2620 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95864. (916) 977-3997
http://www.theparloricecream.squarespace.com/

Sometimes I feel like Mr.S and the kidlets are Satan's little minions. Like this weekend for example, they "forced" me to go try this new dessert place, The Parlor, that took the place of our beloved Yogurt Monkey. They had gone earlier in the week, had been raving non-stop about it and were eager to revisit. So at 930pm on Friday night, we trek over to The Parlor on Fair Oaks Boulevard. There's a line out the door, a big huge line of teenagers. *Sigh* We stood in line for 20 minutes (listening to the latest high school gossip of who likes who, who's wearing what and the clicking of hundred cell phones taking selfies) and it moved fairly quickly. Once inside, a hyper-happy gentleman with a 1,000-watt smile greeted us and asked our order. For our "ice cream puffs" we had a choice of a regular donut, a glazed donut or an apple fritter. I chose the apple fritter- go big or go home, right? Next it was time to choose the all important ice cream...being lactarded, I should have gone with the mango sorbet but I couldn't help but be drawn to the coffee ice cream with Nutella swirled in (aka the "Midnight in Paris"). Mr. Smiley, sliced my fritter open and slapped a big scoop of ice cream on it and handed my order to his lovely assistant. She scurried off to the back room where...they did something?! I dunno, it was off limits to the public but a few minutes later she handed me my ice cream pressed inside a warm fritter. It was a bit Frankenstein-like as far as desserts go, but it was also flippin' delicious! Since then, I've heard that they started doing ice cream macaron sandwiches as well and plan to do ice creme brulee. Mmmm.....

Summer's winding down but the amount of food events are kickin' up, here's just a few:

August 28, 7pm

Kupro's Eat, Drink & Be Merry: This is the first in a series of family style dinners with Chef Marty Hutton and 10 "cullinights" (chefs, writers, growers, farmers, etc.). Tickets are $40 per person and are available in house.  (Tip" If you join the event via FB and get your tickets early...pre-sales are two-for-one.) (916) 440-0401

 

August 29

The 51st Annual Greek Festival featuring authentic cuisine and vibrant entertainment, Labor Day Weekend at the Sacramento Convention Center. The event kicks off Friday, August 29th at 11am and admission is FREE until 3pm. Doors close at 11pm. Saturday hours are 12pm to 11pm and Sunday 12pm to 9pm. Admission is $5.00 and children under 12 are free. (916) 443-2033

 

September 11, 5pm

GATHER is a social experiment based around the idea that a neighborhood that eats together, stays together and strengthens the community. This unique food event that will take place monthly on second Thursday evenings in Oak Park. The night will include communal tables for outdoor dining, a craft beer area, artisanal food vendors, designers, food demos, interactive art, live music and a modular kids park. Free admittance. info@unseen-heroes.com

September 14, 9am-1pm
Assembly member Roger Dickinson is hosting a free Food Literacy Fair in partnership with the nonprofit Food Literacy Center and the Southside Park Neighborhood Association. 
For more info:  916-324-4676

September 14, 4pm
Foodstock: Head to Raley Field for the music festival and a pig roast benefiting Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and Soil Born Farms. While enjoying succulent pork down on the field, guests can cool off with craft brews and jam out to the sounds of MindX and Wonder Bread 5. Tickets

September 18, 7pm
Sacramento Burger Battle: Fifteen Sacramento area restaurants will cook up their best burgers in an epic charity cook-off and tasting event. $55 general, $75 VIP early entry. Tickets

Read more here: http://events.sacbee.com/sacramento_ca/events/show/371046434-sacramento-burger-battle#storylink=cpy

September 20, 12:30pm
The 20th California Brewers Festival will be held at Discovery Park. You'll be able to taste over 120 micro brews handcrafted by more than 65+ brewers from all over the country, including some foreign participants. In addition, delicious food from numerous food truck vendors will be available for you to purchase. General Admission - $45, VIP - $75, Designated Driver (for anyone not drinking alcohol including minors) - $5. http://calbrewfest.com/

September 25, 530pm
River City Food Bank is hosting an evening of food trucks, beer and wine, and live music. Entrance ticket includes: a tour of River City Food Bank, 1 beverage ticket, 1 drawing ticket for a chance to win a trip on the Sac Brew Bike for you and fourteen friends. Tickets $20. (916) 446-2627

Read more here: http://events.sacbee.com/sacramento_ca/events/show/371154054-harvest-for-hunger#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://events.sacbee.com/sacramento_ca/events/show/371154054-harvest-for-hunger#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://events.sacbee.com/sacramento_ca/events/show/371397774-california-brewers-festival#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://events.sacbee.com/sacramento_ca/events/show/371397774-california-brewers-festival#storylink=cpy

September 27
Farm to Fork Festival: Attendees will find food, wine and beer from regional eateries and purveyors, as well as live music, cooking demonstrations, a kids’ zone, interactive booths from local grocers, farms and ranches and more. Location: Capitol Mall. Free.

October 10 & 11, Friday – 6 pm to Midnite / Saturday – 3 pm to Midnite

47th Annual Sacramento Turn Verein Oktoberfest. Admission at Door: $20 Adults / $5 Children (12 & Under). (916) 442-7360

 

November 7, 6pm

The Firefighters Burn Institute is hosting their “1st Alarm Chili Cook-Off” charity fundraiser. This charity event will allow guests to taste and vote for their favorite chili recipe, while enjoying beer and wine tasting, dessert, a silent auction, raffle and live music with dancing. All proceeds will benefit the Firefighters Burn Institute. $25 advance, $15 children ages 12 and younger, $30 at the door

Read more here: http://events.sacbee.com/sacramento_ca/events/show/371406997-1st-alarm-chili-cook-off#storylink=cpy

(916) 442-6802 or (916) 739-8525

 here: http://events.sacbee.com/sacramento_ca/events/show/371406997-1st-alarm-chili-cook-off#storylink=cp

 

 

 

Man, this has been the year of changes! New job in May. A brand-spankin' new car this month--I get to pick it up this weekend. Woo-hoo, I'm sooooo excited! And now a new home next month. Yep, you heard right...I'm moving! Out of my beloved little cottage in the Grid but not too far away...just in with Mr.S., the kidlets (or should I be calling them teenlets these days?) and Pepper. I guess after 5 years, it's about time we shack up, right? What's funny is the reaction I get when I tell people- half of my friends already thought I lived with Mr.S because I'm there so much and the other half are like, "About time!"

Anyhow, I was over there the other day visiting Mr. S and discussing how in the heck we're going to fit my stuff in his closet (that boy has a LOT of shoes!) when I noticed that my baby Roma tomatoes were finally ready to be picked. Look at how gorgeous they are! They're almost too pretty to eat...almost.




To celebrate these red beauties, I decided to transform my garden bounty into a savory tomato bread pudding. Yum! I threw in a bowlful of ripe baby Romas and sprinkled in a few leftover yellow cherry tomatoes for spots of contrasting color. To give the bread pudding some zing I also used a spicy jalapeno-cheddar focaccia from Raley's (but you can use whatever kind of bread you like). Pretty much any type of hearty, thick bread will work in this recipe.  No wimpy bread, please!



Savory Tomato Bread Pudding (based on a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients

Filling:

Butter, for greasing the baking dish
8 ounces Jalapeno-Cheddar focaccia, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves of fresh garlic
12 ounces (about a cup and a half) small, flavorful tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (packed) cup fresh, chopped basil leaves
5 oz. Parmesan-Reggiano

Custard:

6 large eggs, room temp
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Put oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 375 F.

2. Butter a 9x13x2 glass casserole dish. Spread the bread cubes evenly in the dish. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat up your oil over med-high heat. Add in your onion, cook until slightly translucent. Add in garlic, cook until fragrant. Add in your tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. Tomatoes will soften. Turn off the heat and add in the chopped basil. Stir. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread crumbs.

4. Sprinkle with the Parmesan-Reggiano. Combine well.

5. In a bowl, whisk together your eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Get the custard really smooth then pour it over the bread mixture. Let it sit for 15 minutes, tossing it frequently. You really want the bread to get saturated with the custard.

6. Place in the oven and cook for about 25-30 mutes. Stick a knife in the center and when it comes out clean, you can take the dish out.

7. Let the bread pudding cool for 5-10 minutes then slice and serve.

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)

Lately I've been fiddling around with simple, weeknight recipes. I recently ran across dukkah in the spice aisle and figured I'd give it a try. Dukkah (pronounced DOO-kah)  is an Egyptian blend of ground toasted nuts, seeds and spices. It's quite healthy and nutritious. Dukkah can be sprinkled on meat or veggies but most people enjoy it by combining it with some olive oil and dunking some warm pita or crusty bread in it. It's easy to make at home but you can easily find it at a lot of ethnic or specialty stores these days too. I tried store bought dukkah and it was okay. I've since then made it at home and like it better. The dukkah I make consists of :

pistachios
hazelnuts
almonds
sesame seeds
coriander seeds
cumin seeds
dried lemon zest
fennel seeds
sumac
coarse sea salt
dried peppercorns

My measurements change each time. But I usually chop the nuts then toast them in a dry skillet. I set the nuts aside to cool then toast my spices.

In my mini food processor, I give the spices a few whirls. Then I add the nuts and do a coarse grind. I move the mixture to a bowl and then mix in my toasted sesame seeds.


Recently, I made some dukka-crusted scallops. I dredged some beautiful diver scallops from Sunh Fish through dukkah then sautéed them in some clarified butter in a cast iron skillet. Super easy and Mr.S. really liked them! We ate the dukkah-crusted scallops with some carrots seasoned with a touch of Herbes de Provence and a small salad. It was the perfect summertime dinner- nice and light.