Monthly Archives: August 2017

My Forking Thoughts on Lay’s Everything Bagel Potato Chips

 

The Lay’s Million Dollar finalist winning flavors for the  “Do Us a Flavor” Contest varieties are now out in stores for us to try!  I was pretty excited to try out the Everything Bagel and Cream Cheese Kettle Cooked Potato Chips from Lay’s. Everything Bagels are so bold with flavors. Those bagels are crusted with onions, garlic, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. All them flavors really wake you up and I thought that this would be a very easy flavor to pull off.

I start by opening the bag and take a whiff.

It smells like something fried.

It smells a little bit like fried onion rings.

I smell a slight sourness……

I pour some chips on to a paper towel.

I notice that the chips are very small and came from tiny potatoes. Many of the chips are folded and some are sprinkled with poppy seeds.

These chips are greasy. My paper towel is getting oily.

They are very crunchy with some potato flavor.

They do have some sort of flavor that’s similar to buttermilk with a hint of onion.

Almost ranch………..Almost Onion Dip……….some sort of cheese flavor?

Some chips are almost flavorless and some have stronger flavors.

I don’t get any sesame seeds….I don’t get that burnt onion taste…I don’t get the pops of garlic either.

Some of the chips taste almost a weird buttery flavor with poppy seeds…like a poppy seed crunch with a slightly tangy buttery dip-like like product.

Not so good………Not horrible…….disappointing!

1/2 a Fork…………

Crispy Taco and Fried Green Tomato are also out for a limited time.

Give them a try if your up for it!

Your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

Masa Potato Dumplings Recipe

 

Masa Potato Dumplings

I made these dumplings from roasted, riced, brown skin potatoes and masa flour with some other ingredients. The masa flour gives the dumplings a corn tortilla kind of flavor. You can serve them anyway you like. My first thought was that the dumplings would be very good in corn stock with some corn, jalapeño and cilantro. I also cooked the dumplings in corn stock to infuse more flavor and saved the starchy corn stock cooking liquid for the soup I served it in the cooking liquid because it had great corn flavor. You can also serve the dumplings in any other vegetable soup or stew and I imagine they would go well in a chicken based soup or stew. They would be delicious in a tomatillo gravy or salsa.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

1 lb peeled brown skin potatoes that were already roasted, peeled and riced

2 L eggs – slightly beaten

1 Tablespoon course sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground annatto

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 cup AP flour

1 cup masa

1/2 cup (about could be slightly more or slightly less) corn stock – you can substitute water, vegetable stock or chicken stock – You want just the right amount for a smooth dough

Directions

Rised Potatoes

Add all the ingredients expect for the corn-stock. Mix and drizzle in corn-stock until you get a nice feeling dough that’s not too dry and let it rest about 20 minutes.

Put a pot with what stock you are using to a medium boil.

Trim your disposable pastry bag and add some dough with the end folded down. (use less dough than I did if you are not used to working with a pastry bag)

Bring the folded end up and twist the dough down.

Tie some kitchen string on the handle of your pot being careful not to let the string make contact with the burner. The string will cut your dumplings off the pastry bag.

Let each batch rise to the surface and let them cook two – three minutes. Spoon them out with a slotted spoon. If you did them in corn stock you are fine but if you did them in vegetable or chicken stock you might need to add a small amount of oil to the dumplings so they don’t stick. Keep going till you are out of dough.

“Those dumplings smell Forking Good to me.”

Masa Potato Dumplings

These are very tasty. I think most people will like them.

The Forking Truth

My trip to Serra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse at P83 Peoria AZ

 

We now have maybe the only independently owned Brazilian Steakhouse in Arizona and it recently opened at P83 in Peoria AZ across from the Peoria Sports Center. This is a big deal because we have very few independently owned restaurants in this area and also very few fine restaurants of any kind in this area. The dining room is formal and is set with tablecloths and wineglasses.

They also offer a full bar and a good sized wine list.

My view of the bar from my seat

They start everyone off with Brazilian Cheese Bread.

Then you make your trip to the Salad Bar.

They offer many vegetable salads, hearts of palm, chicken salad, cheese salad, potato salad, lunch meat, rice, black beans with pork and several other items.

Everything I tried was very fresh….but also mostly very mild tasting.

I took a peek into the kitchen….looks like the meats are cooked here.

Back at the table they bring us tasty caramelized bananas and garlic mashed potatoes.

After our salads we turn our red cards on our table on the other side to green to alert the Gauchos (meat servers) that we are ready.

All kinds of meat on screwers comes our way.

The meats offered to us were-

Chicken Legs

Chicken wrapped in bacon

Rib Eye

Bottom Sirloin

Filet

Filet Wrapped in Bacon

Parmesan Pork

Pork Sausage

Pork Ribs

Lamp Chops

Leg of Lamb

Garlic Beef

and

The Signature Picanha Top Sirloin pictured below

We both thought the Signature Picanha Top Sirloin was by FAR the best of what we tried. It was tender, juicy and delicious!

We didn’t try every meat that was offered but we did find a few that were short of perfect.

This restaurant at the time of this review is newly opened and may still be working things out.

www.SerraGauchaUSA.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

Forking Great Onion Rolls Recipe

 

Forking Great Onion Rolls

If you can bake Focaccia Bread than you can bake Onion Rolls. I read somewhere that onion rolls are basically the same dough as focaccia dough. So I whipped up a batch of my focaccia dough and just winged it. After I made the dough I cut the dough ball in quarters and then halved again to make eight portions. I kneaded each portion and rolled each into a log and then just tied each one in a knot. I let the dough sit out maybe another hour and brushed them with olive oil and a beaten egg, then topped them with a sprinkle of poppy seeds and finely chopped onion that I briefly heated in oil and then I brushed the rolls with a little egg again. Half an hour latter in my oven and the rolls were done. I knew they would be good but really was surprised how Forking great they really are…..Somehow the way I cut just heated the onions they infused the sweet just right onion flavor into the roll. The rolls have a nice crust and are moist, light textured and flavorful inside.

Ingredients for 8 servings

1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cup water (100-110 degrees F)

3 cups bread flour (PLUS 1 extra cup for kneading till just right and to let the dough rest in. Don’t toss out the extra till done because you will use a little when you roll the log shaped dough)

1/4 (scant) cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon course sea salt

1/4 large sweet onion – I sliced thin on a mandolin and then chopped)

teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle over rolls before baking)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl add the sugar, yeast and the water. Mix well and let sit in a warm place till foamy (about a half hour)

Once foamy add the 3 cups of flour and mix most of the way by hand. The mixture will be dry so stop and add the olive oiled the salt. Now mix well. Lift the dough ball up and add the remaining cup of flour. Now knead the flour in till it doesn’t stick to your hands. Make the dough into a ball and let it rest in the flour.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for at least an hour and it should have doubled in size. During this time you can quickly heat the onions in oil. Don’t cook them all the way…just heat them in the oil and set to the side.

Punch the dough down and knead it some more. Make the dough into a dough ball again and wrap the top of bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for at least an hour again.

Punch the dough down and knead it again. Make it into a ball and on a cutting board cut it in quarters and then cut each quarter in half so you have 8 pieces.

Use some of the extra flour from the bowl and on a floured surface roll each section of dough into a log.

Tie each log into a knot and place on a baking sheet that is topped with parchment paper.

Leave the rolls sit out for about 30 minutes so they rise a little again.

Turn oven on to 350 degrees F.

Drizzle the rolls with oil.

Brush them with beaten egg.

Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Top with about a teaspoon of onions.

Brush carefully again with egg.

Put in the oven for about 30 minutes or until done.

They came out Forking Great! Nice crust….moist, tender and oniony inside. I’m going to have to make my own rolls all the time now…

These came out so FORKING Delicious! I wish I could offer you a piece to try! My husband couldn’t stop talking about them for a few days. We had a few of the very best sandwiches ever on them.

Forking Great Onion Rolls

The Forking Truth

My Forking Thoughts on Guy Fieri Original Salsa

 

Salsa is a tasty dip made from fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeños, spices, cilantro and vinegar and or lime juice. I usually prepare my own but I can’t all the time so I need to pick up a jar every now and then. I do find that most jarred salsa is awful and doesn’t taste like salsa. So I am on the hunt for jarred salsa that taste ok.

I decided to try a jar of Guy Fieri Original Salsa. Guy Fieri is a Restauranteur, Cook Book Author, Food Network TV Host and Television Personality. He gives the impression on TV that he knows something about food…especially bar grub so I thought I’d give his salsa a try after being on the hunt for a long time.

I open the jar and it doesn’t look like salsa. It looks like jarred spaghetti sauce.

Salsa from a Mexican Restaurant near me looks like this. The salsa pictured below is bright and fresh tasting with chunks of real tomatoes, hot peppers, fresh cilantro and garlic.

So I go and take in the aroma of Guy Fieri’s Salsa before I taste it.

WOW it smells like cumin……….. we are talking Donkey Boats of Cumin.

Then I go to taste it.

It taste kind of GOOD but in a spaghetti sauce laced with lots of cumin kind of way and not like salsa……. This salsa lacks that fresh salsa taste and texture….it’s more like cooked down tomatoes  with lots of cumin and some cooked vegetables.

It does have a little heat and some other flavors but it’s very heavy with and mostly CUMIN.

I guess “Flavor Town” is mostly flavored with cumin.

Lets see what the bottle says.

Lets take a better look at the ingredients.

Oddly it does taste better than most of the other jarred salsas I tried….It’s good but in a weird way…….because……………. it doesn’t taste like salsa to me………. (to me) It’s  salsa that taste like spaghetti sauce flavored with cumin.

Your opinion may or may not differ from mine.

Go and try it and see what you think.

The Forking Truth

Spicy Delicious Tuna Sandwich Recipe

 

Spicy Yummy Tuna Sandwich

I had a Tuna Sandwich recently at Stock and Stable in Phoenix AZ and it was Forking Delicious! I would never guess in a million years that Calabrian Chili Peppers and Muenster Cheese would taste so forking awesome in the basic tuna sandwich. I made a similar but different sandwich. I didn’t have muenster cheese so I substituted sharp American that has a similar creamiest and sharp taste. I made a few other changes too mostly due to what I had in my pantry and refrigerator.  I do want to let you know the above photo isn’t very good and is very yellow and that color wasn’t on my sandwich.

Ingredients for about 3 large sandwiches (I only used bread for two sandwiches and made another sandwich the next day)

6.4 oz drained wild caught light chunk tuna

1 tiny celery rib with leaves – chopped fine

1 Tablespoon sweet onion – chopped fine

2 Calabrian Chili peppers – chopped fine

1 teaspoon oil from jar of Calabrian peppers

squirt fresh lemon juice – from like a half small lemon

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 XL eggs cooked medium (like photo below) (bring eggs to boil, then shut off heat and leave in water up to 5 minutes and shock with ice) separate the yolks from whites and fine chop the whites. (you will be mashing the yolks into the dressing.

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 anchovy – chopped fine

splash soy sauce

squirt of Asian mayo

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 Tablespoons raisens

fresh crushed black pepper to taste.

4 slices of Noble Bread

maybe a teaspoon of sweet butter

4 Calabrian Chili Peppers – chopped fine

about 2 Tablespoons Asian Mayonnaise

2 romaine lettuce leaves

4 slices of sharp American Cheese (Fry’s is the only grocery store that I know of in Metro Phoenix that sells sharp American) The best xtra sharp cheese is Cooper Sharp. The second best xtra sharp is New Yorker. Here in Phoenix the only sharp American that I know of is Boarshead Brand ((Sprouts sells sharp but not xtra sharp)) or substitute muenster cheese)

In a small bowl you can whip together the Calabrian Oil, lemon juice, olive oil, egg yolks, balsamic, dijon, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, anchovy, soy sauce, squirt Asian Mayo, sugar and black pepper to taste.

In a large bowl add the tuna, celery, onion, egg whites and raisins.

Now combine the bowls and mix and season as needed.

Put in the refrigerator.

When ready to eat.

Get a fry pan on medium high heat and add a dab of butter and brown each piece of bread on one side so it looks sort of like this.

In a small mixing bowl add about 4 finely chopped Calabrian Chili peppers and add about two Tablespoons of Asian Mayonnaise to stand mix well. It’s enough for the two sandwiches. It should be about this color…..a little more orange or darker than thousand island.

Spread the insides of the bread with the dressing. On the bottom bread add a lettuce leaf so the sandwich doesn’t get soggy and add the tuna filling. Above the filling add the cheese and then top the sandwich with the top piece of bread.

Spicy Yummy Tuna Sandwich

The sandwich came out really Forking delicious! I don’t have to change a thing but my mind keeps working on it…………..

The changes I might make next time are-

To use white tuna instead of light for a better color and texture. Maybe a better quality tuna packed in oil and wing the oil and mayo add ons.

A light color vinegar instead of balsamic.

The eggs to be sliced layer instead of chopped in.

The smoke flavor to be added to the sandwich spread instead of the filling.

Maybe add a little preserved lemon or…

Marinate the raisins before hand for an extra burst in the mouth maybe with limoncello….ummm!

The Forking Truth

 

Arizona Breakfast Weekend 2017

 

You might not be aware that there was an Arizona Breakfast Weekend this past Thursday 27th-Sunday the 30th 2017. It didn’t seem to get as much hype as Arizona Restaurant Week. This was the third annual breakfast weekend.  Over 20 participating restaurants came up with $7.00, $10.00, $15.00 menu items and some included alcoholic beverages or beverage specials.

I decided to try the Soul Cafe in North Scottsdale. They offered several breakfast choices for $10.00 a plate. The restaurant is cute and stylish with an energetic atmosphere. Colorful artwork graces the walls and the restaurant has an unusual look of lots of clean drapery….(very unusual as drapery in a restaurant tends to get very dirty) ((drapery also isn’t popular in Arizona …….it’s more an East Coast Thing))

I soon received my Salmon over Corn Cakes with Spicy Jalapeño Cheese Sauce and Asparagus.

The eggs were poached nice and I liked that the corn cakes are light and fluffy and seemed grease free. They used a lot of black pepper on the asparagus and I kept coughing from all the pepper. However they did poach the eggs nice. The sauce is smooth and creamy. Salmon is a little chalky. Not as flavorful as I expected but OK.

My husband tried the Tres Locos.

Three corn tortilla cups. One stuffed with seasoned beef, another with pork and yet another with spicy beans over scrambled eggs. The plate also contained a very generous amount of red, white, blue and sweet potatoes. I was told the favorite tortilla cup was the beans because they had the most flavor and were a little spicy.

Our server was speedy and efficient.

www.SoulCafeAZ.com

That is what I tried 2017 Arizona Breakfast Weekend.

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or May not differ.

The Forking Truth