Category Archives: Forking Thoughts

Random Forking Items of Interest

Take Out In Metro Phoenix AZ During The CoronaVirus Pandemic – Week 9 – Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, La Piazza Al Forno, CHZBURGR, Vincent Market Bistro, Greek Palace

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These are the worst of times and also the worst of times for restaurants. Many restaurants already permanently closed because of the pandemic. We are trying to support as many restaurants as possible. As of May 14th there is no evidence that you can catch coronavirus by food (subject to change). Earlier reports stated that even if someone had coronavirus and prepared your food that it was unlikely that you would catch coronavirus that way too. I do note that I don’t know if that is factual. This week some restaurants have opened and now offer indoor dining again. It’s a fact that many people are still catching coronavirus and many people are still dying from coronavirus. I think I’ll still be doing take out for a while. At the moment I feel safer doing take out than dining in.

We packed up the dogs and did take out from Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix.

My husband got a shaking Beef Banh Mi Baguette Sandwich.

I got a noodle bowl with chicken that comes with an egg roll. It’s way more food than I can eat but I had some help with that. (BTW – both dogs helped)

Next take out was from La Piazza Al Forno in Old Town Glendale.

We shared an antipasto plate called Tavola mista and we had a Bianca Pizza with added Calabrian Chilies and a Savatore Pizza. My GOSH! These pizzas were FORKING AMAZING! I almost didn’t want to share but I did.

Next we packed up the dogs and went to CHZBURGR in North Glendale.

They had a really great curbside completely contact free ordering and paying system.

Soon I was enjoying a BIG JUICY DELICIOUS fried chicken thigh sandwich with added Calabrian peppers.

My husband already got his teeth into his triple cheese burger. He said it was a great as this kind of burger can be.

I guess we will be going to CHZBURGR more often.

Next take out came from Vincent Market Bistro.

I ordered the Arctic char with basil pesto and ratatouille but they accidentally gave me salmon with rice and asparagus. We also got fresh local peaches, a lemon pomelo tart, some complimentary desserts and my husband got the pork loin. (my husband did call to let them know that they gave me the wrong dinner and they did the right thing and took it off the bill) My dogs were there to try Vincents Market Bistro.

Last take out of the week was from Greek Palace in Peoria.

Both entrees were served with fresh side salads and warm pita bread. On the left is the firefighter place that is gyro meat with vegetables, spicy peppers and rice. I ordered the salmon. Today it came with lots of rice and peppers and onions. It was a very large portion of fish so I will be making two meals out of it but I did have my usual help with that too.

“Don’t worry, we are in this thing together”

That was take out during the coronavirus pandemic week 9. The restaurants we went to were-

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery – N Phoenix

La Piazza Al. Forno – Old Town Glendale

CHZBURGR – Glendale

Vincent Market Bistro – Phoenix

Greek Palace – N Peoria

Everything is subject to change and we hope it does for the better.

The Forking Truth

Know what to expect when you buy a jar of Pommery Mustard Royal Cognac – It’s Hard to Open

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I got this $17. jar of mustard for free when I made a purchase from yummy bazaar .com . It looks impressive and the mustard comes in a big crock that has some sort of plastic coating on the top near where the lid should be. I didn’t know how I should open this baby up so I started whacking the plastic off with a knife around the edges first. The ends of the plastic started coming off.

After most of the plastic on the ends got whacked off I stuck a little knife into the cork to lift it up.

I think that is a lot of work to do to open a mustard. I’m ok doing this but I imagine that many people could get injured opening up one of these mustards.

It really is a very good mustard though. It’s not harsh at all like most American Mustards. It’s very smooth, mild and creamy and is like mostly mild dijon with some grain mustard that is light with mustard grains and is laced with some cognac.

Now you know what to expect if you need to open a jar of Pommery Mustard Royal Cognac.

The Forking Truth

Take Out In Metro Phoenix During The CoronaVirus Pandemic Week 8 – Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante (twice), NakedQ BBQ (PHX), Binkley’s, Aiello’s East Coast Italian Restaurant

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We are trying to give our support to as many small business restaurants as we can. These are the worst of times and all restaurants are hemorrhaging money these days. Many restaurants have already closed permanently. I heard reports on the news that it is unlikely that you will catch coronavirus from food even if the person preparing the food has coronavirus. I also heard reported on the news that there is no evidence of catching coronavirus from food. I do note that I am not a scientist and have no idea if those reports are factual. I look at it this way. It’s best to avoid as many people as possible and most restaurants are empty these days so you hardly run into anyone at a restaurant and most restaurant workers wear masks.

Our first take out this week from from Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante. They closed in March just before we were suggested to stay in because of the pandemic but recently opened for curbside take out. Not only did they open but they donated lots of food to first responders.

We took out a delicious margherita pizza, a salami piccante pizza and they had a $12. wine sale so we bought two bottles that we all drink on the weekend. Our furry friends are very familiar with Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante and often can be seen dining on their dog friendly patio.

“Ohhhh Bottega food that’s very good stuff!”
“Bottega is one of my favorite restaurants in Glendale!”

Next take out was from NakedQ BBQ in N Phoenix. NakedQ BBQ also donated lots of food to first responders. Today we took out DELICIOUS non-traditional smoked corned beef sandwiches.

“OMG that smells amazing”
“I need to taste that now!”

For our 3rd take out we went back to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante again. They packed our take out in plastic bags that were sealed shut.

This time I got the strawberry salad with chicken and my husband got one of the handmade pastas.

Our fur buddies were waiting for theirs.

Next take out was from the fine dining restaurant called Binkley’s in Phoenix.

This is what each person got

We got gazpacho, smoked cod couscous, caesar salad, black truffle chicken pot pie, Parker house rolls and strawberry short cake. My dogs even got to try Binkley’s.

Last take out this week was from Aiello’s East Coast Italian Restaurant.

They had a very nice package deal where we got one appetizer, two dinners, one dessert, a candle and A BOTTLE OF WINE for either $50 and $65 menus.

We got an antipasto plate, a salmon dinner with artichokes in lemon caper sauce with green beans and a potato croquette, a veal dish in a fontina cheese sauce with green beans and potato croquette, a candle, a bottle of wine and a chocolate mousse torte cake.

It was more food than we could eat but we had some help with that.

“Don’t worry we will get threw this thing together”

If you want your local and favorite restaurants to exist then you have to do business with them by buying take out or gift cards. Today some restaurants are rushing to re-open. We are not ready to dine in yet.

Restaurants that we did take out from this week were.

Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante Glendale/Arrowhead (twice)

NakedQ BBQ -N Phoenix

Binkley’s – Phoenix

Aiello’s East Coast Italian – North Central Phoenix

Everything is subject to change and we hope it does for the better.

The Forking Truth

Grocery Shopping During The CoronaVirus Pandemic – Week 8 – Costco Delivery Phoenix AZ (you can’t always get what you want…..or what you need or what you order)

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This week I thought I’d shop at Costco again since the delivery was so great last time. I didn’t need toilet paper or paper towels since the nice delivery person I had last time asked me if I wanted to add them n to my order. That didn’t happen this time but II don’t need those things yet. It’s still the same on line and you can’t order those paper products for delivery. I was surprised that I couldn’t order fresh whole carrots but most things that I wanted to buy I was able to order…………but I wasn’t able to get 🙁

I liked that I could virtually see my order going into the cart.

I also liked that I could add lots of wine.

I liked that my order was to be delivered in around 2 hours.

This time when I got my order I noticed that I didn’t get my major things that I needed for my lunches next week (romaine lettuce and spinach). We were also missing my husband’s meat and cheese roll up snacks that he likes. It’s no biggy but instead of oranges I got tangerines. I also got a few things that I didn’t order like apples, bananas and mangos….Oh my!

We texted the delivery driver to see if she would fix things and never heard back that whole day.

We waited an hour and didn’t hear back so I filled out the questioner from Costco and I got this before their response.

Then I got this.

I asked for a refund.

That’s how my Grocery Shopping from Costco delivery went week 8 of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Forking Truth

Take Out During The CoronaVirus Pandemic in Metro Phoenix AZ – Week 7 – Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, The Larder & The Delta, Phila Deli, Twist Bistro and Gallery, Kawaii Sushi and Asian Cuisine

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We are trying to support small business restaurants as much as possible. These are the worst of times and all restaurants are hemorrhaging money. A few weeks ago our local channel 3 news reported that it is unlikely that you will catch the coronavirus from food even if the person preparing your food has the coronavirus. (Don’t know if that report is factual) This week sister station channel 5 said it different and reported that there is no evidence that you will catch coronavirus from food. I look at this way……..It’s best to avoid as many people as possible. All restaurants are nearly empty these days. It seems safer to do take out food than it is to shop for groceries from the supermarket.

First take out this week was from our long time favorite take out restaurant Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix. It’s a Vietnamese Restaurant that is free of Pho and specializes in serving Banh Mi Baguette Sandwiches and most of your other Vietnamese Favorites.

Today (off of the $5.00 menu) I had the chicken cabbage salad and the chicken potstickers (off the $4.00 menu).

The salad seems light and is delicious. The potstickers are very tasty and seem like a treat!

My husband had the pork rice plate today.

The rice plates are always really great! For some people they might be more than one meal.

We had plenty to share…..

Next take out was from The Larder and The Delta in down town Phoenix.

We got the pop up hot chicken special that was eight pieces of hot fried chicken, pasta salad, two slices of white bread and four cans of beer. The chicken is delicious and full of flavors. It’s not very hot but it is delicious. I don’t drink beer but I’ll use it for cooking or marinating.

My dogs can’t get their eyes off the chicken.

Next we packed up the dogs and did take out from Phila Deli in Glendale. It’s a small cheese steak and hoagie joint.

They recently added salads to the menu so I got one.

WOW! That’s a really great salad for only $7.50 (plus 75cents for avocado)

My husband always gets a full size cheese steak from Phila Deli.

We tried a brand NEW restaurant that just opened May 1st in North Scottsdale called Twist Bistro and Gallery. It’s a little restaurant but they offer a very unique detailed Mediterranean menu. They offered an INCREDIBLE Take out special for two ($55.) That was truly AMAZING!

They started us off with these insanely delicious light as a cloud biscuits that were studded with feta cheese and were laced with dill and they came with a spiced warm honey butter.

Our appetizer was a wild mushroom crepe stuffed with mushrooms, black truffle ricotta and it came with sweet pea pesto and an heirloom tomato arugula salad.

My dinner was the Bistro Salmon. It was Loch Duart Salmon (same salmon that Thomas Keller uses in his restaurants) black rice, basil pistou, asparagus and heirloom tomato salad.

My husband had the Shrimp and Sausage Diablo. It was made of spicy Italian sausage, gulf shrimp, basil, asparagus, olives, tomato confit and three cheese polenta.

He said it was so good that he would have to order it next time!

For dessert were their beignets with cream anglaise and berry sauce.

Twist Bistro and Galley was really super awesome!

Last Take out of the week was from Kawaii Sushi & Asian Cuisine. They were on the news when they closed for the pandemic. They showed the owner cooking up all his food and giving it away to first responders. I thought that was a great deed so I wanted to try them again.

They practice safe distancing and you order and purchase on line. Then all communication is by text. Your order gets placed on a table in front of your parking spot.

Today we ordered off the Asian Menu and I tried the Shui-Zhu Flounder and my husband tried the shrimp she mai (dumplings) and the Kung Pao Beef.

The proteins are tender as can be. The fish is in a mild ginger soy broth. The kung Pao Beef is very delicate with flavor and is extra mild.

That was week 7 of Take Out in Metro Phoenix during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Don’t worry we are all in this thing together”

This week we did take out from-

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery (North Phoenix)

The Larder and The Delta (Downtown Phoenix)

Phila-Deli (Glendale/Arrowhead)

Twist Bistro and Gallery (North Scottsdale)

Kawaii Sushi & Asian Cuisine (North Glendale)

If you want your local or favorite restaurants to stay in business you need to do business with them.

Every THING is subject to change and we hope it does for the better.

The Forking Truth

Grocery Shopping During CoronaVirus Pandemic – Week 7 – Grocery Pick Up from Safeway in Metro Phoenix AZ

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During the pandemic we are suppose to distance ourselves from other people as much as possible. Grocery stores are the places we go to with the most people these days so I elected to do grocery pick up. I had a good experience from Costco with grocery delivery two weeks back. Last week I didn’t need any groceries so I did without. This week I decided to try Safeway because I can’t get everything I want from Costco like scallions, herbs and many assorted other little things.

It was pretty easy to order and pay on line. I was surprised that I couldn’t buy radishes…or dry milk. I also couldn’t buy the 65cent watermelons that were on sale unless I paid $5.00 each for them….But I admit maybe I just messed that one up.

AnyWHO…….

When it came time to pick up we got into a parking space, called a number that someone answered.. Soon someone comes out with a cart of groceries to our car and loads the trunk.

When I got home I checked out my groceries.

They were out of a couple things that I really needed like garlic… 🙁

A few things were substituted …………but I marked no substitutions….. 🙁

But the one thing that made me upset was the rotten moldy basil they stuck me with.

I guess the person packing my cart for me was very tired and didn’t even look at the basil….?

But I wonder why would something like this even be on the shelf?

They also neglected to give me my Monopoly Tickets…for prizes and discounts. 🙁

That was Grocery Shopping During the CoronaVirus Pandemic – Week 7 – Safeway in Metro Phoenix AZ.

The Forking Truth

My Forking Thoughts on Vegan Ramen Hero

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In our local Phoenix Newspaper (The Arizona Republic) our food critic Dominic Atmato highly recommended this mail away frozen ramen called Ramen Hero. After I read the article I wanted to try Ramen Hero. I went to the site and they were all sold out of all the flavors except for two Vegan Ramen varieties that come in a four pack so I ordered them. I got two called “Hippy Van” and the other two are called “Miso Impossible.” I got the four pack at around $73.00 that includes the shipping. They arrived about a week later and were packaged very well with dry ice.

They come in vacuum sealed bags with easy boil in bag directions. Each bag is filled with a frozen bag of soup, a bag with protein and vegetables, a bag with a sheet of seaweed (that you add at the end) and a bag of noodles.

Everything is heated up and I give it a try.

The soup is very good. It’s rich, developed with flavors and it’s good. Taste like I could have gotten it out from a restaurant.

The noodles are also very good and chewy. Not as good as the last ramen I had at a restaurant but nearly as good.

But WOW the protein is POLARIZING.

In the one bag with the protein I got strips of pepper, a squishy strip of zucchini, a chewy sun dried tomato slice. The protein has a nice texture that is similar to meat…..BUT WOW……. the protein taste like something that is IMPOSSIBLE to describe. (now I know why it’s called Miso Impossible) It’s FORKING INEDIBLE and is AWFUL to me……I can’t eat it. It doesn’t taste like food……and it’s painfully salty too like salt water. It’s like a combination of LOTS of salt, something burnt, something like coffee grounds and something funky. Even my husband can’t eat it. Thank God I made delicious ramen eggs so I’d have something good in this soup.

It’s not a total loss.

Well the soup and noodles really are very good….and the sheet of seaweed adds that just right flavor to it. Maybe the meat varieties of Ramen Hero are better?

I would NOT recommend the Vegan Miso Impossible many because I couldn’t stomach the protein it came with and wasn’t thrilled with the squishy and chewy vegetables. (now I’m afraid to try the other one…….I am hoping it’s better…..If it is I’ll write about it when I get the nerve to try it.

I think this soup would have been much better if it came with cubes of tofu instead of the vegan protein. Maybe a different vegetable like a mushroom would have worked out better here I’m thinking……

Those were my Forking Thoughts on Vegan Miso Impossible Ramen Hero and your Forking Thoughts may indeed differ.

www.RamenHero.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may differ.

The Forking Truth

Take Out During The CoronaVirus in Metro Phoenix AZ – Week 6 Taco Fusion, Chino Bandido, Rocket Burger, Tratto, Grassroots Kitchen and Tap

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We are supporting restaurants as much as we can. These are the worst of times and all restaurants are hemorrhaging money. While nothing is for certain these days chances are that take out food is safer than food you purchased at a grocery store. Remember that you are suppose to avoid contact with as many people as possible and keep at least a six foot distance. I don’t know if the news is factual but on channel 3 news they reported that you are very unlikely to catch coronavirus from food anyway. They reported that even if the person preparing your food has coronavirus that you are unlikely to catch the virus that way. I hope that is true…….

Our first take out this week was from Taco Fusion in Glendale. I’ve been there a couple of times before this second take out. The Tacos really are the best that I’ve come across in this part of town.

Pastor and Shrimp tacos
barbacooa taco
Mild habanero chicken, grilled chicken, fish and Tijuana asada

The handmade tortillas are different and also delicious. The flour tortillas are very thin but tasty and the corn tortillas are a little smaller but have a nice corn flavor to them. I still think all the tacos are excellent but the mild habanero chicken taco on corn tortilla is my favorite. It is extra delicious with any salsa on it but my favorite salsa the first time was the pineapple salsa. First take out they didn’t have pineapple salsa but this time the pineapple wasn’t mixed up or something and it was just juice but all the other salsas were flavorful and amazing.

We shared some with our furry companions.

Next take out was from Chino Bandido in North Phoenix. They are a casual Chinese/Mexican Restaurant mixed with a little Caribbean. You get a BIG PAN of food with a fresh baked snickerdoodle cookie there for around $10.00 a pan or less depending on what you get.

Pan on the left is a chile relleno quesadilla with red jade chicken, black beans and steamed white rice. Pan on the right is a pollo diablo quesadilla, carnitas, refried beans and steamed rice. In-between the pans are the fresh baked snickerdoodle cookies. For most people each pan is two or more meals each. Our furry friends love to taste the foods.

We also did take out from Rocket Burger in North Phoenix. This is a casual sandwich shop with a wall of 100’s of sodas. When they first opened the sodas were mostly root beers but after a few years they now offer all kinds of flavors.

On the left is a double Santa Fe Burger that is made with a giant fried green chili, veggies, cheese, bacon and it normally comes with (DELICIOUS) Rocket Sauce (but my husband won’t eat creamy sauces so it was ordered without). On the right is the Pescado de Cohete (Mexican Fish Sandwich). It’s a cornmeal crusted mild white fish topped with DELICIOUS, slightly spicy Mexi-Slaw and pico de Gallo. These sandwiches only cost less than $9. each.

Next take out was from Tratto the fine Italian restaurant from the James Beard Award Winning chef and the famous Mastro of pizzas Chris Bianco.

We got the family meal take out special that included a salad, hand made pasta, creamy chick peas, a loaf of Bianco bread and chicken sauce. Everything was prepared to perfection. Everything was amazing.

Last take out of the week was Grassroots Kitchen and Tap in Scottsdale. The food is always delicious from Grassroots Kitchen and Tap.

I got the house smoked salmon and orzo salad. My husband got the bbq brisket with cheese grits and beans. A MUST GET is the key lime pie because 40 yes FOURTY key limes get squeezed into every pie making it THE BEST Key Lime Pie in Metro Phoenix and maybe beyond.

“That’s all Folks!”

We tried to support as many restaurants as we could this week. This week we did take out from-

Taco Fusion in Glendale

Chino Bandido in North Phoenix

Rocket Burger in North Phoenix

Tratto in Phoenix

Grassroots Kitchen and Tap in Scottsdale

Everything is subject to change and we hope it does for the better.

The Forking Truth

My Forking Thoughts on Fudge Brownie M&M’s

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When a new M&M comes out I just feel like I have to try it even if it rolls out during the pandemic. Armed with onion googles and a mask I risk death by entering an empty CVS store to purchase the last two bags of Fudge Brownie M&M’s. They were on sale for two bags for $5.00 and apparently they were sold out fast.

I get home open up the bag and take a whiff…Ummm it smells just like a bag of brownies.

I pour some out and I see that they are large for M&M’s and they are very irregular and sort of lumpy in shape. They come in the usual M&M colors yellow, orange, red, brown and blue.

I eat one.

It’s really different……It’s chewy….like a caramel-ee chewy brownie. It really does taste like a brownie….It’s the usual candy shell with the usual chocolate inside and the center is like a lump of chewy brownie….but it feels like it’s mixed with a non sticking caramel.

I eat a few more because they are pretty good tasting.

But the shells are melting in my hand.

HEY WTFork! That is not suppose to happen!

Maybe I got a defective bag?

Well they taste good. Gotta be happy with that.

Worth a try!

Those were my FORKING Thoughts on Fudge Brownie M&M’s.

Your opinion may differ.

The Forking Truth

Take Out During The CoronaVirus Pandemic Week 5 Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, Confluence, Pita Kitchen, Binkley’s, Cucina Tagliani

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During the pandemic we are giving our support to as many restaurants as we can. These are the worst of times and all restaurants are hemorrhaging money. We’ve also noticed that some restaurants have already closed permanently.

First place that we did take out from was our long time favorite for take out….Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix. It’s a Pho-Free eatery but does offer most of your other Vietnamese favorites. We packed up the dogs to come for the ride and they started licking their mouths in sync when we got there.

I got the delicious curry chicken.

My husband got a shaking beef banh mi.

We always enjoy Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.

Next take out was from Confluence Restaurant in Carefree. We also been to Confluence many times. The food is always astonishingly FANTASTIC!

OMG YUM! The food really is Forking Extraordinary!

I had the halibut tacos. WOW they are melt in your mouth amazing! Almost nobody prepares fish this great!

My husband had the pork belly Rueben on chocolate rye.

This was another YUM-DINGER! We both with with the side salads as our sides, shared some delicious Brussels sprouts and enjoyed macerated strawberries! This really was quite a treat!

Since we are dining at home we had to share the goodies.

We also did take out this week from Pita Kitchen in Glendale. It’s a little casual Greek Restaurant.

I got my usual chicken kabob Greek salad but I tried their jalapeño cilantro hummus for the first time.

The chicken is developed with flavors and has a nice char. The fresh baked pita breads are very good too. The hummus is creamy and taste like cilantro…..I’m not getting the jalapeño but sometimes jalapeños can be very mild sometimes.

My husband got his usual Gyro Greek Salad.

We happened to have help eating the large portions.

We thought it was time to treat ourselves and we did the 5 course take out from Binkley’s in Phoenix. ($$$$$fine dining restaurant) ((but take out was many times less than dining in there))

First course was green garlic and potato soup.

Next was marinated cucumbers with crab, kumquats, yogurt, dill and red onion.

Third course was spinach and sorrel salad with spiced hazelnuts, feta, cranberries and sherry vinaigrette.

Our main courses were house made corned beef with red wine braised cabbage, apple balsamic mustard, Irish soda bread and honey butter.

Dessert was mulberries with mint and maple quark…WOW what a treat!

Oh and we had some help with this.

My dogs don’t know that they are lucky dogs that eat better than most people.

Last take out this week was from Cucina Tagliani in Glendale.

I got the strawberry and goat cheese salad that comes with grilled chicken.

They always have really great strawberries and their house made dressings are very good.

My husband had a Stromboli today.

The dogs enjoyed sharing our meals.

That was week 5 of Take Out During the CoronaVirus Pandemic. The restaurants we did take out with this week were-

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery

Confluence

Pita Kitchen

Binkley’s

Cucina Tagliani

If you care about any restaurant you should at least do some take out from them.

Everything is subject to change and we hope it does for the better!

The Forking Truth