Our food and wine PR team is expanding! Here’s what it takes to intern at FH Sacramento and be a SacFoodie in the making:
1. You read SacFoodies (check!) and can’t wait to contribute to our blog on a regular basis
2. You’re a college graduate with a go-getter attitude who is ready to work hard in a full-time position
3. You’re excited by the idea of experiencing and contributing to fast-paced agency life – juggling multiple projects at once is no big deal to you
4. Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram – you can do it all in your sleep
5. Learning about food and wine marketing intrigues you – potatoes, grapes, figs, pistachios, olives, wine….the list goes on!
Interested in learning more? Send resumes, cover letters and questions to [email protected].
Archives for 2012
5 Healthy Eating Goals to Tame the Holiday Season Indulgences
Thanksgiving tops the charts as America’s holiday with the highest food consumption and Christmas Day falls close behind in third place (with Superbowl Sunday nudged in-between). The holiday season is here, but amidst the festivities it’s possible to eat, drink and be merry while keeping tabs on your waistline.
Keep these five goals in mind to enjoy the holiday season in good health!
1. Aim to maintain weight, not lose weight. Contrary to common belief, the average American only gains one pound between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas; however, most people may not lose that extra weight. In these next two months set reasonable weight expectations by focusing on maintenance—plus, get a head start on those January 1st resolutions!
2. At the party, scan and plan. During family gatherings or cocktail parties, survey the entire food scene before diving into the first dish that comes your way. Then plan your plate accordingly, prioritizing decadent nibbles and filling up on lean protein (think shrimp cocktail, chicken skewers, meatballs with light sauce) and plenty of fruit and veggies.
3. When entertaining, offer healthy alternatives. I’m all for respecting family traditions and in my family no holiday season is complete without my grandma’s pumpkin pie, her Guam-style red rice and Christmas sandies. But in addition to the must-have classics, sub in a light appetizer like these Caesar Salad Endive Spears, feature veggie-heavy side dishes or add a fruit platter to the dessert table.
4. Lighten up recipes with substitutions. Cut calories and fat with simple swaps, like switching low-fat milk for cream in mashed potatoes or substituting egg whites for eggs in eggnog. Reference this ingredient substitution chart from Healthcastle.com and for starters, try the Cornbread Stuffing with Brussels Sprouts & Squash pictured above (made with olive oil instead of butter). Delish!
5. Factor in physical activity. Need ideas? Take a stroll after the big meal, plan a walking tour to view the holiday lights or consider a holiday walk/run such as the annual Run to Feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving morning or the Fleet Feet Free Holiday Classic on December 16.
Spinach Puffs from Bon Appétit
For a recent Halloween party, I found the perfect disguise: a side dish masquerading as an appetizer.
To deepen the identity crisis, Bon Appétit’s new November issue also touts these versatile spinach puffs as a “vegetable side and dinner roll in one.”
Call ‘em what you will. These puffs take no guff when it comes to taste.
As incredibly easy apps (or sides, or mains), they’re perfect for parties or lazy Saturday afternoons. And at 110 calories each and packed with spinach, I’m also telling myself they’re healthy.
I doubled the recipe to make a dozen and threw in a half-cup of rough-chopped walnuts for added texture. Feel free to spin these babies any way you want.
Here was my interpretation.
I just used two thawed packets of frozen spinach. The trick is to use your hands to ring out all the excess moisture to avoid sogginess. Then combine the spinach and the first five ingredients in a bowl. Fold in two eggs.
I rough-chopped about a half-cup of walnuts for added texture.
Pre-packaged puff pastry sheets are a great staple to have on-hand. Here, a picture’s worth a thousand words. Or 12:
Next, carefully place each square into a muffin tin and add the spinach mixture, twisting the ends of each dough square to form an enclosure. Easy as…
Twenty-five minutes in a 400-degree oven should do the trick.
Let the puffs cool for a bit, then remove each one carefully. I used a paring knife and a spoon. As a side or a main, you’ll want to serve them warm. As an app, they’re perfectly fine at room temperature.
Bon appétit! (No really, Bon Appétit).
Like I said, it’s a recipe rife with riffing potential. Try goat cheese instead of feta. Add jalapeno for a jolt of spice. Mushrooms for texture and added flavor. The possibilities are endless.
If you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to get enough of this puff.
Ingredients
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped dill
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs, divided
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed, rolled out to a 12-inch square, kept chilled
Instructions
Using your hands, squeeze spinach until dry, forcing out as much water as possible (too much water will make for a soggy filling; you should have about 1 1/3 cups well-drained spinach). Mix spinach and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs to blend; fold into spinach mixture.
Cut puff pastry into 4 equal strips. Reserve 2 strips for another use. Cut each remaining strip into 3 squares for a total of 12. Place a square in each muffin cup, pressing into bottom and up sides and leaving corners pointing up. Divide filling among cups. Fold pastry over filling, pressing corners together to meet in center. DO AHEAD Spinach puffs can be assembled 3 hours ahead. Cover puffs and chill.
Preheat oven to 400°. Beat remaining eggs to blend in a small bowl. Brush pastry with egg wash (this will give the pastry a nice sheen). Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let puffs cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around pan edges to loosen; turn out puffs onto rack to cool slightly before serving.
Original recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit magazine.
Sacramento is America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital
By: Jake Ferguson and Jon Schuller
With the smell of rain in the air, the last farmers market of the season in Cesar Chavez Plaza was the perfect setting for a major announcement from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson this morning.
Known popularly as The River City or The City of Trees, Sacramento can now lay claim to an exciting new moniker: America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital!
Surrounded by a sea of white chefs’ coats, Mayor Johnson was joined by nearly three dozen of the area’s top culinary talent to announce the new proclamation to an excited crowd of media, local officials and foodie enthusiasts.
“Right here in Sacramento, we have a lot to be proud of,” said the former NBA star and Sacramento native. “This is the best of Sacramento. This is the Dream Team of chefs in Sacramento!”
In conjunction with the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, the California Farm Bureau, and a coalition of local chefs, today’s proclamation is intended to market Sacramento as a farm-fresh culinary hub. According to the mayor’s office (and cited in today’s City Beat blog), the region is home to between 7,000 to 8,000 acres of “boutique farms” and touts more than 50 farmers’ markets.
Randall Selland of Ella Dining Room+Bar and Selland’s Market & Café helped further illustrate that connection to local agriculture—literally.
Halloween Foodie Inspiration
Are you in need of spooky Halloween food inspiration? Look no further…if these Bloody Guts, Goblin Eyeballs, Mummy Fingers and Vampire Bat Wings washed down with a glass of Poison don’t look like the perfect ghoulish Halloween goodies to you, we don’t know what will!
Happy Halloween from SacFoodies!
Need a translation?
• Bloody Guts – Pasta with Pork Ragu
• Goblin Eyeballs – Deviled Eggs
• Mummy Fingers – Breadsticks
• Vampire Bat Wings – Chicken Wings
• Spider Web – 7-Layer Dip
• Great White Pumpkin – Cheese Ball
• Frog Eyes – Mini-Caprese on Skewers
• Poison – Red wine
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