Monthly Archives: June 2019

The HOT Chick Restaurant of Scottsdale AZ – Poultry in Motion – Worth a Fork!***Was CLOSED and now OPEN AGAIN!

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********UPDATE was CLOSED FOR BUSINESS during pandemic and is NOW OPEN AGAIN*****The HOT Chick Restaurant recently opened in Scottsdale by Old Town. This is a FUN casual chicken restaurant that offers a bar, games, videos to watch and of course food with a retro 70s vibe.

The bar

They also offer all kinds of seating. You can be by the video games.

One of the patios

You get full service only if you sit at the bar.

For all other seating you order yourself at the trailer that is located behind the bar.

The trailer is the counter where you order and pay if you are not sitting at the bar.

Here’s the menu. All the chicken is organic, free range, antibiotic and hormone free.

They offer Fried Chicken in half or whole in original or Hot Chick, 2 kinds of wings, chicken nubs, snacks and sides, salads, seven varieties of chicken sandwiches but ONLY ONE is HOT Chick. They also offer a brunch menu limited to the weekend and two desserts.

We walked up to the trailer and ordered and paid. Took a pager with us and sat at a booth. We checked out the cocktail menu while waiting. In reasonable time our pager was blinking and buzzing.

I got the HOT Chick sandwich.

It’s a crispy hot chicken breast with house slaw and house pickle on a rich eggy bun. (they also had a condiment area and we picked up deviled egg sauce and some sort of Thai sauce)

First I taste a small amount of chicken by it’s self……WOW is THAT FORKING CRISPY and MIGHTY Flavorful……it’s also moist! It is HOT but VERY Flavorful. I think around a number 4 Thai Hot out of 5. I can taste a lot of flavors like cayenne, but there is something in there that makes the cayenne taste very delicious, there’s something very sweet but it’s balanced, not too sweet…..not sure but I think a taste some secret crushed potato chips…? Well whatever all this is …….This is Forking AWESOME with well made slaw and well crafted pickles. It’s getting very messy with sauce or and juices squirting out everywhere…….It’s a DELICIOUS HOT MESS! It’s also a Forking hum YUM Dinger! (only $9.00…..WHAT THE CLUCK!…..is that a misprint?………..only $9.00…… ((price is subject to change..))

Mu husband ordered the 1/2 hot chicken…..but it was cut into 6 pieces. It came with house made biscuit and house made pickles. I think it was suppose to come with maple butter?

He got a wing (cut in two), thigh, breast (cut in two) and a leg. I took a small bite out of the thigh. NO FOWL PLAY HERE! The Thigh is Forking awesome……Crunchy succulent flavorful…….really Really Great…..Not sure but seemed hotter than the HOT Chick sandwich…maybe because it didn’t have the slaw, bun and pickles to cool things down…? . (only $12.00) subject to change

We shared two of the sides The pimento macaroni and cheese and the green goddess green beans. ($5.00 each and subject to change)

pimento macaroni and cheese and the green goddess green beans

The pimento macaroni and cheese was topped with crunchy chicken skin. I taste the macaroni……..This is smoky……to me it doesn’t taste like pimento because the smoke taste over powers everything else. My husband taste it and agrees that it is smoky. The green goddess green beans are more of a cold salad with a lot of arugula and smoked almonds.

I’ll say find that HOT Chick and buy a sandwich and all the day you will have good Cluck!

Hot Chick is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.TheHotChick.com

Every FORKING THING is subject to change and YOUR experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth

Forking EZ One Pot Chicken Mushrooms and Rice Recipe

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My favorite thing to cook lately are these EZ one pot chicken recipes. They are easy and delicious. You start by seasoning the chicken, then you brown up the chicken, use the drippings to infuse flavor to the vegetables. Add the chicken back to the pot (or pan) and finish in the oven all together this comes out FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS!…..Chicken quarters are also very cheap depending on where you shop….You should never pay more than .99cents a pound for chicken quarters. But I really like this way of cooking because the chicken always comes out moist and flavorful and delicious. With these dishes we don’t have to mess with sides of vegetables or other sides because everything is in the pot (or pan). The only bad issue is that the skin will never come out crisp enough to eat. The other thing that I should note is that oven timing will differ…….You will have to check the dish with a thermometer. You must get the rice cooked and the chicken must get to at least 165 degrees F. (but I prefer my dark meat chicken cooked more and I get it up to at least 180 – 200 degrees F. Unfortunately these are the most difficult dishes to photo. I waited till the dish was cold and the rice set up……really the rice comes out more soupy. This will be Forking Delicious and you and yours will love it.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

4 lbs chicken quarters (about 3 large quarters (seasoned with salt, pepper and granulated garlic)

kosher salt to taste – to season chicken on both sides

fresh ground black pepper to taste – to season on both sides

granulated garlic to taste – about twice the amount of the salt you used on both sides

1 large sweet onion chopped

2 stalks celery – chopped

2 carrots – peeled and chopped

4 oz mushrooms – sliced

1 red bell or a few red Fresnos -chopped

1 green bell or a green pepper with a little zip – chopped

13 garlic cloves – chopped well

1 Tablespoon soup base (instead of salt for less sodium and more flavor) use reduced sodium chicken or vegetable

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 oz fresh poultry herbs sage, thyme, rosemary (Smart and Final was selling them mixed together for $1.00 for 1 1/2 ounces) (leave them whole so you can pull them out when dish is ready to serve)

optional fennel fronds (I happened to have some leftover in my refrigerator so I threw them in)

2 cups water

1 cup arborio rice or regular long grain rice is fine here too!

Directions

Start by browning the seasoned chicken on both sides either in a fry pan or broil in the oven about 10 minutes on both sides. ( either way skin isn’t crisp enough and more chicken fits under broiler than in fry pan)

Next use the drippings for the sauce pot (put chicken to the side).

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Get the sauce pot (if you have a very large oven proof pot use it here) on medium high heat and add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, soup base, black pepper, bell peppers and mushrooms. Stir occasionally and cook till onions are soft. Then add water and bring to boil add rice mix and shut off heat.

If this is a large oven proof pot leave it…if not carefully transfer to a large pan (I used a half pan) Top with the fresh herbs. Top herbs with the browned chicken quarters and cover tightly with foil.

Leave in oven till rice is soft and chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F. (I like my dark chicken more done and I leave till at least 180 – 200 F) Ovens do differ….pans make the timing differ and the size of your leg quarter will differ……….and they differ even more if you have another pan in the oven… (be careful not to get yourself burnt from steam when you check your pan). Mine took around 105 minutes today.

It came out delicious!

Forking EZ One Pot Chicken Mushrooms and Rice

This was cold when I photoed and the rice really comes out more soupy…..BUT this does come out Forking Delicious!

The Forking Truth

Can any FORKING salad be a Caesar salad if you stab it enough?

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Can any salad be a Caesar salad if you stab it enough? (incase you didn’t know Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times by his assassins)

I recently went to Pappadeaux Fresh Seafood Restaurant located in Phoenix.

I ordered the Creole Caesar Salad with blackened Salmon with house made Caesar dressing. ($24.95)

My plate arrives and the first thing I notice is that the fish isn’t very blackened….(for $24.95)

It should look more like this Blackened Salmon from Ocean Prime below.

The Blackened Salmon Salad from Ocean Prime

.(blackened is the technique of darkening the protein in the pan or on the grill) The second thing I notice is that the dressing doesn’t look like Caesar Dressing?

It doesn’t taste like Caesar Dressing either…..

Trust me I was a Caesar Expert….I was a professional…and preformed Caesar salads Table-side when I worked in fine dining. Maybe you are wondering WTFork is Caesar dressing anyway?

I was taught that Caesar Dressing should only be made in a large wooden bowl. You start by breaking down a garlic clove with a fork. Then you mash in the anchovies, add an egg yolk and slowly drizzle in olive oil while you are stirring real fast and you get the mixture to emulsify. Then you dance around with other ingredients and go back and forth as much as you can to make a show with red wine vinegar, you squeeze a fresh lemon, add a dash of Worcestershire sauce, back and forth with the olive oil bunches of times, stir stir stir, toss in a big bowl of hand torn romaine, add lots of shredded parmesan, add croutons and finish with fresh ground black pepper. That is what Caesar should be. The dressing should be somewhat thick, deeply flavorful and is a sort of grout color.

What The FORK is this?

It’s a loose white dressing that is almost tasteless except for the chunks of cheese that taste like a weak parmesan.

I get my husband to taste some salad….He gets mad because this salad cost $24.95 and this house made Caesar Dressing isn’t Caesar Dressing.

He flags down our waiter and questions him. We were told that the dressing is made without anchovies and egg……I didn’t ask but I think it was made without garlic and also lacks black pepper and maybe everything else…..

Maybe these days any salad can be a Caesar salad if you stab it enough?

Fun Photos were used from www.Pinterest

Can any FORKING Salad be a Caesar salad if you stab it enough?

The Forking Truth

Cha Ca La Vong Inspired Cauliflower Recipe

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Cha Ca La Vong is the National Dish of Hanoi. It’s a popular turmeric and dill seasoned fish dish in Vietnam. Although Cha Ca La Vong is popular in Vietnam it’s hard to find and seldom offered in Metro Phoenix Vietnamese Restaurants. I didn’t think my husband would eat this dish in fish so I tried to make it in cauliflower since it’s a vegetable that transforms into anything. Ummmmm it’s very aromatic…your house will smell amazing if you make this dish. Hanoi fish is usually served with rice noodles but I think this cauliflower would also be great with any kind of plain rice. The last time I ate this dish I was taught how to eat it by the Vietnamese restaurant owner……….You use leaves and gather up the fish with rice noodles and minty herbs and dip your little bundle in fish sauce and add peanuts…..It was delicious…..and such a great dish. I know most people don’t know about it. I had this as a side dish a few nights and the rest I tossed with noodles and pulled chicken and it was also delicious that way. It came out so delicious my husband said he would eat it in a fish version.

Ingredients for around 6 servings

1 very large cauliflower or two small – break down into florets ….(if your cauliflower isn’t big enough this will turn out slightly over seasoned) (I used two very small cauliflowers a white and a green)

1/2 medium sweet onion – rough chopped

1 red bell pepper – rough chopped

2 teaspoons turmeric

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 shallot – ground to paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon fish sauce (I used Red Boat..other brands are much stronger)

2 Tablespoons grated ginger

4 Tablesppons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Thai Chili Peppers – fine chopped (came out a bit spicy maybe you only want one?)

1/4 cup fresh dill – chopped

1/4 cup scallions – sliced thin

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

2 Tablespoons Thai Basil – torn

2 Tablespoons cilantro (leaves and tender stems ) – torn

1 radish – sliced paper thin

Directions

Set oven to 375 degrees f.

Add to a large mixing bowl the cauliflower, onions and bell pepper and set to the side.

In a small mixing bowl add the turmeric, garlic, shallot, sugar, salt, fish sauce, ginger, olive oil, lemon juice and Thai Chili. Mix well and then add to the large bowl of vegetables and mix well.

Once the vegetables are well coated pour them onto baking sheet(s) in a single layer with a little space around the vegetables. They go in the preheated 375 degree F oven until cooked and a little brown. (it took 30 minutes in my oven…but ovens do differ and my vegetables could be cut smaller or bigger than yours so it might differ)

About 5 minutes before done add the peanuts.

When done and ready to serve add the dill, scallions, Thai basil, cilantro and radish.

Suggested to serve with rice noodles or rice and grilled meat or no meat.

Cha Ca La Vong Inspired Cauliflower
Cha Ca La Vong Inspired Cauliflower

This dish is really delicious !

The Forking Truth

Tap and Bowl Restaurant of Scottsdale – Worth a Fork! DELICIOUS Variety Bowls, Handcrafted Beverages and MORE!

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Tap and Bowl is a unique little restaurant located in Old Town Scottsdale on the end by the waterfront. They offer about a dozen different varieties of fresh made to order artisan bowls that are seasonal and some that are globally inspired. They also offer craft beers, cider, hand crafted artisan sodas, appetizers and more!

They offer lush patio seating.

Seating at the bar, traditional tables, a sofa and high tops.

We were given water and at the time it seemed like the best water I’ve had in a long time. The waitress said that it was filtered with their Italian soda machine. So we tried a hand crafted cucumber/watermelon soda made with real cane sugar.

WOW! It was so light and refreshing! I never had a soda like this before. It was delicious and not too sweet either. It was perfect.

I went with the Atlantic Salmon and Cali Rice Bowl.

My bowl was packed full of delicious vegetables and perfectly prepared salmon that was enhanced with a delicious slightly Asian sauce. The salmon had crisp tasty edges and was towards medium rare in the center…it was really great! The bowl included cauliflower rice, edamame, carrots, avocado, onions, peppers, mushrooms, snap peas, cilantro, sesame and ponzu sauce. I’d love to eat this every week! It had so many great textures and flavors!

My husband tried the Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese Bowl.

The Chicken seemed free of oil and had a very crispy tasty exterior and was juicy inside. The pasta was prepared well and was in a tasty cheddar sauce. The bowl also included broccoli, corn, tomatoes, cotija cheese, scallions and pickled onions added some interest.

We both enjoyed our meals very much at Tap and Bowl in Scottsdale.

I have to say Tap and Bowl is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.TapandBowl.com

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

The Forking Truth

Bean Corn and roasted Peppers Tamale Lasagna Recipe

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This is another spin off recipe that was sort of inspired by watching multi award wining Master Chef Rick Bayless on TV. He mixed masa flour with water and rolled it out added a Santa Hoya leaf (that I can’t find) and spread the top with a layer of refried beans. He then rolled the mixture into rectangular logs and sliced them into interesting food. Today I made sort of a bean and corn and pepper tamale lasagna. I served it with chunks of avocado and a fat free cilantro/scallion sour cream. It’s delicious and I think everyone would love it! It’s easy to make if you are ok roasting and cleaning up lots of peppers.

Ingredients for around 12 servings

2 cups masa flour (no substitutions or it will not come out or taste right)

1 1/2 cups water (maybe up to one more tablespoon if dough is too tight)

2 lbs anaheim peppers – roasted, seeds and stem removed and peeled (don’t substitute or you won’t have all the flavor you should have)

4 bell peppers – preferably mixed – roasted, seeds and stem removed and peeled

1 16 oz can refried beans (might not need whole can but will use at least 3/4s of can)

1/2 cup salsa (maybe a little more)

1 cup corn kernels (not raw corn – preferably fresh cooked)

5 oz cojita cheese – crumbled

1/4 cup scallions – sliced thin

1/4 cup fresh cilantro – leaves and tender stems torn

non stick spray or a little neutral oil

Directions

Set the oven to 375 F degrees.

Spray large baking dish or 1/2 pan with non stick spray or oil it and set it to the side.

Make the tamale dough by mixing the masa with the water. Knead dough till it’s all mixed together and smooth and set to the side.

Now gather up all the roasted peppers. You need to line the pan with pepper and hang off edges of the pan like you are making a lasagna.

Then you roll out 1/2 of the masa dough. It doesn’t roll very easily. You need to pound it out with your hands, them pound it out will a rolling pin and roll it over plastic wrap so you can lift it up onto the peppers.

Lift up and place on peppers. (don’t worry if dough cracks)

Spread with beans.

On top of beans add around a quarter cup of salsa.

Lay down a second sheet of masa dough and use the remaining 1/4 cup of salsa.

Add the corn.

Add the cheese.

Add the scallions and the cilantro.

Lay the peppers over the lasagna and press gently.

Cover pan with foil and put in pre-heated 375 F degree oven for 50 minutes. Then remove pan from the oven.

Turn up oven to 425 degrees F

Remove the foil cover and place in the oven for about ten minutes to brown up some.

Chill to set up like the way you make lasagna and slice up into about 12 portions.

Bean Corn Roasted Peppers Tamale Lasagna

It’s pretty and it taste delicious! The Anaheim peppers give off a really good flavor for this dish. I served it with some avocado and a fat free sour cream sauce (one cup ff sour cream, one oz scallions, 1/2 oz cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and a 1/4 teaspoon salt)

The Forking Truth

Fat Free Cold Fruit Salsa Soup Recipe

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This is delicious and light and easy to prepare. It’s perfect for the warmer days we have here in Phoenix. All the supermarkets have practically been giving aways watermelons so chances are this won’t cost much to make either. This cold fruit soup is made mostly from watermelon but also has an apple, an orange, spices and a few other ingredients. It’s very light and refreshing and fat free too!

Ingredients for around 6 servings

1 individual small personal sized watermelon – rind removed and cut into small cubes (like eraser sized – remove seeds if you come across any)

1 orange – peel with knife so you remove most of the segment skin – slice thin and cut into cubes – remove seeds if you see any

1 apple – cut into slices – remove core – cut into cubes

1/2 medium sweet onion – cut in small cubes

1 pickled jalapeño (preferably recipe on The Forking Truth or your purchase from a farmers market) – fine chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 garlic clove – ground to paste or grated

1 lime – the fresh juice and zest

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon mild chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro – mostly just leaves a few tender stems – chopped

small pinch cinnamon (make sure you do a small pinch or it will be too much)

optional but recommended 3 chitepin peppers crushed with fingers (this pepper is hard to find and is usually expensive. You might be able to find them at a Mexican grocery store or online. But these tiny peppers will make this dish more delicious and three won’t add too much heat for most people.

Directions

All of the above ingredients go in a large bowl. Mix and I suggest to blend about 1/2 with a stick mixer lightly for a better texture. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Chill and serve.

Fat Free Cold Fruit Salsa

It’s delicious and not too spicy! I think most people would enjoy this!

The Forking Truth

Confluence Restaurant in Carefree AZ is Always Worthy of a Mention – Worth a Fork!

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Confluence is a small but upscale restaurant located in Carefree Arizona. They prepare painstakingly detailed farm to table elevated modern cuisine. The atmosphere is classic with an open kitchen and modern touches.

Seating is available at the bar, traditional tables and on the patio with mountain views.

Tonight they started us off with house made country bread and a smear of perfect guinea hen yolk.

The yolk was jammy and very rich….The bread was just delicious..this was a treat.

Then we shared the Medjool Dates.

I don’t think I’ve ever had dates that were this fresh before…….or this creamy? The sweet dates sat on top of little mounds of labne. The rest of the plate was couscous that was studded with pistachios and golden raisins. Everything harmonized very well together.

For my dinner I tried the Scorpion Fish.

I never had scorpion fish before……It has a similar texture and taste to monkfish. It’s a dense firm fish. The crust on it is spectacular….It’s paper thin but so crisp and crusty. Bonito flakes add an unexpected smoky taste….The plate turns magical… The tomatoes taste like slow roasted tomatoes but have the texture of fresh tomatoes…..I don’t know how the Fork that can be possible….The Chinese Cabbage taste better than Chinese Cabbage…it was cooked in some sort of magical potion. The little purple potatoes just melt in the mouth in that brown butter hollandaise….and the sweet pops from the crisp snap peas are delicious and add a nice contrast.

My husband surprised me and got the Gurnard Fish from New Zealand. (I was surprised because he almost never orders fish)

It was a fresh tasting mild fish that was well seared crispy. It was served with crisp gnocchi, mushrooms, English peas and the finest Iberico Chorizo. (from a special black footed pig that was kissed by Jesus………..((only kidding))…… eats nothing but acorns……ultra expensive like around $90.00 for 4oz. )

Desserts are usually stunning so we tried the Caramel Apple this time.

It’s like a deconstructed apple pastry……On the side is a cinnamon walnut crisp that is shattering crispy. So you break it up and slice off some apple and taste it in the different sauces of honey vanilla, milk jam and apple cider. This one is delicious and really great!

Confluence is always worthy of a Mention and is – Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork! The kind of place that you would travel across town for.

www.restaurantConfluence.com

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

Some of the previous dishes we enjoyed from Confluence

Snapper
Duck
cucumber salad made with five kinds of cucumber
peach
Monk Fish
Guinea Hen
Fruit Granite (all the desserts were great but this one was my favorite)
This Chicken Sandwich was to DIE FOR!!!!! One of the best things I’ve ever eaten
Sea Bream
The Forking Truth

Veneto Trattoria of Scottsdale AZ – Italian Food that might make you Fish for compliments – Worth a Fork!

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Veneto Trattoria is an Italian Restaurant located in Scottsdale Arizona. They are a full service restaurant that specializes in serving Northern Italian Regional Foods and also several fresh seafood dishes.

The decor is very homey and classic. The tables are linen topped neat with polished silverware and wine glasses. All kinds of Italian souvenirs are decorations for the walls. It’s like you are in an Italian Grandma’s house. They offer some bar seating, patio seating.

There is also seating in the main dining room and the room off the main dining room.

They start you off with a basket of crusty breads, butter and oil and balsamic in adorable Italian made pottery.

One specialty of the house is the Venetian Style Cod that is very popular in Italy but seldom found in Italian Restaurants in Metro Phoenix.

Baccala Mantecato (Venetian Style Cod)

The Dried Cod (baccala) is rinsed in water for two days (or more) and then gets blended with olive oil, maybe some dairy till it turns into a mousse-like consistency and is served over grilled polenta.

But tonight we started with salads…They were fresh made and large enough to share. I started to eat mine and Forking forgot to photo it. I thought the Venetian Style Cod I just showed you from a previous visit was by far more interesting anyway.

I was pleasantly surprised with all the seafood specials they offered this evening. They offer six seafood items on the menu and tonight they offered an additional THREE More seafood dinners and one was a special branzino that was roasted in a salt crust and prepared table side.

I went with the Sea Bream Special because I don’t come across that one very often. It just so happens that one of the finest and most expensive fish dishes I ever had in my life was the Sea Bream from Bartolotta in Las Vegas. With the memory I had of that dish I had to go with the sea bream.

It’s very fresh…I don’t think it’s more or much more than a day old. It’s extremely mild and moist with unusually delicious grill marks served with some simple mixed vegetables and chunks of potatoes that taste like they were simmered in something tasty …..maybe a broth and lightly fried. The fish head is split for slurping if you care to suck out all you can….This is a really fine plate of fish for 28.95.

Someone else at our table had the Birodetto di Pesce Alla Veneta (Cioppino – fish stew)

In a fish infused tomato broth are shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, scallops and sea bass…..To be finished off with garlic toast.

My husband got the Scaloppini di Vitello Pizzaiola. Sautéed veal with marinara and mozzarella cheese and a side of house made spaghetti.

I was told all was good!

Two of us shared the Pistachio Semi Freddo.

It’s a slice of semi frozen delicate pistachio flavored ice cream that’s lighter. It’s almost like frozen mousse.

I’d say a visit to Veneto Trattoria might make you “Fish” for compliments!

Veneto Trattoria – Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.VenetoTrattoria.com

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

The Forking Truth