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

Last month Chef Adam Pechal and Feeding Crane Farms partnered to host the first in a series of Second Saturday classes at Lulu's Kitchen. Pechal will be holding another class this Saturday, April 13. This week’s class features wine and cheese pairings and recipes with Sean Minor Wines. If the March event is any guide, expect a good time and some delicious food. With Pechal’s gregarious personality and proven skills, you may even learn a little about about cooking along the way. Here's how things went down during the March class. The event was appropriately billed "Beer, Beer, Beer," and a variety of brews from Berryessa Brewing Company did indeed flow freely throughout the evening.  Gue

Chef Adam Pechal is a busy man, between his duties as the chef/owner of both Tuli Bistro and Restaurant THIR13EN, his recent stint as Sacramento's culinary ambassador on ABC's The Taste, and his recent launch of a  “Smoked Out” food trailer (a mobile pizza oven with dual smokers). But lucky for us, Chef Pechal has somehow also found time to teach cooking classes. Every month on Second Saturday, Chef Pechal will be partnering with Feeding Crane Farms at Lulu's Kitchen, teaching classes featuring some of his favorite Northern California farms, food and beverage producers. The first in the series of classes will be held this Saturday, March 9 from 4-6 p.m. The theme will be "Beer, Beer, Bee

As we previously reported, Sacramento's "Tasty Books" cookbook event series launched last week. Mulvaney's B&L hosted the dinner, featuring author Cheryl Sternman Rule. Pictured below are scenes from the event, including some of the outstanding courses inspired by the author's cookbook, Ripe: A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables. Cheryl Sternman Rule is currently working on her next book, Yogurt Culture. You can read more about this award-winning author by visiting CherylSternmanRule.com. Dawn Balzarano is a local freelance food photographer, blogging at KitchenTravels.com.

Dawson's Restaurant at the Hyatt recently hosted a "Wine Dinner" - the first in a series of monthly events featuring some of Northern California's finest winemakers. A limited number of guests at the first dinner had the opportunity to meet Chris O'Hearn of Robert Sinskey Vineyards and sample a variety of organic wines paired with regionally-inspired recipes that were developed to complement the wines. Executive chef Jason Poole also mingled with guests and provided insight into the night's menu. Below, a visual sampling of the evening. The next Wine Dinner is on March 20, with winemaker Sarah Quider from Ferrari Carano. On April 17, Eponymous winemaker Robert Pepi will be featured.

Sacramento's food renaissance continues with the launching of "Tasty Books," a new series of cookbook events produced by local food writer, cookbook author, and editor Ann Martin Rolke. Rolke was inspired to create the series when she realized there were very few events of this type in the Sacramento area. Says Rolke, “I wanted to organize events like those I love to attend in other cities – author talks, signings, tastings, and dinners.” Tasty Books will host quarterly meet-the-author dinners with Mulvaney's B&L, in addition to smaller talks and tastings throughout the Sacramento area. The inaugural event will be held on Wednesday, February 27. Cookbook author Cheryl Sternman Rule will

Enotria brings fine, fine dining to Sacramento Here’s what I like about Enotria: it’s personal, it’s surprising, and it’s playful. Enotria could be described as sexy: it serves food that is intelligent, stylish, enticing and oh yes, just a little naughty—and I like Enotria the way I like my partner: out of the ordinary and yet presentable to parents. MK and I have one of those boring lesbian relationships. We never fight anymore. After ten years together, we’ve settled into a kind of contented disgruntlement with each other’s faults. Except every now and then. Like the night before we went to Enotria. MK and I made reservations at Enotria for her birthday, after a month of celebrating

When a friend told me I should go check out Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Company, I had no idea I would be walking into a new downtown hotspot. Located at the corner of 17th and S streets, Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Company is soon going to be the place to go for good eats, expert cocktails, local beers and did I mention good eats? The inviting exterior looks more like an old-school theatre, brightly lit with small light bulbs and strings of more lights over patio furniture. The industrial grey walls are off set by warm wood furniture, funky light fixtures and dim lighting. An enclosed back patio is lit with more strings of lights, lined with wood pallet walls with metal rail flower b

Lowbrau owners Michael Hargis and Clay Nutting say they expect to open their German-style beer hall and sausage restaurant in the first few weeks of December, if construction stays on track. The restaurant will take the 20th and K streets location of the former Lounge on 20, which closed earlier this year after an extensive redesign failed to draw fine-dining customers in the numbers needed to make it succeed. Hargis and Nutting say they have a markedly different concept, with the communal tables, larger square bar and decor that’s a cross between modern and Bavarian styling designed to foster a sense of community at affordable prices. “We were really lucky,” Hargis said Tuesday. “We’ve

Kombucha Kulture debuted its mobile vending trailer Saturday, Oct. 27, offering a host of different flavors of the fermented tea drink growing in popularity. The trailer features six flavors of kombucha, according to a press release, and the Zombie 5K run at Miller Park was the venue. The brewers were Revive, Bùcha, House and Lev’s. A 12-ounce glass runs $3, and a 16-ounce glass costs $4. Owned by Joseph Melrose and Brianne Giatras, Kombucha Kulture was originally envisioned as a brick-and-mortar store to replace the old Hina’s Tea space at 24th and K streets. Unable to secure traditional bank funding, the duo tried to raise $50,000 via the Internet fundraising platform Kickstarter, an