SacFoodies

Creme Caramel vs Creme Brulee

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Creme brulee is my absolute favorite dish and dessert to make in the whole world. The first time I tried it, I fell in love with its rich texture, heavy vanilla flavor, sugar crust that cracks with the tap of a spoon, and the almost soothing feeling I experience as I take in every bite. I can’t get enough of it and neither can my family. My sister and her boyfriend love it so much, in fact, that the day after they tried it, they asked me to make another serving for them and waited until midnight to dig into this creamy, beloved dessert. I have gone on to make it for my extended family on Thanksgiving and I am so excited to share this wonderful food with anyone who wants it.

Here are the aforementioned 13 creme brulee servings I made for my family on Thanksgiving! This was such a proud moment for me as a young cook and everything looks beautiful (if I do say so myself).

I normally visit a creme brulee recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction to make the best custard and sugar topping I can, but while I was sifting through recipes to try for this blog post, I found Anna Olson’s renditions of creme brulee and creme caramel – and they are just as good as Sally’s version!

I had never heard of creme caramel until I watched Anna Olson’s videos, but given its similarities to the classic creme brulee, I figured it would be a great idea to make these dishes around the same time, taste them, and deliver my thoughts on both. Keep reading for a detailed review on Anna Olson’s sweet treats!
Disclaimer: I have made slight modifications to these recipes to make them easier to bake and save money on ingredients that can easily be substituted for others. Remember to always heat your creme brulee to an internal temperature of 170 degrees!

Anna Olson’s Creme Caramel

Anna Olson’s creme caramel is very easy to make. If directions are followed perfectly, the recipe yields a delightful, flan-like treat that resembles the look and taste of Japanese pudding. Here are some of the dish’s best qualities:
– It has an airy, refreshing taste and is delightfully sweet without tasting overwhelming
– It is chilled to perfection and every bite makes it the ideal dessert to have on a hot summer day
– Its texture and consistency are wonderfully jiggly, soft, and easy to chew
– It’s a great alternative if you want something potentially easier to make than creme brulee – or something different that’s just as easy!
– The instructions are very straightforward (just be mindful of cooking the creme caramel the way Anna Olson suggests in her video)
– The caramel topping is very simple to achieve – in fact, I used this method to make the topping of Anna Olson’s creme brulee. It’s easier than torching or broiling sugar and it offers the most satisfying crack I’ve ever seen when making and eating creme brulee
– It plates nicely and is crowd-pleasing

After my second attempt at Anna Olson’s creme caramel, I perfected the recipe! Pay mind to the skewer test when making this yourself – it WILL determine the quality of the dish. Follow her directions exactly and you will have a glossy, smooth, perfectly sweetened serving of this dessert!

Anna Olson’s Creme Brulee

Anna Olson’s creme brulee recipe is just as delicious and easy to follow as her creme caramel recipe. It delivers a satisfying serving of vanilla flavor and is even silkier and smoother in texture and consistency than the average creme brulee. Here are some of the rendition’s best qualities:
– It plates beautifully
– The addition of vanilla bean paste/fresh vanilla bean stalk makes the taste of Anna Olson’s recipe even more flavorful
– Olson’s method of including four egg yolks and one whole egg does indeed make the custard very silky and smooth. Every bite is very pleasant and does not feel too dense or rich as she explains in the video
– I could easily use her method of making caramel to create a creme brulee topping that’s even more fun to crack than the standard broiled/torched method! Check out this video to see how many taps of a spoon it took me to reach the custard. (For our more experienced readers, I obviously used too much sugar when making the crust, but it made such a cool candy shell regardless)!

This round of creme brulee is easily the best I’ve ever made. Not only is the sugar topping more glossy than any of my creme brulee attempts, the custard also offered the perfect amount of richness and vanilla flavor. I will definitely be using Anna Olson’s recipe as my go-to in the future!

If I had to choose between these two recipes, I have to say Anna Olson’s creme brulee is the best, as well as my favorite. Perhaps my bias for creme brulee is showing, but this is a dessert that just has to be shared once you master it. Who could ask for anything better than cracking through a sugar topping to unveil a beautifully chilled and sweet custard? Give it a try yourself and share with us your experience of making these creme caramel and creme brulee recipes! You might find yourself pleasantly surprised at how easy both are to make.

If You Don’t Like That, Then You Don’t Like King's Basketball

by SacFoodies

By Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt
…and, in this case, the “that” is the Sacramento King’s official tequila sponsor, Milagro.
We had the opportunity (thanks Milagro!) to experience the King’s newly announced tequila sponsor during an awesome night filled with delicious food and drinks, once in a lifetime experiences and best of all, a W for the Kings!
We started off our night on the court, Swipa, Bogi and Giles were greeted by the smiling faces of these foodies (we’re pretty sure we were the night’s good luck charms!). Seeing the Kings up close and personal was such a fun experience that we will cherish forever.


After wishing the team luck and sending all the good vibes their way, we headed to the Milagro Tequila Bar on the Plaza level of the arena. Here you can find a slew of delicious libations featuring high quality ingredients and Milagro Tequila. One of the coolest things about the Sactown Margaritas is that they come in cups specially designed by three local artists!

The partnership between Milagro Tequila and the Sacramento Kings officially kicked-off with a local competition in September to choose the artwork for the SacTown Margarita Cup. With Milagro Tequila’s focus on local Mexican artists for content and the Kings’ emphasis on using local vendors, the two sought out to use Sacramento-based artists to bring a different element to the new Sactown Margarita. The three artists (Ernesto Cardens of SAVDESIGNS, Nick Jacoy aka Pasta Nick and Jason Vu of 13th Vision) had their designs featured in a campaign where fans voted on their favorite to be featured on the cup of the Milagro SacTown Margarita. The winner of the competition was Jason Vu of 13th Vision.
 
You might be thinking to yourself, a marg is a marg, there’s nothing that special. But think again, like everything else on the Golden 1 Center menu, a lot of attention to detail went into creating the SacTown Margarita. Our favorite part is that there is an element of Sacramento in the ingredients! Orange Liqueur made with Sacramento Oranges, Margarita Mix from Preservation and Co. pair beautifully with Milagro Silver for a classic drink with a garnish of home. ?

We ended our night with a delicious dinner prepared by the Golden 1 Center’s executive chef. Each course from the salad to the dessert featured Milagro tequila. We still can’t get over how beautiful (and delicious) these margarita cupcakes were.

Milagro is the King’s Official Tequila partner for the next two seasons, which gives you plenty of time to give the SacTown Margarita a try

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We Have Our Eyes on the Fries

by SacFoodies

If you follow the blog, you know that SacFoodies love attending Sacramento food festivals. They’re the perfect environment to try new restaurants and food trucks, all while surrounded by fellow foodies. The Sac Fry Fest, held at Roosevelt Park in late April, gathered Sacramento’s tastiest loaded fries into one spot, along with beer and cider, live music, and more! We tried fries from three different trucks, and they all exceeded our expectations. Here’s a lineup of the fries we tried:

Sisig Fries from Wandering Boba – Crisp shoestring fries topped with citrus-pepper marinated pork, ground chicharrones, diced white onion, jalapenos, and the crown jewel: an over easy egg. These fries were a game-changer. The spicy jalapeno, onion and luscious egg yolk went together wonderfully. They didn’t skimp on pork either, which was much appreciated.

Hefty Fries from Hefty Gyros – Grilled chicken on top of crinkle fries with tzatziki sauce, mild sriracha BBQ sauce, special seasoning, pepperoncinis and feta cheese. We had our eyes on these fries from the moment we got tickets to the festival. Something about tzatziki and feta with a bite of sriracha is unbeatable. These fries were so delicious!

Loaded Pizza Fries from On the Fry – Crispy fries topped with marinara sauce, melted mozzarella, pepperoni, and heaps of fresh basil. Yeah, you read that right. This pizza/French fries hybrid was cheesy and the perfect amount of spicy. Who knew pizza was 10 times better served on fries instead of crust?! These fries were also available on potato skins, if you’re feeling crazy.
Last but not least, we washed our meals down with some Bike Dog IPAs. All the proceeds from beer and cider sales benefited the Friends of Front Street Shelter, so we enjoyed our beverages while helping animals in need. Truly a win-win.

Overall, this festival was a huge hit! Granted, anything involving the words “loaded fries” can’t be bad, but the set up of this festival made it all the better. Buying tasting tokens at the door made for zero lines at any food trucks, and the large open space offered plenty of seating. #SacFryFest, we can’t wait til next year! Until then, does anyone know if these food trucks deliver? 🙂

2018 St. Patrick's Day Roundup

by SacFoodies

By. Jessi Gunn
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, March 17th to be exact, and thankfully Sacramento has plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy. Do you have a favorite annual event that didn’t make it onto the list? Leave us a note (and an invite) in the comments!

Cafeteria 15L
Local dining hotspot Cafeteria 15L is adding classic Irish dishes to their brunch menu on St. Paddy’s Day only! If you follow SacFoodies on Instagram you’ll know that we are quite partial to Sunday brunch at 15L, (Bacon Jam Bennie and bottomless mimosas, yes please!) but the corn beef hash special sounds so good I might be tempted to switch it up. Hey, this does only happen once a year!
Old Sacramento Parade
This annual parade unites hundreds of colorful marchers, highland dancers, bagpipers and drum bands, and re-enactors in traditional Irish and Celtic outfits for a day of entertainment you won’t want to miss. Events begin at 11:30 a.m. with the parade starting at 1:00 p.m. Arrive early to get a front row seat to the action.
de Vere’s Irish Pub
For Irish food you can find year-round, head to de Vere’s Irish Pub. They have traditional, yet elevated, dishes such as Bangers and Mash and Irish Stew. Before celebrating the holiday on Saturday, head to de Vere’s on Monday the 12th for their annual St. Baldrick’s Rock the Bald event to raise money for St Baldricks foundation.
Fox & Goose
Fox and Goose is bringing Irish music to town with performances from bagpipers, Irish folk singers, The Pikeys, and The Spicy McCormicks. Plus, Irish beer is on tap all night and delicious Irish bites are served until 10:00 p.m. All ages welcome until 10:00 p.m., and 21+ from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Malt and Mash
Downtown restaurant and bar Malt and Mash is hosting their second annual St. Pat’s Block Party. They will be featuring an outdoor beer garden, four bars and live music.  Want a side of bagpipers with your Guinness? Malt and Mash will make that happen. Open from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m.
Streets Pub and Grub
Streets Pub and Grub will be hosting their annual St. Patrick’s Day party featuring live entertainment, Irish beer, and peanut butter car bombs. Not to mention Irish Tacos (which I think I definitely need to try). Wear green and get ready to celebrate with the self-proclaimed “OG’s of St Paddy’s Day.”
Pizza Rock
Pizza Rock on K Street is serving their specialty Sausage and Stout pizza in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. With dough made with honey malted stout beer and toppings including beer sausage, carmelized onions, fontina cheese, scallions, beer salt and a sweet Guiness reduction, ths is the perfect dish to celebrate the holiday. Pizza Rock only make 23 of these pizzas a day, so get yours before it’s gone!
Wherever you go on St. Patrick’s Day remember to celebrate responsibly and treat-yo-self to some corn beef and cabbage, I know we will!

An Evening at Lou’s Sushi + a Giveaway!

by SacFoodies

You’ve probably known this about us for quite a while, but we love sushi. We always have. We always will. And in a town with SO MANY great options for sushi, everyone seems to have their favorite sushi spot.
Mine just so happens to be Lou’s Sushi on the corner of 23rd and P St. in Midtown. Their menu is full of creative rolls and fresh nigiri and sashimi offerings. Not to mention the array of seriously good specialty dishes (I’m talking about you, Secret Tofu). They also have a nice selection of sake and beer to sip on while you enjoy you’re the food crafted by Lou’s talented staff.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll love the fact Lou’s has an entire section of the menu dedicated to specialties, sushi and even nigiri to fit your dietary needs. Even if you eat meat, you shouldn’t overlook this section of the menu!
Here’s what we ordered during our trip to Lou’s!
Vegan Mushroom Tempura – remember when I told you to not overlook the vegan options? These Oyster mushrooms are coated in panko breadcrumbs, fried and then tossed in a house made sweet and sour sauce.
Stir Fried Green Beans – The name says it all. Green beans stir fried in a savory soy sauce and topped with sesame seeds. These were cooked to the perfect firmness!
Secret Tofu – The cat’s out of the bag on this one. Tofu is fried up crispy and smothered in a creamy garlic sauce. This tofu was one of the highlights of our meal. If you think you don’t like tofu, this will make you reconsider.
Veggie Tempura – Crisp and flavorful, fried to a light golden brown. Everything was cooked to perfection! Each veggie had a nice crunch without being underdone.
Chef’s Choice Nigiri – Nigiri is simple, flavorful and perfect for sharing. I never know what fish I want, so I always opt for chef’s choice.
The M-N-M – Tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, with unagi, avocado, masago & Lou’s amazing sweet-n-spicy sauce.
The Firecracker – The jalapenos on top should not be taken lightly! If you’re into spice, this is the roll for you.
And finally, dessert! We opted for tempura strawberries over vanilla ice-cream because how could we not?
The best part is, we’re giving away THREE 15% coupons to Lou’s on our Instagram this week! Go to @sacfoodies, find our Lou’s post and tag 2 foodie friends that you’d like to share an awesome meal with. The giveaway ends this Friday at 5:00pm PST!
No purchase necessary to win. Winner must be following @sacfoodies and will be randomly selected. A winner will be picked at random and announced on Friday, 12/22.