Recipes

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  Mac and cheese with picada sauce

  Sausalito chef Ryan Kacenjar offers a different take on everyone's favorite: mac and cheese. He suggests using ear-shaped orecchiette pasta for the recipe because "their shape allows them to capture a ton of cheese!"

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  Moroccan carrot salad

  Fragrant spices, bright colors, sweet and savory flavors, this Moroccan carrot salad is a feast for the senses!

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  Summer garden salad

  Sometimes the simplest of salads have the most to offer. Here, nectarines are the star of the show on a bed of baby greens, with cheese and pistachios to liven things up.

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  Lemon roasted artichokes with burrata cheese
  and walnut pesto

  This recipe emphasizes the pure flavor of the artichoke: simple and delicious!

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  Oven-roasted baby carrots with mole sauce

  In this unique take on a Mexican mole sauce, chocolate is substituted with black garlic, an ingredient that offers a creamy texture and a sweet, umami-rich taste.

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  Cocktail #3

  The cocktails at Empress Tavern are identified by number, not name. Chef Mike Thiemann laughs and rolls his eyes when asked why: "Some cocktail names are the worst!" Nevertheless, he calls this his play on a vodka cranberry and declares it "super refreshing."
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  Dutch baby with cherries and plums

  A Dutch baby is a popover-like pancake cooked in the oven. Chef Mike Thiemann serves it at Sacramento's Mother restaurant for brunch, but it's versatile enough for dessert or even as a savory entrée (for example, omit the sugar and top with mushroom gravy).
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  Honey roasted pork belly with black pepper vinegar

  The menu at Empress Tavern, an underground restaurant in part of a building that began life as a vaudeville palace in 1912, revolves around a massive rotisserie. Locally raised pork is among the options.
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  Lemon glazed persimmon bars

  Self-proclaimed "persimmon nut" Jean Brine has been collecting and testing persimmon recipes for about 50 years. Her cookbook, "Perfectly Persimmon" (Morris Press Cookbooks), offers 1,010 ways to enjoy Fuyu and Hachiya varieties in sweet and savory dishes.
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  Mustard squash and pickled peaches

  Mustard and acidity, sweet and sour: This dish hits multiple flavor highlights. While it can be a meal in itself, Mike Thiemann said it's especially tasty served alongside a roast chicken.