Monthly Archives: September 2018

Thai Style Spaghetti Squash Salad Recipe

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Thai Style Spaghetti Squash Salad

I was watching Diners Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network and I watched a man prepare a Thai Papaya Salad. I thought it was interesting that he used Tamarind Water and he also used whole lime with skin. I planned to make Papaya Salad similar to what I saw on TV but I had some bad luck. The papaya I purchased was rotten inside and my peanuts that I purchased this year from my local supermarket expired two years ago and did indeed taste spoiled. I wanted to make the salad before I forgot what I saw so I made a few substitutions and came up with a Spaghetti Squash Salad with similar flavors. I made this salad Vegetarian Style without the fish sauce or other added meats this salad might contain like shrimp or crab. While Spaghetti Squash is not an authentic ingredient the Spaghetti squash has a similar texture to fresh shredded papaya. Thai papaya salads are usually served with sticky rice and maybe an entree like Larb.

Ingredients for about 2 servings

1 cup cooked spaghetti squash

4 green beans – ends snipped off and cut in 3/4 inch diagonals ( or a long bean…long beans are authentic)

2 Thai Chili peppers – minced

1 garlic clove (a large one) – minced

1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar – or to taste ( palm sugar is the authentic ingredient one or use any brown sugar) – (you might need salad slightly sweeter)

1 Tablespoon chopped lime with skin (or one key lime)

1 teaspoon tamarind

5 grape tomatoes – cut in half

2 Tablespoons peanuts  – crushed up a little but not too much – I cheated and used coconut butter toffy peanuts because my regular peanuts were spoiled…..but it tasted great!

2 sprigs cilantro

Directions

In your mortar and pestle  add the garlic, chili, sugar, lime, tamarind and muddle. Then add the green beans and muddle. You don’t want to break the green beans too much…..just bust them up a little to get the flavors into them..

To a medium to small bowl add the spaghetti squash, tomatoes and the contents of the mortar. Mix well.

Top with peanuts and cilantro.

Serve!

Thai Style Spaghetti Squash Salad

You can add a little fish sauce to make the taste more authentic. Tasty and different with really bright flavors…I finished with a little bit of fresh cilantro.

The Forking Truth

 

New WEIRD DiFferent Limited and Special Edition Foods out there September 2018

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There is always something NEW, Different, WEIRD, Limited and Special Edition in the Wonder World of Food! I never know WTFork I’ll come across when I go to a store. Here’s just some of what I came across recently. Above are DIPPING DOTS Cereals in Cookies and Cream Flavor and also Banana Split…….How can that be?……Dipping Dots are freeze dried Ice Cream Dots…….Freeze Dried Ice Cream can NOT be cereal….or can it????

Reese’s dipped Pretzels……Ummm I picked these up and cracked them open. Not satisfying in flavor……not like a Reese…Kinda more like almost waxy and almost Reese Flavored with crunchy salty pretzels……Screwed up on this one……Oh well..

Spicy Tamarind Vodka…wow that’s different. In Mexico its very common to drink Tamarind Margaritas…and in Thailand they make Papaya Salads with Tamarind….. .Did you know that?

Stolichnaya Vodca comes in salted caramel flavor…….Wow that’s not for me!

I thought these Peri Peri and Aji Amarillo Culinary Paste would be GREAT to Cook with but they contained too little of what I wanted in them and too much unnecessary fillers. Moving on….

Fioretto Cauliflower……….interesting…This one looks like loose cauliflower. I bet it would be really great batter dipped with all the texture it has.

Lantana brand hummus comes in many unusual flavors…..The first one is Cauliflower….wow I’ve never seen cauliflower hummus before! They also offer hatch chile, beet and yellow lentil.

Maybe you’d rather eat a bag of $3.99 dried carrot sticks instead of eating a pound of $99 cent fresh carrots?

Hatch Chile is only grown in New Mexico that boarders Arizona. The Hatch Chile pepper is well loved in Arizona because we are so close to New Mexico and the Hatch Chile Pepper is a more delicious pepper with a unique flavor. The Hatch Chile taste best fire roasted and can vary in the heat it packs. Hatch Chile Season usually is around the end of summer or beginning of fall and only runs a few weeks. Up above are all kinds of Hatch Chile Flavored Foods. Starting up on top left are Veggie Straws then to the right are pepitas (pumpkin seeds) followed by pop corn, ranch dressing, beef jerky and potato chips ALL HATCH CHILE Flavored.

Soft Pretzel Popcorn and Jalapeño Poppers Kettle Corn. Both sound tasty to me.

Lion Bars …..? I ran away like a mouse when I saw them…..eek! I don’t know what they are.

Meiji Black and Milk Chocolate Bars and a bunch flavored chocolate bars. S’mores, Bacon Bits, Strawberries and Champagne, Hazelnut Crepe and Peanut Jalapeño….Ummm? …….Not today but sometime I might try some of them….

Matcha Macadamia Cups……Ummmmmmm……Never seen these before I think they are new.

Coffee crisp sounds good if you like coffee…………….don’t know…..?

Gelato Fiasco…?….lol….in a flavor called Sunken Treasure – Brown Butter Gelato with Salty Pretzel Booty and Bourbon Truffles. I fell for this one…….Taste like creamy rubbing alcohol with  Waxy Chocolate coated stale Chewy Globs……..maybe the other flavors are better?

The produce people are trying to come up with new interesting fruits for us to try. On the top left are Cherry Plums…..They are suppose to be a mix of cherry and plum….To me they just taste like plums…….but are smaller than plums and do have a sort of cherry look……Below is some sort of Peach they call Peach Pie…They just taste like peaches…….To the right are Peacharines……..I was really excited to try them because I was thinking Peach and Tangerine…….But that is INCORRECT. The Peacharines are Peach and Nectarine….I tried them anyway……I have to say they have an unusually long shelf life and taste just like Nectarines…….

I never seen these before….ICEE Lollipop with Candy Powder. I wouldn’t try this now but I might have when I was 10 years old. It looks cute!

I don’t think I’ve ever come across Watermelon Flavored Cotton Candy?

Nonni’s has come out with some unusual Biscotti. Starting  on the left are Mango Coconut Almond Thins, White Chocolate Cherry and Key Lime Coconut…..ummm?

 

Pepperidge Farm Naples Citrus Cookies……ummm? Chocolate and Orange can be delicious….but I see a lemon on the package…..I just don’t think lemon and chocolate ever works together…..maybe other people do????

WOW! WTFork knew that Barilla (you know the pasta people…….Barilla Pasta) Make Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies…?

Bourbon BBQ and Spicy Queso Potato Chips by Kettle…………??????

Somehow they now stuff pretzels with brownies…..who knew?

Beanitos White Bean Salted Caramel Twists…….WHITE BEAN SALTED CARAMEL….Twists….Now that’s a FORKING WEIRD One…..

Red Chile Queso flavored Peanuts….who knew?

Thought I didn’t find a new Oreo Cookie flavor but I found MINT Oreo coated Almonds. Say that again……MINT OREO Coated Almonds…..  (BLECH!…..how could something like this happen?)

Found this Oreo…that is Limited Edition and ARTIFICIALLY Flavored! Apple pie artificially flavored Oreo Cookies with Graham flavored cookies.

Well that was the NEW WeIRD Different Limited and Special Edition Foods out there for September 2018. I don’t know WTFork I’ll come across next month.

The Forking Truth

 

Using the Spiral Cutter is MUCH EASIER for Forking Great Hash Browns – Recipe

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Hash Browns

I was thinking about hash browns. I was wondering if my hash browns would come out better if I used the spiral cutter instead of a box grater. The box grater just makes so much surface on the potatoes it is very different to get all the moisture out. I found that when I spiral cut the potatoes it becomes very easy to dry the potatoes so I made them that way and it made a big difference. This is recipe is only 4 potatoes, 2ounces of butter and fresh crushed sea salt and pepper to taste. You can add a little paprika if you want to go old school. Did you know that when you add onions, flour or egg that you are actually making a Latke and not hash browns?

Ingredients for about 4 servings

4 average size potatoes

2 oz sweet butter

fresh crushed sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

You need a large bowl of cold water and set it to the side. Peel the potatoes one at a time. Spiral cut the potato like spaghetti. It’s a good idea to put a cloth or a piece of foil underneath to keep your counter clean.

Afterwards put your spaghetti cut potato in the bowl of cold water.

Repeat till you did all four potatoes. Put the potatoes in a towel or a colander with a towel and squeeze out the water. (I was going to use my salad spinner but it BROKE..just then)

Get a non stick pan on medium heat and add 2 ounces of sweet butter to it. When the butter is melted scoop or blot out most of the white floaty fat.

Then add the drained potatoes and squash them in with a spatula.

Cover the pan with a lid or foil.  The pan only needs to be covered with foil for 15 minutes…..then remove the foil (or lid). The pan needs to keep cooking on medium heat for about another 35 minutes or a total of 50 minutes on this side. But I NOTE that this timing WILL DIFFER…..due to everything will differ, size of potatoes, cut of potato, pan and heat source. In other words you just have to cook till you have a nice crisp bottom…..

Then you flip it over….there are many ways to do this… some people like to use a plate but I like to use an extra large spatula.

Sorry it was impossible for me to hold my phone (camera) and flip the hash brown.

Then after the flip it needs about another 35 minutes in the pan. (again your time may differ)

Then you add fresh crushed sea salt and black pepper to it. It’s old school and classic to add some sweet paprika. Usually people like ketchup with hash browns.

Hash Browns

This is a Forking Great Recipe for Hash Browns…..just using a spiral cutter is much easier for crispy delicious hash browns!

The Forking Truth

 

My Forking Thoughts on trying two Vegan Impossible Burgers in Metro Phoenix Arizona

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Table Tent on table at The Cuff in Old Town Glendale AZ

I’ve been excited to try the vegan Impossible Burger. These days I’m very selective about any ground beef that I will eat and there are no ground beef worries with the Impossible Burger.  I found that The Cuff Restaurant in Old Town Glendale now offers many Vegan items now and one is the Impossible Burger. The Impossible burger gets it’s meat like quality from something they call heme that comes from soy roots. The heme is also suppose to make the vegan burger patty bleed. Heme is also a protein that most people on a vegan diet don’t get so this burger in moderation can be beneficial to people on vegan diets.

Other side of table tent from The Cuff in Old Town Glendale AZ

At The Cuff you have the choice to go completely vegan with vegan cheese. I went vegetarian with real cheese that was cheddar. The burger was what I was going for here.

Impossible Burger from the Cuff in Old Town Glendale AZ

My burger arrived open faced and was topped with a slice of cheddar and caramelized onions. On the top bun half was mixed greens, tomato and a particularly good pickle chip. I cut my burger in half hoping for vegetable blood like on the Table tent photo.

Table Tent

 

It’s a little dry and crumbly but does have a nice sear.

It crumbles more when I break some off for my husband to try.

I put it together to try the way it’s meant to be eaten.

It’s not bad…….It’s almost like meat but with something textural wise I’m missing and more crumbly. The pickle and ketchup cover up a lot of the Impossible burger’s taste. I get a weird butter-like after taste that I’m not found of but I’m not sure if that taste comes from the cooking process of the burger, cheese or the bun. I think it taste something like margarine…..or an imitation butter.

It seemed like my Impossible Burger might have been over cooked?????

Maybe the Impossible Burger is Impossible to cook correctly?……… I don’t know?….

As luck would have it I found another Impossible Burger at PNPK in North Scottsdale so I decided to give that one a try and see if it differed any……and I was also hoping for blood….VEGETABLE Blood that is….

This impossible burger is offered as a slider. Both Impossible Burgers came with Impossible Flags on them. You have your choice of many different toppings. I tried mine with Brie and Mushrooms.

I’m going in for a bite and ……in a Vampire Voice like in a classic Bela Lugosi ….”I’m hoping for Blood…Blah Blah Blah Vegetable blood!”…….

No blood here either but this one does have juice and isn’t crumbly like the last one. It does have a texture that might be confused for meat.  This one really does feel like meat in my mouth. It’s very close to meat.  I think if I was a vegetarian I might fear that I was eating meat and be grossed out. This one taste better and I’m not getting that imitation butter flavor that the last one had…..My husband refuses to try this one after trying the last one……. He said maybe you can find some Impossible Meat at the store and make it into something better…..

I’m thinking maybe the Impossible Taco, Burrito or Meatball is next?

Who Knows?

Those were my FORKING Thoughts on trying two Vegan Impossible Burgers in Metro Phoenix AZ.

Everything is SUBJECT TO CHANGE and your experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth

Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale AZ is Always Worth a Fork! One of BEST of YEAR!

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Atlas Bistro is a small but upscale modern B.Y.O.B. Bistro in South Scottsdale Arizona. Fear not about being this restaurant being booze free as they are adjacent to a very good wine store next door. Cork fees for wine are $15.00 (September 2018 pricing) BUT NO WORRIES ABOUT CORK FEES…..The wine we picked up at AZ Wine was a 2003 Legacy Red Wine at $59.00……My husband eyed it out. It’s valued at $104.00 according to www.Wine.com Don’t know if every bottle is that great of a deal but we always seem to find one. Be aware that wine in restaurants is normally double to triple the cost of bottle (most often triple). This same bottle of wine would run over $200.00 on any restaurant menu.

Atlas Bistro has a history of hiring some of the very best upcoming chefs. Many of the prior Atlas Bistro Chefs have moved on to open and also consult on some of the great restaurants of Metro Phoenix. This restaurant only holds ten tables so reservations are necessary.

For dinner they offer three course New American dinners that don’t include dessert…..but you can always add on dessert or a cheese tray if you want. ($65.00 as of September 2018…pricing subject to change (The charge this year 2018 has been greatly discounted for Restaurant Week) Altas bistro serves high quality foods that are organic, mostly locally sourced, wild caught and also the exotic. So far all the dishes I tried from Atlas Bistro were all painstakingly detailed, masterfully prepared, very exquisite and also EXCITING!

This time we started with an amuse bouche of a house made tortilla raisin mole and sauces.

Our First courses were-

Wagyu Beef Pastrami, Honey Mustard Emulsion, Shaved Relish, Pickled Mustard Seeds

Smoked Chula Swordfish, Pickled Huckleberry Gold Potato (maybe the best potato I ever tasted), Cucumber, Finger Lime (Fruit caviar), Dill, Celery Leaf and Buttermilk Dressing. Really Great! A careful gentle smoke on the fish the way I like. Never tasted swordfish like this before. They used the most special tasting potato. Celery leaf added a great flavor. Just wished they went a little heavier with the finger lime. Didn’t get enough to taste or feel the popping.

Finger lime looks like this and is one of my favorite things. It’s citrus-ee….and a little lime-ee but not sour. It got the POP in your mouth like natural Pop Rocks kind of thing…..It’s Fruit Caviar.

Finger Lime is next to impossible to find. You have to order it. I once found it at AJ’s in October a few years ago. This is how much I used on fish. It really Forking POPPED!

Sorry I didn’t mean to go off track………..

Back to Atlas Bistro.

Second Courses were-

Super CRISP Jadori Chicken Skin Cracklings, Goat Cheese Mousse, Romaine Stems, Honey Poached Cranberries, Rosemary and Cranberry Jam. This was the most FORKING Upscale Chip and Dip Plate ever!

Here’s Pork Sausage Vindaloo. Tomato Conserva, Pickled Onions, Cilantro, Mamra Puffed Rice, Kashmiri Chili and Sauce Vindaloo. This plate is very detailed….with great flavors.

Third Courses were-

Have a better look at this whimsical plate!

Carrot Gnocchi (the yellow that looks like chunks of carrots), Gold Lentil Meatball, Artichoke, Melted Leeks, Fried Broccoli, Leek Puree and Seascape Cheese. Eye Catching plate full of beautiful colors and all very good flavors. It’s just a Leek but the leek was the most amazing delicious leek I’ve ever tasted and really did melt in my mouth. The Golden Lentil Meatball was made like a very good fluffy falafel….really super fluffy, light, seemed free of oil with a nice thin crispy exterior. The Fried Crispy Broccoli florets were nice, crispy and added that deeper flavor the plate needed. The Carrot Gnocchi had a nice Carrot flavor but the texture and taste was not familiar to me as a gnocchi…….It was something completely different….It was an interesting journey of vegetables.

Veal Tenderloin, Chicken of the Woods Mushroom (fried and crispy by the veal), Celery Root under the Watercress Leaf, Camparis, Garlic Emulsion, Marrow Butter and Mushroom Jus. Everything was masterfully prepared and all was well seasoned.

Too full for dessert…….. 🙁 …….dang

Our dinner at Atlas Bistro was spectacular! Somehow the owner remembered us and welcomed us back! Stunning DETAILED Quality Food! GREAT Service! I love when servers explain the food to me and don’t just do a drop and run. Amazing steal on wine…….(got lucky again…WOO HOO!) One of the best of the year!

A few past dishes from Atlas Bistro

Amuse Bouche of Hawaiian House Smoked Fish with Caper and Lemon

All these plates were stunning.

Bravo!

I have to say Atlas Bistro so far has Always Been Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork! Worth Driving Across Town For!

www.AtlasBistroBYOB.com

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

The Forking Truth

 

Italian Style Neonata (Nunnata) Baked Crispy Potato Balls Recipe

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Italian Style Neonata Crispy Baked Potato Balls

Neonato (Italian spelling is Nunnata) is an Italian Spicy Fish Condiment. Neonata is considered a delicacy and can only be made a few weeks a year when fish are very young. Different parts of Italy use different fish to make Neonata.  Anchovies, Sardines and Mackerel are popular in some parts but all kinds of other fish are used. The Coluccio Brand I used is made with ice fish. I was watching a cooking competition TV Show and Neonato was the ingredient the chefs had to use. The judge on the TV show said that Neonata is one of his favorite things. He also said many of the items on his menu in his restaurant have Neonata in them. I haven’t found Neonata at any of my local stores so I mailed away for some. I got the same exact brand they used on TV. It’s full of olive oil, not a strong fish taste…..maybe almost like tuna but lighter and it taste a bit like Calabrian Chili peppers. I since found out that most people spread the Neonata on bread or they mix it into pasta. I thought the Neonata would go pretty well with potatoes so I made Baked Crispy Neonata Potato Balls. This recipe makes around 40 balls.

Ingredients for about 10 servings

2 lbs potatoes – peeled – cut in half – in pot covered with cold water

1 Tablespoon salt – to put in pot of water with potatoes

4 Tablespoons Neonata

1 egg

1/4 cup scallions

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup flour (bowl one)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (bowl one)

4 eggs – lightly beaten (bowl two)

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard (bowl two)

2 cups whole wheat panko bread crumbs (bowl three)

2 Tablespoons dried basil (bowl three)

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt (bowl three)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (bowl three)

non stick spray

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Spray baking Sheet(s) with non stick spray and set to the side.

Add a Tablespoon of salt to pot of potatoes and put on a medium boil. Cook till potatoes are tender (about 15-20) minutes. Drain the water off of the potatoes and take off heat and then mash. Then mash with Neonata. Then mash with one egg and add the scallions and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper. Put pot of seasoned potatoes to the side.

Now set up your breading station with three large bowls.

Bowl #1 is 1 c. flour and 1/4 t. cayenne – Then mix.

Bowl #2 are 4 eggs (two eggs are pictured but I figured out I needed to double) and 2 Tablespoons dijon. Then mix.

Bowl #3 is 2 cups w.w. panko 2 T.basil 1/2 t. sea salt and 1/2 t. ground black pepper. Then mix.

Use a small scooper and put ball first in flour, then egg mixture, then crumb mixture and then onto sprayed baking sheet. You can do 5 or 6 balls at a time.

They go in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until done.

I made an aioli with lemon juice, lemon zest and a touch of bomba calabrese.

They don’t really need a sauce but sauce is fun…..I think a marinara sauce would be fine…. a lemon-ee parsley sauce would also be great.

Italian Style Neonata Crispy Baked Potato Balls

A tasty different appetizer or side dish…….Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Did you Forking know about The FREE Ikea Birthday Meal?

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I think everyone in the world is familiar with Ikea because they are the world’s largest manufacturer of furniture. Ikea is a Swedish based company with locations over most of the world that sells build it yourself furniture, kitchens and they also sell home goods.

If you join the Ikea Family they treat YOU on your Birthday to a complimentary Swedish Meatball Platter with Coffee or Tea and Dessert and that’s not all! They also give YOU $15.00 to spend in the store.

Here’s the meal.

The FREE Ikea Birthday Meal

Here’s the FREE Dessert.

You can FREE Coffee or Tea EVERY DAY!

With the $15.00 FREE Birthday money someone got this very unusual Sansevieria Plant and a roll of shelf liner.

Now you Forking know about the FREE Ikea Birthday Meal.

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

The Forking Truth

 

One Ingredient Banana Frozen Confection Recipe is Really Forking Good!

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One Ingredient Frozen Banana Confection with added cinnamon and crushed chocolate chips

We all heard about one ingredient frozen Banana Ice Cream. Everybody says it’s very easy and delicious. I literally had a BUNCH of Bananas so I thought I’d give it a try. The Forking Truth is that it’s not as easy as everyone says. But honestly after I figured out how to blend it up the “fake Ice Cream” did indeed come out delicious.

Get a bunch of bananas….I hear that you want them ripe but firm. (P.S. you can sometimes get a HUMUNGOUS bunch of bananas just like this once in a while from the 99cent store)

Peel the bananas and cut them in slices and then freeze over night.

I used a tub….

after doing so I think a big ziplock bag would have been a little better because it wouldn’t have been a thick of a frozen brick.

“Wow I got a Rock”

I got a big rock of banana.

I have to let it sit till I can hack off banana slices and blend them with a stick blender…..a little at a time…….I seriously think this recipe will only work with a professional strength stick blender like what I have.

I keep going about a cup at a time till I’m done and the bananas need to firm up a little more in the freezer.

To my surprise the bananas are very sweet and this doesn’t even need a thing but I add a spoonful of cinnamon and swirl it through just for fun. This goes back in the freezer to firm up.

Four hours latter it’s a nice consistency….Firm but very creamy.

One Ingredient Frozen Banana Confection with added cinnamon and crushed chocolate chips

It creamy and almost like Ice Cream. It has a really great banana flavor. I thought a little bit of cinnamon in it would be good ( and it is). I also thought a little crushed milk chocolate would go well here too. Many other variations can be made….A natural peanut butter swirl would be yum!……..Banana/Cocoa……..Banana/Melon……… Banana with Butterscotch …..Banana Malt……Banana/Strawberry……..Banana/Walnut…..How about Banana with Coconut? ……Maybe Banana Rum Raisin….I think Banana, Mango and Lime would be great too.

I think this is a much healthier and maybe tastier alternative to Ice Cream. (well most supermarket ice cream)

This one Ingredient Banana Confection really is Forking Good!

The Forking Truth

 

Cafe Chenar in North Phoenix AZ – Bukharian Cuisine – Worth a Fork!*******UPDATE NOW CLOSED for business ********

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*********UPDATE NOW CLOSED FOR BUSINESS*********Cafe Chenar is a small restaurant in north Phoenix Arizona that serves Bukharian (also spelled Bukharean) Food. You might be wondering what is Bukharian Cuisine? Bukharian Cuisine is an a distant kosher cuisine of the former central Asian State E Mirate of Bukhara (now Uzbekistan).  Bukharian Cuisine is an offshoot of pan-central Asian Cooking. Cafe Chenar serves foods like grilled kababs, meat and potato stuffed pies , salads and  soups that have  Russian, Muslim, Uzbek and Korean influences.

The atmosphere is cozy but rich looking. My photos don’t show the rich detailed patterned tiled walls. The walls are really and much more detailed and colorful than my photo shows.

Our server makes suggestions for us so we order most of what she suggested.

She suggested the Belyash and the Piroshki. They were priced at only $3.00 each so I thought they’d be tiny but they weren’t so tiny.

They are tasty fried pastry like breads. One is filled with seasoned ground beef and the other is filled with seasoned mashed potatoes. The dough seems free of grease and it has a nice layered light texture. A tomato sort of salsa is served as a condiment.

We tried one of the salads….The Kimchi.

The kimchi is spicy…It’s fermented…….maybe it runs a little more ginger-ee.

We share some kabobs… The Highly recommended Chicken, Lulya (ground seasoned beef) and Seabass (not pictured…)

All three were seasoned nicely.   They serve the kababs with thinly sliced onions, scallions and a container of white vinegar. The seabass came with a thick wedge of lemon.

Our server told us that her favorite bread was the Fatir Bread so we ordered one. We had no idea it could feed a large family.

It also came with a tomato salsa like condiment. This bread is light with a nice texture. It seems a little rich in a focaccia kind of way and it’s onion-ee. Some pieces have much more onion slices that other pieces. It’s very tasty….

I brought home lots of goodies.

I couldn’t get dessert today but hope to next time.

An interesting different cuisine.

Our server was efficient and made suggestions for us. All the food was tasty. Prices were mostly very low and portions were large.

I would say my first visit to Cafe Chenar was Worth a Fork!

*******UPDATE NOW CLOSED FOR BUSINESS*******

Worth a Fork!

I wasn’t able to find a website for Cafe Chenar but they are on Facebook.

Call for hours as they run different from other restaurants and close for holidays you might not know of.

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

The Forking Truth

reference – www.momentmag.com

WOO HOO! Quality Sushi Hits the Upper West Side with Haru Sushi & Grill Glendale AZ****Update****change in ownership since this was written

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*****update a change in ownership since this was written****A hidden gem for quality sushi is located in the Arrow Head area of Glendale Arizona in an older strip mall across from AJ’s Fine Foods on 67th avenue. This is not an average sushi restaurant that serves average sushi.

The interior is crisp, clean, sleek and modern with neutral and natural tones. Natural light comes threw a wall of windows.

We started off with Spicy Korean Wings and Miso Soup.

The Wings were marinated and were dressed with a mix of spicy and sweet and were laced with gochujang (a fermented Korean Chili Paste). The wings were succulent juicy and flavorful and covered in sticky, gooey spicy but not too spicy flavors. Scrumptious!

But here was STUNNING sushi!

On this plate was Salmon, Toro and Mackerel Nigiri Sushi. I don’t remember ever tasting sushi that was this fresh before. All the sushi just melted in my mouth. Even the mackerel was sweet. I never tasted mackerel like this before. We also had Blue Fin…..also just melted in the mouth….Really super Forking Awesome Sushi………Oh and the rice is delicious too!

We also shared the Spicy Awesome Blossom Roll.

This roll was spicy tuna, cucumber, spicy seared albacore that was topped with a mountain of the tastiest crisp fried onions you ever had that again was topped with creamy delicious sauces.  This wasn’t just good….This Spicy Awesome Blossom Roll was an Experience! you start with enjoying the onion petals….they are crisp with a sweet delicious onion flavor and some have a little sauce on them that is yummy. The actual roll is delicious with that special super melt in your mouth fish and all those flavors…..but them after you finish the roll there is still more crispy onion petals to finish.

Next was an adorable treat!

And then another treat!

Service was very friendly and welcoming.

WOO HOO! Quality Sushi Hits Glendale AZ with Haru Sushi and Grill!

I have to say that after only my first visit that Haru Sushi & Grill is WORTH A FORK!

*****update a change in ownership since this was written*****

Worth a Fork!

I haven’t found a website for Haru Sushi and Grill but they are on Facebook

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

The Forking Truth