Sac Natural Food Co-op offers discounted Essentials

May 26, 2016 0 Comments

There are many misconceptions concerning the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. Some think a membership is necessary. Some think it's too expensive for their budget. Both of these statements are not true, especially with the introduction of their new Essentials program.

 The Co-op has been in Sacramento since 1973 and is an integral part of the community. As they quickly approach the opening of the new store (tentative August 24), they want the community to know even more about their participation in helping everyone to eat healthy, whether you are a Co-op member or not. 

 First is their Community Discount Program. If you come to the Co-op and are at a low income level, you can get a card to get a 10% discount every time you shop. For the rest of the public, they can enjoy 10% off on the first Friday of every month, or, if they are a senior citizen, have that discount also on Senior Appreciation Day every third Wednesday of the month. 


A new program started in February. The Essentials program features about 70 products that are the main ingredients needed to make healthy meals. (List of Essentials) Think about those lists you sometimes come across on the internet or in magazines - "50 essential items to keep in your kitchen pantry!" We're talking basics such as milk, butter, cereal, beans, rice, pasta, oils, vegetables, bread, canned tomatoes, spices, and even health items such as toothpaste and vitamins. You will find them labeled on the shelves with this logo:

These items are being offered at significantly reduced prices in order to make them affordable for anyone wanting to watch their budget, but especially those with a low, fixed income.

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Skool is in session!

May 23, 2016 0 Comments
For me the basic principle of dining out is to get something that I don't make at home. (Sometimes that includes because I'm lazy.) I'm not interested in going out for grilled salmon and steamed veggies. I can do that at home! I also prefer to try new dishes that I haven't had before or are done in a unique way. That's how I first had bone marrow, foie gras, and sweetbreads. 

 This is one of the reasons I'm loving Skool.  As Sacramento's dining scene increases with the new arena and ever blossoming social scene, it's important that new restaurants joining the fray bring something fresh to the party. Skool does this.

 In a few words, Skool offers Asian influenced seafood without offering sushi/sashimi. Skool is obviously a play on "a school of fish". Oh, and happy hour is called "detention hall". 

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Mini review: Binchoyaki Izakaya

May 18, 2016 0 Comments
mushroom, potato, pork skewers
While I am sad that beloved Doughbot Donuts is no more, I can't be more thrilled with a quality restaurant that took it's place. What's more, it came highly recommended by Bill Ngo, chef extraordinaire of Kru. He was impressed just from the soft opening and we all know that places should (theoretically) get better as they iron out the kinks. Best of all, Binchoyaki is in my neighborhood, just a couple blocks away.

 They've done a great job of remodeling the location. Not many people ever got (or needed) to go into the kitchen area or use the bathroom, but the place was pretty ramshackle. One of the (lesser) reasons Doughbot vacated. With the remodel, Binchoyaki is clean, comfortable, and has a nice bathroom!

 The name of the place comes from Bincho meaning "charcoal" and Yaki meaning "grill". Therefore, I assume they use Binchō-tan charcoal. 
The fineness and high quality of binchō-tan are attributed to steaming at high temperatures (about 1000 degrees Celsius). Although it is often thought that binchō-tan burns hot, it actually burns at a lower temperature than ordinary charcoal but for a longer period, making it preferable to a number of Japanese chefs.
Meanwhile, "izakaya" is the Japanese equivalent of a gastropub. A social eating house.

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Oscar de la Renta at the de Young Museum

May 05, 2016 0 Comments
courtesy of de Young Museum

You only have til the end of May, but if you are a fashion fan, you need to get to the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. 
red carpet dresses

The exhibit has 130 outfits spreading over 60 years. The dresses are sectioned by theme, including Eastern, Spanish, and Russian influenced, day, evening, and, of course, red carpet. 


I'm a tightwad, so the thought of the price of these dresses is beyond my comprehension, but seeing of them up close was pretty impressive. To see the details in embroidery, beading, etc. is just amazing. 


check out the detail work
I loved the sheer layer upon layer

Disclosure: I am receiving a press pass to this event. 
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How I know sugar addiction is like cocaine addiction

How I know sugar addiction is like cocaine addiction

April 24, 2016 0 Comments
This may be a shock to family and childhood classmates, but I took a lot of drugs in college. I want to get that out of the way because that confessional is important to this post. So we'll start with a bit of personal history.

 I was raised a good Catholic girl in a very rigid country, Saudi Arabia. So there wasn't a lot of opportunity to act out the same way as in the U.S. Not that I would have. After all, I found out as an adult that there was plenty of acting out going on in our American compound that I never knew about. Probably because I wasn't in the popular crowd. Anyway, I was a good girl at home.

 In my all girls high school I did a few crazy things, but it's not until I went to college that I got the true freedom to do whatever I wanted. I, of course, did the college thing and tried drinking and smoking first. Didn't care for smoking, luckily, and soon found out that I had no tolerance for alcohol. I wanted to fit in, have fun, and loosen up, so I turned to drugs.  No need to list them, but among them was marijuana and cocaine. 

 After college I still did some drugs, but as life's responsibility got more serious, I gave them up. I would get too paranoid. I did still do cocaine on occasion... because it kept me awake. I don't really do caffeine, so if I went to a concert or wanted to stay up late for a party with friends, I turned to cocaine.

 Here's where the addiction showed. I was married at the time and I had never had an addiction craving for any drug.  I never HAD to keep up with any drug and could easily walk away from it...except for cocaine.

 Cocaine was the only drug that made me do the following: I would lie about it. I would buy it and not share it with anyone else. In other words, I would hoard it. I would hide it. I would do it at times that I didn't need it, like at work. And cocaine broke up my marriage. I wasn't the only one doing these actions, my husband was too. We were both hoarding, hiding, and using it without telling each other.

 That's why I know that sugar addiction is real. I have a sweet tooth. I rarely turn away from dessert. I will seek out sugar. 

 I will hoard it. If someone brings a particularly droolworthy dessert that I love, I will watch it, take as much as I can for myself, even hoard it.  Yes, I have taken extra portions and hidden them away so I can enjoy it later. Hoarding, to me, is a huge sign of addiction.

 I can even take it back to my elementary years in Saudi. My mother rationed treats, so if I got a few riyals (money) from a babysitting job or something, I would secretly go to the commissary and buy a secret stash of powdered donuts or chocolate. I'd hide them in my drawers under my clothes. 

 The reason I'm writing this post now is because I did a seriously warped bit of baked goods hoarding recently. It made me realize I need to admit to my addiction and stop denying the truth. Sugar is just as addicting as cocaine. 
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Cochon time again!

April 17, 2016 0 Comments
Another year of pork is here. Cochon 555 lands in San Francisco on May 1st. "Cochon" is French for "pig" and the 555 means - 5 chefs, 5 pigs, 5 wineries. What could be better than that? 

 Cochon 555 was established as a way to support family farms that raise heritage breed pigs. Since the start it has focused on supporting local agriculture as well. There are tour stops in 10 U.S. cities where the five chosen local chefs compete to make the best dishes from their assigned heritage pigs. The winners from each city then go on to compete in the Grand Cochon finale at the Aspen Wine & Food Classic.  

 This year the beneficiary of the funds is Piggy Bank. Launched in 2015 by Brady Lowe, founder of the Cochon555 U.S. Tour and Taste Network, Piggy Bank’s mission is to create a heritage breed pig sanctuary that provides free genetics and business plans to emerging family farms. The sanctuary will change the future of food by uniting a community working together for safer, responsible farming practices and sharing of genetics, livestock and the sharing of information. Piggy Bank is dedicated to creating the first Open Source agriculture platform through the responsible farming of heritage species. 





Tickets for Cochon 555 are $125 (general admission) and $200 (VIP). Both ticket prices includes endless drink and tons of food. GA starts at 5pm. VIP starts at 4pm, and includes one-hour early access to all the food (premium access to limited experiences like Punch Kings, wines and spirits), a chance to hang with the celebrity chefs, judges and media. Everyone is invited to the After Party.  
Where:                    Terra Gallery
                                511 Harrison Street
                                San Francisco, CA 94105

When:                    Sunday, May 1, 2016
                              VIP Admission: 4PM                                                                                                                          
                                General Admission: 5PM
Tickets:                   $125 General Admission
               $200 VIP
                                Purchase tickets at www.cochon555.com

 Disclosure: I am receiving a press pass to this event. 
Disclaimer: I received a free ticket for this post. 
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Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2016

April 04, 2016 0 Comments
Another year and another spectacular time at Pebble Beach Food & Wine. Our chefs were there again providing some delicious bites and making Sacramento proud. This year I've decided to load the pictures to slide shows. 

 In this first slide show we start with Ramon Perez from Puur Chocolat who had brought 31 flavors of his excellent chocolates. Then you will see Matt Masera from Empress Tavern and Mother with both a savory and a sweet bite. He's being helped by Michael Fagnoni from Hawks. Finally is the salt cod fritter from Oliver Ridgeway of Grange. You will also see Kelly McCown from The Kitchen and Ravin Patel from Selland Family Restaurants exploring the tent.  I suggest you go full screen as you watch the slideshows.


That evening was the Guy Fieri event at the Intercontinental Hotel in Monterey. For this one Michael and Matt made a braised goat with mole bite. The goat was from Passmore Ranch. Bill and Team Kru made a poke with pork jowel and toro. You will also see the After Party event where Kelly McCown and Ravin Patel served an Indian inspired bite with an assortment of condiments that you could put on it. It was also made with goat from Passmore Ranch. 


On Sunday our three Sacramento chefs were in the same tent. First you'll see Michael Thiemann and Matt Masera from Empress Tavern and Mother with their dessert bite. Then you will see Bill Ngo from Kru with his team serving uni panna cotta. You'll also see Oliver Ridgeway from Grange serving a steak tartare with beef tendon.  At the end, the caviar, bacon, and pig are all actually cakes. 

This summer they will probably be heading down to LA for the Los Angeles Food & Wine with all the Hollywood celebrities. I may be going to that one as well if I'm lucky.  Enjoy!
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Baking with resistant starch

March 29, 2016 0 Comments
When I first started writing the post I tried to explain all about resistant starch, but I got overwhelmed and concerned that I'm not being accurate in trying to translate my understanding of it. So I decided that I'd leave that research to you because there is plenty of information on resistant starch on the internet. Dr. Oz has talked about it on his show and there was a lengthy article on it in the March 2016 issue of Prevention Magazine, where I learned about it.

 I'll keep my sharing of the information to some basic facts. Resistant starch is found in foods. It acts similarly to soluble fiber in that it does not get absorbed in your upper intestine (where calories are absorbed) and instead feeds your gut flora in the lower intestine and produces compounds that are good for your colon and body. It's good to add to your diet for this effect on your digestive tract, but also for people who need to watch their blood sugar levels because resistant starch doesn't spike blood sugar like regular starch does. 

 Prevention Magazine says it can help you slim down by "helping the body burn more fat, better control its weight gain hormones, and curb appetite." It also "nudges the body to burn fat, not carbs, for fuel while shrinking the size of fat cells."

 The stabilization of blood sugar is why some people consume and bake with resistant starch. Not only does it help maintain steady blood sugar levels without the spikes, but, like a fiber, creates satiety so that you aren't as hungry. It also reduces the amount of calories of the baked good since the resistant starch will not be absorbed in the upper intestine. All of this without changing the action or flavor of the baked good. All you need to do is swipe 1/3 of the regular flour with resistant starch flour.

There are three resistant starch flours I know of on the market. One is Tiger Nut Flour, which I used. There is also green banana flour and then there is a resistant starch flour manufactured by King Arthur Flour. For the milk, I used cashew milk, but I'm pretty confident any non dairy milk will work. Cashew milk is just low in calories and recommended for many cooking applications.

 (On a side note, cashews are high in resistant starch and so I've been eating a few of them throughout the day. It does help to keep me feeling full and it may help me absorb less calories from my other foods.)

I stumbled upon a great recipe for single serving scones and now present to you this healthier version using resistant starch, vegan butter, stevia, and cashew milk. I have no way of knowing the calorie content for regular scone versus this version, but I know this one is definitely guilt free.

Below is the healthy recipe.  Keep in mind that it obviously is very successful if you go the normal route with all flour, butter, sugar, and whole milk.


Single serving scones w/ resistant starch

1/3 cup of flour (I put 2 spoonfuls of resistant starch flour and then top off with regular flour
1 t baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 t stevia powder
1/2 t lemon zest
1 T Earth Balance  buttery spread stick
2.5 T cashew milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a small baking sheet or pie tin with a piece of parchment paper.
In a mini-food processor pulse all ingredients except the milk together until the flour is crumbly from the Earth Balance. Add the milk and pulse again until a moist dough is formed.
Add fruit if desired. I usually had a few frozen blueberries.
Spoon onto the piece of parchment paper.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. 

Enjoy guilt free!
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Product review: Man Cave Craft Meats

March 13, 2016 0 Comments
I am not a sausage loving person. I like them, but I don't love them enough to buy them regularly. Usually sausages are consumed at a friend's barbecue or something of the sort. If I do buy, it's usually kielbasa or hot links, not bratwurst.

 Recently I got contacted by Man Cave Craft Meats.  I often do get pitched products and services and I say on my bio page that sometimes I'll accept things with no promise of promoting. Basically, I have to like it. So, legal stuff out of the way - disclaimer: I received product in hopes that I would review it. 

 Man Cave Craft Meats is based in Minneapolis and the reason I was getting pitched out here in California was because this small producer just landed a distribution deal with Winco. So if you are a Winco shopper, listen up.

 Man Cave produces a line of sausages and burger patties. Some of their products include: Jalapeno & Cheddar beef patties, Garden Peppers turkey patties, Bacon, Cheddar, Beer pork bratwurst, and Bacon, Egg, Cheddar, Hash Brown breakfast sausages. 

 I was hoping for some burger patties, but initially Winco is only going to carry their sausages, and so Brandon for Man Cave shipped me out some samples. He sent me the Bacon, Cheddar, Beer bratwurst and their Buffalo Style w/ Bleu Cheese bratwurst, even though I warned him I don't like buffalo style or bleu cheese.

 Buy these sausages and I'll tell you why. I came home fresh from the gym to find the shipped box on my doorstep. I knew I needed to eat some protein right away and was also in that situation of not having anything planned for dinner.  Being lazy, I opened up the bacon cheddar bratwurst and proceeded to cook it up with a side of sauteed kale. No bun. No condiments. Just a brat and kale. 

 I cut myself a piece of that brat and was very pleased at what I tasted. A super juicy brat that was flavorful and oozing melted cheese! I took a closer look at the uncooked brats and sure enough, you could see little pieces of cheddar through the casing. It was mixed in with the ground pork and when you cooked it, the cheese melted so that when you pierced the brat with a knife or fork the melted cheese just oozed out. Plus there is also bacon and beer mixed in as well. I did not need anything else to enjoy this incredibly tasty brat. No bun, no condiments. 
Now I did try the buffalo style as well and while I can't say I cared for it, I can totally see how it is one of their biggest sellers. It had a unique flavor that I can see being a hit with other people, just not with me. Even though the bleu cheese flavor doesn't hit you directly, you still get the undertone of it in the mix.

 So I asked Brandon some more about his company. I wanted to know about where the meat is coming from and how they make it. After all, a big reason I don't care for hot dogs is the pink slime factor where the scrapings of carcasses are used.

 "We grind pork shoulder muscle- will have a slightly different texture because of the improved leanness." Brandon said.  "For the beef we use Choice Angus chuck and brisket- gives the best grind and flavor. We are very proud of the inclusions as well: real beer (not just some powder), fresh hand-chopped jalapenos (not IQF), real eggs, actual hashbrowns, custom made bacon pieces, Wisconsin cheddar, huge chunks of bleu cheese, real butter and hot sauce for the buffalo sauce." 

 The meat is from Midwest farms that do not use growth hormones. "All Bacon we are making and using will specify that we didn't add any nitrates/nitrites (except for those naturally occurring in sea salt and celery powder)."

 I asked about the other products and the hope is that if the sausages do well, the patties will follow. So, if you happen to be at Winco and are looking for some incredible sausages for home or to take to your next picnic or camping trip, pick up some brats from Man Cave meats. You won't be disappointed. 
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