Along with eleven others and four instructors, I recently attended a Plate 2 Page workshop in the small town of Pistoia, Italy.  We indulged in food, wine, conversation, writing and photography.  The following shares an afternoon experience.

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Nestled in the Tuscan hills surrounded by olives and vines, colors changing from green to fall, we gathered around a table.  Nicoletta stood in the kitchen doorway holding the first course of our Tuscan lunch, Serafina behind her.  They began setting down plates and bottles of wine.  On the cheese plate, a young pecorino with its natural sweetness surprisingly accentuated by a drizzle of honey contrasted with a buttery Camembert that stood nicely on its own.  A bite of crusty bread unexpectedly failed to please until paired with capicola, musty and rich, tasting of complexity.  Tuscan dried ham is saltier than the same from other areas in Italy thus works well with pane Toscana, unsalted Tuscan bread.  At least that’s one of the myths but it worked for us.

Capicola with Arugula and Parmesan Reggiano

Nicoletta appeared with a frittata causing eight people to jump up with their cameras.  The air was filled with the sound of shutters clicking, clicking.  When we finally let her set it down, the steam wafting off the frittata’s cratered top- peppered with leeks- had subsided leaving behind the aroma of egg, onion and olive oil.

Next, the sound of popping corks held the promise of a tasting adventure.  The aroma of the garnet colored wine began with mild cherries and finished with Christmas spice.  Smooth on the palate, gliding effortlessly over your tongue, it turned dusty and bright, awakening the sides of your mouth.  The Sangiovese grape enjoyably complimented the rich creaminess of the eggs.  Nicoletta, cook, winemaker and host proudly offered wine from her vineyard, Il Salicone.

Warmed by the sun and delighted by Nicoletta’s food and wine, by the time dessert came we had relaxed into the comfort of the Tuscan meal.  Biscotti?  Cantucci?  We were quickly educated about both, learning the tradition of dipping cantucci into sweet wine but our glasses of red worked just fine.

Kate's Cantucci Photograph

Crostada di cioccolata followed the biscuits teasing us with the taste of hazelnuts.  An espresso jolt later, we were feeling sufficiently energetic for a winery tour.  Hands-on, down to earth methods are why Il Salicone’s wines are unforgettable.

Sitting in my house now, all I need to take me back to Tuscany is the sound of a cork popping and the aroma of mild cherries and Christmas spice.

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Kate McNalley was my jovial winery lunch and tour partner.  Together, we wrote, took pictures and strolled in the wee hours of the morning.  Kate currently resides in Belgium with her husband.  You can visit Kate at her colorful blog, Serendipity.

From Plate to Page was developed by four tremendous women: Ilva, Jaime, Jeanne and Meeta.  Visit the P2P website or Facebook page to learn more about these ladies and workshops.

Altea is a coastal town in the province of Valencia three hours from Barcelona.  One side snuggles up to the Mediterranean, while the other is in striking distance of the Sierra de Bernia mountain range.  There are numerous hikes in and around the area including one to the Bernia Fort, a 16th century fort used to control the Moors in earlier times.  We discovered all that remains of the ruins are a few standing walls but it was well worth the hike.

Look for the PR trail markers.

Sometimes they're harder to see.

Spain has a number of hiking trails known as senders de gran recorregut (GR) and Senders de Petit Recorregut (PR).  Other trails cross or run parallel to both.  Trail markers are red and white or yellow and white stripes which make it fairly easy to find your way.

Our first breather was after an hour of hiking. After that, it got steeper with lots of switchbacks.

This went on for a good hour, then the trail wound through an olive and almond orchard that had long been forgotten.  It proceeded along a creek bed in a rocky area with pine trees and opened up to this view a few hours later.

It was getting pretty warm when we got within reach. And finally, that great feeling of accomplishment.

Our stellar day of hiking ended with this view and beverage: Cava on the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean.

A rainbow of fresh produce on display.

You’ve been hearing a lot from Lynn lately, happily gallivanting about Spain for a month, but you haven’t heard much from me in a while. I founded Sacatomato five years ago with Jennifer Cliff and then welcomed Lynn as a co-blogger several years later. As fellow food fanatics, we’re always excited to talk about something we’ve eaten, grown, cooked, bought, or heard about. However, just as our gardens grow and change with the seasons (and years), so my interests have been growing and changing. Therefore, I’m not going to be blogging here much anymore–just occasionally if Lynn needs another voice. She’ll be (wo)manning the Sacatomato stove for you and reporting on all the good flavors she finds. I’ll be heading towards new adventures–food related, of course–and I’ll let you know about them as they coalesce. You can also continue to find me in the pages of the Sacramento News & Review, where I write the “Eat it and Reap” column and for a few weeks the “Homegrown” column as well. As soon as my new digs are settled, I’ll do a guest post here and include lots of links and info!

In the meantime, I want to tell you about the fantastic lunch I had at Newcastle Produce this past Wednesday. It’s hard to believe I’ve never been there before, since I’ve lived in Sac for almost nine years. My friend Amber and I were lucky enough to join Joanne Neft for lunch that day. She is a legendary figure in the local farming community for her role as founder of the Placer County farmer’s markets and the Mountain Mandarin Festival. She’s also the author of the gorgeous and inspiring seasonal cookbook Placer County Real Food from Farmers Markets. And she’s the owner of the original packing sheds in the little town of Newcastle that served as the hub for California produce shipping in the early 20th century. This is where Newcastle Produce is now sited.

Just forty seconds off of 80E, between Rocklin and Auburn, Newcastle Produce is housed in a peach-colored building visible from the freeway. A few short turns and you arrive at the front of a lovely grocery store in a warehouse district. Inside are small tables and chairs, a deli, and an amazing array of local, seasonal products–particularly fresh produce. The walls are covered in hand-painted murals and old fruit crate labels. Various old farm implements decorate the tops of cold cases and shelves.

Scrumptious sauces for sale.

The deli offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, and soups, and you can combine them in all kinds of tasty ways. I chose a two-salad sampler and was rewarded with a chunky curried chicken with crisp bites of green apple and a creamy sauce. My other choice was a broccoli salad made of the smallest florets of crunchy broccoli, large hunks of crisp bacon, and golden raisins. Crackers or fresh bread come on the side and we snapped up a big ginger cookie to share. Joanne and Amber both chose an Asian noodle salad, and I remember a chickpea salad, corn and black bean salad, and flatbread sandwiches as well.

Some of the cookies for sale were the size of a baby’s head, but even more exciting was the array of authentic-looking scones. Blueberry-cornmeal, pear-cardamom, white chocolate, something with honey. They all looked fantastic. As it turns out, they were. It’s hard to find a good scone in the Sacramento area. I’m particular about wanting a crumbly texture that’s more biscuity than muffiny. Many bakers seem to think that scones are just triangular muffins, which they most certainly should not be. These were a bit crunchy on the outside after warming, with loads of buttery flavor and a tender texture. It’s a good thing they’re not closer to me.

Newcastle Produce is run by Jan Thompson, proprietor of Twin Brooks Farm with her husband Francis. As a third-generation Placer County farmer, Jan knows the region well. She showcases seasonal produce from her farm and others in the area, indicating for each its source and variety. In addition to the produce, there are shelves upon shelves of local tasties like fresh cheeses, wines, candies, sauces, jams, and dried goods. We left with some local popcorn, raisins, pickled beets, and a sampler of three kinds of basil. I spied a wall of dried spices, lots of local honey, and a variety of cookbooks, including Joanne’s.

While it may seem a bit far to go for lunch, you’ll be duly rewarded with the kind of farm-fresh, perfectly gorgeous food that we should be able to find far more frequently in this huge agricultural area. Newcastle Produce does a wonderful job of celebrating our incredible local bounty. Next time you’re headed to North Tahoe or Reno, you have to drop in for a sandwich and gourmet supplies. Next time you just want an outstanding lunch in a lovely, quiet location, you have to drop everything and head up to Newcastle Produce.

I also get to eat vicariously that way, learning about the foods and customs of the story location. Dr. Siri and his friend are always eating sandwiches on baguettes–a leftover influence of the French occupiers. They also drink rice whiskey and, later in the series, lots of noodles from the  food stall of Dr. Siri’s wife. There are lots of Thai and Vietnamese influences as well, and since I like both of those cuisines, I was thrilled to realize that we have a Lao restaurant in West Sacramento!

Vientiane Restaurant, named for the capital city of Laos, is just off Jefferson Boulevard (1001, Suite 600) in a very nondescript strip mall. It used to be in another location, but closed for a while and reappeared not long ago at the new site. The interior is small and sparsely decorated, but often full of families and loyal patrons. (Note to parents: They have two fish tanks and a wall of mirrors that help keep children entertained until the food arrives. A long sidewalk outside is also good for running laps to use up excess kid energy.)

We went recently on a Monday night and they were fairly busy. I had heard that the Lao Spring Rolls were good, so we ordered those first. They were fresh rice paper wrapped around crunchy lettuce, cilantro, and rice noodles, with a zingy sauce. You can also order them with chicken inside, but we did not. Next we moved to entrees and ordered Caramel Pork, which is a very Vietnamese influenced dish with chunks of pork in a sauce made with caramelized sugar. It also had some saltiness to it and we loved it over steamed rice. You can actually order several different kinds of steamed rice at Vientiane (sticky rice is most authentic), so be sure to ask what they have. Our table also got the Chili Prawns, Pineapple Fried Rice with prawns, and Koa Mee–Lao-style fried rice noodles.

The chili prawns were incendiary, with huge chili peppers alongside the prawns. The flavor was wonderfully complex though, and not just knock-you-out spicy. They were one of our favorite dishes. The fried rice was fine, and plentiful, but not as interesting as the one we had recently at Chada Thai. That had more contrasting flavors that this version. The other favorite of the table was the noodles, which is supposedly a Lao version of pad thai. It came with ground pork and a slippery mound of noodles garnished with vegetables and a sort of gravy/sauce. Very satisfying. We tried for sticky rice and mango for dessert, which is a clear Thai influence, but the chef didn’t recommend the mangoes they had left. Apparently there was a run on them earlier in the day.

So we had an appetizer, four entrees, and five non-alcoholic drinks and the total was less than $50! I’d love to go back and try the green papaya salad, which a friend raves about, and the Chili Fish with Spicy Tomato Sauce. While the decor is a bit cold, I enjoyed most of the food immensely and want to learn more about this cuisine that has been so flavored by other cultures. One of the best things about Sacramento is the immense variety of cuisines you can find here. Put Lao on your list and you can pretend you’ve visited, even if only for one meal.

There exists an Italian village on the shores of Lake Michigan.  Complete with stone villas, cypress trees, vistas of hills and starlit skies, the aromas of Italian home cooking waft through the streets, all at 71 W. Monroe Street in Chicago.  And it’s called, appropriately enough The Italian Village.

Chicago’s oldest Italian restaurant established in 1927, this landmark gives you three choices depending on your mood; The Village- traditional Italian upstairs, La Cantina Enoteca–steak and seafood in a wine cave-like bistro downstairs,  and Vivere–contemporary Northern Italian food in an upscale rococo dining room on the main floor.  We have Tuscan immigrant Alfredo Capitanini to thank for the restaurant.

We ate there a number of times over the years before moving to Sacramento.  Last week we went back for pizza while visiting the windy city.

I walked through the doors and climbed the stairs to The Village.  Pausing, I looked around, took a long deep breath and announced my state of mind to the maître d’ (an older, dark haired, olive skinned Italian man well dressed in a suit and tie).  “I’m so excited to be here!” A grin and chuckle followed.

That evening we proceeded to the bar area of The Village complete with dark wooden booths where decades of Chicagoans and their extended families have dined.  If these walls could talk!   The bar gives you the impression of being on a terrace looking out into the countryside, which is painted on the walls.  Hills, buildings and trees in relief… and of course, twinkling stars flash from the midnight blue sky above.  Literally.  Some might think it‘s a bit cheesy.  I find the atmosphere charming and the history intriguing.

We were in the mood for pizza, and it had to go with Italian wine.  Plain and simple.  The pizza arrived just the way I remembered; cracker thin crust, crunchy and flaky, almost pastry-like.  Tomato sauce, red onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sweet Italian sausage, fontina and mozzarella.  Not too much or little of anything and just a touch of lusty oil glistening atop the pizza.  It lacked nothing.  Flavors, smells and background noise transported me, especially nearing completion of my second glass of wine.

The Italian Village is about personality.  It isn’t about Chicago deep dish or molecular gastronomy.  It’s about family, enjoyment and full-flavored food with basic ingredients.

Before leaving I chatted briefly with the restaurant’s executive chef Bobby Trevino.  As I turned to climb back down the stairs, he said, “It’s all about polishing tradition.  You have to give credit to what came before you.”

Recently, we’ve been discovering some Sacramento restaurants that have great adult food and amenities for kids as well. I joined a discussion on Facebook not long ago with the Bee restaurant critic, Blair Anthony Robertson. Regarding his review of Tower Cafe, I pointed out that not everyone is looking for the same things to make a “good” restaurant. For me, these days, I need interesting food for both adults and children, a good way to distract said children while waiting, and employee patience with small people who tend to be loud and messy. Not every “family” restaurant fits that bill (especially on the food) and many other places may hit the food mark but look askance at your kid wanting to get out of her chair every two minutes. The reality of dining out with children is that it’s not particularly relaxing, but you do it for the benefit of trying new things, not cooking that night, and seeing other adults.

So here are some local places that work great for discerning parents and their rambunctious offspring:

Star Ginger (3101 Folsom Blvd.) is the new Mai Pham Asian grill and noodle bar at the corner of Folsom and Alhambra. Chef Pham opened a few of these concepts in colleges and has now licensed them to a company that will open many more across the U.S. It’s a well-tested menu and the restaurant been packed from Day 1. When I went for dinner, I noticed a “Kid’s Bowl” of grilled chicken, vegetables, brown or white rice, and a drink for $5.95. Returning later in the week for lunch with Eva, I couldn’t find it on the menu, but the cashier graciously offered to have it made and found us a 100% juice CapriSun to go with it. (It’s supposed to be on the lunch menu soon.) The bowl is photographed above, and was incredibly generous. Eva loves peas, so those were the first to go, followed immediately by the chicken, which was flavorful but not too spicy. The noise level at lunch is pretty high, so no one noticed a three-year-old singing through lunch and dropping her chopsticks on the floor (except me). The banh mi sliders, also only available at dinner, would be another good kid choice, or the chicken salad rolls that I ordered. They were perfect rice paper-wrapped salad bites that I dipped into a peanut sauce. You can also order everything to go.

Evan’s Kitchen (855 57th St.) is headed by Evan Elsberry in the 57th St. Antique Mall. It’s a bit out of the way in our usual dining choices, but I had heard that the chef had a kids’ grazing plate on the menu. So when my parents were recently visiting and we wanted a nice dinner with daughter in tow, we tried Evan’s. The adult food was mixed–some quite good, like the lamb lollipops; some a bit too heavy, like the butternut squash ravioli. However, the grazing plate was perfect. It had a variety of sliced meat, cheese, raw vegetables, fruit chunks, crackers, and even olives I think. Obviously the chef has children and wants to encourage parents to eat there. The grazing plate was a great hit with Eva and I appreciated the variety of healthy foods. On the entertainment front, the waiter was quite attentive to Eva, brought her some crayons, and didn’t blink when we took her outside to run laps in the parking lot while we waited for our order.

Masullo (2711 Riverside  Blvd.) pizzeria has been one of our favorites since it opened a couple of years ago. It helps that we can walk there, but even if we had to drive, it would be a great place to take children for dinner. The two main seating areas are communal tables, and the staff is quick to supply high chairs and crayons. Milk–surprisingly not always available at restaurants–comes in a cup with a lid and straw, which is an enormous relief to spill-fearing parents. We’ve even had the waiter bring Eva a blob of pizza dough to play with while we waited, and the parking lot is ideal for running around. Even better, the food rocks. Eva has been happy to eat every soup she’s had there and the cheese and fruit plate appetizer is exactly the right size to share with her. It even comes with wedges of pizza dough to gnaw on. We’re always thrilled to eat any of the crisp Neopolitan-style pizzas and have loved the Fall Chop Salad with endive, pistachios, and apples. Bonus points to them for having changing tables in the women’s and men’s restrooms!

Spin Burger Bar (1020 16th St.) was not initially high on my list of places to try. It seemed too much of a hipster place with a self-esteem problem. But since my husband works in a bike shop, he got some discount coupons for Spin, so we tried it out for lunch. This turned out to be the right time to eat there with a child–not too loud. We were seated in a booth just behind the bar, surrounded by chalkboard walls. While some lovely chalk art was on display, our waiter brought a big cup of chalk and Eva was hooked. She drew and erased for at least fifteen minutes straight, which in parenting is a lifetime–enough time to read the whole menu and sip some beer. For food, they feature burgers, of course, and as every new Sacramento restaurant seems to have on their menu, sliders. While a bit ubiquitous these days, I appreciate sliders for their kid-sized qualities. The adult-sized burgers were extremely juicy and had lots of options, although our buns disintegrated by the time we were finished. Meanwhile, though, Eva was plowing through an enormous order of macaroni and cheese for only $2.95. The perpetually whirling bicycle wheels on the ceiling kept her pretty entertained as well.

I’ve found some other great places, and I’ll profile them in the coming weeks. But in the meantime, do any of you parents or friends of parents have favorite places to eat out with kids? Places that don’t involve happy meals and sodium overdoses? Let me know and I’ll be happy to check them out with my assistant eater in tow.

Ray Yamamoto isn’t a celebrity chef, nor does he own a restaurant.  As a child he dreamed of learning to cook French food and becoming a chef.  While his parents, second generation Japanese Americans who moved back to Japan after the war wanted him to go to college, Ray had the cooking bug.

“It’s very different in Japan,” he said.  “Japan has another work mentality.  Everyone starts from the bottom to learn all aspects of restaurant work.”

From mopping floors and cleaning dishes to waiting and busing tables, he did it all.  Touching the food comes later.

“You have a hierarchical type of relationship with your peers.  It doesn’t matter how talented you are, you do what you are told and that’s the way it is.”

Born in 1962, Yamamoto grew up just outside of Tokyo where he attended high school.  After studying, he worked in western cuisine restaurants doing everything but working with food.  Because Yamamoto didn’t want to go to college, his parents requested he move to Sacramento to live with his uncle.  The teenager arrived in1980 and although he thought about going back to Japan for culinary school, his uncle needed help with a landscape business so Yamamoto worked for him days and went to school evenings to learn English.

“I didn’t speak a word of English and couldn’t get into college so I had to enroll in English as a second language,” he said.

Yamamoto met his role model and friend Shige (see-gay), a Japanese sushi chef, while prepping at a restaurant.  Chatting with Shige he shared his desire to be a chef.  The start of this dream came to fruition in 1984 when the restaurant, Shige Sushi opened.

“I started as an apprentice and learned all aspects of making sushi.”

Six years into his apprenticeship and feeling comfortable, he accepted a job at Tokio Japanese Restaurant in Midtown Sacramento.  Although he enjoyed the restaurant, the chance to be partners with Shige knocked at his door.  A few years later and he moved on and into a partnership.

Their friendship remained strong (and still is today) but another situation revealed its face in 2001.  Yamamoto entered into a new partnership, purchasing Akebono Restaurant in Granite Bay.  Akebono specialized in Japanese course meals where similar to tapas, a table of two would enjoy a series of five or six small plate items.

“The creativity was wonderful at Akebono, I really liked the restaurant.  I worked longer hours than before because there was a lot more prep work.  We had a huge menu of items,” he said.  I could see the dedication and love of his profession in his eyes when he spoke.  There was gratification and satisfaction with Akebono but there were sacrifices too- no watching his son’s soccer games and not much golf or shopping (yes, he loves to shop!).

January 2007 proved the year for Yamamoto to be on his own.  He opened A Sushi Experience, a catering company where he also taught sushi making classes.  That May, Oto’s Japanese Marketplace approached him.  They were completing the move to their new location on Freeport Boulevard in Sacramento and needed a sushi chef.  That’s where you’ll find him today making sushi.

What does Yamamoto miss about restaurant work?

“The main difference is not having immediate feedback on your product.  You have to wait for the reaction.  It comes when people return to buy more sushi,” he said.

And make a lot of sushi he does. Friday and Saturday are Yamamoto’s most active days when he makes from 230 to 240 individual sushi boxes.  He uses an average of 230 pounds of rice per week and is busier than ever.

The last thing this soft-spoken man shared made me smile.  He stepped forward and said, “With a son going off to college, I won’t be leaving anytime soon!  Actually I really like what I do here.  I love creating sushi.”

You can visit Yamamoto and A Sushi Experience at Oto’s sushi bar Tuesday through Saturday.  But you better get there early because the sushi sells out quick!

I recently enjoyed a coastal weekend north of Bodega Bay with great friends.  Not just any friends but ones who are as crazy as me about food and wine.  One happened to be a diver, wild about foraging for shellfish of the mollusk variety, thus the star of the weekend was abalone.

Saturday morning came very early.  Mike slipped out unnoticed, drove to Fort Ross, and was back in time for coffee.  Quicker than usual, he tagged three abalone and found the largest mussels I’d ever seen.

He reported visibility so great he could see the bottom on his free dive, which is essentially holding your breath.  (The second day’s dive at Russian Gulch was more difficult due to only 3 to 4 feet of visibility in the water.)  Being my first foray with Mike, I was curious to know how he got into abalone diving.

Having it in your blood helps.  Growing up in the late 60’s and early 70’s, his Dad and brother dove on the central California coast near the town of Morro Bay where his grandfather also dove for abalone years before.  As they dove, he’d collect clams with his Mom and sister.  Wanting in on the action, he eventually became a certified SCUBA diver.

Interesting to note, it was legal to SCUBA dive for abalone in the Morro Bay area as early as the 40’s, when his grandfather started rock picking them.  Unfortunately, the abalone fishery from Morro Bay south was wiped out once SCUBA gear was introduced.  Mike said abalone (or “ab”, as he refers to them) only grow about 1/8 to ¼-inch a year.  The legal size is 7-inches or larger so a 7-inch ab is at least 28 years old.  Sadly, it will be a very long time before they return to that area.

The ab limit is three per day/possession not to exceed 24 per year.  By law you must “tag” the ab immediately on exiting the water.  Mike shared he saw individuals being cited by the State Parks Ranger for not tagging their ab.  Kudos to Fish & Game (F&G) and law enforcement for being very active in enforcement of ab regulations!  While Mike wants to see the abalone fishery continue for his son, the rest of us selfishly confessed we want it to continue for our culinary pleasure.

There are also specific F&G regulations on dimensions for the “ab iron”, the tool used to pry the abalone off the rock.  Reasoning is if the foot of the ab is cut, it will lose its body fluid and die (bleed to death).  Also by F&G regulations you must measure the ab immediately upon removing it from the rock.  Mike uses an ab gauge for measuring before he puts it in his float.

Abalone Floats have a tire inner tube with a heavy duty Cordura cover that acts as a combination platform and floatation device that contains your tools and catch.  If it is 7-inches or more, you must keep it.  If less than 7-inches, you must return it to the area where found.  The purpose of the regulation is to keep accidental mortality of abalone down.  I like Mike’s practice of putting an ab that’s too small back in a place where it can reestablish itself quickly.  He found all Red abalone on our weekend, which must be 7-inches or larger.  These are the most prevalent in northern California and coincidentally the world’s largest type.

After this bit of education we went outside and cleaning began.  It’s hard work and takes muscle.  He didn’t find any pearls but did say a few have surfaced over the years.

After cleaning, Mike pulled out his “ab slicer”, a slicing guide his grandfather made to enable an even and thin slice.  Using a fillet knife with the slicer, he can cut a ¼-inch ab steak perfectly.

The steaks are then pounded thinner, which also tenderizes them.

His old family recipe is to bread and fry:  dunk in an egg and milk mixture, roll in finely crumbled Ritz crackers, then fry in butter.  But the group and Mike voted to be more health wise so Italian Bread crumbs, herbs and olive oil were used in lieu of Ritz and butter.

Dinner was superb both nights, which included oysters and clams from Hog Island Oyster Company, abalone and mussels, and dungeness crab picked up from a chance meeting with Mike’s friend who was crabbing at Dillon Beach.  Everything was delicious however the ab was my favorite– rich in flavor with a certain creamy seafood sweetness and slight crunch from the breading.

If you are lucky enough to come upon a fresh abalone, and don’t want to waste any meat, here is another recipe of Mikes for scrap meat use.

Take the scraps, chop them finely then mix with the leftover egg-milk blend and breadcrumbs.  Add a bit of grated mozzarella cheese, form them into small patties and fry until golden.  An easy abalone riff on crab cakes.