Recipes

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  Miss Norgueira's sweet rice

  For years, Stanislaus County dairy farmer Marcie Davis has been making this rice pudding recipe from the book "Portuguese Home Cooking," by Ana Patuleia Ortins. This is one of the Davis family's favorite treats made from their sheep farm's milk.
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  The easiest tomato sauce you will ever make

  Sacramento chef Patrick Mulvaney can think of plenty of uses for this easy-to-make tomato sauce. A favorite is serving it over cheesy polenta, sometimes with sautéed mushrooms. Happen to have leftover sauce? "We freeze it in ice cube trays. Then we have perfect 2-ounce cubes of tomato sauce at our beck and call."
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  Tomato pasta with gremolata

  Sacramento chef Patrick Mulvaney is a fan of canned tomatoes "because there's so much variety in what you can get out of it." Here's a delicious example.
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  Braised market greens

  Cooked with wine, croutons and lots of garlic, these richly flavored greens stand alone as a side dish. Or use them as a base for serving grilled salmon, chicken or pork. 
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  Five mac and cheese

  Make it loaded! Add shredded, smoked pork shoulder and Calabrian chiles to the finished dish.
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  Gun Smoke

  This clever approach to the Manhattan—with a smoky cinnamon stick as a garnish—is sure to be a conversation starter. "The idea behind a lot of our cocktails is taking a riff of a classic cocktail and making it our own," Sean Venus said. 
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  Laura Palmer

  Named after a character in the 1990s "Twin Peaks" TV series, this cocktail is a customer favorite. Sean Venus describes it as "refreshing, tart, bright, delicate and floral with a low presence of alcohol" and a "great suggestion for the gin beginner."
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  Roasted Brussels sprouts with date jalapeño cashew cream

  Brussels sprouts are known for their nutritional value, but this treatment is more indulgent than healthful. The dish is especially decadent served alongside the Gun Smoke cocktail.
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  Frijoles de la olla compuestos (Brothy beans with garnish)

  Beans, simmered for hours with a smoked ham hock, are a satisfying and delicious side dish. "With little effort, they can be a great main dish," chef David Gomez said.
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  Calabacitas (Pork-zucchini stew)

  There are many variations to this dish; however, squash is the one ingredient always present. "This is how I remember my mom's calabacitas, along with beans and fresh, homemade flour tortillas," chef David Gomez said. "I easily return to that moment of my life."