Category Archives: Enticing Events

New Oakville Grocery Sammies, Santana Row To Welcome A New Restaurant, and More

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The new Cuban sandwich at Oakville Grocery. (Photo courtesy of the store.)

The new Cuban sandwich at Oakville Grocery. (Photo courtesy of the store.)

New Sandwiches Galore At Oakville Grocery

Oakville Grocery, the 130-year-old landmark Wine Country gourmet store has rolled out a delicious new sandwich menu created by Chef Jason Rose.

Look for the Oakville Muffaletta ($13), a ciabatta piled with Toscano salami, sopressata, ham, provolone, and pickled pepper relish; the Cuban ($13), a torpedo roll stuffed with slow-cooked pork shoulder, ham, yellow mustard, pickles, Swiss cheese, and aioli; and the Quinoa Falafel ($9.50), spinach lavash rolled up around spicy hummus, harissa Greek yogurt, grilled eggplant, cucumber and pickles.

Each day, a special tartine ($10) also is featured, along with a waffle sandwich ($7) of ham and Swiss cheese.

The muffaletta. (Photo courtesy of Oakville Grocery.)

The muffaletta. (Photo courtesy of Oakville Grocery.)

With two locations — the original in Oakville and the other in Healdsburg — it’s a perfect place to pick up a quick lunch after cycling or touring wineries.

Get Ready for a Taste of Brazil at Santana Row

Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse, will be opening in San Jose’s Santana Row in early 2014.

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Dip Into Yogurt Dips and A Food Gal Giveaway

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Red Lentil Curry Dip made with Greek yogurt.

Red Lentil Curry Dip made with Greek yogurt.

 

I have a love-hate relationship with dip.

I love the stuff.

But not what it does to my hips, if you know what I mean.

So, when I had a chance to try La Terra Fina dips lately, I was intrigued. Rather than sour cream, they’re made with Greek yogurt.

That means, a serving of two tablespoons weighs in at a respectable 30 to 70 calories, depending upon the variety.

The eight dips are all gluten-free, too.

The Balsamic Beet & White Bean Dip is fuchsia colored with chunks of red beets in it. It’s slightly sweet, but also tangy from balsamic vinegar.

The Caramelized Onion Dip had a sweet onion-y taste, though I think it needed a little more salt or tang to really make its flavors pop.

The Red Lentil Curry Dip, my favorite of the bunch, reminded me of curried deviled eggs. With its earthy, yet mild curry flavor, it would be fantastic as a sandwich spread, too.

The dips are available at Whole Foods and Smart & Final for $4.99 per 10-ounce tub.

New Greek yogurt dips.

New Greek yogurt dips.

CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win samples of the La Terra Fina Greek Yogurt Dips. Entries, limited to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST July 20. Winner will be announced July 22.

How to win?

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Meet Chef Charlie Ayers and the Food Gal at Macy’s Valley Fair

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If you missed your chance to check out last month’s demo at Macy’s Valley Fair in Santa Clara, now’s your chance to catch another.

I’m thrilled to be hosting a 6 p.m. cooking demo on July 11 with  none other than Charlie Ayers, the first ever Google executive chef who now owns his own restaurant, Calafia Cafe in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village.

The eco-conscious  establishment offers plenty of healthful fare, including many vegetarian options.

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Sharp As A Knife and A Food Gal Giveaway

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ProHold 13-piece knife set. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Cutlery)

ProHold 13-piece knife set. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Cutlery)

One of the best investments any home-cook can make is a great knife.

Sure, knives can cost a small fortune. But take care of them, and they will last you a lifetime.

The first time you use a knife that is sharp and fits your hand well will be a revelation. Slicing and chopping will feel miraculously effortless. I know when I plunked down some cold hard cash for my first really good knife, I practically screamed when I cut an onion for the first time. The blade went through it like nobody’s business.

Over the years, I’ve tried a couple Chicago Cutlery knives, in addition to other brands. This moderate-priced line delivers a lot for a modest amount of money. The stainless steel blades also come with a lifetime warranty.

So, if you don’t yet have a well-made set of knives in your kitchen, it’s high-time you went shopping for some. They truly will change the way you cook.

CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a Chicago Cutlery 13-piece block set, a value of $69.99. The set includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, 8-inch bread knife, 5-inch utility knife, 5-inch partoku, a parer, a peeler, shears, a sharpening steel and 4 steak knives.

Entries, restricted to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST July 6. Winner will be announced July 8.

How to win?

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We All Scream For Ice Cream Sandwiches, Tonga Room Fun & More

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Waterbar's take on the ice cream sandwich. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant.)

Waterbar’s take on the ice cream sandwich. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant.)

Restaurants Serving Up Ice Cream Sandwiches

With summer in high gear, pastry chefs are channeling their inner child to turn out kid-pleasing ice cream sandwiches.

Lucky for us, they don’t mind if the grown-ups indulge, either.

At Waterbar in San Francisco, fudge cookies sandwich sweet cream ice cream, then get rolled in crunchy, buttery bits of chocolate shortbread ($9).

At the Americano at the Hotel Vitale in San Francisco, they’re crafting the exotic candy cap mushroom ice cream sandwich ($8). If you’ve never had one, you’re missing out. The tiny mushrooms, foraged by Executive Chef Kory Stewart, impart a heavenly maple syrup flavor to the ice cream base. This is one mushroom made for desserts.

And at Prospect in San Francisco, fresh cherries make a star turn in ice cream stuffed inside two chocolate cookies, then all rolled in candied almonds (2 pieces for $4.50).

Prospect's cherry-chocolate ice cream sandwich. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant.)

Prospect’s cherry-chocolate ice cream sandwich. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant.)

 Tonga Room Celebrates the Fourth of July

How about a bona fide beach party — indoors — at the world-famous Tonga Room in the San Francisco Fairmont?

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