Munchie Musings

First Taste of Yolo on June 10th

Ms Munchie May 31, 2017 0 Comments

It's time to cross the river to Yolo County and enjoy some great food at the first ever Taste of Yolo event on June 10th. Instead of focusing on just one city, Taste of Yolo features the bounty of the entire county. The first of these soon to be annual events takes place in Davis. Future plans will have the event moving to other locations in the county - Woodland one year, Winters or Capay in the future.

Food, of course, is the draw and the focus. After all, Yolo County is filled with fertile farmlands supplying not only our region, but the rest of the country. Taste of Yolo will include cooking demos, food sampling, wine tasting, and local food purveyors.

Nearly 90 exhibitors from Davis, Woodland, Winters, Clarksburg, Capay Valley, and West Sacramento will have booths, with each community represented by a specific cluster of vendors. “There will be restaurants offering bites from their menus, wineries, breweries, olive oil, nuts, honey, fresh produce, and more, all from Yolo County producers,” says Mo Stoycoff, Events and Marketing Coordinator for Visit Yolo. “Visitors will also be able to buy products on site and take them home in our complementary tote bags.”

The Nugget Market culinary stage will be headlined by Chef Tanya Holland, owner and executive chef of Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland and author of Brown Sugar Kitchen cookbook. Also, appearing will be Chef Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney’s B&L in Sacramento, and Chef Fred Reyes of Buckhorn Steakhouse in Winters.

TICKETS

General Admission ($15) ticket holders receive admission to the park and food tasting. Wine/Beer Tasting ($35) ticket holders will receive a glass and a wristband (must be 21 or over and be able to show valid I.D.) for wine and beer tasting, in addition to food tasting.

DO/DON'T BRING

No outside food or drinks are allowed. No bottles, coolers, chairs or shade umbrellas. No dogs or bicycles inside the park (bike valet is available on 5th and C). Bring your I.D., sunscreen, hat or whatever makes you comfortable.

To purchase tickets, go to www.tasteofyolo.com For more information about the festival, call Visit Yolo at (530) 297-1900 or email info@visityolo.com.

Photos courtesy of Taste of Yolo

A Visit to Park Winters

Ms Munchie May 31, 2017 0 Comments

As you travel down the road you might be concerned that your GPS is wrong. After all, there is nothing around you but farmland and the occasional farm house. Eventually you come across one farm house that stands out among beautiful flowers and shading trees. You've arrived at Park Winters.

Park Winters is a renovated farm house that is now a Bed and Breakfast Inn. It's become popular for the weekend getaway or the intimate wedding. I'm here by invitation to enjoy one of their farm dinners, al fresco.

Love the door to the pool

We've arrived earlier than expected and take the time to stroll the grounds. The owners have taken the time to enhance the property with a swimming pool and event building. There's a sunken garden and the old water tower has been converted into a three story "room" available to reserve. Inside the house are an additional four rooms.

Park Winters offers farm dinners throughout the year, no overnight stay required. The six course dinner is $125 per person. They've just introduced an Al Fresco Farm Dinner with four courses for $85. Chef John Iocono prepares wonderful dinners featuring items from the property's garden.

GARDEN HUMMUS
Algonquin soil - Radish - Cucumber - Carrots - Flowers

EMERALD FARM CURRY
Asparagus - Alliums - Carrots - Fingerlings - Cilantro

BRICK OVEN ROASTED CORNISH GAME HEN
Mustard Frisée - Arugula pesto - Arugula greens - Green grapes

FRENCH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Caramelia chocolate - Citrus - Whip - Pistachio crumble

Take the time to stroll off dinner before the drive home. From downtown Sacramento it took us about 45 minutes.

For more information and dinner tickets go to https://parkwinters.tocktix.com/.

Part of the garden

Artichokes

Sunken garden

Great weather this weekend for the Sacramento County Fair

Ms Munchie May 25, 2017 0 Comments

We all know how miserable hot days can be for attending fairs and events at CalExpo. You can rejoice, though, as this weekend promises to be very nice weather to take the family to the fair.

The fair starts today and runs through Memorial Day. Some of the fair fun you can enjoy includes over 40 free events, performances & activities every day of the fair! Fair admission is only $6 and children 12-and-under are admitted free every day!

Deep fried chocolate covered marshmallows, S'mores funnel cake,

Deep fried oatmeal cookie. Chocolate covered frozen cheesecake,

At a media event last night we got to try some latest fair food and check out some of the attractions. You can see some of the sweet treats above, but I have to give a shout out to the Elote corn we tried from Noel's Food. That was the winner of our taste contest in the savory category. Very good! The cheesecake above from The Ice Cream Company won the sweet category.

Twice as nice #sharethefair

A post shared by catherine enfield (@munchiemusings) on May 24, 2017 at 7:22pm PDT

The Ramos Bros motorcycle trick was fun to watch close up.

- Ramos Brothers Circus (Big-Top style) performs 3x per day every day of the fair.

- Walk on the Wild Side – exotic animals up close and personal (free with admission)

- Great American Petting Zoo

Pig races! #sharethefaiir

A post shared by catherine enfield (@munchiemusings) on May 24, 2017 at 6:55pm PDT

- All Alaskan Racing Pigs—Each show has four pig races.

- Other premium (separate admission required) events include Lil’ Monster Trucks (Thursday and Friday), Stars and Stripes Bull Riding (Saturday), Gran Jaripeo (Mexican Rodeo & Fiesta) (Sunday), Tractor Pulls (Monday).

- 6 different live musical groups on both the community stage and the main stage throughout the fair (listed below), plus juggling acrobats (Something Ridiculous), hypnotists (Steve Bayner), a pirate (Capt’n Jack Spareribs) even a dinosaur (Charlie the Velociraptor)!

- Midway of fun! Over 30 rides to choose from

- All the Fair Food you come to expect, including a 2-story pizza truck!

- Awesome Shopping with over 100,000 square feet of vendor space

For more information on the Fair and a daily schedule visit www.sacfair.com and #ShareTheFair on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SacramentoCountyFair/,
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/saccountyfair,
and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacfair

Discovering Ripple

Ms Munchie May 10, 2017 0 Comments

I actually love dairy products, but know that I should cut down on them. Can't really get rid of cheese, but I have stopped buying milk for some time. This has led me to try many milk alternatives, like soy, almond, cashew, etc. I've found one that I'm really enjoying — Ripple.

Rippleis a pea protein milk. It's high in protein, low in calories, high in nutrients. It also tastes good. I bought it for a quick, after workout drink, but have found that I really like it over my cereal as well. Keep in mind I was the person who put a couple of tablespoons of sugar on my corn flakes. Now I can eat my high fiber cereal with just some Ripple.

I needed to do better with upping my after-workout protein. I work out and then jam to work and so often I neglected eating protein, thus depriving my muscles of necessary nutrients. I now blend up a glass of Ripplewith a raw egg and it's like a quick, healthy, protein filled eggnog.

PROTEIN

I also do a super healthy "tapioca" by just adding two tablespoons of chia to the chocolate Ripple, shaking it really well, and letting it sit overnight.

You can find Ripple in the refrigerated dairy section of most supermarkets. If you are looking for a good, non-nut, non-dairy alternative, then give Ripple a try.

Wine! Food! Amador Four Fires is Saturday!

Ms Munchie May 01, 2017 0 Comments

Are you a fan of the wineries of Amador County? Then you might want to schedule a road trip for Saturday for the Amador Four Fires Festival.

The Four Fires refers to four regions with open fire cooking. Traditional foods of Spain, Italy, France, and Heritage California will be paired with wines of the region. Five great chefs are participating as well:

Beth Sogaard Catering – Chef Beth Sogaard
Hotel Sutter – Chef Chris Martin
Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort – Chef Matthew Broucaret & Chef Darius Somary
Taste Restaurant – Chef Mark Berkner
Vendage & Co. Catering – Chef Carolyn Kumpe

The day includes lots of food, lots of wine from 40+ wineries, demonstrations, a live recording of the BottleTalk podcast with Rick Kushman and Paul Wagner, seminars, and music.

Here are some of the seminars:

TICKETS
Amador County Fair and Event Center

18621 Sherwood St, Plymouth, California

May 6th from 11am to 4pm

Food Truck Cinema starts Saturday

Ms Munchie April 18, 2017 0 Comments

It might seem unlikely, but the weather report says it will be 78 degrees on Saturday. Yay! Perfect timing for outdoor movie season to start. And what could be better than pairing outdoor movies with food trucks so that you don't have to worry about bringing food.

Food Truck Cinemas take place throughout the summer at Woodcreek Golf Club in Roseville. Gates open at 6 pm and the movie shows as soon as it's dark enough. Saturday's sundown is scheduled for 7:50, so expect it to start 8:15 or after. Pets are allowed and there is a season pass available for $49. Otherwise, the tickets are priced for adults/children at $10/5 or there is preferred seating (front and center) for $13/6.

Food Truck Cinema is more than an outdoor movie it’s a comprehensive experience combining gourmet Food Trucks, local live music, and pop culture films. We are bringing back the community atmosphere of neighborhood movie houses. Food Truck Cinema is creating a combined atmosphere that will make the audience want to return. All of this on the lawn in a safe, comfortable, cozy, picnic atmosphere. Food, Music, and Movies independently have worked for years put them together and you have a spectacular night of entertainment. (A killer combo if you will!)!

The musical entertainment this Saturday is Thunder Cover, from Sacramento, CA. They are an energetic and fun cover band. In an area that is full of cover bands, Thunder Cover separates themselves with a high energy show and a unique set that features some of the biggest hits of all time. Everything from The Beatles to Foo Fighters. From Michael Jackson to Maroon 5. From Tom Petty to Justin Timberlake. From The Eagles to Nirvana. And the list goes on and on.

This year's schedule:

April 22 - Pitch Perfect

- featuring Turnt Up Tacos, Gyro King, Drewski's Hot Rod Kitchen, A Honest Pie

May 20 - Mission Impossible

- featuring Chando's Tacos, Flavor Face, Tailgater44, Cowtown Creamery

June 17 - Toy Story

- Cousins Main Lobster, Turnt Up Tacos, Kado's Asian Grill, OMG Yogurt

July 3 - The Secret Life of Pets

July 22 - Pretty Woman

August 19 - The Goonies

September 23 - The Raiders of the Lost Ark

October 28 - Hocus Pocus

First Look: Woodlake Tavern

Ms Munchie April 14, 2017 0 Comments

It doesn't take much beyond saying "$1 rib night" to get me in the door! Pork is my favorite meat and I love good ribs! That's what you get on Thursdays at the new Woodlake Tavern on Del Paso Blvd.

Once upon a time this corner of Arden and Del Paso was known as the home of fine dining Enotria. It was the place for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, and special occasions. Alas, all things come to an end and after a stint as Cask & Barrel, the building has now been divided into two different establishments by the same owners. Today we take a look at the barbecue based Woodlake Tavern. It occupies the true corner of the building in what used to be Enotria's bar area.

Inside you will find the space has been redone to a casual atmosphere befitting the food. There's one long bench that has tables that can be split or combined for a large party. Scattered along the windows are the smaller two and four top tables. There are also a couple of round tables for moderate sized parties.

Deneb Williams is the chef/owner and spent many years helming the kitchen at the iconic Firehouse restaurant in Old Sac. It's nice to see him out roaming the dining room floor now, talking to guests.

Barbecue is fine any night, but they are currently running two special nights. Sunday nights is Sunday Supper at $18 for adults and $12 for children. It features family style servings of brisket, ribs, chicken, and sides. Thursdays is Bourbon and Ribs with the $1 per rib price and bourbon drink specials.

I was with two friends and we each ordered a half dozen ribs and a side, therefore being able to share three sides between us. I chose the mac n cheese which we all admitted to being a fine, creamy example. Loved it. One friend ordered the sauteed spinach because we needed a vegetable and something to cut the fat.

It was the other friend's choice that impressed the most. I would never have chosen the warm potato salad and yet it was the star. I'm not a big mustard fan, but there was a tangy kick that was both amplified yet supplemented by the vinegar, pickled onions, and wilted arugula. I don't see it on the website menu, so it may not be a regular item. I highly recommend it if it's available.

As to the ribs, they were how I liked them. If I have a choice, I prefer dry rubbed ribs with sauce on the side. But if you are going to serve them sauce, I like a light hand. These ribs were brushed with a coating of a Kansas City style sauce, then cooked a bit longer to get them nice and sticky. I hate sopping, messy ribs and so I was happy. Sauce was not offered on the side and we didn't need it. They were also cooked well - tender and easy to pull off, but not overcooked so they fell off the bone.

We were so full from our selections, making us laugh again at the idea that one of us had initially ordered ten ribs for herself until I went with the half dozen. Definitely a case of appetite overtaking common sense. Barbecue and traditional sides are, after all, pretty heavy and filling fare.

Even so, we peeked at the dessert menu and were torn between the Meyer lemon cheesecake and the strawberry shortcake. You can see our choice. Our only disappointment was the biscuits being hard and dry. We therefore had cheesecake envy after seeing it at another table.

After such a satisfying dinner I am looking forward to not only returning, but trying Uptown Pizza next door where they are using some of the smoked meats from Woodlake Tavern.

1431 Del Paso Blvd, Sacramento, California, United States

Intimate Yountville Live

Ms Munchie March 23, 2017 0 Comments

If you love a good food and wine event but hate dealing with crowds, then I would suggest Yountville Live next year. There are many events that have food and wine and some are now adding music. Think about Bottlerock in Napa or Outside Lands in San Francisco. Both have huge crowds. Not so for Yountville Live. At least, not yet.

This event was a more intimate event where I never felt like I was battling crowds. While part of this could be price point, I believe it's more a case of it is still a bit of a secret. I've been at food tents where there are lines to get the bite. Not here. I've been to places where it's impossible to find parking. Not here. (If you didn't find street parking there were convenient, luxury shuttle buses available to parking and the other venues.)

Even though I could go for only one day and for the tasting tent and none of the dinner events or classes, I was impressed and look forward to returning next year.

Chocolatier Chris Kollar

cooking demos with samples!

Loving Crio Bru - brewed cacao!

Ms Munchie March 18, 2017 0 Comments

I've never been a hot drink person. Meaning, coffee or tea. I think it comes from the fact that it wasn't something my parents did. While my mom did drink coffee, my dad did not. He attributes it to his childhood when hot tea was spilled on him and he was burned. So I just never developed a liking for tea or coffee. Coffee is too bitter and tea was too boring. Hot chocolate, on the other hand, is wonderful, but also fattening! Especially since I like it made with real milk and good quality chocolate. No Swiss Miss packet for me!

That's why I became really interested in a new product I stumbled across at the Fancy Food Show in January. Crio Bru is ground cacao beans that you brew like coffee. Thankfully, they sent me a few bags to try and I am happy to recommend them.

Cacao has been a part of the human diet for those in Central and South America and Mexico for 5,000 years. Ancient cultures used to ferment the fruit of the cacao pod to make an alcoholic beverage. The cacao beans were considered valuable and were used for currency. A Spanish soldier who was part of the conquest of Mexico tells that Moctezuma II drank a chocolate drink mixed with spices. If so, I would imagine that the beans would have crushed and boiled, therefore creating a brew similar to what you would get from this Crio Bru product.

Much like coffee, Crio Bru roasts different varieties of cacao beans, crushes them up, and then bags them. The varieties are distinguished by their country of origin and roasting methods, just like coffee or fine quality chocolate. For instance, currently I'm drinking cacao from Ghana that is French (dark) Roasted.

I've been adding stevia and coconut creamer to my brew, much like a coffee drinker would add cream and sugar. This makes a beverage akin to a very thin hot chocolate - without the calories. According to the bag, an 8 oz cup of it only has 10 calories and no sugars. My coconut creamer is 35 calories. 45 calories versus 194 or more? I'll take that!

Crio Bru is touting health benefits as well, especially versus caffeine in coffee. Let's start with some information about caffeine.

The half-life of caffeine (time taken for the body to eliminate one-half of the caffeine) varies widely between people, depending on factors such as age and body weight. The half-life for caffeine in an adult can range from about 3-7 hours. That means if you drink a cup of coffee with, say, 300 mg of caffeine at noon, by 6 p.m. you will still have 150 mg in your system, then at midnight 75 mg, and 6 a.m. 32.5 mg. That's why it takes a good 24 hours for caffeine to completely leave your system.

Some people, myself included, are extremely sensitive to caffeine and can suffer caffeine withdrawals. If I go without caffeine for over 24 hours since my last dose, I get a massive headache. I've actually had caffeine headaches rival and sometimes surpass my migraine headaches.

Cacao has minimal caffeine in comparison to coffee. Compare 5-10 mg a cup to 300 mg in coffee. Instead, cacao has theobromine.

Theobromine is a chemical compound also found in tea and the kola nut. Theobromine has similar compounds as caffeine, with one less methyl group. While humans can digest theobromine quickly, pets can't metabolize it fast enough, thus the warning that chocolate can make your pets really sick or even kill them. That's not to say that adults can't also suffer from theobromine poisoning if the dosing was severe.

Theobromine is a myocardial stimulant as well as a vasodilator, increasing heartbeat, and also dilating blood vessels, causing reduced blood pressure. As with caffeine, theobromine can cause sleeplessness, tremors, restlessness, and anxiety at high doses. So it is a stimulant, but without the withdrawal problems of caffeine.

Cacao also has a lot of other antioxidants akin to those found in berries, pomegranates, and açai. It's high in minerals like magnesium and zinc. It is abundant in chemicals produced by the body but rarely found in most foods: anadamide, an endorphin or “bliss chemical” produced after exercise; phenylethylamine for increased focus and alertness; serotonin, a primary neurotransmitter that helps build a “stress defense shield”; and tryptophan, an amino acid that enhances relaxation and promotes better sleep.

I've enjoyed Crio Bru so much that not only did I buy a French press, but I also bought a high quality thermos to cart around with me. You can buy it directly from CrioBru.com.

Eating balls at the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry

Ms Munchie March 14, 2017 0 Comments

There are still many unfamiliar with the euphemism "Rocky Mountain Oyster". It has nothing to do with seafood, for sure. After all, the Rocky Mountains are far from the ocean. No, what became cowboy slang, I guess, is a kinder way to talk about eating testicles. While they can mean sheep, in this case we are talking about bull balls.

I had the "privilege" of judging the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry in Virginia City, Nevada on Saturday. This event has been going on for 26 years. How did I warrant such a coveted position? It really has to do with not only this blog, but because I did create Have an Offal Day. Although we've had all sorts of offal before, the only balls we had were Patrick Mulvaney's "Balls to the Wall" deep fried duck testicles in year one. That means that I was going to the event a virgin to this particular offal dish.

I had been asked to judge in 2016, but a blizzard prevented me from going up the mountain. Lucky for me, it seems, as the other judges told me last year's entries were bad. Nobody wants to eat a simple deep fried testicle. It's not that tasty and the texture is chewy and nasty. This year, apparently, the contestants had upped their game considerably and so I got to judge ten much-improved entries.

I started by going around to visit the entrant booths as they prepared their dishes. Each team had a name and there was a even a trophy for best name - The Ballsy Vaqueros. Team Cajones Calientes consists of a bunch of friends that have competed for several years, while other teams came from local restaurants and bars, such as The Bucket of Blood Saloon and The Mustang Ranch.

At 10 a.m. the teams started plating their presentation plates. Normally "Best Presentation" in the cheffing world has to do with making the food look as appetizing as possible, which is how I judged. Here they take things further. These teams were all about the decoration as well. Some teams obviously tried to score for this prize versus actual taste. The tacos were presented nicely, but both sets were bland. I enjoyed the fritters (bottom right) for focusing on the main ingredient.

winning eggrolls

Eventually I went in to the judging tent to try the entries. The seasoned judges had learned from prior years that it was best to eat balls while they are hot. They aren't so good cold. Of the ten we had two taco entries, a taquito, an egg roll, two fritter-like entries, a jalapeno popper, a rumaki, a chili, and a dessert.

Yep, the Most Creative prize went to dessert. Someone actually took the cooked, ground meat and mixed it with walnuts, whiskey cocoa powder and some other ingredients to make a sort of chocolate truffle. It was surprisingly good and not too sweet!

poppers

I personally favored the jalapeno popper over the eggroll, but they averaged the scoring of about seven judges and the results are below. I've been to a few competitions and the trophies for this one were very nice. They had different sized etched flasks for 3rd, 2nd, and 1st places of all the categories. The only different one was the giant pot for Best Overall Taste. There were cash prizes as well. Not too shabby after slinging balls for about six hours.

I figured I'd leave the sensitive tasting details for last. What do balls taste like? Well, I'd say it's not really so much taste as it is texture. I do count myself lucky to be served up prepared, chopped balls and didn't have to suffer the prospect of downing a whole ball.

The balls that were served had all been cut up in some way. Here you can see a picture of what constitutes a testicle. The outer sac is a totally different thing than the innards. The sac I would liken to eating clams, a chewy texture. The innards were cooked up to be like ground beef, thus making them well suited for a filling for the eggroll and popper entries.