Monthly Archives: June 2016

People in Metro Phoenix AZ Take Dogs Food Shopping at Costco

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I don’t remember seeing people shopping with their dogs back east where I used to live but I do see it from time to time around Phoenix AZ. People are permitted to shop at Costco, a food and more warehouse with a service dog.

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This dog isn’t wearing a service jacket but seems well trained and could certainly pass for a service dog with an elderly man.

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Forgive me if I’m wrong about this but this dog doesn’t appear to be a service dog and it’s sitting in the child seat of the cart with a child sitting in the cart with groceries. What kind of service is this dog doing? Warming up the cart with it’s butt? Maybe this dog’s job is to taste the Costco food samples as a tester?

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This dog also doesn’t resemble a service dog to me but might be….?

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The woman is lucky as she doesn’t have an obvious looking handicap.

Not sure what kind of service dog this small white fluffy dog can be?

People in Metro Phoenix AZ take dogs food shopping at Costco.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Next to Fat Free Skinny Baked Poppers

 

Next to Fat Free Skinny Baked Poppers

Next to Fat Free Skinny Baked Poppers

Nearly everyone loves poppers but sometimes you might want to indulge in a lighter version. These poppers are made with baby bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, garlic scallion, fat free cheeses and a small amount of whole wheat panko bread crumbs.

These poppers are easy to make and you just throw them in the oven and in about 10 minutes they are done.

I do note that peppers always differ in size and also in heat so your portion and your heat of popper might differ. I recommend Adding the chopped jalapeño last so you can judge how much heat you want. You might want more or you might want less heat.

Ingredients for about 12 servings (about 4 poppers per serving)

24 baby bell peppers

7 oz fat free shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz fat free cream cheese

4 jalapeños remove stems and mince (*note this ingredient you might want to add at the end so you can control the heat)

1 garlic clove minced

2 scallion minced

1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

optional fresh ground salt and pepper for finishing

Directions.

Set your oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut each bell in a diagonal removing ribs and seeds.

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Put peppers to the side.

Mix up your cheeses, with jalapeños, garlic and scallions

and with a butter knife fill each pepper half.

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Now dip them lightly in the panko.

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Set your peppers on the baking sheet and place in your 400 degree F oven. They will be done in about 10 minutes. When you pull them out add some fresh ground salt and pepper if desired.

Next to Fat Free Skinny Baked Poppers

Next to Fat Free Skinny Baked Poppers

Here are your next to fat free skinny baked poppers! You can eat a bunch they are very light and tasty. They don’t drip because of the fat free cheeses and you get just enough crumbs to be happy. The scallions and garlic help to add flavor to cover the fat free cheeses.

The forking truth is that these aren’t the best popper out there because they aren’t fried and are filled with fat free cheese but they still are TASTY, next to fat free and might be the lowest calorie popper out there.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

The FORKING BEST Turkey Breast Recipe is from the SousVide

 

SousVide Turkey Breast in White Wine Lemon Sauce

SousVide Turkey Breast in White Wine Lemon Sauce

The FORKING BEST Turkey Breast Recipe is from the SousVide because the meat comes out perfect. It’s flavorful and moist and juicy. Even when you re-heat the meat it’s still super tender and super moist. Using the SousVide is the Best way to do Turkey Breast.

So set your SousVide at 140 degrees F or 60 degrees C

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Today this is what I filled my bag with

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1 carrot cut in quarters

1 celery rib cut up

1/2 sweet onion cut up

two small or one good sprig thyme

one small bunch sage it had maybe 4 good leaves and few teeny leaves

one good branch of rosemary

one big and two small garlic cloves smashed

two small pieces of apple

two small pieces of tangerine

fresh cracked pepper about 1/2 teaspoon

fresh ground sea salt about one teaspoon

1/2 turkey breast

about 1/4 cup of frozen turkey fat I saved from the last turkey I cooked – you need some sort of frozen fat- I usually freeze olive oil and use that but this time used turkey fat.

Put it all in your bag and insert the bag in your bag sealer.

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Then remove bag and place in your SousVide

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Put lid on the SousVide and leave it alone. The turkey will be amazing in 2 1/2 and up to 5 hours. I usually let it stay in around 4 hours.

Do not use any of the vegetables in the bag because all the flavor from the vegetables got sucked out into the turkey. You can use the liquid for reheating, sauce, soup or adding to rice, stuffing or potatoes.

You either remove the skin-or

Crisp up the skin still on the turkey in a fry  pan……or

What I like to do is to remove the skin and crisp it up in a 350 degree oven. It takes around an hour but this is the way to get the skin the most crisp. It comes out completely crispy and crunchy. I turn the skin over about 1/2 way though the cooking process and maybe 1/2 way though put a loose foil cover over the skin so it doesn’t burn.

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The SousVide makes your home cooked turkey mouth watering moist and better than from most restaurants. The FORKING Best Turkey comes from the SousVide.

The moistest most tender turkey breast ever and that's The Forking Truth

The moistest most tender turkey breast ever and that’s The Forking Truth

 

Mayuri Palace Indian Restaurant Phoenix AZ …Limited but Worth a Fork – update Now Closed for Business

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This actually is my second visit to Mayuri Palace and it differed from my last visit but is still in my opinion worth a Fork.

I liked that as I entered I saw a grade “A” health inspection.

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The Forking Truth is that on many review sites many people claim this restaurant is dirty with cockroaches. But both times I was here it seemed clean and the grade “A” health inspection was posted and every time I checked the Maricopa Health Inspections a few times and they appeared positive for a grade “A.” So I don’t know if the reviewers had an agenda with this restaurant or maybe they occasionally slip in sanitation.

This restaurant might have been a steakhouse before it went Indian. It’s rustic with cows etched in glass by some of the booths. Seems a little odd…guess the price was right to the Indian Owners.

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On my recent visit to Mayuri Palace I saw that the $12.00 lunch buffet is only half the size as last time and only offered around ten pans of hot food to try.

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This was the whole buffet.

I do note that the chicken dishes were much better than last time. Not as spicy..but all made with tender flavorful chicken. I didn’t try the goat curry but my husband said it was good. Here is a plate I made.

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I tried Tandoori Chicken, Tikka Masala, Chicken Curry, and one of my favorite dishes they made was the Kadai Bhindi Masala. I didn’t know what it was and knew it was a vegetable dish but latter found out it was a dish made of Okra, with onions, tomato, peppers and chili. It was something I am inspired to recreate. Honestly I didn’t know I was eating Okra. It was the most delicious Okra I’ve ever tried. No slime I thought it was a green bell pepper.

Our waiter brought out fresh baked hot and steamy buttered naan bread. It was chewy and hot just out of the oven.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the Medhv Vada. It’s the thing that looks like a donut on my plate. I like all the ingredients in it like lentils, curry leaves, ginger and chilies but this one is an inquired taste. That doesn’t mean it was bad I just didn’t have a taste for it.

I went back to try the Chili Chicken. WOW this was really good. It wasn’t ready when I took my first plate but I’m glad I didn’t miss it. Delicious and most people would enjoy it. Crispy spicy tasty chucks of chicken. Very flavorful.

I did miss all the delicious interesting vegan dishes they offered last time but I am happy the fewer dishes they offer now are all very good unlike last time when I only enjoyed the vegan dishes and not the dishes with chicken so much.

On my previous visit I thought I didn’t like Indian Desserts from this restaurant because they were all awful… I didn’t care for any of them last time. Most were either too sweet or too greasy. This time they only offered two instead of maybe a half dozen.  The grape sized Gulab Jamun was tasty and not too sweet it had good flavors going on. The other Indian Restaurant nearby makes these Gulab Jamun the same size but much different and much sweeter. I thought it looked too sweet but they weren’t and were tasty.

I thought it was good for $12.00. I don’t know if they have a new chef or they just got better offering less options.

NO..Your not going to drive across town to dine here...but if your in the area if they serve what I had most of the food is very tasty and fresh.

NO..Your not going to drive across town to dine here…but if your in the area if they serve what I had most of the food is very tasty and fresh.

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

FORKING AMAZING Inside Out Grilled Mac-N-Cheese Sliders Recipe

 

FORKING AMAZING Grilled Mac-N-Cheese Sliders

FORKING AMAZING Inside out Grilled Mac-N-Cheese Sliders

Maybe you heard of the Ramen Burger? Maybe you heard of the Cronut?  Well ladies and gentlemen……….I’ve forking invented the next big thing…… The Forking Amazing Inside Out Grilled Mac-N-Cheese Sliders. If you are a fan of the grilled cheese sandwich and also enjoy macaroni and cheese …….this is it!  Macaroni and Cheese Buns with a slice of Buttery Grilled French Baguette on the inside. A tomato slice is suggested but not necessary.

Most of the work is making the bun. You need to dust a muffin pan with cheese and panko. The filling takes about 40 minutes to prepare because the secret ingredient is cornmeal (polenta) that needs that long to cook and then you have to shred a bunch of cheese. If you can do all that the rest is a breeze but keep in mind that the macaroni buns need over-night to set.

Ingredients for 12 sliders or 12 servings

8 oz dry pasta cooked one minute less than package suggest

1 Tablespoon salt kosher or sea salt to cook your pasta with

1/2 cup cornmeal (polenta…not the instant…the real kind that takes 40 minutes)

2 1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

2 Tablespoons butter – unsalted

1/2 cup parmigiana reggiano – shredded (for crumb coating)

1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs (for crumb coating)

1/4 cup parmigiana reggiano – shredded

1 1/4 cup sharpe aged cheddar cheese – shredded

1 1/4 cup fontina cheese – shredded

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper sauce ( I suggest Franks Red Hot Original)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

pinch white ground pepper

1 XL egg – beaten

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

fresh ground sea salt to taste

non-stick spray – a neutral flavor like canola or vegetable

4 oz. stick of butter – unsalted – you might need more for grilling the bread (I just did a few sliders at a time)

8 oz. French Baguette (cut in 1/2 inch slices)

Optional ripe tomato slices.

Directions

Get out your muffin pan(s) and spray them with your non-stick spray. In a small bowl add your 1/2 C. Parmigiana Reggiano and the whole wheat panko and mix together. Add a couple teaspoons full to each and make sure you leave about 1/4 of the mixture to sprinkle over the tops of the muffins once filled. Now shake the cheese and panko around the tin so you have a light covering like this.

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Set the pan to the side and now make the filling.

You start by starting the polenta on high heat with your sauce pan. Add the water, polenta, 1/4 t. salt and the 2 T. butter. Bring to boil stirring often and then reduce to simmer and then cover but keep staring occasionally or the polenta will stick for about 20 minutes then you can slowly add the cheeses and then add the spices take off heat in a few minutes you are able to stir in the beaten egg and ( at this point you might want to add salt and pepper to taste) lastly gently stir in your pasta.

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Fill muffing pans.

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Now top them with remaining panko mixture.

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They need about 25 minutes in your 350 degree F oven and then they look like this.

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When cool enough cover with plastic wrap and let them set overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve set your oven to 350 degrees and pop the mac-n-cheese muffin out, cut in half (this is your slider bun) with the cut sides up on a lightly non stick sprayed baking sheet covered with foil. Heat till warm about 15 minutes.

While the buns are warming up grill your bread filling till golden on both sides and slice the optional tomatoes.

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Put together with buns on the outside and the grilled bread in the middle.

You want the cut sides of the macaroni bun on the inside sandwiching the bread filling.

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THIS is truly FORKING AMAZING!

FORKING AMAZING Grilled Mac-N-Cheese Sliders

FORKING AMAZING Grilled Mac-N-Cheese Sliders

Really awesome cheese taste and the buttery bread gives you that grilled cheese taste in with the macaroni and cheese taste. This is a crowd pleaser for sure.

Your Welcome!

THIS IS FORKING GREAT and that's The Forking Truth

THIS IS FORKING GREAT and that’s The Forking Truth

 

 

The Forking Truth is that It’s really hard to find a GREAT Vegetable Peeler

 

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I got this CIA Culinary Arts Institute vegetable peeler. I think I paid 7 or 8 dollars for it maybe last year. I thought it worked great when I bought it but now it doesn’t peel.  I still have it but never use it.

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I recently purchased this vegetable peeler and paid about $5.00 for it because it looked very different to me and I thought it might be very good. It had a serrated blade and it looked like it had a carbon surface. I used it once and thought it was the best vegetable peeler I ever forking used. The skin of the carrot came off so easily with no pressure at all. I never had a vegetable peeler that worked so smoothly before.

BUT……..

After I used it just once.

JUST ONCE!

JUST FORKING ONCE.

I washed it by hand and thought some of the carrot just stayed in the blade so I threw it in the dishwasher and this is how it came out. Now I have to forking throw this peeler the fork out because it rusted.

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About 3 years ago I purchased this $1.50 vegetable peeler from Ikea.

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The handle wobbles a bit when I use it. It peels carrots but nothing else.

I don’t remember when I purchased the wooden handle vegetable peeler in the photo below but it’s going in the trash because it never forking worked. It was suppose to peel and do fancy peeling on the other side. It doesn’t forking peel a carrot, a potato or a thing.

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I recently picked up the white handled peeler at the AZ International Market in Mesa AZ for $1.50. It doesn’t peel potatoes and hardly can peel a carrot. I don’t need it so it’s going in the trash along with the wooden handled peeler.

I recently got this Oneida Brand Peeler. I think I paid about $4.99 for it.

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At the moment it’s my only peeler that works on everything. It’s very awkward to use because it has a very small head and doesn’t feel right in the hand.

The Forking Truth is that it’s very hard to find a really great vegetable peeler.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Roasted Onions Beef Confit Style

 Roasted Onions Beef Confit Style

Roasted Onions Beef Confit Style

These are the type of onions that are so full of flavor and so jammy too. You can prepare the very best onion soup with these onions and they go especially well with steak. Very easy to prepare they just take 1/2 a day to cook so make a big batch. It melts down a bunch and you can freeze or can it in batches.

Onions Confit are cooked in fat so you will need saved beef fat for Roasted Onions Beef Confit Style.

Traditional Confit onions are cooked 8-12 hours at 200 degrees F. I find that I get the same results doing it at #350 degrees F for about 4 hours.

Set your oven to 350 degree F

Use beef fat you saved from something like a smoked brisket

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You need about a teaspoon of peppercorns, around seven bay leaves and a big splash of wine or wine and balsamic vinegar. Now fill your pan with sliced halved onions like this.

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Drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil and cover them with aluminum foil.

Depending on the size of your onions and how many are in your pan they will need 3-31/2 hours in your oven covered.

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They are pretty good like this after 3 1/2 hours

Then uncover them and they might need another 1/2 hour.

 Roasted Onions Beef Confit Style

Roasted Onions Beef Confit Style

But here they are even better and are very jammy.

Get the onions out with a slotted spoon and throw out the peppercorns and bay leaves. Everyone loves these onions.

These are Forking Great and that's The Forking Truth

These are Forking Great and that’s The Forking Truth

 

Mini Beef Patties for Dogs Recipe

 

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Treats from the store are often recalled and many treats out there can make your dog sick. These mini beef patties are healthy and are made with lean beef, rice, eggs, stock and oats. They are healthier for your dog than just straight beef because too much straight beef and beef fat is too rich for your dog if you know what I mean.

If you have an older dog or a dog that needs food with medication it’s often next to impossible to get your dog to eat dog food on command. I don’t think any dog would turn down these treats.

Treat the beef patties like your food and store in the refrigerator only enough for three days. The rest of the beef patties need to be frozen. Feed sparingly. This isn’t meant to replace meals.

These are meant to be special treats or treats to give with medication so the dog eats.

Ingredients for 24 patties Serving size depends on the size of your dog.

1 lb lean beef (I used 93%)

1 cup cooked rice

2 beaten XL eggs

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup whole grain oats (never use instant)

use either parchment paper or a scant amount of oil on your baking sheet. Be careful about what oil you use. Grape seed and Avocado oil MUST BE AVOIDED. Anything made from Grapes and Avocado can be harmful to your dog’s health. I used a very scant amount of canola oil..just rubbed in on and did a wipe off.

Directions

Set your oven to 350 degrees F.

Either use parchment paper on your baking sheet or sprinkle it lightly with a safe canola oil.

Mix remaining ingredients and get out your small scoop and make the meat patties into a meatball size. I flatten them into a patty so they look different from people food.

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They go in the oven for between 10-12 minutes or so. Scoops and ovens differ…..

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You will here the pitter patter of furry feet.

“I’m getting me some forking beef patties!”

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“Your not getting them all OLD MAN!”

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“I’m going to forking try Kiddo” “Don’t get all ornery with me Youngster” “I’m 15 years old with cancer, someday all the beef patties will be yours.”

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“I love you Old Man but I also love beef patties too!”

You will have happy customers unless you forking give them to humans because they are bland like they should be for dogs.

 These are Great for Dogs and that's The Forking Truth

These are Great for Dogs and that’s The Forking Truth

 

My Trip to Barrio Cafe Gran Reserva in Phoenix AZ ****UPDATE Now CLOSED FOR BUSINESS

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Update******Now CLOSED FOR BUSINESS ***The Barrio Cafe Grand Reserva in Phoenix AZ is a newly opened very upscale Mexican Restaurant owned by a locally famous James Beard Nominated Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza. She is very well known for her guacamole topped with pomegranate seeds, her Oochinita Pibil and Chiles en Nogada.

The restaurant is very tiny and only has up to 8 small formal tables if they aren’t pushed together. The outside around the restaurant is decorated with all kinds of whimsical things like crochet around the trees, strange dolls, lots of colors, multi color string lights and all kinds of things.

The inside has a very different look. It truly feels like you are seated in a vestibule at an art museum with lots of bright natural light.

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Fine Artwork is all around you that tells a story.

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With music from La LLorona. Is about a ghost of a woman in-between worlds who lost her children that’s popular in Mexican folklore.

Back to the restaurant.

The bar and kitchen are postage stamp sized.

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This is one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of the year. I tried to make a dinner reservation and my message was that nothing was available in the time slot I wanted for eight weeks.

I didn’t think I’d get in for lunch but I did easily.

To my surprise the lunch menu was more like a dinner menu and also sort of dinner priced.

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I had to ask the waiter about some of the ingredients because some weren’t familiar to me.

We ordered and complimentary bread and roasted olives arrive.

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Perhaps the olives are a nod to Arizona since olives grow almost everywhere here.

Soon a house salad arrives.

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It’s not an average mixed greens salad. It’s full of mixed greens and herbs I’ve never seen or tasted before that are absolutely delicious! The vinaigrette is spicy with sweetness but different and unlike flavors I tried before. Very very good! Very powerful with flavors.

I tried the Tacuba.

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They were made of what’s called tortillas de nixtamal a process were the maize is soaked and cooked in lime water (not the citrus). The tortillas were filled with fresh spinach, several sauces and many cheeses I never had before. These were good anyone would like them but I was left slightly deflated after the fireworks of flavors from the previous salad.

Half way threw me and my husband switched plates.

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The Mole du Jour-Chicken.

Every mole is different as this one was to me. This wasn’t the smoothest mole. Look close to the mound of chicken. But this mole was maybe the deepest tasting one I ever tried. It was deep like coffee. I was expecting maybe part of stewed chicken but they serve matchstick cut white meat chicken breast. The chicken was tender and natural tasting. The rice was studded with some surprises  tangy and a few other flavors.

At the time of this review this newly opened restaurant was only open for three days and I wouldn’t be surprised if changes are made to the lunch menu.

For more information please visit www.BarrioCafeGranReserva.com

Only open three days so it’s too soon to rate.

Your experience may differ and I only wrote The Forking Truth.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Here’s a peek at the ladies room.

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Pickled Beet Israeli Couscous with Harissa Vinaigrette Recipe

Pickled Beet Israeli Couscous and Harissa Vinagrete

Pickled Beet Israeli Couscous and Harissa Vinagrete

I was inspired to create this dish while dinning at Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale from the fall restaurant week menu. One of the most delicious and memorable parts of that dinner was the mound of Israeli Couscous. I could taste the blended beets blanketing the couscous. I never had such a dish and thought it was interesting. Lots of delicious Harissa came with the couscous that taste identical to my recipe for Harissa. It took me so long to do this dish because my local supermarkets (Costco, Safeway, Walmart Grocery, WinCo) don’t sell Israeli Couscous and I often forget about looking for this ingredient.  I knew I could recreate it and I did and ran with it. The flavors go together like magic. This one will dazzle most people.

I used Israeli Feta that that is less tangy and more creamy than regular feta cheese. I purchased it from Trader Joe’s. If you can find a home made Feta Cheese that would be even better!

Ingredients for the beets around 8 servings

2 lb beets (usually I peel after cooked but this time I peeled before cooking, cut up a little)

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1 Tablespoon allspice berries

1/2 preserved lemon

1 cup water

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees. Add everything to your roasting pan. Cover with foil. Cook about one and one half hours or until beets are fork tender.

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Ingredients for the Harissa Vinaigrette about 8 servings

2 red bell peppers roasted- remove stem, core, seeds and skin – chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon caraway seed

2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves – chopped

sea salt (fresh ground to taste)

black pepper (fresh ground to taste)

1-3 hot peppers-  (you have to wing it here. All peppers have different heat and I suggest adding your chopped hot pepper at the end and then decide on how many you want to use. This sauce should be spicy.)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 lemon just the fresh juice

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions just blend till smooth.

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Ingredients for couscous about 8 servings

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dry Israeli Couscous

1 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Directions saute couscous in olive oil on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until you see the couscous is slightly toasted. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil, cove, reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes, when couscous is done.

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Ingredients for creamy beet sauce for couscous for about 4 servings

2 oz. water

1 cup beets – chopped well (these are the beets you just cooked)

2 oz feta cheese

Directions

Blend well and mix into couscous.

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Assemble and add ons to finish

Cut up leftover beets and serve them with the couscous. Use a generous amount of Harissa with each serving.

14 leaves of chopped mint (one leaf or a little more per serving)

8 teaspoons of roasted crushed pistachios  (one teaspoon per serving)

8 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (one teaspoon per serving)

1/2 cup chopped scallions (about one tablespoon per serving)

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Pickled Beet Israeli Couscous and Harissa Vinagrete

Pickled Beet Israeli Couscous and Harissa Vinagrete

Tasty and different! Delicious…….you just might not want to be as fancy and mix the harissa into the couscous. Something that you would eat at a restaurant. You might want to make want to double or triple the Harissa recipe. It is great on eggs, grilled meats and is super awesome on spaghetti squash too.

My husband usually isn’t into this kind of food and he said it was so delicious anyone would love it. He says I should make it the next time his parents come over.

Forking great and that's The Forking Truth

Forking great and that’s The Forking Truth