Bumgarner Wines — perfectly named for Giants fans

By Chris Macias, Sacramento Bee

If you’re rooting for the San Francisco Giants as the World Series kicks off today, there’s one wine you should keep by your side. Tip your cap and take a sip from Bumgarner Wines.

OK, so the winery owners aren’t related to Madison Bumgarner, the Giants lefty who pitched two scoreless innings Saturday to help San Francisco become National League champions. But the name “Bumgarner” on any bottle is pretty much a must for any Giants fan with a thirst for wine.

“It’s a question I’ve been getting asked a lot lately,” said winemaker Brian Bumgarner about the possible tie to the Giants pitcher. “It’s definitely exciting and interesting that the Giants are in the World Series. I’ll be rooting for them.”

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‘Clean Start’ author in Reno in November

Best-selling author Terry Walters, whose bestselling first book “Clean Food” fueled a nationwide “clean” movement, will teach Reno how simple and uncomplicated it is to eat cleaner and add more whole foods to their lives.

Her new book “Clean Start” (Sterling Epicure, November 2010) is designed to be an all-you’ll-ever-need guide for a healthy and sustainable approach to eating and living well.

She will be at Whole Foods in Reno on Nov. 12 at 7pm.

Walters believes “clean food” is whole, minimally processed and close to the source for maximum nutrition. “Clean Start” features easy guidelines and recipes for getting the most nutritional value and taste, while minimizing waste.




8 ways to cut grocery bill

By Jessie Price, EatingWell

My pantry at home is always well-stocked. (Actually most people would probably call it overstocked.) I don’t feel right if my cupboards are bare. And once I started working on our new book, EatingWell on a Budget, I realized that my pantry-stocking obsession also had the benefit of helping me save money: when I have key ingredients on hand to make dinner, I’m much less likely to call for delivery or go out. (Plus cooking at home is almost always cheaper than going out.)

Here are five of my favorite ingredients to keep on hand that help stretch my food dollars further.

Potatoes

Cost: about 44¢ apiece

Russet potatoes, which are a good source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C, are a great nutritional bang for your buck. And these babies are truly versatile. Try baking them, then stuffing them with beans, vegetables and salsa; mash them; slice and roast them; or turn them into hash browns for breakfast.

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A Vermont dining experience worth repeating

By Kathryn Reed

WOODSTOCK, Vt. — As a vegetarian, I have a few simple ways to rate a good menu. No. 1, there is something on it I will eat. No. 2, the choices are not a veggie burger (unless it’s a burger joint or something like that) or a portabella sandwich. Growing in importance is No. 3, using local ingredients.

The Woodstock Inn’s Red Rooster restaurant did not disappoint. As the main restaurant in the upscale Vermont inn, the food was fantastic, the prices reasonable and the service lacking.

The spacious dining room had more booths than traditional tables. The lighting was dim, but not so terrible the menu couldn’t be read. The only criticism of the night was our absent waitress. We let her know our displeasure with our tip.

Saffron Toasted Israeli Couscous

Saffron Toasted Israeli Couscous

The Saffron Toasted Israeli Couscous ($19) was outrageously delicious. It nearly pained me to give up a bite to let Sue try it.

“We have a lot of fun in the kitchen,” chef Jason Lawless said.

It shows in the food.

I started the night with a bowl of Sweet Potato and Apple Bisque ($8). It was a tad bit in the sweet side, but oh so flavorful. It made me wonder what type of apple was used.

Sue had the soup special, which was potato bacon. She liked it, saying it’s rare for the bacon flavor to be so distinct.

At the last-minute Sue switched her entrée choice from scallops to prime rib ($25). Based on there not being a morsel of meat left on the plate, she clearly was not disappointed in her selection.

Listed on the menu are the various local food suppliers. Eleven of the 12 were from Vermont, with one from Massachusetts.

Chef Lawless has been the master in the kitchen since July 2008, when he moved to the Green Mountain state after working in New York City for seven years.

“It’s definitely a change of pace with seasonal ups and downs. We rely on our golf and ski seasons,” Lawless said. He said the middle seasons – what Tahoe folk would call shoulder season – are hard to get used to. It means going from preparing 300 meals a night in peak season to 30 in the slow times.

Sweet Potato Apple Bisque

Sweet Potato and Apple Bisque

One dish that is a favorite no matter the season, Lawless said, is the Seafood Stew. (Recipe below.)

“It’s really easy for the home cook to make. It’s not an elaborate recipe,” Lawless said.

He also said it has a real Vermont feel. The comments in the recipe are all from Lawless. I have not tried it.

Seafood Soup (Serves 2)

1 leek, small dice

1 bulb fennel, small dice

1 medium onion, small dice

4 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 T chopped ginger

1 tsp saffron

1 tsp old bay

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ C Pernod

1 C white wine

1 can clam juice, 16 oz

1 8 oz can diced tomatoes

1 C water

¼ pound butter

Salt to taste

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, and leeks, a pinch of salt, and sweat until they become tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook another 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and Pernod and reduce by half. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the tomatoes have broken down, about 90 minutes. You can finish the soup with any kind of seafood or shellfish that you would like. I like to use PEI mussels, shrimp, salmon, and cod. Just add the seafood to the finished soup in the pot and simmer until all the seafood is cooked.

I like to serve it with grilled sourdough bread and saffron aioli.

Tiny pinch saffron threads, about 20 strands

1½ T warm water

2 large egg yolks

1 large clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp salt

¾ C extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, soak the saffron threads in the warm water for 20 minutes. In a deep bowl, combine the egg yolks, garlic, and salt, and whisk to combine. Very slowly, dribble in the olive oil, whisking all the time. You can add the oil a bit more quickly after about half has been absorbed, but go very slowly at first or the mayonnaise may “break.”

Add the saffron and its soaking water, then use the lemon juice to swirl around in the saffron-soaking bowl to catch any remaining saffron essence. Whisk the lemon juice into the aioli. Add a few grinds of pepper. The aioli should be made at least 4 hours before using, and will keep, refrigerated, for up to 48 hours.




Truckee unified hires well-versed chef to cook for students

With a resume that ranges from culinary apprenticeship at Walt Disney World to designing menus for visiting Olympic athletes, Danny Stoddard is primed for his new position as Tahoe Truckee Unified School District’s culinary operations manager.

Stoddard will be responsible for bringing the district’s new food philosophy to life by developing recipes, menus and supervising food production. The goal is to provide high quality nutritious food that is fresh, seasonal and prepared from scratch as much as possible within the requirements of the USDA National School Lunch Program. Additionally, the meals will not include partially hydrogenated fats or high fructose corn syrup. Sugar, salt and additives will be kept to a minimum and there will be no fried foods.

Chef Danny Stoddard left the Magic Kingdom for the North Shore of Tahoe. Photo/Provided

Chef Danny Stoddard left the Magic Kingdom for the North Shore of Tahoe. Photo/Provided

“I’m up for the challenge,” said Stoddard, noting that he looks forward to adopting the school district’s new nutritional tenants into his own eating as well. “My goal is that the food will be so good that parents will want to meet their children for lunch at school.”

So what types of cuisine can parents and students expect from Stoddard? Hint – this isn’t typical mystery meat school lunch fare. One day students may dig into a hearty beef stew served in a whole wheat bread bowl with a spinach side salad garnished with dried cranberries. And the next day, the menu may include a roasted vegetable and marinated pork wrap with chipotle mayo and sliced peaches. All of the lunch entrees will include a vegetarian option.

Originally from Sparks, Stoddard not only served as an apprentice at Walt Disney World, he was later hired by the resort to manage large-scale special events catering, he later served as an executive chef at Ormond Memorial Hospital, Ormond Beach Florida, as well as the dietary manager at Kennert Retirement Center, Orlando. After his tenure in Florida, Stoddard worked as an executive chef at UC Berkeley where he fed athletes at the university’s Training Table program and also catered the NCAA Basketball Regional Finals.

Collectively, he has 20 years of culinary experience, including 12 years in the management where he became well versed in all aspects of menu planning, ordering, quality control, food safety and training employees.

The revamped school nutritional plan is set officially to launch in early 2011.




Apps keep wine drinkers a click away from latest info

By Chris Macias, Sacramento Bee

Dahlynn McKowen kept noticing the tapping in people’s palms when she visited wine tasting rooms around the Sierra Foothills and beyond.

Wine tasters, especially the younger ones, just couldn’t get enough of their smart phones – between sips.

McKowen knew it was time to develop a wine application for the iPhone and iPad.

Now, she has 13 Wine Wherever apps that are expected to be released this week. Each app covers a specific region of the United States, offering guides, maps, a tasting journal and other goodies for the plugged-in wine lover.

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Special deals for Nevadans at El Dorado County wineries

El Dorado’s family-owned wineries will raise a special toast to their Silver State neighbors Oct. 29-31, celebrating Nevada Day with complimentary tastings and special promotions in their tasting rooms.

From that Friday through Sunday, Silver State residents can take advantage of special promotions in El Dorado’s tasting rooms. And everyone, regardless of residency, is invited to enjoy complimentary wine tasting, food, fun and wine specials.

It’s harvest time in El Dorado — a perfect opportunity to get up close and personal with the winemaking experience and the vintners who craft wine from more than 50 grape varietals grown in the region.

El Dorado is a colorful destination via Highway 50, Interstate 80 or Carson Pass. El Dorado’s tasting rooms are just about an hour from South Lake Tahoe and a little over two hours from Reno.

For more information and a map of the wine country, visit www.eldoradowines.org.




Soroptimist annual wine tasting Nov. 12

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe’s 2010 An Evening of Food & Wine Tasting is Nov. 12 from 6-9:30pm at Harrah’s convention center in Stateline.

Eighteen restaurants and 32 vintners are part of the event.

Tickets are $65 each and can be purchased from a SISLT member or online.

In addition to the main event there will be a silent auction and a raffle.

For the past 40 years, all money raised by Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe has been directed back into the community through educational scholarships, youth activity sponsorships, the South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center and numerous other projects that enhance services and the quality of life in the community.

If you have any questions or would like to donate an item to this year’s event, contact Valerie Conners at (530) 544.8545.




Winemaker dinner at Lone Eagle Grille

Lone Eagle Grille in Incline Village kicks off its Winemaker Dinner Series with Gregory Graham on Oct. 15 at 6pm.

Nine years ago Graham set out to produce world-class wines from Lake County. His hands-on approach to winemaking, complemented by 25 years of experience, is giving consumers fresh, structured, fruit-forward vintages that are reflective of a high quality wine grape growing region.

The wines will be paired with a four-course meal.

Cost is $120 per person.

For reservations, contact Cecilia Cuff at Lone Eagle Grille at (775) 886.6899.

The restaurant is at 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village.




Choice of barrel critical to winemakers

By Robert Celaschi, Comstock

Just as winemakers won’t put just any old juice in a barrel, they won’t use any old barrel either. For one wine, it’s French oak. For another, American. For yet another, Hungarian. In some cases the wine goes into a steel tank and never touches oak of any kind.

barrelWhen winemakers talk about the qualities that oak imparts on wine, the terms conveniently dovetail with national stereotypes. American, they say, is a little more aggressive, more powerful. French is more subtle, delicate and elegant. Hungarian, somewhere in between.

In choosing the wood, a winemaker operates much like a chef.

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