade cookies, cakes (special occassion or otherwise), cheesecakes, cupcakes, pies, scones, cornbread, brownies, truffles and tarts. Whew! You can see the available flavors and prices at : WBS Price List
And if that doesn't get your tastebuds buzzing, Garrison welcomes special orders and dessert spreads with advance notice and is happy to meet with customers for a consultation. She also does several gluten-free products that are magically delicious; none of that dense, cardboard-like stuff that most of us have had at one time or another and spit out.
Can't make up your mind which of these goodies to go with? Let me suggest the coconut pecan tartlets, which are my fav. These mini tarts resemble the Girl Scout Samoa cookies in taste and are absolutely scrumptious. I would recommend either getting the full size tart or a couple of the minis if you don't live alone as everyone will be flocking to you for "just a bite" when you pull this dessert out. And fellas, want to not get in trouble with your lady this year? Plan ahead and order one of WBS's sweetheart cakes for Valentine's Day. They're the perfect size for sharing and come in several flavors (triple chocolate, mexican hot chocolate, bittersweet chocolate and chocolate butter caramel). Or you could go the route of truffles (Gosling's dark rum/crushed almonds/toasted coconut or dark chocolate/4 Roses single barrel bourbon/toasted pecans). Regardless of whichever tasty treat you decide to go with, you can rest assured that it'll be made fresh and with love.
( Ginger carrot cake with winter spice cream cheese topped with toasted almonds and currants. Photo by Jenn Garrison )
(Seasonal fruit pies. Photo by Jenn Garrison)
(Coconut pecan mini tarts. Photo by Jenn Garrison )
Monday, January 24, 2011
School Daze : ARC's Oak Cafe Spring Menu
(print by LuckyBlueBirdArt )
4700 College Oak Drive, Sacramento in Room 506 by Lot D
It's a new semester and the student chefs are back! ARC's Oak Cafe just posted on Facebook their 2011 menu. If you haven't been before and can get out to ARC during lunch time, you should check it out. My friend, Sarah, introduced me to the Oak Cafe a few semesters ago and I've gone a few times since then. The Oak Cafe is completely student run and offers both a prix fixe menu and a tasting menu at $15 each. The prix fixe menu includes choice of a first course, choice of an entrée, a choice of a dessert and a beverage. The tasting menus include all courses and a beverage. The menu changes weekly.
Lunch is served Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11:30 – 1:30 and reservations (highly recommended as seats fill up fast) are being accepted beginning January 26.
Feb. 2, 3 & 4
New Mexico - Tasting
Caldillo – Green Chili Soup
Black Bean Tamale with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa
Carne Adovada – Braised Pork with Hominy
Chopped Salad with Red Chili Citronette
Sopapilla with Caramel-Roasted Pineapple, Honey Crema
Feb. 9, 10 & 11
Irish Lunch
Yellow Split Pea and Parsnip Soup or Wild Mushroom, Irish Cashel Blue Cheese & Watercress Salad
Ballymaloe Irsih Lamb Stew with Parsley Dumplings or Sunday Roast Chicken with Bacon & Leek Sauce and Colcannon Potatoes
Guinness Stout Ginger Cake with Candied Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting or Poached Pears with Brown
Bread Ice Cream
Feb. 16 & 17
Moroccan - Tasting
Harira – Lentil, Chick Pea and Chicken Soup
Chermoula Roasted Vegetables with Shallot & Garlic Couscous
Merguez - Lamb Sausage over Chard Salad
Pan Seared Halibut with Spiced Carrots
M’hanncha – Orange-Almond-Date Phyllo Pastry with Cardamom-Lime Cream
Feb. 23, 24 & 25
Italian Lunch
Fritto Misto – Monterey Calamari, Lemon, Onion, Fennel & Olives or
Carpaccio – Raw Beef Fillet, Parmigianno-Regianno, Capers, CA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Verdi Lasagna ala Bolognese or Housemade Italian Sausage, Garlic-Chili Oil with Mushroom Risotto
Chocolate Glazed Rich Gianduia Mousse with Ginger-Pistachio Biscotti or
Apricot Crostada with Zabaglione
March 2, 3 & 4
Burger Blast
Spinach Salad or Chicken & Stars Soup
House Cured & Ground Sirloin with your choice of delicious toppings including: Pate de Foie Gras, Pimento Cheese, Marrow, Bacon, Fried Egg, Chili Sauce and the regulars -Served with Duck Fat Fries
Peanut Butter-Banana Ice Cream Sandwich with Milk Chocolate Dipping Sauce or Root Beer Float
March 9, 10 & 11
Momofuku - Tasting
Mushroom Miso Soup with Griddled Rice Cake
Duck Confit on Scallion Pancake with Beet Pickles
Sichuan Pepper Prawns
Pan Roasted Asparagus with Miso Butter and a Poached Egg
Milk Bar Sugar Pie with Star Anise Pear Compote
March 16, 17 & 18
New England
Green Peppercorn Steamed Mussels or Clam & Leek Chowder
Lobster Pot Pie or New England Boiled Dinner
Blueberry Johnnycake with Maple Cream or Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart
March 23, 24 & 25
Steak House
House Smoked Loch Duart Salmon, Baby Beets, Red Onion & Horseradish Cream or Caesar Salad
Meat: Ribeye Steak or Seared Sea Scallops or Chicken Breast Stuffed with Goat Cheese & Spinach
And Sauce: Bearnaise, Beurre Rouge, Chimichurri or Shiitake Steak Sauce
And 2 Sides: Sour Cream-Chive Mashed Potatoes, Smokey Sweet Potato Fries, Grilled Asparagus, Green Beans, Cauliflower Gratin, Creamy Gorgonzola Polenta
New York Cheesecake or Lemon Meringue Pie
Final Exam Menus:
March 30, 31 & April 1
April 6, 7 & 8
April 13, 14 & 15
April 27, 28 & 29
May 4, 5 & 6
Sunday, January 23, 2011
On Facebook
Maybe it was because I watched the Social Network this weekend but I finally decided to quit clogging up my personal FB page with recipes, food articles, etc. and create a separate FB page for a Girl and Her Fork (thanks for the gentle nudge, Debby!). So it's all set up now...take a peek, "like" it if you like and as always feel free to give suggestions, opinions or just stop by to say hi. -------> A Girl and Her Fork Facebook Page
Have You Checked This Out? : Wine-O!
"In vino veritas"
(In wine there is truth)
2007 Delas St. Esprit Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge
I was first introduced to this wine at a wine party I threw quite awhile back. A guest had picked it up at Corti Brothers and at first sip, I knew that I was in love with this full-bodied red and would be buying it regularly. The garnet-colored wine carries a nice subtle taste of pepper, plums and blackberry. If you love jammy reds like I do, you'll like this one. You can usually find it at Cost Plus World Market or Corti Bros for around $12-$14.
2007 Berryessa Gap Tempranillo
This soft Tempranillo didn't come onto my radar until late this summer. Mr. S. and I threw a BBQ and my friend Jenni was kind enough to bring a few bottles to share. Berryessa Gap's Tempranillo is very balanced and has a richness to it that makes it appealing even to the pickiest drinker. Throughout the night I heard several of our guests murmuring about how they liked the Tempranillo.
2008 Ceretto Moscato d'Asti Santo Stefano
During my recent trip to LA, Mayumi and I stopped in a wine bar called Friends of the Vine in Redondo Beach for a pre-dinner drink. My sweet tooth was in full effect so I opted for a glass of the Ceretto Moscato d'Asti Santo Stefano ($20-$25), a sparkling wine. The wine was fresh tasting, aromatic and offered up the right amount of sweetness (it wasn't cloying at all). This wine would be perfect paired with a dessert, like a raspberry tart or perhaps an apricot creme brulee.
Trentadue Chocolate Amore
If you could bottle up some post-sex after glow, it'd most definitely taste something like Trentadue's Chocolate Amore ($20-$25). The winery describes it as a, "Merlot-based, port-styled chocolate flavored dessert wine," and although that's on mark, it doesn't quite do this sublime wine justice. Seriously, the Chocolate Amore is so heavenly and decadent that you'll want to draw the shades and snuggle down in your sheets before popping the cork. If you haven't tried it you must! I was first exposed to this silky elixir after a fabulous dinner at Formoli's. It was so good that I had to check out the winery. If you can, book a room in Healdsburg, a stone's throw from Geyserville (where Trentadue is located) and make a romantic weekend out of it. They do 4 tastings for $5 and the people who work there are as sweet as pie. I think they're used to guests swooning after taking a sip of the Chocolate Amore.
Lastly, is the "dirty little secret wine." I know you, like me, have a few cheapie bottles of wine squirreled away somewhere. For me it used to be Ironstone's Obssession, a Symphony wine ($5-6). It really hits the spot on a sweltering summer day and doesn't put the hurt on my pocketbook. However, as it's becoming a bit of a PIA to find in the grid I've found myself turning toward Whole Food's version of the Two Buck Chuck, called Three Wishes. For $2.99, the dandelioned labeled California wine is a decent drink. It comes in merlot, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. The latter two are the better of the group, in my opinion, and are great for making sangria with. I also like that the bottles are made of Eco-Glass.
So now that you know what's been swirling in my wine glasses, I'd love it if you'd share what bottles you've been choosing to stack on your wine racks and sip with your dinners.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Event: Julia Child Says Bon Appétit
Tickets can be purchased at : Julia Child: Eventbrite
Will Blog For Chocolate : (Tofu) Nama Chocolate
(photo by Mayumi Fujii)
During my LA visit, my friend Mayumi made me some tofu chocolate. She explained that it was very similar in texture and taste to "Nama Chocolate," which is the rage in Asia. One of the most famous Nama Chocolate companies is Royce'. Established in 1983 in Hokkaido, Japan the small company quickly took off. Nama means "fresh" or "raw" and the Nama Chocolates made by Royce' utilize fresh cream (made from locally-drawn Hokkaido milk) and premium chocolate to create a creamy chocolate with an almost sponge-like consistency that melts in your mouth; it's then dusted with a powdered cocoa. When purchased, the Nama Chocolates by Royce' are wrapped in layers of puffed aluminum, plastic and dry ice to preserve the "fresh" taste and texture, a small plastic knife is included as well. Anyhow, Mayumi didn't have milk from Hokkaido cows or access to the company's secret recipe, but her tofu version of Nama Chocolate is a tasty facsimile. Try some with a cup of coffee or glass of port, it's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Mayumi's Tofu "Nama" Chocolate
Ingredients
150g dark chocolate
100g silken tofu
cocoa powder
(1 gram = 0.0352739619 ounces)
Instructions
1. Drain tofu block between paper towels with a heavy weight on top for about 1 hour (or use a tofu press).
2. Add tofu to a blender and blend for about 3 mins.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water.
4. Press the tofu through a mesh sieve and add to the melted chocolate. Mix well.
5. Line a container with plastic wrap and pour the chocolate in.
6. Refrigerate.
6. Cut and dust with cocoa powder.
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