July 27

In Ireland, a Cooking Class Strikes Close to Home I just returned from a family vacation in Ireland. While there, my sister-in-law Susan and I took a cooking class at the famed Ballymaloe Cookery School near Cork, which I first read about in Gourmet magazine back in the 1980s. It’s run...

July 27

Recipe: Basil Zucchini Soup I'm overrun with zucchini. You don't watch the garden and poof! three and four pounders abound. This week I gave four of these big guys away and set out to cook up the rest. Besides a double order of zucchini brake, I made a funky Zucchini...

July 26

First Bite: Heat I had a knockout dinner last night at Heat restaurant, which specializes in Japanese fondue (shabu shabu). It's only been open for 10 days, but service was impeccable and the food was spot-on. I devoured the kitchen's "BBQ albacore,"...

July 23

Beat the Heat with a DavePop I stumbled across a delicious popsicle this week while shopping at the Cesar Chavez Plaza farmers market. This terrific market (on Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm at 10th and J streets in downtown Sacramento) showcases a number of food vendors in...

July 21

Apricot Madness I am a sucker for pretty stone fruit, and don’t seem to have much restraint when faced with a big, enticing pile of it. On Sunday I visited one of my favorite growers at the farmers market, and he was selling boxes of his gorgeous organic...

July 19

Chill Out at Hot Italian Hot Italian cranks out some terrific pizzas, but this time of year I am far more interested in its excellent gelato selection. When you’re too hot to think straight, head over to Hot Italian and belly up to the restaurant’s cute...

July 19

Recipe: Chocolate Covered "Bacon" I was doing my weekly post for Davis Life Magazine (called the “Early Girl Foodie Weekend”) and I covered the California State Fair, which opened last Wednesday. Every year they announce a new food item, usually a greasy, fried...

July 19

Fun with Tequila at Centro Cocina Mexicana Last night I braved the sizzling sidewalks of midtown Sacramento to visit Centro Cocina Mexicana, whose fruity tequila infusions lured me like a siren song. The restaurant’s “mixologists” combine tequila with an ever-changing...

July 28

Sac Film & Music Festival Runs Through Sunday Explore the best in film and music in the Sacramento area and beyond at the 11th Annual Sacramento Film & Music Festival at the Crest Theatre. The festival, which showcases feature films as well as animated, short, foreign and student films,...

July 24

Thirsty Thursdays at Raley Field While at Raley Field to watch the Steve Miller Band concert over the past weekend, I noticed a sign advertising “Thirsty Thursdays”—$2 Miller Lite beers at every Thursday River Cats home game. What could be better on these warm...

July 23

Revolution Wines has Officially Moved Talk of Revolution Wines moving to a new location has been ongoing, but as of this past Tuesday, it’s official: This urban winery is getting cozy in its new digs! OK, so technically the new tasting room isn’t yet open, but...

July 22

USA Masters Track & Field Championships A record number of athletes will compete today through Sunday at the 2010 USA Masters Track & Field Championships at Hornet Stadium at Sacramento State. Among the competitors—who range in age from 30 to 96—are 11 former...

July 19

Get Thee to the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival As the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) , you may be tempted to groan and think, “All that Shakespeare?” Yep, in one two-and-a-half-hour show, performed in its entirely...

July 17

Win Free Bowling Every Thursday night, Capitol Bowl in West Sacramento offers a chance for free bowling. If you ask for a “redheaded pin” when you pay for your first game, and then knock over that pin as part of a strike, you win a free game. The...

July 16

Just Peachy Peach aficionados, listen up: The Marysville Peach Festival is happening today and tomorrow. The 11th annual festival includes entertainment, amusement rides, a children’s area, arts and crafts, and, of course, peach-themed food. I took a...