Hey, that tastes local
Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op is hosting a tasting event from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Called the Local Flavors Tasting Fair, it kicks off the Co-op's new labeling system, which identifies foods produced or grown within a 100-mile radius of Sacramento.
You'll be able to sample locally produced foods including organic produce, baked goods, cheeses, ice cream and honey. Beekeeper Frank Leinert will be at the store along with some of his bees.
For more information contact, the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, 1900 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento or call (916) 455-2667. You will also find details on the store's Web site at www.sacfoodcoop.com.
Shop & go
So many folks are switching to reusable grocery bags that carrying them around when fully loaded has become a challenge. Sur La Table catalog has a new cart designed to carry all those canvas bags.
The Hook and Go Urban Shopper has eight hooks to hang bags of fresh produce and other groceries up to 70 pounds. The cart has rubber wheels and a rubber stopper to keep it upright. It folds for storage. It sells for $59.95. You can find it on the Sur La Table Web site at www.surlatable.com.
The choice is Choice
Last week, Raley's and Bel Air markets added a Black Angus line of beef to their meat counters. It's a higher level of USDA Choice grade than that found at most markets, said a Raley's spokeswoman. (Most supermarkets sell Choice grade.)
That prompted several phone calls from readers wanting to know if Choice was a good grade.
According to the USDA, grading is based on measurable attributes in the meat such as marbling (the amount of fat interspersed with lean meat), color, firmness, texture and age of the animal. All of these are factors that indicate tenderness, juiciness and flavor. There are eight grades of beef, but most consumers are aware of Prime, Choice and Select.
USDA Prime beef is top-rated for tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. It has abundant marbling and flecks of fat that give it flavor and juiciness. In general, Prime is available only to restaurants.
Choice has less marbling than Prime, but it is still high quality. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib are tender, juicy and flavorful and, like Prime, are suited to dry-heat cooking such as broiling and grilling. Less- tender cuts can also be tender if they are marinated.
Select grade is uniform in quality and a bit leaner than Prime or Choice, but because it has less fat, it is less juicy and tender. It is often used for ground beef. In general, when cooking Select grade steaks or roasts, you will have better results if you marinate the beef before cooking or use a moist-heat cooking method such as stewing.
The buck stops here
This is not an endorsement; I'm just passing on fodder to liven up a boring cocktail party.
There's a new cookbook that calls only for ingredients you can find at the 99 Cent Store. "The 99 Cent Only Stores Cookbook: Gourmet Recipes at Discount Prices" by Christiane Jory (Adams Media, $12.99, 197 pages) includes recipes for appetizers, soups, main dishes, side dishes and desserts.
Here's what you can make with ingredients from the 99 Cent Store: red flannel hash, which calls for dried onions, butter, corned beef, canned potatoes, beets, Worcestershire and some spices; Violet's morning cake made with a cake mix, eggs, margarine, orange extract and apricot jam; and "warm bundles," made with a can of crescent roll dough and a milk chocolate bar.
