Last Thursday, I got the opportunity to assist cookbook author Diana Kennedy with a presentation for her re-released cookbook The Art of Mexican Cooking It was originally published in 1989, but this new version is slightly redesigned to give more prominence to the area of Mexico from which each recipe comes. Diana demonstrated three recipes that we all got to taste: Tamales de Flor de Calabaza (Squ...

As Northern Californians, we're pretty spoiled when it comes to wineries within 100 miles. I mean, that gets you to Napa and Sonoma--the wine meccas of the west coast. But since I moved to Sacramento, I've been a big fan of drinking more local wines, including those from Lodi and Clarksburg. Recently, though, I got to try an even more local wine, as in less than 2 miles from downtown. You can't get...

Ack! I almost missed this: The 2nd Annual Sacramento Wine & Dine Week It started last Saturday and runs through this Saturday. Many local restaurants are offering 3- and 4-course meals for a set price. Choose from high-end eateries like Biba to casual spots like River City Brewing Company. Click here for the full list of participating restaurants and their menus. You can reserve a table right from...

In case you missed it, there was a really interesting article in the Bee the other day about the number of restaurants in Sacramento that used to be auto shops or car showrooms. They range from Zocalo to Suzie Burger (pictured above). What with the price of gas these days, we might just see more car businesses closing. Let's hope they have the forethought to put in bike racks with valet parking!...

We bloggers sit about in front of our computers sending our thoughts and photos into the world and every once in a while we crawl out of our monitor-lit caves and get together! This, however, is a digital get-together for a blogger from Santa Rosa. A virtual hug, if you will. I'm donating a copy of my cookbook Hands-Off Cooking: Low-Supervision, High-Flavor Meals for Busy People, which I'll sign an...