Monthly Archives: March 2019

My Trip to Chino Bandido in Phoenix AZ – 90,000 Chinese/Mex Combos MOST are less than $10.00 each

Chino Bandido is a casual unique one of a kind restaurant located in North Phoenix Arizona. According to Food Network Chino Bandido is a Top Place to Eat. Chef Guy Fieri of Food Network said about Chino Bandido, “One of the most original on DDD.” (Food Network TV Show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives). You might be wondering??????….WTFork is Chino Bandito anyway?

Chino Bandido is a casual restaurant that serves a disjointed mashup of Chinese type food, Mexican-ish Food and Jamaican Jerk Chicken that comes to you in a foil pan plus more!. You have many choices when ordering. You have according to Food Network 90,000 choices. Chino Bandido offers 14 different entrees. You pick either one entree ($7.35) or a combo with two entrees ($8.90). The single entree comes with white rice. Whatever entree you pick you can add on to roll your entree into a burrito (.85 cents) or make it into quesadilla (.85 cents). The two entree combo comes with white rice and your choice of black beans or refried beans. You have your choice to upgrade the rice to plain fried rice (.85 cents), chicken fried rice (.85 cents) or jerk chicken fried rice (.85 cents). Prices are subject to change…

The entrees you get to pick from are -carnitas, chile relleno, Chinese bbq pork, egg foo yung, gringo chicken, hengrenade chicken, jade red chicken, Jen red pork, jerk chicken, emerald chicken, teriyaki chicken, veggies (basically a salad), pollo diablo, machaca. Somehow all the different combinations imaginable add up to 90,000 different plates.

Now you sort of understand……..Here’s how it goes! You walk in and wait in line.

You look up at all the different choices and wait till it’s your turn to order.

The person at the counter is helpful and walks you threw ordering. They also offer samples. You can fill out a sheet for your order but unless you’ve done it before it is too easy to FORK it up so you are better off if you let the person at the counter take your order.

Here’s the other ordering counter with a view of the kitchen…they have two lines. You pay here and they take your name. You get your drink and plastic silverware and seat yourself.

Maybe by the Bandido Panda Cowboy Mascot?………Chino Bandido himself?

Or by the fresco on the wall.

It’s not a fancy place but HEY…it’s not a fancy food place either…..but they do have an oil painting by the condiments of an Asian Panda eating a quesadilla from a big pan of food.

Soon someone runs our food out and calls our name.

My husband gets his pan.

He got a carnitas burrito, emerald chicken, jerk fried rice and black beans. He’s a fan! He said the carnitas burrito is really good and the white meat emerald chicken is moist and flavorful. He likes the black beans and said they are very tasty and of course he likes the jerk fried rice.

I got the Chile Relleno and hengrenade chicken with white rice and vegetables.

GOD this is a Forking ENORMOUS plate of food for only $8.90 and it comes with a fresh baked snickerdoodle cookie. The Chile Relleno is an Anaheim Chile Pepper that is stuffed with gooey melted cheeses. The coating is very unusual……The menu says its breaded and the coating appears to be made of LOTS of broken saltine crackers.

The hengranade Chicken is sliced chicken thigh that is spiced up and a little smoky. It’s very flavorful and moist but lacks sauce or something like sautéed vegetables to go with it. Perhaps the hengranade is a flavor that’s best for quesadillas?……….Or maybe better with beans to add that something I’m missing here. Got a mountain of white rice and a whole field of salad with fresh broccoli, and some pico de gallo. The salad is also served unadorned (with out a sauce) I was really hungry when we got here….Was only able to eat maybe half of everything. It’s quite a value. I think this plate is two dinners for most people.

We shared one of the cookies.

The snickerdoodle is large, but tasty.

Checked out The Great Wall of Chino when we left.


YEE HA!

That was my Trip to Chino Bandido! Fast food priced and better quality, value and taste than fast food!

www.ChinoBandido.com

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

The Forking Truth

www.FoodNetwork.com

Forking Delicious Cheesy Cauliflower Puree Recipe

Forking Delicious Cheesy Cauliflower Puree

WOWEE this cauliflower puree came out really incredible. I wish I could offer you a spoonful to try. It’s so cheesy and mousse-like. It’s the PERFECT Forking PERFECT macaroni and cheese taste. You can use it as is or as a healthier cheese dip. I think it work be great a number of ways. It could be used as spread for a sandwich, to top a flat bread or non-traditional pizza topping, a modern fancy adornment to upscale nachos, it could be a part of a filling for a lasagna or a topping for a baked potato. The flavors are perfection and it’s not too heavy either. To get the same results as I did you have to follow the instructions exactly. I used a commercial stick blender for blending that worked really well but if you don’t have as good a stick blender you might need to use a regular blender so you get the same smooth mousse-like texture.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1 large head orange cauliflower (the orange cauliflower has a better flavor, is sweeter and isn’t as watery as the white cauliflower)

2 oz parmesan cheese – grated

2 oz sharp cheddar cheese – grated (I used Costal Brand English white cheddar from Costco)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons Arla Brand cream cheese (Arla Cream Cheese is all natural and doesn’t have gum or chemicals in it I used reduced fat Arla cream cheese that is amazing)

1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne sauce (I used Franks Red Hot)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions

Remove the florets off the core and discard or pickle the core. The florets go in your steamer basket that you set over a sauce pot of medium/slow boiling water. About every 5-10 minutes you might have to lower the water temperature slightly to prevent water from boiling over. Cover the steamer basket with foil and steam till the florets are VERY SOFT….depending on size this should take around 15-20 minutes.

When the florets are soft remove the steamer basket with the cauliflower and set down on the foil you just removed. Throw out the water from the sauce pot. Add the butter and cream cheese to the hot pot you just used. If you have a good stick blender add the hot cauliflower and start blending. Keep blending and add the cheeses and remaining spices. Keep blending till smooth. If you have to use a standard blender you have to let the cauliflower cool slightly and do this slowly to you don’t have the hot cauliflower mixture bursting out of the blender.

Forking Delicious Cheesy Cauliflower Puree

Everyone will love this! Very Cheesy Tasting and mousse-like.

The Forking Truth

Gordon Ramsay’s Pickled Celery Recipe makes a Forking Great Turkey, Cauliflower and Cucumber Salad Recipe

Projection of Gordon Ramsey at Hell’s Kitchen Las Vegas

Who the FORK knew that Gordon Ramsay’s Quick Sweet Pickled Celery Recipe would make an INCREDIBLE FORKING GREAT Turkey, Cauliflower and Cucumber Salad. This how it all happened. It was around holiday time and I thought I had an extra celery to pickle so I wanted to try Gordon Ramsay’s Recipe…..for Quick Sweet Pickled Celery. I didn’t have much celery left so I used a cauliflower instead. This recipe was good on the cauliflower and after a few days of snacking on the cauliflower I got the idea to add cucumber and some PERFECT Sous Vide Turkey Breast I prepared (my recipe for Sous Vide Turkey Breast is here on The Forking Truth) I added just a few shaved slices of sweet onion and mixed them together and we couldn’t believe how FORKING DELICIOUS it all was together……I didn’t take a picture because this was just something I threw together. But it really was Forking Amazing Together! Here’s how I made the cauliflower. For my taste the cauliflower taste best about four or more days after you make it…..For when your ready for the salad just shave as much English cucumber as you like. Add some shaved onions. Break down cauliflower to manageable florets for your salad and add some of the liquid from the cauliflower as a dressing. For lunch add about three ounces of perfect Sous Vide Turkey Breast sliced thin or for dinner increase the turkey by an ounce and serve with some bread or crackers. The flavor is Forking Amazing….you and yours will be thrilled!

Ingredients for about 8 servings

1 head cauliflower (mine was a large one) broke down into florets

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns (I used tellicherry)

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt (for pickling I use kosher salt)

3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

Directions

Boil the water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and add the rest of the ingredients and pour over the cauliflower. It’s not enough liquid to cover the cauliflower so when it cools some you need to put the cauliflower and all the liquid and spices into a gallon ziplock bag that you should sit in a bowl. Every day turn the bag on another side twice a day so the cauliflower gets nice and marinated. Eat some when you like and use shaved cucumbers with some onion to your desired amount of cauliflower. Add Sous Vide Turkey Breast so it’s a Forking Delicious Meal.

To Sous Vide The Turkey Breast you need to vacuum seal it with a small amount of frozen roasted garlic confit, a little fresh rosemary, fresh sage and fresh thyme, sea salt and ground black pepper. Set the Sous Vide at 140 F and the turkey breast will be amazing in 4-5 hours.

The Flavors together are really Forking Amazing!

Worth a Pitchfork – A Special Thanks to Gordon Ramsay for sharing his GREAT Quick Sweet Pickled Celery Recipe that helped me to come up with this Forking Great Combination.
The Forking Truth

Miso Glazed Marinated Tofu Skewers Recipe

Miso Glazed Marinated Tofu Skewers

I had some tofu and some white miso hanging around and I was thinking about a marinade I might use on chicken and that’s how I came up with these Miso Glazed Marinated Tofu Skewers. Somehow they came out delicious! The whole house smelled delicious when I made them. My husband ran out from the other end of the house and said what smells so good? Well here are tasty Miso Glazed Marinated Tofu Skewers. The vegetables you use can differ because I would have used mushrooms if I had them…Use whatever vegetables you have in your kitchen. Today I used zucchini and bell pepper because that’s what I had.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

1 18oz pack of soft tofu – cut in cubes (about 1 inch cubes)

1/4 cup sriracha (I used shark brand) (marinade)

1/4 cup tamari (marinaide)

1 teaspoon honey (marinade)

1/4 cup reduced sodium miso (looks like white miso but doesn’t note on package I used marukome brand that notes all natural)

1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon shaohsine cooking wine

1 Tablespoon black vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove – either ground to paste or microplane

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon mirin

pinch crushed red pepper

pinch ground ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (to finish)

1/4 teaspoon furikake (to finish)

2 teaspoons scallions – thinly sliced (to finish)

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro leaves – torn

some vegetables for your skewers a large bell pepper and a zucchini. Other vegetables that would be good are onions, tiny tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms and eggplant. You don’t want any vegetable that is too hard. The vegetables get cut to be put on skewers.

Directions

In a small mixing bowl add the sriracha, tamari and the honey and mix well. Get a gallon ziplock bag and add the small bowl mixture and the tofu cubes. Let the bag marinate in the refrigerator for two hours. Turn the bag over ever 1/2 hour so all the tofu gets seasoned well.

Now make the miso glaze. In a small bowl mix together the miso, rice wine vinegar, cooking wine, black vinegar, honey, garlic, sesame oil, mirin, red pepper and ginger. Refrigerate until the tofu is ready.

Set oven to 400 degrees F

After the tofu has marinated for two hours they get put on skewers that you alternate with vegetables. When you are finished brush the skewers with the miso mixture on all sides. Place on baking sheet(s) and then place in the oven until done and slightly browned. (about 25 minutes)

Finish the skewers with toasted sesame seeds, furikake, a little cilantro and scallions.

Miso Glazed Marinated Tofu Skewers

ENJOY!

The Forking Truth

2nd Trip to D&Y Chinese in Glendale AZ was NOT Fintastic

Rock Fish

D&Y Chinese Restaurant is located in an older strip mall in Glendale.

They serve Chinese Take Out Food and also a Chinese Menu of Canton and Mandarin Foods that include fresh live fish. It’s not a fancy place. On both of my visits the dining room is partially used for a storage room.

On my last visit I enjoyed a fresh killed tilapia. It was prepared to perfection and it was so fresh it melted in my mouth. It didn’t even seem like tilapia and even seemed like a more expensive fish. We also had a Black Pepper Beef Dish that was ok but chewy. On my last visit the fresh fish was the sweet spot here.

Tilapia
Black Pepper Beef

I decided to try fish again….I remembered from my last visit all the fish offered were extremely reasonable in price and varied from under ten dollars a pound to $15.99 a pound so I didn’t even question the price when I ordered the rock fish. Last years fish prices were crab $15.99 lb, tilapia $8.99lb. striped bass $10.99lb and red grouper $15.99lb. Last year I had to go with tilapia because it was the only live fish left. I was so thrilled to get rock fish because it’s a general name for fish that hide in rocks. Many different fish are considered to be rock fish….I know that grouper and striped bass can go as rock fish.

The fish price board wasn’t posted this time. (insert shark music like from the movie Jaws here)

I thought that it was odd that after I ordered the owner steps out from the kitchen at just stares at me………for a few seconds……and doesn’t say anything. Did he want to say something to me? ….. Then he goes back into the kitchen……

In reasonable time our vegetable dish comes out……The Shiitake with Asian Greens.

Shiitake with Asian Greens

This dish looks GREAT until I try to eat some………..The vegetables are in a sauce that is unusual in texture……….actually frightening in texture…….This is not a dish that we can eat because of the sauce………This might be a food that most Americans won’t eat……….and perhaps is for an inquired taste………It’s slimier than I can ever describe………..It might be great dish if you are accustomed to eating this sort of food…..But to me and my husband it was like snot mixed with a rubbery glue…..it has a frightful amount of boing to it like it’s shapeshifting………maybe Odo from Deep Space 9 is in here.

Now to the fish…….

Rock Fish…that didn’t rock my world.

I have no idea what went wrong here……..because anytime I ever ordered fresh killed fish anywhere the fish always came out really awesome……..The rock fish they served me came out very rubbery and tough……It was next to impossible to eat…..I think I pulled off maybe two ounces of flesh…..It didn’t taste so good either….It didn’t seem spoiled….but it also wasn’t sweet and mild either….and certainly didn’t flake at all………it was like rubber……..So sad….This fish died in vain…..I thought my husband might lose it as he gets very grumpy when he is hungry……..We also were having our meal extra late today and he was starving when we got here….. I was going to tell the owner how it was when he came around… Even though I do have a very strong fear of doing that because I have worked in restaurants and witnessed things that cooks do to food on re-fires…………When the man that I’m guessing was the owner walked by our table to ask how things were- ………… I couldn’t help it and made a face and probably rolled my eyes when he asked……………I was about to say something…….But my husband wanted him to leave, spoke up and just said, “ok” and the owner left real fast………………..

Our server didn’t ask how things were…..Our plates she removed were full of most of the food she served. She did ask if we wanted boxes but we declined.

When my husband got the bill he almost exploded.

Now be real people………From a place like this…..

Would you expect them to charge you $89.10 for a plate of rubbery tough fish that doesn’t even come with rice?

It was before tax and tip $116.13 all we ordered was fish, a vegetable plate and an iced tea and $89.10 was for the rubbery tough fish. I felt FORKING Bamboozled.

My husband would have complained about the fish if he knew how much they’d charge us for it…..He later was sorry that he didn’t complain. But on the other side it is expected that a meal that you pay for should be executed to at least technically passable.

I know now that in the end it is MY FAULT for not asking for the price of the fish.

We left hungry and with a much lighter wallet now.

I’m not a writer I just tell The Forking Truth.

My 2nd trip to D&Y Chinese was not Fintastic this time.

My 2nd Trip to D&Y Chinese in Glendale AZ was also NOT Worth a Fork!

NOT WORTH A FORK!

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

The Forking Truth

My Trip to The 2019 Persian New Year Festival in Scottsdale AZ

The 2019 Persian New Year Festival took place on the Scottsdale Waterfront in Scottsdale Arizona March 9th. Around forty venders participated. What you could find here was food, music, dancing, Persian Tea, jewelry, crafts, Persian Rugs, clothing, fortune telling and more. This was a free event with proceeds that benefit brain tumor research.

ZK Grill
ZK Grill Combo Plate
White Orchid Persian Pastry
1001 Nights
1001 Nights Chicken Kabab Plate
Live Music
Readings and Custom Spells
Persian Tea
Saffron Jak and Killer BurgersFood Food Trucks

A few food trucks participated.

Mobile Asian Fusion Food Truck

Parking was free and close.

www.PersianNewYearFestival.com

The Forking Truth

Zucchini Bomba Calabrese Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Zucchini Bomba Calabrese Stuffed Peppers

Believe it or not each pepper contains a whole zucchini that was spiral cut, salted, drained, mixed with a few vegetables and a small amount of Bomba……… Bomba Calabrese is an Italian spicy pepper condiment that is a POWERFUL BOMB of flavor. Only a very small amount of Bomba transforms zucchini into something delicious. It’s next to impossible to find Bomba Calabrese at any store so you have to mail away for it. I prefer the brands that are made with multiple vegetables but I do find that Bomba is a very inconsistent product. It goes from a little over mild to HOTTER THAN HELL even if you buy the same brand over and over but in general it is suppose to be spicy and it’s always delicious. You only need to use a small amount to make sauces and various dishes delicious.

Ingredients for about 6 side orders or 4 vegetarian meals

4 medium/small zucchini (around 2 lbs) – spiral cut

4 mild peppers for stuffing (today I used Anaheim Peppers…I note that when you use a thick skin pepper like a bell you might want to pre-cook it a little)

1 cup corn kernels

1 medium/large sweet onion – sliced up very thin on mandolin

1 Tablespoon course sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon (or to taste) Bomba Calabrese

10 grape tomatoes – cut in quarters

1/2 cup parmesan cheese – grated

1/2 cup panko unseasoned bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

non stick spray

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with non stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine zucchini, onion, corn, salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit for around a 1/2 an hour. Lots of water will come out of the zucchini so dump the zucchini mixture in a colander and squeeze the water out. Now you can mix in the Bomba Calabrese and the tomatoes. Set to the side.

You have to put slits in the peppers for stuffing. Make the slit with a slight “T” shape towards the stem part of the pepper so they are easier to stuff. Pull out the seed core.

It’s easier to fill the peppers if you squish the filling down to the bottom first and work your way up.

Repeat till you’re done and place peppers on sprayed baking sheet.

In a small bowl mix together the cheese, panko and dried basil. Sprinkle over the top.

“This smells FORKING GOOD!”

I put them in a 350 F oven and after 20 minutes They smelled done but I wanted them to cook more so after 20 minutes I loosely covered with foil so they wouldn’t burn and let them cook another 20 minutes.

Zucchini Bomba Calabrese Stuffed Peppers

They are very tasty with a cheese crisp bottom and top.

The Forking Truth

My Forking Thoughts on Thai Coconut, Mexican Jalapeño & English Toffee M&M’s

Three NEW Internationally natural and artificially flavored peanut M&M’s have just come out. Here are Thai Coconut, Mexican Jalapeño and English Toffee Peanut M&M’s. It reads on the bags that if you vote for your favorite that it is a possibility that you might win a trip around the world.

I opened them all up and tried them all. The one really weird thing about all of them is that after trying all the flavors I noticed all the peanuts break down the middle in your mouth….M&M’s are one of the few candies I’ve eaten all my life. It’s been decades since I was a child but I remember decades back the peanuts never separated…….This might sound gross but as a child when we had a dinner I didn’t like at home I’d eat M&M’s instead for dinner( as a child remember)……..I ate them very slowly and saved the peanuts for last sometimes…..so I do indeed REMEMBER!…………..it seems like they use peanuts that are more dry……..or maybe older these days?

I’ll start with my least favorite….It’s the most unattractive one the English Toffee in colors that I’ll be nice and not describe…..I open the bag and it sort of smells something like butterscotch. Then I go to taste one and I almost gaged. It taste like a spoonful of bitter instant coffee followed by other taste like maybe artificial butterscotch and maybe artificial caramel all there….This has the usual chocolate with a peanut center but this one leaves an unpleasant chemical aftertaste……..This one I don’t like at all

NOT WORTH A FORK!

For me it’s a bit of a toss up between the Thai Coconut Peanut and the Mexican Jalapeño. After my first taste of them I thought the Mexican Jalapeño had a slight edge because it tasted more like a Peanut M&M but with a burn…..When you open the bag it just smells like chocolatey M&M’s…….The Mexican Jalapeño M&M’s come in colors of yellow, red and green. They taste mostly like regular peanut M&M’s with a slight burn. Slightly disappointed because the burn doesn’t taste like jalapeño……….it just burns…….there is a very slight other flavor that might be something like cinnamon…..Not bad but not great.

1/2 a Fork…OK

The Thai Coconut package smells like coconut when you take a whiff. These Peanut M&M’s come in blue, lime green and yellow. The candy shells taste slightly different to me. Like the inside is coated with something that taste similar to saccharine mixed with coconut……but much more coconut to saccharine. It’s easy to taste the chocolate with this one. There is a slight other taste with the coconut but so slight and maybe too artificial for me to tell what it is suppose to be…….A few more Thai Coconut M&M’s later these M&M’s build up and remind me of coconut Easter Eggs. These Thai Coconut M&M’s are OK…not great..They differ from the Coconut M&M’s that were out years ago…..These are not as strong with coconut and also not as sweet. They don’t take me to anything Thai Food…….They are OK….like Easter eggs….kind of tasty……the peanut goes very well with these flavors…….not bad…not great.

1/2 a Fork…OK

Those were my thoughts on the International Flavor M&M’s of English Toffee, Mexican Jalapeño and Thai Coconut.

I do note your opinion and experience may indeed differ.

The Forking Truth

Lentils & Black Rice Topped with Spigarello Recipe

Lentils and Black Rice topped with Spigarello

Got some Spigarello at the Scottsdale Farmers Market and I thought it would be good with lentils. I did a mix of tiny black lentils and red lentils so I’d have two different textures. The lentils were more soupy than I was expecting so I added black chewy perfume-ee rice to the pot and came up with something better. The lentil-rice mixture gets topped with sautéed Spigarello and some grated hard cheese. It works out well together. This can be a vegetarian meal or you can add grilled protein to it to make a complete dinner. I think it would be great with either grilled chicken, steak or Italian Sausage.

Ingredients for around 6 servings

1 cup black lentils – rinsed and inspected

1 cup red lentils – rinsed and inspected

7 cups vegetable stock

4 bay leaves

1 cup black rice (heirloom forbidden)

3 1/2 oz shallots – peeled and sliced very thin

2 Calabrian peppers – minced

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

fresh ground sea salt to taste – you don’t need much

fresh ground black pepper to taste – you don’t need much

1 meyer lemon – just the fresh squeezed juice

1 cup Italian Hard Cheese (preferably Fiore Sardo…Sardinian Sheeps Milk cheese…)

Directions

In a sauce pot bring the vegetable stock to a boil add lentils and reduce to simmer for 40 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium and when it gets to a slow boil add the rice and bay leaves, stir and then reduce to simmer and cover pot. The rice needs to cook for 30 minutes.

Either while the rice is cooking or afterwards (rice/lentil mixture stays hot a long time). Prepare the Spigarello.

Put a big fry pan on medium high heat with the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the shallots and sauté till soft. Add Calabrian peppers and stir. Pack in the Spigarello and cover. Let it sort of steam for about a minute and then remove cover and stir. Take off heat, squeeze fresh lemon juice over Spigarello and go lightly with a small amount of fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve over hot lentil/rice mixture and top with Spigarello mixture and finely grated cheese. I do note that the next day the lentils and rice absorb liquid so it will be dryer the next day. You might or might not want to add a small amount of water to bring it back to what it was.

Lentils and Black Rice topped with Spigarello

This is really good!

The Forking Truth

First Taste at Singh Meadows in Tempe AZ- Worth a Fork! Stunning Farm Fresh Vegetables

Singh Meadows is an actual farm with a little cafe that serves breakfast/lunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They serve a weekly changing limited menu that is about eighty percent vegetarian.

You wait in line to order.

There are a few tables inside and a long high top table with a window that views a kitchen.

On the day of my visit they offered eleven menu items that are mostly vegetarian. One menu meat offering is masala spiced pork sausage and the other meat offering is Korean Style stew beef.

At the end of the line we pay and are told it will be around a twenty minute wait for our name to be called.

There are many seating options. It’s a very nice day today and nobody is sitting inside today. There’s a patio.

There’s lots of outside options. You also have the option of borrowing a blanket and finding your own spot in the meadow or by a duck pond.

I picked this charming table.

Around twenty minutes or so our name is called so we go to the pick up table.

We decided to share three plates and they all are very large. We start with the one that needs to be eaten hot….The Korean Beef Stew.

It’s a colorful bowl filled with all kinds of things. It’s mostly assorted vegetables and potatoes that are topped with sunny side up crisp edged eggs. The bowl is garnished with very crunchy rice crackers and underneath everything is a good amount of tender like butter stew beef. It’s slightly spicy and much more delicate with flavors than I imagined it would be. It’s a perfect beef stew.

Next we share the Swiss Chard Falafel Sandwich.

It’s a very large sandwich on a high quality crusty bun. It’s made with a very tasty sweet heirloom tomato, lacy greens, feta cheese, carrot raita and it’s served with a detailed grain salad. Everything is delicious! This vegetarian sandwich is also very hardy and can please a meat eater.

The Beet Toast was maybe the most stunning plate.

It’s pretty enough to be a picture!

All kinds of beets here. Raw, cooked, pickled and in cream cheese. It’s topped with what I believe to be fruity raisin-ee slightly spicy urfa pepper. The almonds and avocado go surprisingly well with beets. The plate is garnished with a couple fresh green beans. The green beans are unlike any green bean I’ve ever tasted before…they are so tender and so Forking sweet….Nothing like the woody ones I buy from the supermarket. This all rest on top of high quality grilled country bread.

Finish up by packing up a few things and walking around the market.

Lots of beautiful beets and farm eggs.

Beautiful assortment of breads.

Beans, dukkah seasoning, pastas.

All kinds of goodies here…pickled vegetables, hot sauces, desserts and more.

Hierloom vegetables.

There was so much to see and taste.

It all was just so beautiful and stunning. What a perfect place to entertain out of town guest…..or to celebrate a special occasion lunch….Or just have a nice day out….

That was my trip to Singh Meadows in Tempe AZ.

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.SinghMeadowsTempe.com

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

The Forking Truth