Edible Sacramento Fall 2022

From left: Chutharat Sae Tong, co owner of Majka Pizzeria + Bakery with her husband, Alex Sherry, holds a box of fresh-from-the-farm apricots from Spreadwing Farm in Sacramento; Sherry preps eggplant to roast for Majka’s Eggplant Parmigiana; Sae Tong slices up a mushroom and brown butter pizza; Poblano chiles are prepped for Majka’s corn pizza

The couple and their daughter aren’t vegetarian, but, Sherry says, it made sense to go that direction for their pizzeria, which opened in 2020. Plant-based pizza spots have been popular in the Bay Area for some time, he says, and Sacramento diners have been receptive to seasonal combinations such as fig and blue cheese or creamed corn, cherry tomatoes, andmozzarella. Pizza, he says, is a crowd-friendly option that’s easy to make at home. “Go to the farmers’ market or your local grocery store and see what produce looks good,” Sherry says. “When I’m thinking about what new ingredients to put on pizza, I think about what other kind of dishes I like to eat that aren’t pizza and how I could apply that on a pizza to see if it works out.” Alderson says the weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce box she gets is essential. At home, she likes to pair whatever’s in season with Northern California-grown grains. Spices are key, too, she says, especially with proteins such as tofu and tempeh. “Think about the flavors you really like inmeat dishes that can [be used] inmeat-free dishes,” she says. Going plant-based also doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Even adding just a few new plant-based meals into your

Davis, who also teaches a monthly vegan cooking class at Mex ican restaurant El Papagayo in Carmichael, says his students and clients often are surprised by how inventive and tasty vegan cook ing can be. Davis acknowledges that many still believe going meatless means giving up good food. That’s a good conversational starting point, he says. “It creates anopportunity for people to [talk about] the essence of being creative,” he says. “I think that’s enlightenment in itself.” IN THE KITCHEN Sacramento’s dining scene is resplendent with vegetarian options, be it the newer Burger Patch chain; longtime mainstays such as Andy Nguyen’s Vegetarian, which specializes in Vietnamese food; or trendy plant-based cuisine at such upscale eateries as Magpie and Canon. But what to do in your own kitchen? Alex Sherry, who co-owns Sacramento’s Majka Pizzeria + Bak ery with his wife, Chutharat Sae Tong, advises cooks to lean in to Sacramento’s ample arrayof fresh fruits andvegetables. That’swhat he andhiswifedowhenconceiving their dailypizzao‹erings, which include one vegetarian and one vegan pie, the latter of which uses its own house-made, plant-based cheese.

20 FALL 2022

edible Sacramento