Never heard of it, you say? Well, neither had I until my husband brought it home after a trip to the Swingle Meat Company in Jackson. My dad, who is an old-time Missouri farmer, was in town for a few days and the allure of Swingle’s farm fresh beef was just too much. They stopped in and found beef bacon in the butcher’s freezer. Dad recalled his dad – who was also an old-time Missouri farmer – talking about beef bacon, and my dad just had to try it. I’m glad he did, because it tastes just like pork bacon, was a little less expensive, and was wider and more thickly cut – ideal for some premo BLTs, which I consider a major food group in the summertime. So, next time you are looking for bacon, be sure to ask: “Where’s the beef?”
Archives for April 2008
My First Basque and Tongue
“Tastes like roast beef,” they told me, as I held the thinly sliced piece of pickled tongue up on my fork.
While visiting my boyfriend’s family in Bakersfield, California last weekend, I had a few notable firsts … my first visit to a Basque restaurant, and my first taste of beef tongue.
First, the Basque restaurant: I had no idea places like this exist! The restaurant felt like a Moose Lodge, but was actually an old historic hotel, with a small bar area up front and two thick wooden doors leading into the dining room, where three long wooden tables sat with place settings for over 100 people. As our party of 20 was seated at 7:00 p.m. sharp, along with the other hundred or so guests, I had the feeling we were traveling back into the Middle Ages.
Enter, beef tongue. Along with soup, salad, bleu cheese, bread and red wine, a platter of pickled beef tongue was placed on the table. Oh yes, I sampled it all. I had an audience as I made a big deal about eating the pickled tongue – it was my first time, after all. And, yes, it did, in fact, taste just like roast beef.
Then the dinner courses began arriving: oxtail with roasted root vegetables, spaghetti with marinara sauce, French fries, fried chicken; all served family-style and passed up and down the long straight tables. The meal was topped off with a scoop of strawberry ice cream. It was definitely the most random combination of food I’ve ever eaten in one sitting. It may have been the free-flowing wine, or the terrific company, but the meal was absolutely delicious, and certainly memorable.
I don’t know of any Basque restaurants in Sacramento, but if you do, please leave a recommendation.
Take a Bite Out of Social Networking
Oh, the world wide web. Classic case of ‘the more you know, the more there is to learn.’
While perusing the internet the other day on a never-ending hunt for more fantastic, local foodie blogs and Web sites – I stumbled across a new gem that not only has local flare, but immense global potential. If you’re a foodie with a passion for social networks and all things culinary, you are sure to LOVE BiteClub!
BiteClub provides an authentic, inside-out look at the restaurant and bar industry and the culture that defines it – and it’s easy to use too! BiteClub appeals to four distinct audiences that share a similar passion for food and beverage: restaurant and bar workers; food service vendors; culinary students and foodies.
If you’re a foodie like myself, it’s a great place to meet other foodies, borrow recipes, post local culinary events and link to foodie news that you’re interested in. Think of it as your own mini food blog, with insta-supporters!
And the best part? Sonny Mayugba, CEO and Co-Founder of BiteClub, is a Sacramento Native! Now if that’s not delicious, I don’t know what is.
Create your own BiteClub profile here, and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below!
Stay tuned to SacFoodies for an upcoming review on the Champagne Campaign – a champagne event hosted by R15/Cafe Bernardo and featured on Biteclub.
Five Must-Do's When Visiting New Orleans
In anticipation of my culinary adventure to New Orleans, I created a checklist of foods that I must experience in my five days here. The list includes:
1. Savoring a cup of chicory coffee
2. Noshing on a hot, finger-licking beignet
3. Cracking open and eating some Cajun crawfish (bonus points for sucking the head)
4. Enjoying either gumbo or jambalaya
5. Sipping a sweet, refreshing hurricane
I’m proud to say that not only did I accomplish all my gastronomical goals, I did so with vigor. It did help that the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference’s opening night reception offered opportunities to sample most of this delicious, authentic New Orleans cuisine. And yes, I did suck the crawfish head!
After indulging in beignets with chicory coffee (as good as anticipated!), gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish, Kris and I headed over to Pat O’Brien’s to sample their world-famous hurricanes. Sitting out on the patio of this iconic institution, we recounted all the amazing foods we tried on the first day of the conference and reveled in the significance of this historic foodie city that has been through so much these past few years.
Stella, New Orleans
This week fellow SacFoodie Kris and I are down in New Orleans taking in all the food culture and knowledge we can devour at the International Association of Culinary Professionals annual conference. I will be sharing some tasty tidbits from the conference over the next few days, but as a kick-off to our Big Easy adventure, last night we had the opportunity to enjoy one of the gems of New Orleans, Stella restaurant. Stella is a labor of love for owner and Executive Chef Scott Boswell and you can definitely sense the hard word and dedication that goes into creating one of the hottest restaurants in the French Quarter. Chef Boswell created a special menu blending world flavors with traditional N’awlins cuisine for our group of more than 20 FH foodies from around the globe. All five courses were a gastronomical masterpiece and made our evening at Stella stellar.
First Course
Louisiana Jumbo Lump Crap, Gulf Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Baby Arugula, Grilled Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Salsa, 100-Year-Old Balsamic Vinegar and Sweet Corn Emulsion.
Second Course
Spring Asparagus Puree with First of the Season Morel Mushroom Custard, Louisiana Jumbo Lump Crab and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Third Course
Canadian Lobster Risotto with Maitake and Hedgehog Mushrooms, English Peas, Local Scallions and White Truffle Oil
Fourth Course
Wild Porcini-Crusted Veal Tenderloin and Caramelized Wild Burgundy Escargots with Fingerling Potato Confit, Baby Heirloom Vegetables and Calvados Veal Reduction
Fifth Course
Chocolate Cake with Hot Buttered Pink Lemonade