So, who out there procrastinated and missed out on all the hot dinner reservations for tomorrow night? Anyone willing to admit it? Well, instead of feeling bad about it, make it up to your sweetie with a beautiful Valentine’s Day brunch! Just think how wonderful it will be to start off the day with the one you love, sipping bubbly (or a Bloody Mary, whatever your fancy) and enjoying some delicious breakfast together in your pajamas. If you ask me, brunch + mimosas + pajamas are the recipe for a perfect day and much better than a cliché dinner date, anyways. Actually, now that we’ve talked about it, bonus points for thinking outside-the-box this Valentine’s Day. Aww, how sweet are you?!
Below is a great coffee cake recipe from Barbara Bakes I recently made using Meyer lemons from my tree. Sweet, tart, light but rich, serve this with some eggs, bacon and fruit and you have a meal that screams “I love you.” Enjoy!
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
Yield: 12 Servings
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Crumb Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray with flour. Prepare crumb topping and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Mix in lemon zest. Add flour mixture and mix just until combine. Stir in blueberries.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and remove ring. Drizzle icing on cake. Cool completely before serving. (Unless you’re like us and would rather eat it hot even though the cake doesn’t cut as well.)
Crumb Topping
In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, and butter. Mix until mixture is crumbly.
Icing
Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a thin glaze.
Travel the World in One Night at Global Winter Wonderland
Sac Foodies, did you know that right now at Cal Expo you can visit the world’s most well-known landmarks all in one evening? Well, it’s true!
Until January 4th, Global Winter Wonderland, one of the largest travelling lantern shows in the country, will be presented at Cal Expo. This amazing light extravaganza features a multi-cultural village, international food and drinks, and light up larger-than-lif e replicas of landmarks from countries all over the globe. Some featured displays include: the White House, Golden Gate Bridge, Tower of London, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Dutch windmills and the Great Wall of China.
The festival also features many carnival rides, including a Ferris wheel, perfect for taking in the splendor, and a holiday marketplace featuring vendors selling gifts and international wares.
Tip: half price tickets are available at local Walgreen’s stores and discounted tickets are available at http://www.globalwonderland.com/.
So, be sure to visit Global Winter Wonderland- it’ll light up your holiday season!
Global Winter Wonderland
When: Through January 4, 2015
Location: Cal Expo
Get tickets here: http://www.globalwonderland.com/
The Flavors of Levi’s Stadium
I’ll be the first to admit I am not into football. I know nothing about the sport and instantly fall asleep when Sunday games are switched on (I do love my Sunday naps). So when I was recently asked to attend a game at the new Levi’s Stadium, I only said “yes” based on the fact that the stadium serves great food and that Wi-Fi and wine are available on the Amtrak ride to the game. With those two promises, I couldn’t say no.
So on an unseasonably hot October morning, I donned my favorite blue sundress (completely team-neutral) and boarded the train to Santa Clara. Naturally, I headed straight to the dining car to get my bubbly. This would be the start of a delicious day.
Let’s fast forward through a relaxing train ride to arriving at the stadium. My first impression was that it was shiny and new, but the crowds were the usual rowdy bunch to be expected at any football game. Not really engaged in the whole sports side of this experience, I made a beeline for the food.
Unlike what you might imagine, the stadium does not feature foods that are necessarily regional to the area. In fact, besides the depictions of the Golden Gate Bridge and wharf on some signage, the stadium creates that sort of “I could be anywhere in the U.S.” feeling you get inside an airport.
However, the food is of high quality and they take special care to source local products from area farms and producers. I thoroughly enjoyed the first bite of the day, a Mexican torta with marinated steak. The meat was seasoned well and the sandwich had a great balance of flavors- acid, spice, salt- offset with a generous dollop of tangy crema. It was a perfect complement to my cold beer.
My next course was the Steamed Buns sampler featuring duck, shitake mushroom and pork varieties. All three had unique sauces and toppings, surrounded by a fluffy, chewy bun. These are a nice departure from usually heavy football fare, and, for a more comprehensive food and drink experience, they offer Kirin Beer at this station so you can enjoy a tailored pairing!
My last course was a nice cold scoop of rocky road ice cream. No words necessary for this guy other than it was a refreshing finish to a hot day in the Silicon Valley.
Who won the game that day, you ask? Of course I can’t remember, but what I can recall are the tasty treats I enjoyed that afternoon. They were so great, in fact, that I might even return one day to enjoy another taste of Levi’s Stadium.
A Day in the Life of a SacFoodie: Tasty Adventures in San Antonio
As a SacFoodie I have the opportunity to travel to many delicious cities across the country and San Antonio, Texas is my most recent stop.
I had the pleasure of attending a conference at the beautiful Culinary Institute of America campus in San Antonio on behalf of a client and got the chance to take in some of the city while I was there.
As home to a Culinary Institute of America campus, San Antonio is a foodie’s paradise with many great restaurants serving innovative cuisine. I uncovered one of these gems my first evening in the city; a restaurant called CURED that specializes in housemade charcuterie, mustards and preserved goods such as their uniquely delicious pickled strawberries. I definitely recommend a stop at CURED if you’re in town.
San Antonio is sometimes known as the “Venice of the U.S.,” and with one walk down its famed River Walk you’ll understand why. The River Walk definitely resembles the canals of Venice, complete with a gondolier and arched bridges. The River Walk meanders through the city center and is studded with restaurants, bars and shops. On a balmy May evening, a delicious dinner, a cold glass of Prosecco and a stroll along the river was a perfect way to cap off my adventures in San Antonio.
Oh, but you can’t leave San Antonio without a cheesy photo in front of the Alamo, so of course, I did that too!
Bloody Mary Bar: A Brunch Idea that’s Sure to Please a Crowd
Sunday mornings in Sacramento signify two things: the amazing farmers’ market on X Street and the weekly midtown pilgrimage to brunch. Many of my friends (myself included) enjoy this weekly gathering with friends to catch up on the week’s happenings, relax, and of course, enjoy a delicious Bloody Mary. Fortunately, Sacramento has some delicious Bloodies to offer. See previous SacFoodies reviews.
I’ve become so inspired by Sacramento’s delicious Bloody Mary scene that I’ve been experimenting at home and have discovered that it’s really easy and fun to make my own concoctions. There’s something extra delicious about a beverage you’ve made for yourself, and of course, everything tastes better while wearing your pajamas at home.
Wanting to share my love of the Bloody Mary and the novelty of an at-home brunch, I recently hosted a big brunch at home for nine of my friends. I made some tasty brunch dishes, but the main star of this morning party was a custom Bloody Mary Bar!
I’ll tell you how I did it:
First, I created some custom Bloody Mary recipes and wrote them on note cards:
The Classic:
• 1 lemon wedge, squeezed
• 1 dash olive juice
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes hot sauce
• 1 pinch garlic salt
• 1 pinch celery salt
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 2 grinds fresh ground black pepper
• 2 oz vodka
• 3 oz vegetable juice
• Garnish with: lemon slice, olive, celery, pickled green bean
The Euro:
• 1 lemon wedge, squeezed
• ½ teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 pinch garlic salt
• 2 grinds fresh ground black pepper
• 2 oz vodka
• 3 oz vegetable juice
• Garnish with: lemon slice, olive, celery, cherry tomato
The Cajun:
• 1 lemon wedge, squeezed
• 1 dash olive juice
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1 pinch garlic salt
• 1 pinch creole seasoning
• 2 oz vodka
• 3 oz vegetable juice
• Garnish with: lemon slice, olive, celery, pickled okra
Rimming Salt: (I used this on all drink versions)
Combine the following ingredients to suit your taste:
• Celery salt
• Garlic salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chili powder
Next, I simply laid out all the ingredients and recipes on my counter with corresponding labels for each. Set out the juice, vodka, straws and skewers for the garnishes, and let my friends go to town!
Next time you’re looking to liven up your typical weekend brunch, set up a Bloody Mary bar and have some fun at home with friends. It might just become your new Sunday morning tradition!