Monthly Archives: November 2019

azcentral Wine + Food experience Nov 2nd 2019

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The azcentral Wine + Food experience was held at Salt River Fields in Pima – Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale Arizona November 2nd and 3rd 2019. Pre-sale general admission was around $50.00 and pre-sale VIP was around $120.00. (after pre-sale $65.00 and VIP $140.00) Your ticket got you bottomless tastings of food, wine, liquor, chef demonstrations and more. VIPs got one hour early entry, the AJ’s fine foods tent and top wines. The headliner guest was chef Alex Guarnaschelli. I caught the end when she was taking questions from the audience.

Our own chef Christopher Collins did a demo too.

Here is some of what I came across. I didn’t try everything but I tried a lot. My husband can eat more than me so he nearly tried everything.

The first tent I got to was made not entirely but was mostly chef Christopher Collins Restaurants.

From chef Christopher Collins restaurant The Macintosh was short ribs over cheesy grits.

Chef Collins – Wally’s American Gastro Pub a very tasty fried chicken sandwich that was cooked to perfection with a really perfect herbed slaw and a sweet mustard sauce.

Chef Collins – Twisted Grove Restaurant – a shrimp noodle salad.

Chef Collins – The Collins

I didn’t try this one so I forgot what it was but I do remember my husband ate the whole thing so it couldn’t be bad. Latter when we got home my husband did say that this was really good.

Next was chef Collins – The Grassroots Restaurant offering tuna poke with cooked shrimp.

Chef Collins also brought his house made ice cream from his dessert shop Sweet Provisions.

Spinatos was cooking off a variety of their frozen pizzas and mushrooms stuffed with herbed parmesan cream cheese.

Mowry and Cotton offered the most eye catching plates.

Butternut squash salads and monkey bread.

My husbands favorite plate was one of the plates I skipped…..

A plate from Otro Cafe.

They made their own fresh tortillas.

Otro Cafe Taco (above)

Next was the brisket taco from Stonegrill.

The Clever Koi made a SUPER TENDER -melt in the mouth kind of sweet/hot fried chicken bun. This one was really great!

AJ’s offered cheesy pasta, pasta with tomato sauce and some sort of salad

Beckets Table made a very unusual sort of corn cake with lightly smoked chicken cooked in bacon fat…..It was very unique.

Gadzooks offered an open face version of their award winning chicken tacos with cornbread stuffing. You couldn’t pick them up to eat and they were still good but didn’t give the same effect as when you eat them whole.

Timo gave out lamb and butternut squash soup.

Match offered chicken bites and buffalo cauliflower.

Frank and Alberts made mushroom tostadas.

Famous 48 offered pulled pork topped Mac-N-Cheese.

It was all this and MORE!

That was Nov. 2 of the azcentral Wine + Food experience 2019.

www.wineandfood.azcentral.com

The Forking Truth

Roasted Cabbage and Yellow Squash with Date Dijon Vinaigrette and Spiced Walnuts

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Lately I love roasted Cabbage. It gets so sweet and delicious with charred ends. I’ve only recently discovered that roasted cabbage pairs very well with different squashes. They both turn sweet but the cabbage adds that texture that makes the vegetables better together. Instead of just adding butter for just oil to the vegetables a date dijon vinaigrette is more interesting and a few spiced walnuts just kicks the dish up another notch. These vegetables are very easy to prepare. I just threw them in a high oven and pulled them out when done. The walnuts only take 5 minutes in a low oven.

This makes around 6 servings

1 lb yellow squash or chayote squash (zucchini gets too soggy) – ends removed and cut in chunks

1 small cabbage – core removed and cut in either 8ths or 10ths (start by cutting it in quarter wedges and then cut those wedges in half….you want small wedges

1 large bell pepper – core and seeds removed – rough large dice

1 large onion – skin removed – rough large dice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (this I didn’t measure because I sprayed the vegetables lightly with the oil…I think I might have used less)

fresh ground sea salt to taste but slightly less than

fresh ground black pepper to taste but slightly less

1 teaspoon shallot – minced

1 Tablespoon date syrup (preferably McClendon’s select)

1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon (preferably Amora Brand)

1/2 teaspoon grain mustard (preferably Old Style Maille Brand)

1/2 cup walnuts

teaspoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon sugar

big pinch course sea salt

Aleppo pepper to taste (around three shakes)

Directions

Set the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl add the walnuts, teaspoon olive oil, sugar and salt. Mix well and spread out on baking sheet. This will be done in 5 minutes. Take out and set to the side.

Set oven to 450 degrees F.

On baking sheets spread out in a single layer the squash, cabbage, bell pepper and onion. Spray them lightly with olive oil. The vegetables go in middle and lower racks of the oven. Timing WILL DIFFER but in my oven the squash were done in 20 minutes, peppers were done on 20 minutes, onions were done around 30 minutes and the cabbage was done in 45 minutes. When the vegetables are done sprinkle them very lightly with salt and pepper.

While the vegetables are roasting make the vinaigrette.

In a small mixing bowl add the shallots, date syrup, vinegar, mustards and one tablespoon of olive oil. Mix well. (this is FORKING Delicious…you will make this again)

Serve vegetables with date dijon vinaigrette and spiced walnuts.

Roasted Cabbage & Squash with Date Dijon Vinaigrette and Spiced Walnuts

A really nice vegetable side dish…great for holidays!

The Forking Truth

Halloween Candy Count 2019

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How much candy will I give out this year and what will kids take?

I’ve found that kids of today enjoy different candy than what I’ve enjoyed as a child. I also found out that taste do seem to change from year to year. Maybe 10 years back kids liked pop corn balls and that dropped off. About 5 years ago kids really like those candy necklaces and I noticed that they dropped off too. But for the past few years basic candy like Hershey Bars and Pixy Stix have been the big movers.

2014 I gave out 92 full sized candies

2015 I gave out 121 full sized candies

2016 I gave out 124 full sized candies

2017 I gave out 130 full sized candies

2018 I gave out 133 full size candies

This year I am prepared with

124 pixy stix

30 Reeses

21 Hershey

21 Hershey (almond)

18 Kit Kat

3 Seaweed

1 Sardine (just for fun)

Got some Halloween Bling for my dogs.

“GET THIS FORKING THING OFF MY HEAD!”

“I will gladly wear these ridiculous red horns for a tasty treat like fine Italian Cheese or meat!”

I saw someone as a baby shark this year and maybe the best was someone made up to be Micheal Jackson doing that Whoo Hoo thing. Lots of all kinds of princess, some villains. Some Star Wars.

Between 7:30 and 8pm I ran out of all the chocolates and had to give out what was left that was mostly just Pixy Stix.

Well This year we gave out.

90 Pixy Stix

30 Reeses

21 Hershey

21 Hershey(Almond)

18 KitKat

2 Seaweed

1 Sardine (first year a 10 year boy wanted Sardines over chocolate)

A total of 183 kids (Oh My) That is most ever and is up 50 from last year. Dang….will it keep going up or is this it?

The Forking Truth