Queenkv’s Brainpickings

Hanging with Stomper, originally uploaded by queenkv.

Chilling with my buddy Stomper between innings

Giants vs. A’s, originally uploaded by queenkv.

Giants up at bat during the top of the 7. They’re leading 9 to 1

Garlic Fries at the Bay Bridge Series, originally uploaded by queenkv.

I love this ballpark treat from Gordon Biersch

Tailgating at the Oakland A’s game, originally uploaded by queenkv.

I was amazed how many people hogged parking spots for their cookouts. Chaos.

Lengua taco from El Tejeban in Vaca Town, originally uploaded by queenkv.

Tasty, chewy tongue and salsa in Vacaville. I washed it down with Pacifico

It’s been 6 months+ since we moved back to Northern California.

I think we’ve synched up nicely with the rhythm of life in Sacramento and the Bay Area. Last month, we checked out the farm team for the Oakland A’s, the Sacramento River Cats.

Cheering on the River Cats!, originally uploaded by queenkv.

We scored some sweet seats next to the field and I spent a good part of the night ducking flying foul balls. We’re bringing a catcher’s mitt next time! Of course, we enjoyed the perfect ball park meal: a cold beer and a hearty hot dog. In this case, it was a kielbasa sausage.

Chowing Down at Raley Field, originally uploaded by queenkv.

Speaking of food, our trip back to Cali also helped us return to amazing meals in San Francisco. Susan and Tom had nothing but good things to say about Incanto’s Head to Tail Dinner. So, we tried it out a few weeks ago. It was a gentle, decadent introduction to offal dining and I loved every bite.

offal: 1: the waste or by-product of a process: as a: trimmings of a hide b: the by-products of milling used especially for stock feeds c: the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal removed in dressing (from Merriam-Webster)

Anthony Bourdain often said cooks learned how to make the nasty bits taste good out of necessity. Eventually, those tasty dishes get elevated to gourmet dining because it demonstrates the cook’s skill in working with all the edible scraps, trims, bones, guts and more.

For chefs like Cosentino, cooking with offal has been transformed into an art form. It’s a nod to the tradition of past chefs who made do with little and a look forward to healthy, sustainable eating.

Almost 7 years ago, I would have never thought I’d be part of the offal dining movement. In our early dating years, Mark and I did Valentine’s Dinner at Incanto. It was an intimate, romantic dining scene. This was before Chef Cosentino exploded on the TV food scene with Iron Chef America. Back then, the food tasted delicious, refined, hearty and I wanted seconds. In 2008, I can’t wait for our next dinner at Incanto.

St. Paul’s on Easter Sunday, originally uploaded by queenkv.

After the shortest Easter Sunday Mass at St. Paul’s (45 minutes), we also celebrated with an Easter Supper Dinner at Incanto.

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Fine Feathered Shoppers in Vaca Town, originally uploaded by queenkv.

Meeting new friends at Target in Vacaville.

Puppy after Surgery., originally uploaded by queenkv.

Daisy’s paw is looking better. The doc pulled out another foxtail. She likes taking her antibiotics with cheese whiz.

Dreaming of meat in Napa, originally uploaded by queenkv.

Pancetta, bacon and tasty meat at the Fatted Calf in downtown Napa. Yum!

Another look at the Napa Co. Fire, originally uploaded by queenkv.

A look at the Napa County wild fire from downtown Napa. The wind is blowing the smoke east to Vacaville.