I don’t know about you, but when I think of eating and Halloween, it usually means inhaling copious amounts of treats and ending the night in a sugar-induced coma. Those sweets may come small and individually wrapped, but after I start indulging, there’s nothing “fun size” about it.
Thankfully, Halloween doesn’t have to be about overdoing it on the candy consumption. Whole Foods Market’s Arden Culinary Center is offering some fun hands-on Halloween cooking activities this month, starting with an Old Fashioned Halloween Candy cooking class for kids. Students will learn how to make crunchy popcorn balls, chewy caramel apples and cinnamon candy apples. Beyond working on cooking techniques, kids get to take all the recipes home. The class is $35 and takes place on Sunday, Oct. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can register online here.
Adults can also take part in the fun on Saturday, Oct. 29, when the Culinary Center hosts additional hands-on Halloween activities: pumpkin painting, sugar cookie decorating and pumpkin seed roasting. This event is free and lasts from noon to 3 p.m.
And before you take your kids out for trick-or-treating on the 31st, stop by the Culinary Center as it transforms into a haunted house from 3 to 7 p.m. Kids in costumes will receive a free treat from the bakery and can walk through the “spooktacular” kitchen of horrors.
Whole Foods Market’s Arden Culinary Center
4315 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95864
916-488-2800
Autumn Foods to Fall For
In the same way we swap out our closets for warmer fashions more suited for autumn, it’s also time to clean out those pantries and replace your summer staples with fall fare. From crunchy fruits to mulling spices to pumpkin treats, fall has it all—and Sacramento offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy these autumnal delights. We all have our favorites, so here is a taste of the fall foods I love to feast on:
Apples
You can’t go wrong if you stock up on this quintessential fall fruit at Apple Hill. It’s an annual tradition for my mom, sister and I to buy our apples in every form there—bags of apples, apple dumplings, apple turnovers and, of course, apple pies. Grandpa’s Cellar is usually our first stop because this ultra-popular spot has the best pies and draws a crowd pretty quickly. A little closer to home, Midtown’s TreyBcakes offers personally sized apple pies (although personally sized to me is more like full-sized), and Rick’s Dessert Diner boasts more than a dozen variations on the classic.
Cider
A crisp cider is a classic fall beverage, and the Sacramento area is home to two spectacular hard cider breweries. Fox Barrel in Colfax is known for its pure pear juice ciders, flavored with everything from apricot to black currant. It even has a tasting room where you can check out some of their varieties. Two Rivers Cider Company produces a one-of-a-kind hard apple cider that’s medium dry, slightly tart and preservative-free. Its ciders are available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, Corti Brothers, Nugget Markets and Whole Foods Market.
Comfort Food
Now that it’s not a blazing 100 degrees outside every day, I’m much more apt to fire up my oven and enjoy roasted vegetable soups and hearty casseroles. If I’m in the mood to stay in, I love making beef stew in my Crock-Pot using the recipe on the back of any beef stew seasoning mix. Venturing out to downtown Sacramento, Cafeteria 15L offers the chicken pot pie as a Monday special, and Lounge on 20 has fried mac ‘n cheese on its dinner and happy hour menus.
Pumpkin
The changing leaves may signal the new season for some, but the appearance of the Pumpkin Spice Latte on Starbucks’ menu is my fall indicator. The espresso, pumpkin-flavored syrup and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and spices, warms me right up on chilly fall mornings. And one of my favorite breakfast places that I’ve been going to since I was a kid, Eggie’s (1650 Fulton Avenue, 916-488-4356), serves up pumpkin pancakes that customers go crazy for.
What are some of your favorite fall foods?
The Kitchen Restaurant, Sacramento
We’ve all had bad restaurant experiences where you’re either ignored by your server or the food doesn’t quite live up to your expectations.
I don’t see this ever being the case when it comes to The Kitchen, the self-proclaimed “anti-restaurant.” Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, The Kitchen (owned by Randall Selland of Ella Dining Room & Bar and Selland’s Market Café) is one of the toughest places to get a reservation in Sacramento—and for good reason. Only 50 patrons are served per day and the place, housed in an inconspicuously unmarked building in the Arden area, is set up to feel like you’re eating right in someone’s kitchen—someone’s fancy, superbly stocked kitchen, that is.
As one of those lucky 50 diners one evening a couple weeks ago, I walked in and was told that the restaurant’s one rule is that there are no rules. You can walk around, check out what the chefs are doing in the back, ask questions and even request second or third helpings of any of the six courses. Everything is prepared right in front of you, made with seasonal and local ingredients.
The menu changes every month, and August’s was especially delicious. We started off with a twist on the Banh Mi, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich, and then moved on to an heirloom tomato soup with Dungeness crab. Both plates were oozing with unique flavor, yet were light, leaving enough room for the heartier courses to come.
The entrées consisted of rabbit ravioli with goat cheese, fresh salmon, racks of lamb and Maine lobster. As someone with a plainer palate, I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to like these rich options, but every bite surprised me and left me wanting more. Even the seemingly simple sides of creamed yellow corn and English peas were just as enjoyable as the main dishes.
A highlight of the evening was the white glove tea service before dessert. The freshly brewed tea and coffee were fantastic, but something else stole the show for me. Being the scrupulous Googler that I am, I researched beforehand and learned that numerous reviewers online highly recommended ordering the hot chocolate.
Oh. My. Chocolatey. Goodness. Words can’t even begin to describe the heaven that was every sip of that hot chocolate. I raved so much about it that several diners sitting near me ordered it as well.
My sweet tooth kicked into high gear during dessert when they brought out the mountain berry crepes and freshly made peach ice cream. It was the perfect ending to a perfect dining experience.
Although it’s quite the splurge to eat at The Kitchen, it was worth every penny. The staff was attentive and welcoming, and I’ve never tasted better food. I recommend saving up for it and checking it out at least once. Your taste buds will thank you.
The Kitchen Restaurant
2225 Hurley Way
Sacramento, CA 95825
916.568.7171