Archive for October, 2008
The Sacramento Salmon Swap: Salmon Lasagna
Whole Wheat, Salmon and Spinach Lasagna
A while back Ashley provided the office with Alaskan frozen salmon, and I’ve been thinking about what creative concoction to make with it. I’m a fan of simple grilled salmon, but figured I was on the line to come up with something a little more blog-worthy this time. Looking through my cupboards for inspiration I finally decided on taking a new spin on an old favorite, and created whole wheat salmon and spinach lasagna. And no, the whole wheat noodles don’t erase the guilt from the mass quantities of cheese in this recipe… but hey, it was worth a shot.
Ingredients:
9 pieces whole wheat lasagna noodles (Ronzoni Healthy Harvest was my choice)
1 lb of salmon, baked and flaked into bite-size pieces
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1 ¾ cups ricotta cheese (15 oz container)
2 ½ cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 bunch fresh spinach, stems removed
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
Bake the salmon until thoroughly cooked at 350 degrees (about 12 minutes). Remove from oven and flake with a folk, removing any bones in the process. Cook pasta until al-dente, then run under cold water to avoid the pasta from sticking together. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix together ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, ½ of the mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and eggs.
Pour ¾ cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, then cheese mixture, next salmon and finally spinach. Repeat these layers until ingredients are gone. Add remaining mozzarella cheese to top and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before eating.
1 comment October 31, 2008
Pumpkin Cookies
I love everything pumpkin so naturally Halloween is one of my favorite foodie holidays. I’ll make anything from pumpkin ice cream to pumpkin pie. Here is one of my favorite pumpkin cookie recipes and it includes an intriguing twist: one package of instant vanilla pudding mix. These spooktacular cookies are fun and easy to make and they stay soft and moist with a cake-like texture.
Pumpkin Cookies
Courtesy of Allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter flavored shortening and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then stir in the pumpkin puree. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla instant pudding mix; gradually mix into the pumpkin mixture. Roll into walnut sized balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3) Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned at the edges. Allow to cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
By Brooke Burgess
1 comment October 30, 2008
October Daring Bakers’ Challenge – Pizza Dough
Pizza is probably my all-time favorite food and something that gets purchased or made in my house on many occasions. In fact, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love pizza. If you’ve recently joined our fan page on Facebook, you saw our first thread was all about your favorite pizza joint in Sacramento, and our friend Rick Kushman from the Sacramento Bee wrote about pizza in a recent “Good Life” column. But have you ever tackled pizza in your own kitchen? I’m not talking about purchasing Trader Joe’s dough (although delicious!), but real kneading, rolling and tossing of pizza dough. Well, that was the Daring Bakers’ Challenge this month, and I was happy to oblige.
This wasn’t as difficult as previous challenges, but it did make my kitchen (and me) a mess. Since making the dough was more complicated than purchasing it, I decided to go simple with the toppings and went for the classic Margherita pizza. Paired with a Caesar salad and a glass of red wine, it was the perfect meal.
BASIC PIZZA DOUGH
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.
Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting
DAY ONE (Yes, it will take you two days to make this, but it’s worth it!)
Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer). Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas). Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to three days.
DAY TWO
On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2-inch in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.
At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F).
NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.
Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches in diameter) place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 8-10 minutes. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.
By Kim Bedwell 
2 comments October 29, 2008
Late Lunch at Riverside Clubhouse
A few weekends ago I enjoyed a late lunch at Riverside Clubhouse with my parents and fiancé, Stefan. I’ve only lived in Sacramento since June and I try to make every eating-out opportunity a new experience. After a quick Internet search on Sacramento restaurants, I decided that we should try the Riverside Clubhouse because of the varied menu and affordable prices.
My mom and I rolled our eyes when we saw that the walls of the restaurant were adorned with 50-inch plasma TVs showing Sunday football games—so much for a nice conversation with my dad and Stefan!
The brief regret I had for choosing the restaurant immediately vanished as soon as I realized that the menu had my new favorite appetizer . . . Sweet Potato Fries (my love for Sweet Potato Fries began at Table 260)! I insisted that we order the Sweet Potato Fries and began scouring the rest of the menu while I anxiously awaited the arrival of our appetizer.
There were so many tempting items on the menu that I had trouble making a decision. I decided to go the more healthful route and ordered the Ken’s Big Daddy Turkey Burger—besides, I knew I could steal a few bites of the Roasted Sirloin Dip that Stefan was ordering! My parents opted to order the Cobb Salad.
When the Sweet Potato Fries arrived, I was truly in heaven. They came with three dipping sauces: Housemade Peach Ketchup, Herb Mayonnaise and Creamy Bleu Cheese, which were all worth multiple dips. The fries were sweet, crunchy and only increased my preexisting addiction.
Just as I had snagged the last fry from the basket, my turkey burger arrived. The burger was served with Green Goddess Dressing, which gave it a delicious herbed flavoring. My meal also came with a small salad of mixed greens, which made me feel better since I had just consumed half of the Sweet Potato Fries.
My parents and Stefan enjoyed their meals as well. My dad devoured his Cobb Salad and I can personally vouch that the Roasted Sirloin Dip was very tasty. Catching up with my parents and trying new tasty food was the perfect ending to my weekend.
Riverside Clubhouse
2633 Riverside Blvd.
(916) 448-9988
By Ashley Paul 
2 comments October 29, 2008
Soup Series: Creamy Pumpkin Curry and Popovers
The Tale of a Pumpkin and 12 Popovers
I must have had a similar “fall is in the air” feeling a few years ago when I first found this recipe on the Internet. I typed in “pumpkin soup” and was immediately attracted to the pumpkin and curry flavor combination – not to mention the ease of using canned pumpkin. I’ve made it countless times since (even served it as a first course for Christmas last year) and this past weekend, I pulled out the pumpkin bowls, officially kicking off the season of comfort cooking. Apparently I got in the mood for pumpkin after a morning at Dave’s Pumpkin Patch in West Sacramento, our annual pre-Halloween family tradition.
I haven’t tweaked the recipe one bit since that first fall day, but I have played with the presentation. I almost immediately justified purchasing the trendy pumpkin bowls you see in almost every housewares store this time of year. Somehow it tastes better when served with a cute little lid! My favorite garnish is a dollop of crème fraiche (haven’t mastered swirling but it always looks pretty in food magazines) and croutons – preferably homemade. On the top of my Christmas wish list last year was a hand blender, a tool I learned about from attending many photo shoots with our favorite food stylist, Patty Mastracco. My kitchen had suffered too many orange splatter stains from transferring the soup from a stovetop pan to a blender and vice versa. The hand blender (mine is made by Braun and I like it very much) has saved my back and my marriage (I usually called in my husband to be sous chef for the task and he hated the assignment). Finally, I love to serve the soup with a Caesar salad and popovers, another recipe I have cherished for several years (see story below).
Cream of Pumpkin Curry Soup
From Libby’s
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 cup half-and-half
Sour cream or crème fraiche, chopped chives and croutons (optional garnish)
Preparation:
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder, salt, coriander and crushed red pepper; cook for 1 minute. Add water and bouillon cubes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in pumpkin and half-and-half; cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Transfer mixture to food processor or blender (in batches, if necessary); cover. Blend until creamy. Serve warm. Garnish.
I spent Thanksgiving 2005 in New York City. I was there for work staffing the inaugural flight of the Healthy Mr. Potato Head balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on behalf of my client, the U.S. Potato Board. It was a professional highlight complemented by one of the best Thanksgiving meals I’ve ever tasted. My husband and best friend accompanied me to New York that week. We concluded the amazing day (it was the first time all three of us had seen the parade live) with dinner at Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Steak. I made the reservation months in advance, and it was so worth it. I have wonderful memories of the turkey served with roasted garlic cloves, the shaved brussel sprouts, perfectly mashed potatoes, and THE POPOVERS. The popovers graced the table so beautifully, they were the prettiest centerpiece I’ve ever seen! And the taste? Imagine gruyere cheese baked into the egg-y goodness that is a popover. Unbelievable. The best part came at the end – even after the sinfully good pumpkin pie topped with real whipping cream – when the check was delivered with a mini-recipe card for the popovers. I still have the card today and remember our special meal so fondly every time I look at it. I had much to give thanks for that day, and still do!
Popovers
From BLT Steak
Makes 12 popovers.
Ingredients:
4 cups milk, warmed
8 eggs
4 cups flour
1 ½ heaping Tablespoon salt
2 ¼ cups grated gruyere cheese
Special equipment:
Popover pan
Preparation:
Place the popover pan in the oven. Heat the oven and pan to 350 degrees. Gently warm the milk over low heat and set aside. Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (so as not to cook the eggs). Set the mixture aside. Sift the flour with the salt. Slowly add this dry mixture to the egg mixture and gently combine until mostly smooth. Once combined, remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with non-stick vegetable spray. While the batter is still slightly warm or room temperature (definitely not cool), fill each popover cup ¾ full. Top each popover with approximately 2 ¼ Tablespoons of the grated gruyere. Bake for 50 minutes, rotating pan half a turn after 15 minutes of baking. Remove from the oven, remove from the pan and serve immediately.
1 comment October 27, 2008
Upcoming Foodie Events
The following are some fun cooking classes coming up at the East Bay Restaurant Supply Culinary Center, located at 522 North 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811. Classes do require reservations, so call East Bay at 916-440-0623 to get the full scoop!
What: Kids Culinary Class for Spooky Halloween Treats! Kids will learn how to make finger sandwiches, soft pretzel bones, truffled eyeballs and witchy cupcakes. Costumes encouraged. Cost is $30 per child.
When: Saturday, October 25th, 12:30 – 3:30pm.
What: Thanksgiving Pie Workshop – conquer your Pie Phobia with Chef Carolyn Kumpe. Take home the final product: three delicious miniature holiday pies! Cost is $75 per person.
When: Saturday, November 1st, 11:00am – 3:00pm
What: Thanksgiving for the Proficient Home Cook with Chef Carolyn Kumpe. Participants will prepare and eat a fabulous feast. The menu includes pear salad, pancetta stuffing, a succulent brined turkey and pumpkin crème brulee. Cost is $95 per person.
When: Saturday, November 8th, 10:00am – 4p.m.
Add comment October 24, 2008
Soup Series: Zucchini-Basil
I love basil and all things pesto. I think this love affair probably started when I spent time living in Italy a few years ago and indulged in pesto at every opportunity. Not only that, but the basil plants in my garden just so happen to be overflowing right now. So when it came time for me to try a soup recipe, I knew it had to include basil. I perused a couple of my dusty cookbooks for basil and/or pesto related soup recipes and after adding and subtracting parts from a few recipes, came up with my own inspiration: Zucchini-Basil Soup. The final product was bright green, delicious and even pretty healthy! It made a great dinner with some crusty bread for dipping. I used pesto but I think this soup would also be tasty with basil leaves blended in. This recipe will make 4 to 6 servings.
Ingredients:
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
About ¼ cup olive oil
4 medium to large zucchini
2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup basil OR ½ cup pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan (or any) cheese to top
Combine the chopped onion and garlic in a large sauté pan with about ¼ cup olive oil and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the chopped zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the 2 ½ cups of hot chicken or vegetable stock into the sauté pan and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Purée the entire mixture in the blender, probably in two batches. Add in the basil leaves or pesto. Use caution while blending the hot soup mixture. If the soup looks a bit watery, drain the stock from the vegetables before blending the second batch. Combine the two batches, season with salt and pepper and serve topped with grated parmesan and garnish if desired. Serve with a side of toasted bread and you’ve created dinner in under 30 minutes!
Note: To create the garnish shown in the photo, use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off one zucchini into skinny strips before chopping. Set the strips aside in a small dish with a pinch of salt so that they wilt a bit.
By Liz Conant 
3 comments October 22, 2008
Il Fo
It’s like a best friend. You visit nearly every day – sometimes just for a cup of coffee and sometimes for a sit-down dinner. You’ve shared birthdays and office parties; you can’t stop talking about it to all your other friends. You’ve even coined an affectionate nickname that somehow managed to stick. In our case, that friend is Il Fo.
Not familiar with Il Fo? I bet you are. Others may know it as Il Fornaio, but as our office neighbor and a restaurant that we frequent, “Il Fo” has become a household name with us. Recently, we gathered for drinks and a bite to eat at their famous happy hour.
When it comes to mixology and wine selection, Il Fornaio’s happy hour is up there with the best Sacramento has to offer. But the thing we love most about Il Fo happy hour is the food (go figure)! Whether you’re craving fresh veggies and dip or a warm and cheesy panini, the Il Forniao happy hour smorgasbord is a sight for hungry tummies. And the best part? The buffet is free with any drink purchase!
Keep reading for a sample of a few Sac Foodie favorites on the Il Fo menu.
Maria Chacon Kniestedt:
I have so many favorites at Il Fo – their Bruschetta al Pomodoro, the Conchiglie al Pollo, the Crema al Doppio Gusto. Plus my husband proposed to me there. What could be more special than that?
Jenna Kirkwood:
Well, no one has proposed to me at Il Fo (yet anyway), but it still holds a place in my heart. Their happy hour cheese panini bites can’t be beat, especially when paired with a glass of house Pinot Grigio for a budget-friendly $5.95. The enclosed patio is a lovely place to sit and catch up with friends over a glass of wine or if you prefer the bar, the bartenders are knowledgeable and attentive.
Christine Moravec:
I thank my lucky stars for Il Fo every time we go on a business lunch. Now that 55 Degrees has closed, it is definitely my favorite restaurant within a short walk from our office (they used to be tied for first-favorite). I usually go for one of their specials for lunch, but their pizzas are also great. Plus, you simply can’t beat this place for happy hour. I heart Il Fo!
Kris Caputo Hurley:
I am picky about my Italian and I usually don’t rave about chain restaurants, but you can’t go wrong with Il Fo! I’m a big fan of the Panini di Melanzano (eggplant, roasted red pepper, provolone, tomato, lettuce and pesto sandwich) or the Insalata di Salmone from the lunch “window.” I also love sitting at the counter and indulging in the Fettuccine alla Bolognese or Pizza Margherita. Plus, there’s no friendlier face in town than Frank the bartender to serve you!
Kim Bedwell:
We are pretty spoiled to have such a great restaurant just a block away. While I’ve hit up the lunch counter a time or two (the Chef’s Salad with Gorganzola dress is delish), I much prefer to dine in. My two favorites are the Lasagna Ferrarese and Pennette all’ Amatriciana. Both are the perfect Italian comfort food, and if you get the Lasagna, it’s so rich, you can save half for dinner too!
4 comments October 20, 2008
Soup Series: Potato Tomato Heaven
Tomato Potato Florentine Soup
Add a small swirl of basil pesto and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese to each bowl for added Italian flavor.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 (32-oz.) container chicken broth
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons dry basil
Garlic salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 cups lightly packed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
Heat oil in a large saucepan; add onion and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to lightly brown. Stir in celery, potatoes, broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour back into saucepan and stir in basil; cook for 5 minutes. Check seasonings, then add spinach and cook a minute or 2 more to wilt spinach. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
4 comments October 17, 2008
I’m Hooked on McCormick and Schmick’s
A few years back while in San Diego on business, I had the pleasure of dining at McCormick & Schmick’s. Many times when dining out, you may only get two or three seafood selections to choose from on the menu. But at McCormick & Schmick’s you have dozens (yes, dozens!) of fresh options to choose from. I loved the restaurant so much, I ended up dining there twice on a three-day trip. So you can imagine how excited I was when the Sacramento location opened up last year at 11th and J. Finally, there was a good seafood restaurant in the downtown area.
For dinner, you can usually find me noshing on some halibut or succulent scallops, but last week I had the pleasure of enjoying my first lunch at McCormick & Schmick’s with a few of my colleagues. I will let the other Sac Foodies share some of their thoughts from the lunch, but I’m going to start off with my highlight…the Crab and Bay Shrimp Tater Tots with Jalapeno Tartar Sauce. First, how can you go wrong with anything that resembles Tater Tots? Delish! They were easy to eat and the combination of the savory Tots with spicy tartar sauce was heavenly. This is a definite “must-have” for starting your meal at McCormick & Schmick’s.
Brittany Mohr: In addition to the Tater Tots, the Creamy Potato and Blue Cheese Soup was absolute heaven. As a first timer at McCormick & Schmick’s, I was wowed by the seafood selection but reeled in by this soup. On a particularly windy day, like the ones we had last week, a cup of this was a perfect combination of traditional comfort food and gourmet flavor. You know I’m a fan when the craving for more Creamy Potato and Blue Cheese Soup lasts for nearly a week. In fact, it sounds pretty good right about now, too!
Christine Moravec: The Kona Kampachi Sashimi with Avocado, Soy and White Truffle Oil was also a great starter. Light enough so you could still fully enjoy a meal after, plus the yellowtail was no doubt high-grade and the combinations of flavors definitely satisfied! I also feel compelled to add that my first experience at McCormick & Schmick’s was for happy hour at the Chicago restaurant, and I was impressed then too by their bartender’s “special” drink recommendations. Plus, their happy hour menu is awesome: two-dollar cheeseburgers, no joke!
Jenna Kirkwood: As another McCormick & Schmick’s first timer, I too was blown away by the seafood selection (and also a bit by the wind that day). Their fresh selections include everything from Alaskan King Salmon to Arkansas Catfish, so there is sure to be something for everyone. I’m a huge fan of any kind of sauce that can be used for bread-dipping and we had two delightful dipping opportunities during our lunch – the Canadian Black Mussels Steamed in a Coconut Red Curry Sauce and the Creamy Potato and Blue Cheese Soup – both divine soaked up with bread. Above all – get the Tater Tots! You won’t be sorry.
By Kim Bedwell
4 comments October 16, 2008
Everything posted on this blog is stated as personal opinion and does not necessarily represent the views of Fleishman-Hillard or its clients.
