Food & Wine/Taste

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Whole lot of shakin'

Almonds don't fall far from the tree in this family business

CHICO -- There's a surreal calmness in the orchard as Maisie Jane Hurtado makes her way between the rows of almond trees. Sunshine streams ...(more)

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Dunne on Wine: Governor steers clear of uncorking a controversy

As I follow Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reasoning, the golden poppy wouldn't be the state flower because roses also grow in California, the desert tortoise ...(more)

Off the Shelf: Cutting in: How women can join the 'Meat Club'

He orders the chicken. She orders the steak. You know what's likely to happen when the waiter comes with the dinners. But does she: ...(more)

Quick Cooking: Cold soup but hot flavors

Salmorejo, a smooth, thick, almost foamy cold tomato soup, is a variation on gazpacho. It is the summer soup of Cordoba, and I fell ...(more)

First Course: Learn canning under pressure

Anyone interested in learning the correct techniques for pressure canning should attend the Sacramento County Cooperative Extension Master Food Preservers demonstration at 10 a.m. ...(more)

Quick Check: Not-so-hot potato

Nobody enjoys a time-saving discovery more than I do, so I was quick to scoop up a package of ready-to-eat diced potatoes at Bel ...(more)

What's Ripe: Ring in the russets

Out with the old and in with the new. New-crop russet potatoes are being dug in California, Colorado, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Acreage ...(more)

The Mailbox: Concerns about zip-bag omelet

Last week's Mailbox featured a popular recipe for zip-bag omelets, in which eggs and other ingredients are placed in a plastic zip-bag and boiled ...(more)

What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events

Food events Saturday: Heirloom Tomato Festival, featuring tastings of 175 varieties, plus food, wine, live music and art show; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Kendall-Jackson Wine ...(more)

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Wednesday, August 30, 2006

• Prime territory
• More labels acknowledge vineyards
• Boeger zins, through the years
• Off the Shelf: A taste of Mexico -- straight from East Bay
• Appetizers: Vietnamese soup merits a pho pause at Tamarind
• First Course: Surimi -- the great imitator
• Quick Check: Corn tortillas made just like grandma's
• What's Ripe: You ought to love a pluot
• It's no zin -- governor vetoes bill
• Quick Cooking: Like it Thai hot? Fire up the wok
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• The Mailbox

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

• It's tomato time
• Appetizers: A Thai favorite returns to downtown
• Dunne on Wine: Direct-sales ruling has some tangles
• First Course: A quartet of distinctive cheeses
• Quick Check
• What's Ripe: Big or small, these grapes are delicious
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• The Mailbox

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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

• Puttin' up
• Under pressure? Here's where to go for canning information
• Temecula battles back from vineyards' sharpshooter problem
• The best of Appetizers
• First Course: The truth about melon thumping
• Quick Check: No stooping to measure
• What's Ripe: Can we talk squash?
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• The mailbox

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Wednesday, August 9, 2006

• Adventures in grilling
• Dunne on Wine: No-oak trend extends to St. Supéry's chardonnay
• Appetizers: Pair fires up wholesale bakery and coffee roaster
• First Course: Descent of chefs in 'Hell's Kitchen'
• Quick Check: Hefty price for crane melon might not be worth it
• What's Ripe: Eat like a pirate -- fruit kebabs
• The Mailbox
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events

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Wednesday, August 2, 2006

• Painting blank masterpieces
• Appetizers: Restaurants ready to open as summer comes to a close
• Dunne on Wine: New York rieslings, worth the trip, also available here
• Add these spots to the local favorites
• Torte recipe a mystery no longer
• Quick Check: Time for Sloughhouse corn
• The Mailbox
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events

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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

• Greetings from Sacramento
• Appetizers: A tasty-looking, if limited, addition to dining in Winters
• Dunne on wine: After making a name for itself, Lodi can label its wine diversity
• First course: Assault on salt
• Quick check: Slower but smarter
• What's ripe: New in the produce aisle
• The mailbox
• What's cooking: A calendar of food and wine events

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

• Forget the mild life -- pepper fans can't get enough of hot chilies
• Dunne on wine: Good 'n' cheap: Top wines in the $10-or-less range
• Off the shelf: 'Boy Eats World' author doesn't forget mom's dishes
• Sauce and sausage make potato salad main course
• First course: Missing a kitchen
• Quick check: This peeler's kind to soft things
• What's ripe: There's gold in these kiwis
• What's cooking: A calendar of food & wine events

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Wednesday, July 12, 2006

• A growing crush
• Appetizers: For sale: A smooth Gold Caddy from 1952
• Off the shelf: Piercing the murky depths of crab cakes
• First course: Frozen marinade
• What's ripe: How sweet the corn is
• What's cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• The mailbox

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Wednesday, July 5, 2006

• The torta generation
• Dunne on wine: State Fair judging improves
• Off the shelf: Low-cal, high satisfaction
• Appetizers: Reasons are disputed, but Taka's Sushi certainly closed
• First course: Weber: Ribs, boiling don't mix
• Fresh finds
• What's ripe: Onions, sweet onions
• The mailbox

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Wednesday, June 28, 2006

• Melting into summer
• Cobbler shows off fresh berries at their best
• Dunne on wine: Think you'd make a good wine judge? Get in line
• Food safety concerns heat up with the weather
• Appetizers: New cookbook coincides with Biba's 20th anniversary
• First course: Preserving a safe way of eating
• Quick check: Tomato of a different color is OK, but flavor isn't special
• What's ripe: The precious gems that are raspberries
• The mailbox: Tres Hermanas sauces
• What's cooking: A calendar of food & wine events

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Wednesday, June 21, 2006

• The power of kimchi
• Dunne on wine: Rematch pits Down Under vs. California, vino a vino
• Off the shelf: True grits: Real Southern fare with a healthier twist
• First course: New on the shelf
• Fresh ideas: Freeze some cherries for later
• What's ripe: Please don't rain on my Rainiers
• The mailbox: Fennel spice mix
• What's cooking: A calendar of food and wine events

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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

• Road food
• Dunne on wine: Fair tastings offer surprises
• Appetizers: What's on menu for tire site?
• First course: Checking chicken facts
• Quick check: Pits stop
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: Magnificent, those mangoes
• The mailbox: Adobe chicken chowder
• Food tips

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Thursday, June 8, 2006

• Catering to good taste

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Wednesday, June 7, 2006

• Is it organic?
• Appetizers: Local dining isn't running out of gas
• Off the shelf: 'Easy Vietnamese' lives up to title
• First Course: Crank it up
• Quick check: A handy way with juice
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: Oh, my darling, here they come
• The mailbox: Egg casserole
• Dunne on Wine: After short retirement, new brands for winemaking couple

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Wednesday, May 31, 2006

• Stir in memories. Bake.
• Dunne on Wine: Bordeaux battles for world's palates
• A way with wood: Authors score with 'Plank' cookbook
• First Course: When it's hot, think chilly
• First Course: When it's hot, think chilly
• Quick check: Mandoline basics
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: The next great tomato
• The mailbox: Frijoles from the Azores
• 'Mangoes & Curry Leaves' makes you want to eat -- and travel

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Saturday, May 27, 2006

• On your mark, get set, grill
• What's cooking at Barbecue U.

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Wednesday, May 24, 2006

• True grill guys love to barbecue -- and brag
• Dunne on Wine: Word trail 'stone' cold on patriotic wine verse
• Off the shelf: This mom thankful for 'Real Men' in kitchen
• First Course: Handle with care
• Quick check: Beer sampler and dry rub 'cue up the grilling season
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: Tricks to selecting watermelons
• The mailbox: Eisenhower's favorite cookies

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Sunday, May 21, 2006

• So Sacramento
• Nutrition IQ

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Wednesday, May 17, 2006

• Faces at the farmers market
• Farmers markets in the area
• Dunne on Wine: It's a sin legislators can't have fun with zin
• First Course: Stick to regular Oreos
• Quick check: For restaurant or home
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• The mailbox: Cookies, cake from Cramer's
• What's ripe: Make room for mangoes

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Wednesday, May 10, 2006

• A toast to Mom
• Make Mom's day - fix the brunch
• Dunne on Wine: The old man and the oyster
• Off the shelf: Cookbook balances our health and the ocean's
• First Course: Strawberry jam session
• Quick check: Our main squeezer
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: Mom deserves the best
• The mailbox: Oatmeal-raisin cookies
• Appetizers: Cousin to carry on Vientiane tradition

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Monday, May 8, 2006

• Taking the 'Iron Chef' challenge

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Wednesday, May 3, 2006

• How to unwrap the mysteries behind meat labeling
• Look beyond the tri-tip for summer grilling
• Appetizers: A shuffling of chefs at Biba
• Off the shelf: Cookbook's rugged feel, fare
• First Course: It's ... an egg cooker
• Quick check: What to fix for Mom? Try these mixes
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: Make way for watermelons
• What's ripe: Make way for watermelons
• The mailbox
• Dunne on Wine: A long weekend of tasting and some surprising winners

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Wednesday, April 26, 2006

• Basic training
• The trend is fewer cookbooks, more hype
• Kitchen sync: Every cuisine has a classic cookbook
• These five basic cookbooks go way beyond recipes
• Cookbooks: America's favorites
• Cookbooks: Borders' top sellers
• Buying a basic cookbook: What to look for
• Dunne on Wine: What's a chardonnay without oak? Not bad
• First Course: Low-fat, high-taste scones
• Question of the week: What is this?
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: Taking its own sweet time
• The mailbox: Dessert pizza
• Setting it straight

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Thursday, April 20, 2006

• Food show finalist likes heat of the TV kitchen

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Wednesday, April 19, 2006

• Sushi showman
• UC Davis presses its messes
• First Course: Tower of power
• Dunne on Wine: Day-sipping in the foothills
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: It's sometimes hard being a kiwi
• The mailbox
• Food tips

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Wednesday, April 12, 2006

• Strawberry fields taking forever
• Forecast doesn't faze berry festival
• Dunne on Wine: Vines OK with rain so far
• Off the shelf: Life's a bistro in Paris
• First Course: Time to Eat
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: Showers dampen produce prospects
• The mailbox
• Simple ingredient list belies complexity of making pie crusts

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Thursday, April 6, 2006

• Setting it straight

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Wednesday, April 5, 2006

• Shell game
• Dunne on Wine: Ready to make a splash?
• Appetizers: Chef takes a brief detour
• First Course: In the thick of it
• What's Cooking: A calendar of food & wine events
• What's ripe: The first edible flower
• The mailbox: Ham glaze

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