Sacramento Chefs prepare recipes to share for your next get together.
Whether it’s a simple celebration among friends or a chance to ring in the holidays with loved ones, winter affords us plenty of potluck potential.
But a potluck of all chefs? That’s a challenge, observes Sean Rumery of Canon East Sacramento. “You want to show up and show off with the most interesting dish there,” he says. “I’m not quiet about things. I want food to be fun.Potlucks, the last 20 years, tend to be the same old things. I want to push (those dishes) in new directions.”
No matter who is on the guest list, this panel of expert potluckers say participants should cook something they’d actually like to eat. “Cook what you want to eat,” says Yekaterina Balagian, executive chef of Seasons Kitchen and Bar in Davis. “Don’t over-think it. Keep it simple.”
Portioning for Potlucks
Magpie Café chef and partner Ed Roehr chimes in with some advice on portioning. “You’re not cooking the whole meal; you’re only bringing one thing,” adds Roehr. “That gives you the opportunity to put some heart into it.”
Jennifer Millsap, owner of Shef Madres Catering, knows how to feed a crowd; that’s what she does — and other culinary professionals do — on a daily basis. “When it comes to potlucks, do the math,” Millsap advises. “People tend to overestimate. How much food do you really need?” Potluck diners need only a taste, not a full portion. This way the stomach isn’t overwhelmed and there’s plenty to go around. “You don’t want to have too much, but everyone wants to taste everything,” Roehr observes. “That taste could be one-sixth or one-eighth of an entrée portion.” And remember: Potlucks are supposed to be fun, and good way to try out new recipes.
Have Fun
Don’t stress, be happy. “You shouldn’t get obsessed with everything,” says Roehr. “Part of it is out of your control. You never know what other people are bringing.”
Sacramento Chef Recipes
N’Gina Saran Guyton
Chef and restaurateur; owner of Jim-Denny’s in Sacramento and Miss N’Gina Hospitality Group
Background
Guyton is best known for South, the beloved Sacramento restaurant she opened in 2012. After closing South in 2022 amid a major life change, Guyton reopened a local landmark — 90-year-old Jim-Denny’s — but with her own take on American comfort food. “It’s 640 square feet including the kitchen. … It’s really fun Americana. You leave here full, satiated and a little nostalgic.”
Fun Fact
“I’m a big science nerd. I’m the biggest geek. I love ‘Star Trek’ and everything William Shatner. I wanted to work for NASA and went to college to study aeronautics and meteorology. Then, I changed to Fine Arts and Italian Renaissance.”
2023 Highlights
“Being able to take over Jim-Denny’s; I would never have predicted that. But it was a big shot for me as a solo entrepreneur.”
2024 Goals
She’s still working on plans for another restaurant aptly named Miss N’Gina.
2024 Motto
“Think bigger!”
Chef Potluck Recipe
N’Gina’s Gumbo. “The number one thing I love about making gumbo, it’s a family recipe. It reminds me of being in Mississippi at my mawmaw’s table. I can’t make it for just me; the only time I can make it is for a dinner party.” Or for a potluck.
Sean Rumery
Chef de Cuisine and culinary director of Canon East Sacramento and owner of Little Brother Lunch Counter
Background
The youngest of four kids, Rumery grew up in Cameron Park and first learned to cook from his grandfather. He has earned Michelin ratings at The Kitchen, as well as Canon East Sacramento.
Fun Fact
He sang in musical theater, barbershop quartets, and national honor choir while in high school. His favorite musical is “Les Miserables.” While working in the kitchen, “I sing it in my head to keep pace.”
2023 Highlights
Rumery celebrated the birth of his second son Benjamin, and launched Little Brother Lunch Counter, with pop-up events celebrating his new twists on old-school sandwiches — “food that reminds me of my childhood.” A career high, he served as lead chef for the 2023 Tower Bridge Dinner. “I love that dinner! With fireworks at the end, who gets to have a dinner like that?”
2024
“I’m working on more collaborations with other Sacramento chefs.”
Chef Potluck Recipe
Hashbrown Casserole Salad. “I’m a big fan of salads and mixing it up. I’m also a big fan of using everyday flavors we grew up with — like Cheez-It — and finding fun ways to incorporate that.”
Yekaterina “Kat” Balagian
Executive chef of Seasons Kitchen and Bar in Davis
Background
Born in Armenia and raised in Rhode Island, Balagian came west to work for a Bay Area nonprofit. That eventually led to her studying pastry at culinary school and a series of progressively challenging jobs including making exquisite pastries at two Michelin-starred Coi in San Francisco. When Coi closed during the pandemic, she moved to Sacramento to be closer to family. There, she found work in such restaurants as Allora and now Seasons.
Fun Fact
She’s cooked for programs that feed unhoused people in both Oakland and Sacramento.
2023 Highlights
In August, Balagian took over the helm of Seasons to return to her roots — cooking soul-satisfying seasonal food like she grew up with. For the 2023 Tower Bridge Dinner, she made dessert: a decadent white chocolate mousse topped with three gels, three crumbles and Peruvian mint.
2024 Goals
“I want to make more time for philanthropic pursuits. I believe in giving back.”
Chef Potluck Recipe
Khachapuri, Adjaruli style. “It’s so much fun! You sit around the table, rip sides of the bread and dip it into the middle. For most people [here], it’s something they’ve never had before.”
Tara Martinez
Chef Tara Martinez
Background
A busy mom in her 30s, Martinez made a huge career change to follow her culinary dreams. She switched from real estate to food and went back to school. After graduation from the Art Institute, she started catering with other chefs and found her niche. “A lot of chefs don’t like catering, but I love it. I’m a logistics person. I love the planning part of being a caterer. I love the challenge. You have to be creative.”
Fun Fact
While working in real estate, Martinez used her library card to learn about food. “Cooking was my hobby. I checked cookbooks out at the library and read the recipes.”
2023 Highlights
“Our orchard dinner at Twin Peaks Orchards; I absolutely loved that setting.”
2024 Goals
“Expanding business and adding more catering adventures.”
Chef Potluck Recipe
Hot Seven-Layer Dip with Homemade Tortilla Chips. “I have four sons and make things creatively that they all like. This is something they definitely like.”
Jennifer Millsap
Chef and owner of Shef Madres Catering in Sacramento
Background
A 2009 layoff changed the trajectory of her life. “I worked for a large development company in training and development. People weren’t getting jobs [in that industry], so I decided to go back to school. I had this dream — and it came true.” In 2011, she started cooking professionally and working as a caterer. In 2022, Millsap bought Rossi Catering and renamed it Shef Madres Catering.
Fun Fact
Late bloomer to the kitchen, Millsap attended culinary school later in life. “Shef” is a play on “She-Chef.” “Madres” means mothers, perfect since Millsap is also a mom.
2023 Highlights
“Our orchard dinner at Twin Peaks Orchards; I absolutely loved that setting.”
2024 Goals
“Expanding business and adding more catering adventures.”
Chef Potluck Recipe
Bacon and White Bean Stew with Tortellini. “I’ve made this on numerous occasions. It’s filling and delicious.”
Ed Roehr
Chef and co-owner of Magpie Cafe in Sacramento
Background
Roehr began his restaurant career washing dishes as a teenager more than 35 years ago. From Sacramento to Venice, Italy, he’s felt at home in kitchens ever since. He started Magpie as a catering company in 2005.
Fun Fact
“I’m the oldest of seven kids. We moved to Sacramento when I was in the third grade. My parents were counter-culture, and [on a cross-country trip] our VW bus broke down here.”
2023 Highlights
“Magpie has turned into an all-day bistro. We’ve been focusing on making smaller plates with local stuff. Instead of three menus, we have one and we’re able to put more heart into it. We also focused on creating a four-day work week for our staff; that’s been rewarding. It’s nice to feel people are not burned out at work; that’s a big deal.”
2024 Goals
“I’m looking forward to more people coming to Magpie. We’re open; it’s post-COVID. We’re ready to really get going again.”
Chef Potluck Recipe
Red Curry Pumpkin and Braised Pork. “It’s perfect for fall and winter. It makes me feel good to eat pumpkin with pork.”
