I've been having a lot of conversations lately about the farm-to-fork movement, especially now that it seems to have become the It Girl of the food world. While eating lunch in my backyard earlier today, a friend and I found ourselves discussing the topic once again. "Everybody's jumping on the bandwagon," he laughed. I smiled and replied, "Good." And it is. In my humble opinion, the more people come to appreciate the wonders of farm-fresh food, simply prepared, the better. Which brings me to the subject of this article: Japanese Farm Food, a cookbook written by California-born Nancy Singleton Hachisu, the featured author at next week's Tasty Books event here in Sacramento. The event pair

When Bacon Fest was first unleashed upon Sacramento last year, the crowds reflected the beloved meat’s popularity. And really, who's surprised? The tender strips of pig meat doesn't need any marketing, and a festival centered around its consumption practically sells itself. I mean, besides vegetarians and vegans, who doesn't like bacon? And I'm willing to wager even those who stick to a meat-free diet get just a little weak in the knees at the scent of cooking bacon. Or maybe that's just me. It's just so…sensual. "There's something about the combination of the cure and the smoke and different ways to cook it, that kind of all works like magic," said Bacon Fest co-founder Brian Guido. Ba

Sacramentans are gearing up to go hairless next week as this year’s St. Baldrick’s Day events aim to add to the $4 million raised locally in the past decade to fund research for childhood cancer. “The event itself is something to be witnessed,” said Henry de Vere White, co-owner of de Vere’s Irish Pub, located at 1521 L St. “We’ve had women do it because their kid has cancer, we’ve had siblings do it and we’ve had Little League teams show up and shave their heads in honor of their teammates who had cancer.” De Vere White said Friday that shaving heads began in pubs on the east coast when some lawyers decided to try to raise $17,000 on March 17. Since then, it has snowballed to the point

So after going to so many events for so many years, its hard to be surprised and feel overwhelmed anymore, to feel you'll see anything new and exciting to the scenes - this most recent A Day In the Country was just that...wow factor all over! This last Sunday the Sacramento Foodie elite were all in attendence for a great cause. From the beautiful day, the ride out to Park Winters (even getting lost once again couldn't deter from the excitement), the beautiful focal point of the old white Victorian mansion in the middle of the estate grounds, and the beautiful foods as far as the eye could see! As with any event showcasing the growers all the Sacramento celebrity chefs show up - these gro

It was a night filled with drinks and divine desserts for the Sacramento Children’s Chorus’ Wine and Chocolate: A Harmony of Tastes fundraiser at Revolution Wines Friday night. According to Sacramento Children’s Chorus’ executive director Daphne Quist, the event was held in honor of the chorus to raise money for the organization, some of which will go toward tuition scholarships for students. “It was a great success for our organization,” Quist said. This is the first Wine and Chocolate event for the Sacramento Children’s Chorus and Quist hopes to continue it every year. Corporate sponsorships, individual donations, concerts and one large event each year help fund the organization, Quis

Local men will be strutting their stuff in heels April 30 for the first Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event in Midtown, which will benefit the Sacramento County Women Escaping a Violent Environment, Inc. The event will raise awareness about sexual assault. Amber Stott, WEAVE’s director of Development and Community Relations, has been recruiting volunteers and is in charge of making sure that every man has a pair of pumps to wear. “It’s a touchy issue, and we know what a big problem it is. It’s just nice to be able to have an opportunity to come together and raise awareness, but do it in a way that’s fun,” Stott said. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is an international organization, and this year ma

What's your favorite place to go get a drink? How do you like your cocktails made? When you order, are you really specific? There is a ridiculous amount of culinary talent in Sacramento, and it doesn't stop on the kitchen line. It makes its way to the speedrack and is being showcased all over downtown. In the next couple of weeks I want to give all those great drinksmiths their due, and highlight them in a series I’ve called: All-Star Bartenders in Sacramento. Check out the talent –you might be surprised the treasures that are right around the corner from you. The first in the series is a bartender that has a special place in my heart. He's a solid bartender who cares about his custome

Local chefs will give thanks Thursday if they get a break from cooking. But this week, a handful of them were more than happy to share ideas for Thanksgiving side dishes. They range from Cajun cornbread stuffing and stuffed roasted vegetables to sweet potato gratin and a Swiss dish called chnoepfli – some easy, some family traditions and others just new twists on classic companions to turkey. Just before lunch Wednesday, chef Chris Nestor presided over the kitchen at his newest restaurant, House Kitchen & Bar, 555 Capitol Mall. Working from memory, he jotted down the recipe for Cajun cornbread stuffing, a dish he created two years ago at his other restaurant, INK. "We had jambalaya on

Patrick Mulvaney has become one of the leading proponents and practitioners in the farm-to-table and slow food movements in Sacramento. His Mulvaney’s B&L – along with his catering and banquet hall – has won rave reviews from food critics and a large following of diners looking for great, inventive and extremely fresh food. Along with his reputation for creating great food is his generosity toward other chefs he has worked with or highly respects. This is borne out in what Mulvaney calls his " Family" “Family Dinners” events. He invites chefs and their staff to come in and use his kitchen to prepare a multi-course meal. The meal is served by Mulvaney’s staff in his “Next Door to the B&L”

At 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening a champagne cork popped that sent more than 40 waiters and waitresses on a footrace in the inaugural Sacramento Bastille Day Waiters' Race. Each of the runners had to carry a server tray holding two glasses and a bottle of wine from the alley between Le Petit Paris and Mulvaney's B&L, around the 1800 block between L Street and Capitol Avenue, and into the courtyard behind the L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen. "They celebrate the fall of the Bastille in Paris by running through the streets with wine, and wouldn't that be fun to do in Sacramento?" said Patrick Mulvaney, owner of Mulvaney's B&L. Mulvaney decided to organize the race per the suggestion of Sacto

De Vere's Irish Pub held its inaugural St. Baldrick's event Monday, raising more than $81,000 for cancer research, $10,000 of which came from De Vere's. The pub's roped-off sidewalk was packed with spectators trying to get a glimpse of local participants shaving their locks to conquer kids' cancer. De Vere's had 221 shavees lined up for their turn to get snipped. Publicly displayed on the patio, shavees winced when they felt the cold steel clippers reach deep down to the scalp. The participants' reactions caused perpetual laughter, since there was a four-barber-rotation, and each head took only a minute to shave. The crowd stirred when Shawn Eldredge, a City Council candidate for Distri

Sacramento's Beer Week is in full swing. Bars and restaurants all over the city are celebrating by offering special dinners, drinks and events. Mulvaney's Building and Loan hosted its Pigs-n-Pints event Tuesday evening. Guests were treated to a delicious five-course meal, family style, in the events room at the corner of 19th and L Streets. The packed room of men and women came from all over the Sacramento region. Business professionals, civic leaders and students all sampled the beer and food. The meal was prepared under the watchful eye of owner Patrick Mulvaney with the entire kitchen crew pitching in. The first course consisted of fresh asparagus with country ham and Vega farm eggs

One of Sacramento's best culinary creators is off the market. Patrick Mulvaney, a native New Yorker, is one of Sacramento’s restaurant leaders and will be married this Sunday. But before that happens, he whooped it up with some close friends. After some libations at the classic Club 2 Me, the culinary hooligans rolled to the hot-as-hell Tuli Bistro and were hosted by Chef/Owner Adam Pechal. The humble Mulvaney dined on a bountiful buffet of food treasures with colleagues and friends. With no shortage of beverage pairings, faces started to melt on the lovely patio. In attendance were some of Sacramento’s service industry elite to celebrate the event including Derrell Roberts, Kevin Reikes