![Red Door Desserts’ cookies are made by Saint John’s clients, who learn order management, inventory control, and packaging and shipping skills in addition to cookie recipes.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/plates_1.png?1647904301)
Cooking to Catharsis
Capital Region nonprofits empower women through culinary career training
Several local nonprofits are leading women to
self-sufficiency through a holistic approach, with culinary
training programs that arm them with transferable skills.
![Smashed falafel “shwacos” and shakshouka hand pies are among the Middle Eastern fusion dishes A Part of Roseville served during its time as a cafe. (Photo by Jennifer Fergesen)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shwaco.png?1644869646)
The New Fusion Food
Young restaurateurs in the Capital Region are rewriting the definition of authenticity
Capital Region restaurant owners with mixed backgrounds are
channeling their points of view into creative dishes.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/untitled_0.png?1592245979)
Comstock’s Talks: The New Fusion Food
PODCAST: Young restaurateurs in the Capital Region are rewriting the definition of authenticity.
![Esperanza Ortis, co-owner of La Esperanza food truck, says operating a food truck is a lower-stress alternative to running a restaurant. (Photo by Debbie Cunningham)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/esparanza2.png?1642809237)
Tasting To-Go
Mobile eateries find natural home in Amador County’s wine country
Amador County food trucks are expanding the meaning of fast
food by combining seasonality, convenience and relationships
with wineries.
![Friends and professional chefs Chris Lombardi (from left) and Ricky Yap’s Homeskool’d has a feature unique to online cooking classes: a virtual homeroom where students can connect with one another before instruction begins. (Photos by Debbie Cunningham)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/lead.png?1638909765)
Making the Most of the Pandemic Pantry
Through the pandemic, Zoom culinary classes delivered kitchen confidence to home cooks
With plenty of spare time and the need for social
activities, the pandemic prompted professional chefs to
create robust virtual cooking programs.
![David Cowie, brewer and co-owner of Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Co., takes pride in the business’s commitment to locally grown ingredients and toppings. (Photos by Scott Thomas Anderson)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/img_1674.png?1636075274)
Foothill Flavors
The spirit of Nevada County’s farm-to-table approach travels beyond the restaurant doors
Lately, Nevada County eateries aren’t just embracing a
farm-to-table trajectory; they’re finding small but meaningful
ways to send their experiences home with their customers.
![Brothers Albert, Bobby and Joe Davalos run El Novillero, which opened in 1970 as a humble 28-seat restaurant. Its dining room now accommodates 180. (Photo by Debbie Cunningham)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/dsc_6061.png?1635170623)
Three Capital Region Restaurants Keep It in the Family
A dedication to the past allows some family restaurants in the Capital Region to survive through the decades.
![Bartender Kyle Kaylor pours a glass of wine for a patron at Ro Sham Beaux, a bar at the forefront of the Capital Region’s natural wine scene. (Photos by Fred Greaves)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0921_dept_taste_fredgreaves_lead.jpg?1631730025)
A Natural Selection
New Sacramento wine bars highlight the Capital Region’s natural winemakers
Small, iconoclastic wineries, vineyards and bars may be set to impact the California wine scene in the same way the microbrewery boom challenged “Big Beer.”
![Ed Arnold, owner and distiller at California Distilled Spirits in Auburn, is one of a
a handful of local entrepreneurs who have brought housemade whiskeys to market. (Photos by Debbie Cunningham)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0821_dept_taste_debbiecunningham_embed1.jpg?1628536217)
These Craft Distilleries Are Bringing Housemade Whiskeys to the Capital Region
The Capital Region craft distillery scene is starting to catch up with the rest of the country.
![City Kitchen Sacramento is one of many meal prep businesses that saw a spike in business during the pandemic as more people ate at home. (Photo courtesy of Erica Cervantez)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0721_dept_taste_courtesyofericacervantez_lead.jpg?1627409049)
Meal Prep Entrepreneurs Saw Big Growth — and Challenges — During the Pandemic
While nearly every other niche of the food industry lost its footing in the pandemic, one had the potential to thrive: meal delivery services.