: This past summer, I visited the Melting Pot for the first time and was introduced to the wonders of fondue. It was a delicious and interactive experience that I wished I could recreate at home. After searching around online, I came across a beautiful All-Clad Fondue Set with Cast Aluminum Insert available on-sale right nowat Williams-Sonoma for $149.95. The set even includes eight color-coded stainless steel forks and a sturdy tripod with built-in burner. The Williams-Sonoma “Fondue” cookbook would be the perfect accessory to the fondue set to help me recreate some of my favorite fondue dishes. I’m already craving the cheese combo fondues, the classic milk chocolate fondue, and the bourbon-infused caramel fondue. Yum!Melissa Nielsen
Jon Schuller: I just don’t know what to think about Rachael Ray. Some people love her. Some people hate her. A few people love to hate her. Well, tabloid headlines and EVOO-overexposure aside, I can say one thing: I love her knives. And not in some weird, Angelina Jolie-type way. No. As a foodie, it’s a good thing to embrace not just food, but the entire cooking experience. The smells, the sounds, the touch and feel of the ingredients that will—by your own hard work (and maybe tears)—magically transform into something gratifyingly gourmet.
Or, at the very least, edible.
That’s where the raspy-voiced one’s awesome Furi 3-piece Gusto Grip set comes in handy. Literally. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made quick work of a tomato or an apple or some stubborn squash with the orange, rubber-gripped handles (counterweights in the knives help with balance; antimicrobial inhibitors protect against wear and tear). A friend of mine owns the set, which comes in a chic bamboo storage case, and I always seem to find an excuse to gleefully chop something up in her kitchen when I’m in for a visit.
Yes, the entire cooking experience should be embraced as a journey. But like any journey, it’s always more fun when you have the right equipment. I’m not going to hike Half Dome in flip flops. Similarly, a summer watermelon salad becomes much more navigable when you’ve got the right set of cutlery for the job. So, whatever your feelings are toward Ms. Ray, no worries.
I just know these knives are a cut above the rest.
Archives for 2010
SacFoodies Favorites – Holiday Gift Guide, Day 3
Vanessa Smith: Turkey? Check. Stuffing? Check. Mashed potatoes? Check. Green beans? Check. Serving spoons for each dish? Uh-oh!
This past Thanksgiving, as our last scrumptious dish was carefully placed on the fully adorned buffet table, I found myself back in the kitchen frantically rummaging through the utensil drawer for serving spoons…of course, all this while everyone waited patiently to dig in. In the end, I pieced together the best tools for the job, but my Type-A personality couldn’t let go of the fact that my poorly matched array of spoons and forks was a major distraction from the otherwise perfect spread. “Never again,” I said! “This is the year I add a serving set to my Christmas wish list!” Since then I’ve done the research and found a great selection, from modern to classic, at Crate & Barrel. And, their prices fit any budget since they sell both by the set and separately depending on your serving needs. I’ve settled on the Nortica 5-piece Serving Set at $64.95 because it’s simple and will pair well with any other basic utensils – or, since my mixing and matching days are over, I can simply add to it as my needs grow! Happy Serving!
Jenna Buhagiar: During a recent trip to Mendocino, I fell in love with a set of four beautiful vase-like champagne flutes at the charming local boutique, Sallie Mac. Unfortunately, I didn’t act on my urge to purchase them and haven’t been able to find the exact set, but found this similar pair at Crate & Barrel. Cheers!
Maria Chacon Kniestedt: Lately, as the weather’s turned cooler, I’ve been experimenting with one-pot dishes – the ultimate in comfort food. I’ve made a sweet-savory chili and a hearty vegetable soup in my big stockpot, and I’ve used my slow cooker for a delicious wine-flavored ground pork stew I remember from childhood. But, I’ve been eyeing some classic French cassoulet recipes that are just calling out to be baked in this Le Creuset French oven from Sur La Table. Hopefully, Santa is reading this post!
Regional Gift Idea: We’ve found that you often get the most when you give. So, if you’re looking for a way to make someone else’s holiday dreams come true, consider adopting a family for the holidays through Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. There are still 200 families who have yet to be adopted. Team up with family members, co-workers or friends to put a smile on a child’s face and to help out parents and single parents who are struggling to make ends meet. Contact Genevieve at [email protected].
SacFoodies Favorites – Holiday Gift Guide, Day 2
Kris Caputo-Hurley: A friend brought over an appetizer this past weekend from Ina Garten’s newest cookbook “How Easy Is That?” It was a delicious fondue-like cheese dip served with crusty bread. Not only do I want the cookbook to add to my Barefoot Contessa series, but I want a cast iron skillet to make the amazing fontina, garlic and herb dip!
Christine Schunk: The biggest foodie item on my wish list is a Kitchen Aid Mixer (Artisan series, in the pale yellow if we want to get specific). I know, I know, how can I call myself a true foodie without owning this crucial kitchen device?! Well, the truth is I know these things last forever, so when I was getting married a few years ago I felt like it was a really big decision to pick a color that I would live with for the next 20 years. I buckled. Two years later I have decided on a color, but alas my registry is long gone. One day I will have my beautiful yellow mixer, but for now I’m working with a handheld version, which surprisingly has been getting the job done.
Cristina Dayton: When a painter begins his masterpiece, he starts with a white canvas as it leaves everything up to the imagination. As a foodie, my plates are my canvas and when I serve my food, I want it to be the star of the show. White square plates are the only way to go! Square Large White Plates from Crate and Barrel $29.95 for six.
Regional Gift Idea: Give the gift of foodie education by purchasing a spot at one of Rick Kushman’s popular wine tasting education classes. Rick takes you through the wine tasting, using real English sentences (not super-secret wine language) – all against the backdrop of beautiful Lava Cap Winery near Placerville. For more info and to purchase a spot for the January tasting, visit http://www.lavacap.com/.
SacFoodies Favorites – Holiday Gift Guide, Day 1
Even when you’re an adult, it’s fun to pour over catalogs and scratch out your Santa list. The fact that no one will ever see it, or that you might even have to be your own Santa, doesn’t spoil the fun of wishing for that perfect gift. We’ve compiled our foodie wish lists, along with some regional gift ideas, and we’ll post these over the next few days.
Leave a comment and let us know what’s on your foodie wish list this holiday season!
Liz Conant: “On my foodie wish list is a luxury outdoor gas grill, like this 53-inch ultra-premium model from Viking which comes complete with a rotisserie and an infrared burner (around $5,000). Next year? An outdoor kitchen with all the bells and whistles! (A girl can dream, right?)”
Kim Bedwell: “If someone REALLY wanted to give me the ultimate foodie gift, hands down it would be the Bacon of the Month Club from Zingerman’s. For $185, you get six months of delicious artisan bacon from across the U.S. including Arkansas Peppered Bacon and Tennessee Dry Cured.”
Cecily Fuller: “My life improved about tenfold a few months back when we stocked our office kitchen with a single serving coffee maker. I’m now officially hooked and have placed the Keurig Platinum Brewing System at the top of my foodie wish list this year. At $169 it’s a bit of a splurge, but we all need to treat ourselves to something nice over the holidays, right??”
Regional Gift Idea: If you’re in the market for a beautiful food and wine calendar, and you’d like to make a difference in the lives of the needy in our community, consider purchasing the Sacramento Soroptimist “Celebrating Women of Food and Wine” calendar for $20. This beautiful, full-color calendar features renowned local chefs like Biba Caggiano and Lina Fat, as well as their recipes – and the proceeds support programs that benefit women, children and families in the Sacramento region. Go to www.sacramentosoroptomists.org to purchase a calendar and for more information.
Scarlet’s: Historic Folsom
Who knew historic Folsom was such a happening place after sundown? Recently, my sisters and a few friends and I headed to Folsom’s historic district for dinner and drinks and unexpectedly ended up staying until the wee hours enjoying Folsom’s night life.
We started with dinner at Sutter Street Steakhouse (delicious – review coming in a separate post), and then headed to Scarlet’s, a really cool bar with a 40 foot wall of alcohol accessible only by the bartenders and their enormously entertaining sliding ladder.
When I walked in, I knew I couldn’t get away with my usual glass of Pinot Noir. We immediately got down to business and sampled what head bartender, Joel, recommended: The Scarlet Letter – champagne, Pama liquor, and a dash of Chambord; The Leilani – fresh raspberries puréed with raw sugar, orange vodka and a dash of sour, poured over ice and topped with soda and Sprite; and a Blueberry Martini – Stolichyna blueberry vodka and Triple Sec, shaken and pressed with a dash of Blue Curacao and garnished with blueberries.
Literary allusions aside (yes, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Scarlet O’Hara of Gone with the Wind fame do come to mind), this is no joint for the purely bookish. Not with the rockin’ DJs and packed dance floor. And certainly not with Powerhouse Pub (live music) only a hallway away, or Sutter Club (fun vibe) down the street, or Yager’s (great dance music) a little further than that. And we didn’t even get to the Hacienda or Samuel Horne’s Tavern. Just know there’s something for just about everyone along Folsom’s historic Sutter Street.
I’m still not sure how Joel was able to make these three drinks change colors, or one spontaneously combust – guess I’ll just have to head back to Scarlet’s to figure it out. I know – such a sacrifice!
Next time you’re looking for some fun, head to Folsom’s historic district – and check out Scarlet’s.
Scarlet’s
614 Sutter Street
Folsom, CA 95630-2573
(916) 985-4669
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