Better late then never right? ☺

IFBC Day 3 was a smorgasbord of seminars:

• Farm to Glass: Cider Tasting
• Insects as the Next Superfood
• Cultivating an Edible City
• Tea and Dim Sum
• Blind Olive-Oil Tasting
• Putting Flavor into Words
• Culinary Travel Writing
• Deep Dive into Snapchat

I was initially looking forward to the culinary travel writing seminar; however, I ended up finding the cider tasting and dim sum seminars much more interesting and informative.  Gowan's Heirloom Cider conducted the cider tasting and I felt that they did a terrific job of providing a lot of info in a relatively short time period. It was a nice balance of lecture and cider tasting. We learned about how ciders are made, the differences between mass and craft cider; where the apples come from; what 'local' means and how to identify different styles of cider. We also learned that there's a California Cider Competition . Who wouldn't want to be a judge for that panel? Sign me up!


At the tea and dim sum seminar,  the Confucius Institute at UC Davis shared a lovely presentation on the history of tea and dim sum.. We tasted several different kinds of Chinese teas and learned how the various teas are grown and processed. We also gained insight as to the role of dim sum in the Chinese lifestyle and were given samples of the most popular dim sums.

Wow, I hope you survived last week's wretched heat. It was HOT. Like under boob sweat producing hot. Thank goodness, it's over...for now at least. Anyhow, if you were brave enough to venture out into the furnace-like temperatures you may have seen  a gaggle of folks milling about and staring intently at their phones over at the Hyatt. No, they weren't catching Pokemon, they're food and wine bloggers in town for IFBC, most likely attempting to capture a few shots of a sexy looking wine bottle or an intricate arrangement of figs in natural light.  Or if you're like me and lucky enough to live in town, you're rollin' on by after a full day at the office.  Really...there's nothing like walking 3 blocks in 107 degree heat and busting into the Hyatt lobby looking sweaty and tired whilst everyone else looks cool, calm, and crisp.

Almond Strawberry Trifles compliments of the folks at California Almonds

Marinated Cabecou from Laura Chenel...the herb one was so good, I'm going to have to pick some up.

California Cling Peach Caprese from the CA Cling Peach Board

Hope they start carrying Gowan's Heirloom Cider in Sac soon, the Gravenstein cider was terrific. Not overly sweet, no hinky aftertaste and extremely refreshing.

There's some new stuff popping up around town that I thought I'd share:


The Public House Theater will be opening up September 26th at 5440 14th Ave. You can watch movies while enjoying a glass of wine or local brew. They also plan to offer a small menu of nibbles, sandwiches and paninis.

For more info: www.publichousetheater.net


A small Spartan pop-up called Good Eats has quietly opened up inside Vic's Market in SLP. They're serving up some tasty Southern eats (ribs, fried chicken, tri-tip, fried Cajun snapper, red beans and rice etc). The feedback I've heard so far has been very positive, especially about the fried chicken and the mac and cheese. Heads up though- my understanding is they close early- 8pm. So get over there early!

5820 S Land Park Drive.  (916) 949-1850


Bacon and Butter, Billy Zoellin's breakfast joint, is scheduled to open at its new Tahoe Park digs September 27.

5913 Broadway
http://baconandbuttersac.com/

This weekend, I ended up doing an insane amount of cooking. I was throwing Mr.S a poker party and doing all the food for that, as well as attending a Japanese sweets get together at my buddy, Misa's. I wanted to make a Japanese cotton cheesecake for Misa's party but didn't have time to try out recipes before Saturday. My cotton cheesecake was an epic fail. It didn't rise at all, it was flat as a pancake and hard as a hockey puck. There was no way I was bringing it to the party. Luckily there was enough treats (and then some) to go around. Misa made some delicious anmitsu. Anmitsu is a Japanese dessert consisting of small cubes of agar agar jelly (kanten), sweet azuki bean paste (anko), soft mochi (gyūhi), a variety of fruits, ice cream, and sometimes boiled peas. It’s usually served with a black sugar syrup called "kuromitsu" that you pour over the jelly. It's very refreshing and not overly sweet. Miki made my favorite childhood dessert, Japanese strawberry shortcake. It's a moist and airy, layered sponge cake with a fresh strawberry and whipped cream filling, plus whipped cream frosting. I'm not big on sweets but I love this cake!

4 pieces (uncooked) thick bacon, diced

1 small white onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno, (stemmed, seeded and diced )

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 (12-ounce) bottle Negra Modelo beer

4 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder 

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

 Queso Fresco as a topping (optional)

The Pre-Flite Lounge, a beloved Sacramento drinking establishment since the early 70's is closing its doors. What started as a lounge where travelers could relax, have a cocktail and then take the shuttle to the airport evolved to becoming a favorite dive bar with local residents over the years. I know I for one will miss its kitschy décor, friendly cocktail waitress and wonderful jukebox...especially during the summer when it's cool, dark interior was a welcome respite from the valley heat.

Come by the Pre-Flite to wish it and its crew Bon Voyage.
Last night of business will be April 26th.

http://www.preflitelounge.com

Jan. 19-26: Sacramento Baconfest  
http://www.baconfestsac.com/

Jan. 20-21: 45th Anniversary of Old Spaghetti Factory. They're rolling back the prices to $4 and $5
http://www.osf.com/

Jan. 23: Bike Dog Tap Takeover at Broderick w/ Bacon Pairings
http://www.broderick1893.com/
http://www.bikedogbrewing.com/

Jan. 23: Berryessa Gap's Big Pots, Big Reds Dinner
http://www.berryessagap.com/News---Events/Events

Jan. 24: The Art of Beer Invitational
http://artofbeerinvitational.com/

Jan. 31: Naturalist Nouvelle Dinner by Tree House
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/553548

Feb. 8: 25th Annual Sweet Potato Festival
http://www.svsncnw.org/#!events/c66t

Feb. 8: Vietnamese Tet Festival
http://sacramentofoodways.com/event/vietnamese-new-year-tet-outdoor-festival/

Feb. 19-20: Food Processing Expo
http://clfp.com/

Feb. 22: Carnaval
http://www.braziliancentersac.org/carnaval.html

Feb .27-Mar.9: Sacramento Beer Festival
http://sacramentobeerweek.com/

Mar. 10-11: River City Food Bank's Empty Bowls
http://www.rivercityfoodbank.org/empty-bowls/

Mar. 20-30: Sacramento Food Film Festival
http://www.sacfoodfilmfest.com/

Mar. 21-23: 8th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival (Petaluma)
http://artisancheesefestival.com/

Apr. 19: Sacramento Beer & Chili Festival
http://sacramentobeerandchilifestival.com/


* Please note: Event dates are current as today's current post date. Please check the event's website for the most up to date information and any scheduling or location changes.

October 31: Mother Bear POP. A pop up collaboration between (Michael Thiemann's soon to open vegan/vegetarian restaurant) Mother and Golden Bear. For tickets: Golden Bear

November 2: Bike Dog Brewing Grand Opening. Details: Bike Dog

November 4: The salmon ladder at Nimbus Fish Hatchery reopens. Take the kiddos to learn about the spawning process. Learn more at: Yubanet

November 7: Captain Frank Ruhstaller's 167th Birthday Celebration and Release Party. Beer, food and old-fashioned carnival games. At the Beatnik Studio. For the scoop: Ruhstaller

November 7: Whole Foods Caviar Tasting and Pairing. Must be 21 or older. Further info and registration: Whole Foods Sac

November 8: Berryessa Gap presents the Pike Place Fish Guys for a meet and greet. There will be live music, local wine and fresh fish tacos. For more info: Yolo CVB

November 8: An Evening with Michael Pollan at the Veterans Memorial auditorium, Grass Valley. For tickets and more info: Center For The Arts

November 17: Twin Peaks Orchard presents "A Taste of Autumn" Harvest Festival, 11am-3pm. U-pick mandarins, tractor orchard tour, demos, vendors, and food.  Check out: Twin Peaks Orchard

November 22-24: 20th Annual Mountain Mandarin Festival in Auburn, CA. More info: Mandarin Festival

November 25: Guest Chef Night at Old Ironsides. 49ers vs. Redskins, free music and $5 dinner. For the deets: Old Ironsides

November 28: 20th Annual Run to Feed the Hungry. 10k Run and 5k Run/Walk. Help raise funds for the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Additional info: Run to Feed the Hungry

January 8: "The Naked Chef", Jamie  Oliver, will be rolling into town. As part of his food revolution, his Big Rig crew will be in Sac for a month offering "Learn to Teach" classes to area chefs and "Learn to Cook" classes for food lovers of all ages. For more info: Sactown Magazine

Happy October! I hope you've all been able to get outdoors and enjoy some of this wonderful Sacramento sunshine. Yesterday, I attended a blogger luncheon in Penryn at Sinclair Family Farms where I got to learn more about the amazing agriculture in Placer County, take in some beautiful scenery and visit some cute farm animals. Wow- what a beautiful area...so bucolic.

Did you know that Placer County has several hundred family farmers, 18 award winning wineries and 20 farmers' markets? I didn't! I was also excited to learn that this weekend kicks off PlacerGROWN Week, a weeklong celebration of the bounty of agricultural products produced by the Placer region and there's all kind of fun events planned. You won't want to miss it! There's festivals, farm tours, live music, tastings and lots of giveaways.

Here's just a few of the activities that are scheduled. For a full listing, check out: PlacerGROWN


Their mission statement:

Our mission is to connect Placer County’s residents and visitors with the local family farmers, ranchers and vintners whose passion is to produce the finest fruits, vegetables, meats and other agricultural products the region has to offer. Through community outreach, events and the collaborative efforts of Placer County and local businesses, our goal is to make known the abundance and quality of food and wine that we’re proud to say is PlacerGROWN."

PlacerGROWN Harvest Festival
Saturday, Oct. 5th 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 6th, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Johnson-Springview Park
5480 Fifth St., Rocklin, CA, 95677
Don’t miss the PlacerGROWN Harvest Festival, a FREE event of family fun including a pumpkin patch, pumpkin lighting display at dusk, movie in the park, scarecrow building contest, farmers’ market and more.
placerharvestfestival.com


Auburn Wine & Food Festival
Saturday, Oct. 12th, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Downtown and Old Town Auburn
Don’t miss the 11th annual Auburn Wine & Food Festival, where you’ll enjoy Placer County wines and food to delight your taste buds. Tickets are $35 and a food-only ticket is $20. To purchase tickets, visit auburnwineandfood.com


PlacerGROWN Farm & Barn Tour
Sunday, Oct. 13th, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
A free self-guided expedition of farms, ranches, and vineyards in the beautiful countryside of Placer County.  Each venue will feature different activities, tours, and demonstrations.  Locally grown produce, wine, and more will be available for purchase.


Otow Orchard
6232 Eureka Road, Granite Bay, CA 95746
Activities: Pumpkin patch, Hoshigaki demonstration (Otow Orchard is renowned for preserving the Japanese art of hoshigaki — hoshi means dried and gaki is from kaki, the Japanese word for persimmon.), orchard tours, fruit sampling, hay stack playground, minature mule/donkey, photo ops (bring a camera), equipment display.  http://www.otoworchard.com/


And that's not all, the kind folks at PlacerGROWN are also giving you the opportunity to win fresh, local food and wine prizes from Placer County. You can win:

- a month's worth of mandarins (3 winners)
- turkeys from a Placergrown meat producer (5 winners)
- $50 gift certificate from a Foothill farmers' market (5 winners)
- pairs of Placer County Wine Trail wine tasting passes (5 winners)

The contest starts Oct 1, 2013 and ends Oct 13, 2013 at midnight. Just enter below via Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway