Jenna Buhagiar
1.) I’m currently eating for two. My husband and I are expecting our second child (it’s a boy!) in April, 2016. Our almost-two-year-old daughter is still deciding what she thinks about that.
2.) I’m a state-wide California girl. I was born in San Diego, began elementary school in Boulder Creek (a small town in the Santa Cruz Mountains) and grew up just outside of Sacramento in Rocklin.
3.) I have Aggie Pride and a fondness for Davis. I didn’t travel far from home for college, getting a degree in Communication from the University of California, Davis, and I love to visit my former stomping grounds. In fact, some of my favorite restaurants are in Davis – check out my post on C.R.E.A.M. (a must try for any ice cream and cookie lover!).
4.) Fried Chicken. Enough said? My friends know that I will order any form of fried chicken almost every time I see it on a menu. Fried chicken and waffles, fried chicken sandwich, fried chicken fingers … get in my belly.
5.) I’m a cat lady. But if you follow me on Instagram, you already knew that. My two cats – Blue and Neela – were my first babies.
6.) I love to cook (and I love to eat). My dad is an amazing cook and definitely passed on his love of cooking (and eating) to me. Growing up, my dad always cooked from scratch and I seriously didn’t know that baked goods could be made out of a box until I was in high school.
7.) I have a love/hate relationship with eggs. I love eggs in things – quiche, frittata, baked goods, fried rice, egg salad, you name it. But I just can’t get myself to join the “egg on top” bandwagon. I’m not a fan of a runny, scrambled or fried egg. And please don’t ever try to make me eat an omelet.
8.) Reppin’ for West Sac. Sometimes it feels like I rarely leave my West Sac bubble, but with our own Nugget Market and Target, why would I need to leave? Our budding craft brewery scene isn’t helping, either.
9.) Wine and beer are my friends. I always feel at home in a great winery or brewery. A daunting wine or beer list at a restaurant doesn’t scare me. Bring it on! I love to experiment and am always enjoying old favorites and trying new things (although not for the past nine months, but I’ll be back at it again soon!).
10.) When all else fails, make pizza. So simple, but sometimes the best meals start with fresh pizza dough. It’s my favorite blank-slate for home cooking.
Archives for February 2016
Sacramento Beer Week: Track 7 Beer Pairing Dinner at Grange
The SacFoodies are paying close attention to all things Sacramento Beer Week and will be sharing news here on the blog about the events that catch our eye.
First up? Coming up on Thursday, March 3rd, Grange Restaurant & Bar at The Citizen Hotel is hosting a beer-pairing dinner with Track 7 Brewing Co. Executive Chef Oliver Ridgeway will prepare a four-course-tasting menu with pairings by brew master Ryan Graham of Track 7.
Sounds as delicious to you as it did to us? Call 916-492-4450 to reserve your seat now. The cost for this food and beer experience is $65 per person. Space is limited, so don’t wait!
SacFoodies Weekend Picks
What’s Brewin’ Sacramento Concert Benefit
Beer, coffee and live music? Sounds like our kind of charity event! Head to Pachamama tonight for the What’s Brewin’ Sacramento Concert benefiting Concerts 4 Charity and Pachamama Coffee Cooperative farmers. Local bands White Elephant and The Golden Cadillacs will be playing and food/drinks will be available for purchase from Ruhstaller Beer, Pachamama and the Cali Love Food Truck. The event (open to those 21 and over) kicks off at 6:30pm.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here, or at the door.
Pachamama
919 20th Street
Sacramento
Beer and Ballet from the Sacramento Ballet
If you love beer and ballet, then you cannot miss the Sacramento Ballet’s new performance series held at Sacramento City College Art Court Theatre. Where else can you enjoy the artistry of the Sacramento Ballet while enjoying the delicious brews of Ruhstaller Beer. Tonight’s performance is sold out, but we hear there are still tickets for Saturday night’s show at 7 p.m. and Sunday’s matinee at 1 p.m. for $35 each.
For tickets, please visit the Sacramento Ballet website for more information.
Art Court Theatre – Sacramento City College
3835 Freeport Blvd
Sacramento
Preparing Your Spring Garden Workshop
As spring approaches, it’s time to start thinking about planting your edible garden and who better than our friends at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op to help get you started. This Saturday, Chanowk Yisrael from Yisrael Farmily Urban Farm will teach you how to plan your garden space and prepare, plant, and care for an abundant, thriving spring garden. They will cover soil preparation, starting seeds, crop selection and more. This class is perfect for new gardeners or for gardeners who are new to the Sacramento growing region. Cost is $25 per person, $20 for Co-op owners. Tickets available on the Co-op website.
Saturday, February 20
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
1900 Alhambra Blvd.
Sacramento
Where to get Something Sweet for your Sweetie in Sacramento
What’s the most fab day of Feb? Valentine’s Day, of course! It’s a double holiday for me because my adorable daughter turns 7 on the 14th. I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect sweet to celebrate my little sweetie and here’s what I’ve learned by making a few phone calls and scouring the Internet (FYI, not all Valentine’s Day menus are posted online so be sure to check out Facebook or Instagram for some mouth-watering photos):
Andy’s Candy Apothecary
1012 9th St.
MON-SAT: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
SUN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
When the SacFoodies made a stop at Andy’s in December during our holiday outing, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Hands down the best caramel ever!!!! I spoke to Andy himself this week and he says the store pretty much looks like a Valentine’s Day shrine. From traditional conversation hearts and heart-shaped boxes to sour or sweet gummies to foil-wrapped chocolates, there is a candy for every taste bud. Andy says to come early because they often sell out!
Ettore’s
2376 Fair Oaks Blvd.
MON-THURS: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
FRI-SAT: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SUN: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Boxes of 4 or 6 chocolate-dipped strawberries are available and adorably packaged as well as Valentine’s Day-themed cookies (sugar sprinkle, tuxedo and conversation heart butter cookies!), cake pops, petit fours and individual Chocolate Cherry Cake Cups, a rich truffle sponge cake cup with chocolate and cherry mousse. For the record, the Princess Torte is one of my favorite cakes ever and would be a perfect Valentine’s Day treat (order the pink) but, lucky for us, it’s available year-round.
Freeport Bakery
2966 Freeport Blvd.
MON-FRI: 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
SAT: 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
SUN: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
No surprise here, Freeport has a lot to offer with a Valentine’s Day theme. Strawberry Heart Tart (made with fresh strawberries), Two of Hearts (think strawberry mousse filling and chocolate ganache poured on top), Jewel Box (like you see during the holidays), Valentine’s Day Log (also like you see during the holidays) are all available, plus an assortment of cookies, cupcakes and more. If you know Freeport, you know there’s no shortage of amazing sweets!
Ginger Elizabeth
1801 L Street, Suite 60
TUES-THURS: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
FRI-SAT: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SUN: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
MON: Closed
If it were my Valentine birthday, I’d be asking for the Chocolate Heart Box, which is filled with ten chocolate caramel hearts (have you figured out yet I have a thing for caramel?!). Also available is the Valentine’s Entremet, a Dark rum custard soaked banana cake with banana pudding and 64% Dominican Republic bittersweet chocolate mousse. Holy, wow! Adorable heart-shaped chocolates and milk chocolate discs sprinkled with Vahlrona cocoa nibs, sour cherries and candied rose petals also fill Ginger’s darling shop on L Street.
And don’t dismiss your local grocery store for great Valentine’s Day treats. Stores like Safeway, Nugget, Trader Joe’s and Raley’s all have a delicious display of sweets.
Happy heart day to all! I hope it’s the sweetest ever!!
SacFoodies Weekend Picks
It’s Crab Feed Season
If you’re thinking, “hmm, I really want to go to a Crab Feed,” then February is a great month for you. With Crab Feed season upon us, and here’s a link to many happening in the Sacramento region this weekend. Definitely purchase your tickets ahead of time as these events are sure to sell out! If you can’t swing it this weekend, don’t fret. Crab feeds will still be abundant all through February.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Junior League of Sacramento, California Automobile Museum
Friends of Fulton-El Camino Parks and Rec District, Conzelmann Center
Placer County Association of Realtors, PCAR Conference Center
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6
Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association, Sierra 2 Center
Boy Scouts Troop 1, California Automobile Museum
Vegan Super Bowl Party
While many party goers will indulge in wings, hot dogs, chili and burgers this Sunday, that’s not necessarily the only game in town. For those looking for an alternative to the carnivorous Super Bowl party fare, then head over to El Papagayo in Carmichael this Sunday for their 4th Annual Vegan Super Bowl Party. They will have an all-u-can-eat vegan buffet priced at $20 per person. They encourage you to purchase your tickets in advance here.
El Papagayo
5804 Marconi Ave.
Sacramento
916-487-7742
www.elpapagayo.net