SacFoodies

What do you need to make your own sushi? I'm always up for a date to a sushi restaurant , but what if you're trying to eat more meals at home? How hard is it to make sushi? What do you need to get started? Have you ever come into a Japanese restaurant and found yourself stunt at a numerous options in their long lists of sushi? Do you want to make sushi at home or at special occasion? If you answer yes to any of the above questions and possibly any other, then this is the article for you. Beware though, you will be hitting a wall of text (and pictures) on various different types of sushi, but hopefully you will get a clearer pictures on all the sushi variety, their ingredients, terms/names and sidekicks. Most Sushi beginners tend to confuse between sushi and sashimi. Just remember that while sushi is the piece with seasoned rice and toppings, sashimi is just the “meat” itself, often raw. Zushi or sushi? You would come across this occasionally. They’re both correcte...

Who doesn't love the taste of a tender steak fresh off the grill? A great-tasting steak begins with a good cut of meat. Use this guide to get the meaty details you need! Whether you're barbecuing at home or ordering at a great steakhouse restaurant , here' what you need to know. PORTERHOUSE This is the classic steak house steak that features both a strip steak and filet mignon, separated by a bone. T-BONE A T-bone is just like a porterhouse except the piece of filet mignon is not as big, because this steak is cut a little farther forward on the animal. FLAT IRON The flat iron is nestled into a tender area of the shoulder, so it's an exception to the rule that shoulder steaks are always tough. Plus it's cheap. FILET MIGNON Pricey and velvety soft, filet mignons make a nice splurge for special guests, though it's really the tenderness you are buying. BONE-IN RIB EYE This incredibly tender and succulent steak includes an actual rib, which ad...

It's shocking how quickly a Chinese takeout bill can tally up, but it’s equally as shocking how easy your favorites are to make at home. So it pays to have these real-deal recipes in your pocket—literally. From General Tso’s chicken and steamed dumplings to super easy egg foo yung, we’ve got a full menu of entrees and apps to satisfy all your Chinese food cravings just as if they came from a top Chinese restaurant . Lemongrass Chicken Potstickers Wrapped in tender gyoza skins and pan fried until golden brown, these perfect potstickers are filled with a bright flavor burst of lemon chicken and taste downright amazing. General Tso's Chicken With its crispy fried coating and sweet and spicy sauce, this delicious dish is a staple on almost every Chinese restaurant menu in America. So it’s no wonder we wanted to learn the secrets to making it ourselves. Luckily, it’s easy to recreate at home which means you can have General Tso’s chicken anytime you want. Slow-Cooker ...

Brazil is the largest country in South America. Brazil is the only country in South America that speaks Portuguese. Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world by both land area and population. The population in 2012 was around 194 million people. Millions of tourists visit Brazil every year. At a Brazilian restaurant you might want to try 1. Barbecued meat Brazil and Argentina both claim to be South America’s barbecue champion. And while each country takes a different approach to its meat, from the cuts to the accompaniments, some things remain the same – namely, the ogre-sized quantities of meat, best appreciated at a leisurely pace and with an elasticated waistband. In Brazil, premium cuts (the most popular being picanha, or rump cap) are seasoned with no more than a liberal shake of coarse salt, before being grilled to pink perfection over charcoal (or wood, if you’re doing it the old-fashioned Southern way). Home barbecues will see sausages, queijo coalho (squeaky c...

Vegetarian diets have reportedly been around since as early as 700 B.C. The Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras is best known today for his mathematical theorem, which haunts the dreams of many geometry students, but for centuries he was also celebrated as the father of vegetarianism. A meatless diet was referred to as a “Pythagorean diet” for years, up until the modern vegetarian movement began in the mid-1800s. Now there are vegetarian restaurants in every city in the world. Several types exist and individuals may practice them for a variety of reasons, including health, ethics, environmentalism and religion. Vegan diets are a little more recent, but are getting a good amount of press. This article takes a look at the similarities and differences between these two diets. It also discusses how they affect your health and the environment. What Is a Vegetarian Diet? According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish...

Here are the components of a rockin’ happy hour: An awesome food and drink menu The right timing A great vibe Entertainment Smart marketing to bring in the crowds One of the coolest ways that restaurants/bars are promoting their Sacramento Happy Hours is via one of these fun apps for your Android or iPhone. Happy Hour Finder Need a drink, and need it fast? Happy Hour Finder uses your phone's location data to find the Happy Hour deals closest to where you are right now. While it's certainly useful while you're at home, it can be particularly handy when you're on a business trip and need to unwind after a long day with clients. In addition to searching for deals based on your current location, you can input an address to get bar suggestions near where you're meeting a friend later. Happy Hours can be sorted by day (for planning future festivities), and shown either as a list or plotted on a map for easy viewing. Drink Happy The Drink Happy app is a ...

Sacramento's top 10 flavors and some great toppings to enhance that ice cream cup of yours. With all our fantastic parlors, Sacramento ice cream lovers are certainly blessed. Vanilla Vanilla is a universal flavor. If you pull out any number of recipes, you will probably find that it calls for vanilla. Vanilla is used to flavor almost anything, including cookies, fountain drinks, tea, and even breakfast cereals. All of these items use vanilla as a flavoring because it enhances the taste and makes it more enjoyable, while at the same time retaining the taste of all of the other ingredients. If you were to add cocoa to any of these items, it will all just taste like chocolate. You would lose all of the other delectable flavors to the overpowering chocolate. Toppings to try out: Strawberry sauce, butterscotch, sprinkles. Chocolate Chocolate is North America’s favorite flavor. When surveyed, 52% of adults responded with chocolate, and only 12% responded with vanilla. U.S. chocolate...

Most of the time, we want Thai restaurants . Thai food masterfully walks a delicate line between salty, spicy, sour, and sweet, perhaps no better demonstrated than in pad Thai. Undeniably the most ubiquitous and oft-ordered dish in American-Thai restaurants, it's perfection. From the slight funk of fish sauce to the peanutty topping to the just-a-little-chewy noodles to the fresh squeeze of lime juice brightening it all up… sorry, what were we saying? Oh, right. Pad Thai. While it's an American favorite, there are a lot of other sleeper hits waiting to be discovered on your local Thai takeout menu. We asked the chefs at our favorite Thai restaurants to ID the best dishes you're not ordering…yet. Next time you go out for Thai, choose my favorite go-to dish, Pad Kra Pow Pad Kra Pow "Everyone in Thailand eats this once a week," says chef Jet Tila of this spicy basil stir-fry.This dish is made by sautéing chiles and garlic in a hot wok, then adding ground meat ...

Sacramento is fast becoming one of the most popular wine growing areas in the United States (wine drinking, too) and there's one common denominator between the different AVAs - we all specialize in Zinfandel. When you visit a Sacramento winery , be sure to ask for their Reserve Zin; you'll be glad you did. Amador Approximately 4,000 planted acres of vines 2,386 of Zinfandel 245 of Syrah 163 of Barbera 111 of Sangiovese Amador is 35 miles East of Sacramento, and approximately 100 miles East of Napa Valley & San Francisco El Dorado California’s El Dorado County is a magical place year-round, but particularly in the fall when the area’s warm tasting rooms are nestled alongside the popular Apple Hill destination. Imagine meandering country roads dotted with farm stands, fresh apple pies baking, and sipping some of the state’s best red wines. Lodi Lodi is at the forefront of Northern California’s sustainable winegrowing effort and boasts more than 75 diverse va...

Pretend like you're at one of Sacramento's Mexican Restaurants ... Margarita A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice, blended with ice, or without ice. Main alcohol: Tequila Ingredients: 2 oz Tequila, 1 oz Lime juice, 1 oz Cointreau Preparation: Rub the rim of the glass with the lime slice to make the salt stick to it. Shake the other ingredients with ice, then carefully pour into the glass (taking care not to dislodge any salt). Garnish and serve over ice. Served: On the rocks; poured over ice Guacamole & Chips When you've made delicious homemade guac, here’s how to keep guacamole green: Place your leftover guacamole in a storage container and pat it down with a spoon so it’s nice and flat on top. Add about 1/2 inch of water on top (I used cold water). Place the lid on the storage container and store it in the fridge. That’s it! ...

Beer drinkers enjoy more variety in their beer options today than at any point in history and Sacramento Breweries are providing plenty of options. The Beer Judge Certification Program recognizes over a hundred distinct styles, many of them mere umbrellas for a wide range of profiles, but increasingly American brewers are treating these style descriptions as quaint suggestions rather than lines they must color within. We recently enjoyed a 7.1% ABV “Imperial Gose” brewed with watermelon, black sesame seeds, black Hawaiian sea salt, Persian lime, and coriander. Go ahead and decide which classic style group that one should fit in. We’ll wait. While innovation and experimentation have yielded some phenomenal and hard-to-categorize beers, both professional and home brewers should know the rules they’re breaking before they break them. Let’s take a few moments to familiarize ourselves with the most common classic ale styles that have defined modern American craft brewing over the years...

What is the Ultimate Spanish Restaurant Meal at Home? Spanish food is often recognized as one of the top cuisines in the world, and some traditional Spanish dishes and recipes date hundreds of years. Food has become as integral to Spain as its rich and tumultuous history, with each region of Spain – once a collection of numerous, distinct kingdoms – boasting their own unique cuisines and flavors. Gazpacho Cold soup never tasted so good. Peel 4 large tomatoes; cut into wedges and place in blender. Add 1 c. roughly chopped red onion, 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, 1 c. vegetable stock, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 tsp. salt. Blend until smooth. Stir in 1/2 c. diced tomato, 1/2 c. diced cucumber, 1/2 c. diced red pepper, and 1/2 c. diced red onion. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Croquetas Potatoes. Cheese. Ham. Um, yes? Can't go wrong with this dish. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir ...

What is the Ultimate Italian Restaurant Meal to make at home? Ultimate Caprese Salad This is a dish to make when the tomatoes are peaking—at the farmers’ market, you should be able to smell them before you see them. The moment only comes around once a year, so make the most of it (which is to say, do very little with them). In a salad bowl, combine tomatoes, mozzarella balls, pesto, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl; mix well to evenly coat in the dressing. Toss with the avocados and basil leaves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, if using. Bucatini with Lemony Carbonara Lemon makes the perfect foil for carbonara’s salty richness. You may never go back. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water. Heat butter and oil in large saute pan and cook onion over medium high heat until golden brown, about five minutes. Add ham, peas, lemon and garlic and cook long enough to heat through. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, combine eggs, parmesan and heavy cream. Braised Lamb Shanks ...