Archive for the 'Food' Tag
March 15th, 2009, 6:25 pm by Jess Harter
Another gorgeous afternoon for Day 2 of West of Western. I thought the crowds were slightly larger than Day 1 (read my Day 1 report) at the outdoor Grand Tasting tents, which featured a bunch of different restaurants than Saturday. Inside Phoenix Art Museum, however, the Wine Hall seemed a little less busy.
The most sought-out restaurant of the day had to be Quiessence. Chef Greg LaPrad had promised a 10-course meal, but showed up with a whopping 15 courses! LaPrad’s mother even flew in from Boston to watch her son work. “He never comes to visit because he’s always too busy,” she said.
Among Quiessence’s dishes: Smoked pork shoulder with shaved fennel and arugula (left), heirloom cauliflower “tartare” on brick oven crostini (center) and house-cured spicy coppa with wine and fennel seed salami.
Chef Michael O’Dowd headed a big team from Chandler’s Native American-influenced Kai, Arizona’s only Mobil five-star restaurant.
The Wild Horse Pass resort’s centerpiece restaurant was cooking lamb shank that smelled delicious on a rotisserie.
Kai’s dishes included Churro lamb on an Indian frybread pillow with a tzatziki-like cucumber yogurt and fig, curry and date chutney (left), First Origins chocolate pudding from Ecuador with 60-day corn brittle (center) and a Native American-inspired “Slurpee” with lavender, mint, hibiscus flower, coffee, chipotle, mango and finger.
After featuring menu items from its fabulous Talavera on Saturday, the Four Seasons Scottsdale tent spotlighted its Crescent Moon on Sunday. The staff was making fresh tortillas on site, as chef Mel Mecinas grills them in the background.
The tortillas were used for tacos — pork adobo or halibut — which came with the choice of charred tomato salsa, avocado-tomatillo salsa or spicy papaya-habanero salsa.
For dessert, Crescent Moon offered a sour cream mousse with spicy raspberry coulis and chocolate biscotti.
Owner-chef Deborah Knight was working the Mosiac tent. She and husband Matt Rinn, Mosiac’s wine director, also gave a class, “Secrets of Wine and Food Pairing.”
Knight made two dishes: A wonderful Duncan Farms mache salad with carmelized onion and maple vinaigrette (left) and a spicy Thai shrimp and coconut soup.
Owner-chef James Porter explains his lone offering at the Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar tent. It was one of the day’s most unique treats …
A “new-fashioned float” made with Sonoran root beer, foie gras ice cream and Arizona candied pecans! It was simple but amazingly good.
In one of Sunday’s many seminars, cookbook author and TV show host Barbara Fenzl spoke to a packed room about “Chiles: Get ‘em While They’re Hot.”
Brandon Crouser was one of two chefs working the Atlas Bistro tent.
Atlas offered its version of a Cuban sandwich made with seared foie gras and house pickles on focaccia bread with house-made chips that Crouser deep-fried on site.
Chef Brandon Crouser (left) deep-fries more chips in the Atlas Bistro tent while his brother, chef Nathan Crouser (right), prepares sloppy joe sliders in the next-door District tent.
District, at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, was one of a couple restaurants that participated both days. In my Day 1 report, I raved about Nathan Crouser’s buffalo-meat Sloppy Joe sliders but forgot to get a photo. I made sure to get one Sunday.
Another returnee for Day 2 was Simply Bread. Master baker Jeffrey Yankellow again made the sopressata and aged provolone paninis with roasted red peppers and pesto that were a hit on Day 1.
Chef Claudio Urciuoli worked the tent for Prado, the great new Spanish-themed restaurant at the Montelucia Resort in Paradise Valley.
The Italian-born Urciuoli was giving out burricotta with Michele Ferrante wood oven-dried peppers, wild oregano and Denocciolato extra virgin olive oil. He’s not the only Valley chef who moves easily between Spanish and Italian cuisines …
Chef Aaron May, who made a trio of pinchos at his Sol y Sombra tent Saturday, returned Sunday to teach a class on Spanish cooking. May also recently opened an Italian restaurant, Autostrada, at DC Ranch.
Chef Dwayne Allen of The Breadfruit, a tiny Jamaican eatery in downtown Phoenix, was grilling chicken for …
… jerk chicken with roasted pineapple and mango chutney (left). The Breadfruit also gave away ginger sweet potato pudding.
Festival-goers gave a thumbs-up to The Breadfruit. Even though I live in Chandler, I can’t wait to make the trip over to Phoenix to check out this place.
Two Lisas were giving away meatballs and fresh-baked focaccia bread at the Lisa G Cafe Wine Bar tent. The one on the right is chef-owner Lisa Giungo, who uses old family recipes.
Posh was offering roasted garlic panna cotta with watercress pesto. Nothing sweet here, but …
… chef Joshua Herbert also was handing out Meyer lemon popsicles.
Bar Smith chef Michael Cairns made a Pacific shrimp salad with a roasted tomato vinaigrette and rosemary flatbread.
The Sugar Thieves performed for the crowd Sunday.
Brian Archibald, chef at Tuscany at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, chats with a festival-goer.
Archibald made braised octupus with blood orange oil and micro arugula.
Turquoise Room chef John Sharpe came all the way from Winslow to make churro lamb posole. The lamb is free-range-reared on the Navajo Reservation.
Different Pointe of View chef Anthony DeMuro made a colorful pan-seared organic Gigha halibut with shrimp, Peruvian purple potatoes, Peppadew peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, lemon fennel and butter sauce.
Inside the Wine Hall, master baker Patrick Peeters drew a lot of interest with a huge display of chocolates from his Peeters Belgian Pastries & Chocolates.
Peters’ chocolates were almost too pretty to eat. I said almost.
(Read my Day 1 report)
Posted in: Phoenix • Festivals • Food • Restaurants • West of Western | 4 Comments »
March 13th, 2009, 9:59 am by Jess Harter
Imagine indulging in an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of dishes prepared by 50 of the Valley’s top chefs, accompanied by wines from nearly 100 winemakers. This foodie fantasy becomes reality this weekend at Western of Western, one of the Valley’s premier culinary festivals, at Phoenix Art Museum.
The highlights include:
• A Grand Tasting, held outdoors in the museum’s sculpture garden, featuring signature dishes prepared by acclaimed chefs and master bakers — 25 each day — who will be on hand to answer questions about ingredients and techniques.
• A Wine Table, held inside the museum’s Great Hall, with samples of wines and spirits from around the world. Wines can be paired with confections made by some of the Valley’s best chocolatiers.
 • Classes and seminars from food and wine experts, such as hand-pulling mozzarella with Digestif chef Payton Curry or learning about chiles from cookbook author and TV host Barbara Fenzl.
Festival admission is $85 for one day or $150 for two days, which includes all the food and wine, seminars and live entertainment. Food-only passes are available for $77 and $134.
Participation in West of Western, now in its fifth year, is limited to independent or chef-driven restaurants, which must be invited by the festival’s chefs council.
“This is all about promoting restaurants and Arizona food and discovering we have distinct culture,” says festival director Scott Andrews. “It’s not all western. Arizona is a very contemporary place.
“Even though restaurants like Kai (at the Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Chandler) use traditional ingredients, it’s done with contemporary style and techniques.”
 New invitees this year include Chandler small-plates restaurant Cork; Scottsdale’s Roka Akor, just named one of the top 10 sushi spots in the country by Esquire; and Prado, the centerpiece of the new Montelucia Resort in Paradise Valley.
Chefs are asked to prepare one or two dishes for the tasting, but many are going beyond that. Cork’s Brian Peterson says he will offer five, and Quiessence’s Greg LaPrad is planning 10 courses.
“I’d have to say restaurants are getting much more extravagant than previously,” Andrews says. “Over the years, restaurants also have gotten more interactive with the crowds.”
About 1,500 people attended each day of last year’s festival, and Andrews says this year’s attendance will be limited to no more than 2,000.
Festival tickets also include admission to the museum and a first look at “In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein,” the first-ever Arizona exhibition of the influential Taos painter’s work.
West of Western
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave.
How much: Food and wine $85 (one day) or $150 (two days), food-only $77 and $134, youth $22, children under 9 free.
Info: (602) 262-5652 or westofwestern.com.
Posted in: Phoenix • Drink • Festivals • Food • West of Western | Post a Comment »
March 5th, 2009, 11:54 am by Jess Harter
 One dollar. That’s how much an Arizona farmer makes from a typical lunch you or I eat every day.
To illustrate that point, Scottsdale chef James Porter (pictured) is preparing a $1 Farmers’ Share Lunch, which wil be served Saturday to as many as 5,000 attendees of Arizona Agriculture Day. The annual event runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Superstition Farm in southeast Mesa.
Now in its 29th year, Ag Day offers a full menu of family-friendly activities, including hayrides, a petting zoo, farm equipment displays, an ice cream-eating contest, children’s crafts, cook-offs and live music.
The day’s highlight, though, is the lunch, prepared by Porter, owner-chef of Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar, and students from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute.
Diners get a sandwich (slow-roasted roast beef with horseradish sauce or braised barbecue pulled pork), Arizona ranch-style baked beans, creamy cole slaw with local herbs, honey-and-rosemary-glazed carrots, Hickman’s “El Diablo Huevos” (deviled eggs), an Arizona orange, chocolate chip cookie, honey stick and milk.
Ag Day admission is $2 or a donation of three cans of fruits or vegetables to Arizona Food Bank. Kids 12 and under get in free.
Superstition Farm is located at 3440 S. Hawes Roads, Mesa. Info: azagday.com or superstitionfarmtours.com.
Posted in: Mesa • Festivals • Food | Post a Comment »
February 7th, 2009, 2:13 pm by Jess Harter
Maybe the Food Network should give Jenny Flake her own show.
The 32-year-old East Valley native will compete on the “Ultimate Recipe Showdown” at 10 p.m. Sunday (7 p.m. if you get Food Network HD), her sixth appearance on the network in the past five years.
The six-week “Ultimate Recipe Showdown,” which received more than 12,000 recipe submissions, features four finalists each week in a different food category. The winner receives $25,000.
Flake, who was a finalist in the comfort-food category during the Guy Fieri-hosted show’s inaugural season last year, competes in the dessert category Sunday.
She also has appeared twice on the Food Network’s “Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest” and twice on its “Build a Better Burger” challenge.
 “I started entering cooking contests in 2004,” says Flake, a part-time pilates instructor and the mother of two young boys. “At the time, I had no idea this world even existed. Now I love it.”
She even has launched her own recipe-related Web site, Picky Palate.
Sunday’s competition has two parts. In a 90-minute “signature” round, Flake makes roasted banana bread drop doughnuts.
“I roast the bananas so they have a rich sweetness to them,” she says.
In a 30-minute “speed” round, she makes sweet grilled peaches with honeyed vanilla bean mascarpone and walnut sugar.
While she can’t reveal the results of the show, she says, “For the most part, both of my dishes turned out very well.”
Flake, who lived in Mesa and Gilbert her entire life until her husband took a job in Newport Beach, Calif., a month ago, wasn’t the only East Valley finalist this season.
Two weeks ago, Jamie Nondorf competed in the cake category. The dental school instructor from Mesa finished second, missing out on $25,000 by a single point.
“I had no idea that she was from Arizona until I watched her show,” Flake says.
While friends and family in Mesa and Gilbert cheer her on, Flake will watch Sunday’s show with her husband and boys from their new home in California.
Then she plans to get back to her recipes.
“I going to continue working on my Web site and I’m going to start writing some cookbooks,” she says.
As for next year’s “Ultimate Recipe Showdown,” which already is accepting recipes, Flake says, “I may enter Season 3.”
After pausing for a moment, she adds, “I’m sure I will.”
Posted in: Gilbert • Mesa • Food • TV | 2 Comments »
February 2nd, 2009, 1:00 pm by Jess Harter
After fairly disastrous results with its “Chinese Democracy” soda giveaway last November, Dr Pepper is trying a similar promotion. Right now you can go to the company’s website to get a coupon for a free bottle - either a 20-ounce or a two-liter - of Diet Dr Pepper. They’re giving away two million bottles.
Posted in: Uncategorized • Food | Post a Comment »
February 2nd, 2009, 12:39 pm by Jess Harter
Queen Creek Olive Mill will be featured Tuesday on “Dirty Jobs,” the Discovery Channel show that showcases some of the most difficult and disgusting occupations in the country.
Show host Mike Rowe (he’s pictured above between QCOM owner Perry Rea and general manager Rob Holmes) visited the East Valley farm two months ago to work alongside its employees.
Rowe helped to repair a leak after gophers chewed through an irrigation line. After a dusty day of picking olives, he aided in the pressing, particularly the dirty job of cleaning up the leftover sludge.
The hour-long episode, entitled “Diaper Cleaner” (Rowe cleans dirty diapers in another segment), airs at 10 p.m. Tuesday on Discovery (channel 23 for Cox subscribers). Those who get Discovery HD (channel 723 on Cox) can watch at 7 p.m.
Posted in: Queen Creek • Attractions • Food • Restaurants • TV | 1 Comment »
January 27th, 2009, 8:38 pm by Jess Harter
The action won’t just be taking place on the field Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. In living rooms and bars across the Valley and western Pennsylvania, fans will be enjoying their respective signature foods and drinks. Here’s a decidedly biased look at how the two regions’ cuisines stack up:
FAVORITE CONDIMENT
Ketchup: Henry John Heinz founded the Anchor Pickle and Vinegar Works in 1869 and began selling ketchup four years later. Today, Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Company sells more than $1 billion in ketchup annually (along with everything from pasta to fruit juice), allowing it to pay $57 million in 2001 for naming rights to the Steelers’ Heinz Field.
Salsa: Red or green, thick or thin, spicy or sweet — does any other condiment offer so much diversity and adaptability? Like ketchup, you can put it on hamburgers, hot dogs or fried potatoes. Unlike ketchup, it also goes great with chips, tacos, grilled chicken or fish, eggs and … well, just about any food.
Advantage: Arizona
FAVORITE WAY TO WRAP FOOD
Pierogi: Introduced to western Pennsylvania by Slavic immigrants, these half-circular dumplings of unleavened dough are stuffed with mashed potatoes, cheese, meat or vegetables. According to a friend from neighboring Ohio, pierogi are popular with Pittsburghers because they’re soft enough to be eaten by people with missing teeth.
Burrito: Popular on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, burritos are flour tortillas wrapped around a combination of fillings, typically meat, rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and salsa. Entire restaurant chains — from locals (like Someburros) to nationals (like Chipotle) — have been launched by burritos.
Advantage: Arizona
FAVORITE SANDWICH TOPPING
French fries and cole slaw: Primanti Brothers, which started as a wood stand in the early 1930s, came up with the idea of putting fried potatoes and cole slaw on nearly every type of sandwich — saving people the daunting task of eating the side dishes separately — and became a Pittsburgh institution, now with 14 restaurants in the city.
Chili peppers: Man has been eating chiles for nearly 8,000 years. Here in the Valley, you can find them in everything from the habanero cheeseburger at Carlsbad Tavern to the chipotle barbecue sauce on the pulled pork sandwich at San Tan Brewing to the jalapeño jack cheese on the Southwestern club at Dilly’s Deli, just to name a few.
Advantage: Arizona
FAVORITE MEAT PREPARATION
Chipped ham: Isaly’s, a chain of dairies and restaurants, created this luncheon meat in 1933 by taking a loaf of chopped ham and “chipping” it against a meat slicer blade to make razor-thin slices, a process also known as “Pittsburgh style.” As with pierogi, one can only assume this is a benefit for the dentally challenged.
Barbecue beef: Mention barbecue in the South, and you’re usually referring to pork. In the West, however, you’re primarily talking about beef. One corporate chef of a large barbecue chain — who’s spent a decade checking out barbecue all over the country — told me the pecan-smoked sliced beef brisket at Joe’s Real BBQ in Gilbert is the best he’s ever had.
Advantage: Arizona
FAVORITE HOMETOWN BEER
Iron City Beer: Pittsburgh’s Iron City Brewery Company began making one of America’s first lagers in 1861 and pioneered the use of aluminum cans, presumably so Steeler fans could crush them against their foreheads more easily. With a thin body and stale aftertaste, its flagship pilsner, Iron City, is a favorite of very old men.
Kiltlifter Ale: In just a dozen years, Tempe’s Four Peaks Brewing Company has established itself as an acclaimed brewer, and Kiltlifter, its flagship Scottish-style ale, has won medals at the Great American Beer Festival three times. With a slightly sweet, slightly smoky flavor, the amber ale is enjoyed by beer lovers of all ages.
Advantage: Arizona
FAVORITE SWEET TREAT
Klondike Bars: This longtime Pittsburgh favorite also was introduced at Isaly’s, the store that created chipped ham, in the 1920s. The chocolate-covered squares of ice cream didn’t go national until 1982 but now are available in more than 90 percent of U.S. supermarkets. They come in 13 flavors, many inspired by candy bars.
Fairytale Brownies: Started in 1992 by Phoenix childhood friends Eileen Spitalny and David Kravetz, this direct-mail gourmet brownie business ships more than 2.5 million brownies a year all over the world. They’re also available in 13 flavors — but all-natural, free of trans fats, hydrogenated oils, preservatives and artificial colors.
Advantage: Arizona
Posted in: Valleywide • Food • Restaurants • Super Bowl | 4 Comments »
January 23rd, 2009, 12:06 pm by Jess Harter
It’s the Good Life, an annual food, wine and beer tasting festival, will take place 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Windemere Hotel & Conference Center in east Mesa.
A dozen Mesa restaurants participate in the annual culinary event, including Red, White & Brew, E.J.’s Steakhouse (its pan-seared halibut with saffron rice is pictured above), Vito’s Pizza & Italian Ristorante, Islamorada Fish Company and Tom’s BBQ.
Anzio Landing will demonstrate how to make mini chocolate martinis. Beer and water also will be available.
It’s the Good Life, which had been held at St. Bridget’s Church for the past eight years, has outgrown its longtime home and is expected to draw up to 500 people in two of the hotel’s ballrooms this year, according to Bill Landry of the host St. Bridget Knights of Columbus.
The Doc Jones Band will provide live music. There also will be a silent auction.
Proceeds from the event go to the American Cancer Society, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Make A Wish Foundation and youth scholarships.
It’s the Good Life takes place 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Windemere Hotel & Conference Center, 5750 E. Main St., Mesa (west of Power Road). Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at door. Info: Joe Spardaro at (480) 330-7468 or Bill Landry at (480) 830-1833.
Posted in: Mesa • Festivals • Food • Restaurants | Post a Comment »
January 16th, 2009, 1:25 pm by Jess Harter
The details are out on this year’s Scottsdale Culinary Festival, which runs April 14-19. Tickets are now on sale, and you can get early-bird pricing if you buy before March 6.
The week’s events will start April 14 with the annual Friends of James Beard Dinner, a six-course meal prepared by seven Beard Award-winning chefs (including locals Douglas Rodriguez from Deseo and Robert McGrath) at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa. Tickets are $200 ($225 after March 6).
That same night, the chic Bubbles & Bliss tasting event, including food from Sushi Roku, will be hosted by the W Scottsdale Hotel’s lounge, Shade. Tickets are $40.
Esquire food writer John Mariani will be the guest speaker at the Chef Tribute Dinner April 15 at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s new J&G Steakhouse. Tickets are $125 and $150.
“On the Rocks” casual cocktail parties will be held April 15 at the Hotel Valley Ho pool and April 16 at the Mondrian. Tickets are $40.
The Oscars-style Hall of Fame Awards Dinner is April 16 at Wrigley Mansion. Tickets are $125 and $150.
The weekend kicks off with the fashionable Eat, Drink and Be Pretty Party April 17 at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $60 and $70.
Chef Wine Dinners will be held at various restaurants April 18. Tickets are $125,
The crowd-favorite Great Arizona Picnic, featuring food, drinks and live entertainment, will be April 18-19 at Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza. Tickets are $10.
Those same days, the Cooks & Corks demonstrations will be held inside the arts center. Tickets are $65 and $75.
The Wine Country Brunch will be April 19 at the new Montelucia Resort & Spa. Tickets are $65.
The week’s festivities conclude with the five-course Best of the Fest dinner at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale at Gainey Ranch. Tickets are $150 and $175.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Drink • Festivals • Food • Restaurants | Post a Comment »
January 15th, 2009, 1:08 pm by Jess Harter
Jamie Nondorf says she watches the Food Network whenever she has time. Sunday, she’ll be watching herself on the network.
The 28-year-old Mesa resident competes on “Ultimate Recipe Showdown” (10 p.m. on regular cable, 7 p.m. if you have Food Network HD), a six-week series that features home cooks battling in various recipe categories.
Nondorf faces three other finalists Sunday in the cake category. At stake: $25,000 and the opportunity to have her dessert put on the menu at T.G.I. Friday’s restaurants nationwide.
Nondorf, who teaches at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health in Mesa, noticed a small ad soliciting contestants on Food Network’s Web site last March.
 “I think it was just a day or so before their deadline,” she says.
She sent in a couple recipes in the cake category - “I prefer baking over cooking, I prefer sweets over savory” - and several weeks later learned she was a semifinalist.
By September, Nondorf was one of four finalists flying to New York for three days. The show’s taping, she says, took place from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the final day.
“The taping was longer than I ever thought it would be,” she says.
Nondorf and the other contestants spent the day with the show’s flamboyant host, Guy Fieri (pictured above, also host of the network’s popular “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”), whom she had met the previous evening.
“He was pretty entertaining,” she says.
In Sunday’s first round, during which the cooks have four hours to deliver a signature cake, Nondorf makes key lime coconut cupcakes with white chocolate frosting.
In the second round, limited to just 45 minutes, she makes what she calls Lemony Sunshine cupcakes with a shortbread crust and a lemon curd topping.
Both recipes are her own creations, she says.
“I like to take recipes that look good and try to make them my own. I try to come up with a better recipe.”
Whether her cupcakes are good enough to earn her the $25,000 prize will be revealed Sunday. Her dental students are hosting a viewing party to watch the show, but Nondorf has yet to accept their invitation.
“I think I’m just gonna have to watch it at home,” she says. “I think I’m gonna have a hard time watching myself on TV.”
Posted in: Mesa • Food • Food Network • TV | 2 Comments »
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