Monthly Archives: April 2021

Giardiniera Recipe

Leave a reply

I had a head of cauliflower that I had to use up and a few bell peppers, some homemade pickles and home made pickled serrano peppers. It seemed like Giardiniera was what I had to prepare. Since I used my already home made pickled serrano peppers my Giardiniera isn’t super spicy hot but does have heat to it. If you want your Giardiniera to be really hot you do need to use fresh hot peppers or a combination of fresh and pickled. After a few tastings I wanted the giardiniera to be a little spicier so I added a split hot banana pepper and in one day I thought it was a just right spicy. You are going to have to play around with the peppers the way I did to figure out how spicy hot you want this. This recipe make A LOT of Giardiniera….If you don’t can it then it will keep around 3 months in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for 30 servings

1 cauliflower – break into small florets

5 carrots – peel and slice

5 celery ribs – slice

1 red bell pepper – short slices

1 yellow bell pepper – short slices

2 home made pickles – cut into chunks

6 cloves garlic

1 cup home made pickled serrano peppers (or hot fresh peppers to taste) – sliced

4 cups. white vinegar

4 cups water

3 bay leaves

1/3 cup kosher salt

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

1 Tablespoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

The vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, celery, peppers, garlic) all get mixed together and either go into jars or sterilized containers.

The vinegar, water, bay leaves, salt, oregano, mustard seeds, celery seed, red pepper flakes go in a sauce pot and you bring it to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 5 minutes and pour the liquid over the vegetables. Leave out on the counter till it gets to room temperature. Then jar or refrigerate.

This will be ready to enjoy in about 1/2 a day. If you want it spicier add a split hot banana pepper will do the trick!

Giardiniera

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

4 Uncommon Restaurants of Metro Phoenix AZ – Rawhide, Singh Meadows, The Hot Chick, Organ Stop Pizza (***UPDATE The Hot Chick Is Now CLOSED For Business*****UPDATE The Hot Chick Re-Open)

Leave a reply

Uncommon is something different……An uncommon restaurant offers something unique. Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler Arizona is a Western themed 1880’s mini town. They have a Main Street, gun fights, stage coach rides, train rides, gold panning and a steak house that offers rattlesnake. You can have fun on the rides, shop a little and see a gun fight and then drink at a saloon and or eat at the steakhouse.

www.Rawhide.com

Singh Meadows in Tempe AZ is also uncommon. They offer a produce stand with farm fresh produce and a breakfast/lunch cafe that also offers just plucked farm fresh foods. You can sit inside, on the patio or a by a duck pond or grab a meal on a blanket in the meadow. Now where else can you do all that? Hours are very limited so it’s best to call them. They usually are open only for breakfast and lunch on weekends during harvest times.

I haven’t found the website for Singh Meadows but they are on Facebook. (Slight Update********On my last visit I noticed only breakfast and vegetarian meals were offered)

********UPDATE>NOW CLOSED FOR BUSINESS during the pandemic and UPDATE AGAIN JUST REOPENED*******The Hot Chick in or near Old Town Scottsdale is very unique. It’s a kind of time warp of the “Hippy Era,” fried chicken, and lots of games. You order at a indoor camper and the rest of the trip is up to you.

www.TheHotChickAZ.com

Maybe one of the most unusual and uncommon restaurants out in Metro Phoenix might be Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa AZ. They offer organ music during dinner from one of the biggest Wurlitzer organs in the world. They also offer pizza, pasta, salad and ice cream.

www.OrganStopPizza.com

Organ Stop Pizza
Organ Stop Pizza

That was 4 uncommon restaurants of Metro Phoenix Arizona.

Rawhide – Chandler AZ

Singh Meadows – Tempe AZ

The Hot Chick – Scottsdale AZ

Organ Stop Pizza – Mesa AZ

The Forking Truth

The FANTABULOUS Dish – The Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Confluence in Carefree AZ – Worth a Fork!

Leave a reply

The Fantabulous Dish means – Top of the line, marvelously good, peachy keen and dynamite.

There are several restaurants that serve amazing fried chicken out there in metro Phoenix but the buttermilk fried chicken from Confluence is FANTABULOUS!

Confluence is a small modern upscale American restaurant in Carefree Arizona.

The buttermilk fried chicken is usually on the lunch menu. I’ve had this dish a number of times and it’s FANTABULOUS every time. They do change up the sides now and then but the chicken is special. It’s a high quality from a local farm.

It’s tender as can be and is very juicy and flavorful. It has this shattering thin crisp coating. Then there is this BOMB delicious sauce on it. It’s called chili tepin honey mustard…..DANG it’s FANTABULOUS! It’s a little spicy, a little sweet and that just right YUM! Oh and did I mention that this is a large portion? I eat the vegetable (it’s often broccolini) and one of the pieces of the FANTABULOUS chicken and I am left with a FANTABULOUS meal for another time.

YUM! It’s so FORKING Delicious!

This gotta be one of the BEST boneless fried chicken dishes in metro Phoenix.

The Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Confluence in Carefree is a FANTABULOUS Dish!

Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

The Forking Truth

Butternut Squash Apricots Walnuts with Lemon Anchovy Pesto Recipe

Leave a reply

I got a lot of parsley and butternut squash to use so this is what I thought up today. If you have a Paderno Spiral Slicer it will be pretty easy to fettuccini cut the squash. I used the fettuccini size cuts and not the smaller spaghetti cut. Everything came out delicious…You might want to give it a try. It is slightly hard to do perfect because the squash noodles go from raw to over done and squishy. Serving size is difficult to judge here because it depends on the size of your squash and how much that you want to eat. Is this a meal for you or a side dish? My guess is that the average smaller sized butternut squash will make 4 side portions.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1 butternut squash – (I used a smaller sized squash) peeled and cut into thirds (see photo)

2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup parmesan cheese – shredded

1 cup parsley leaves (packed tight) – chopped

1 large lemon – the fresh squeezed juice and zest

1 1/2 oz anchovies in oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon garlic confit (when you buy bags of garlic slice the heads across in half drizzle heavy with olive oil, cover and roast in 350 degree f oven about an hour. Squeeze cloves out of head with oil and blend smooth) This will taste much better than raw garlic that can turn bitter.

1/4 cup scallions – sliced thin

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 oz dried apricots – chopped

3 oz toasted walnuts – slightly crushed

Directions

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees f.

Cover a baking sheet (or sheets) with parchment paper.

Spiral cut the butternut squash and put in a large mixing bowl.

Add the olive oil and salt and pepper to the squash. Mix to distribute.

Spread out the squash noodles on baking sheets.

This goes into the oven for around 10 minutes or until you are satisfied. Ovens do differ and you might want a couple minutes less.

While the squash is cooking make the pesto.

Blend together the parmesan, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, anchovies with oil, balsamic, garlic confit, scallions, red pepper flakes. When ready to serve this mixture suits in the bottom of serving plate. Top with noodle cut squash and top with apricots and walnuts.

Butternut Squash Apricots, Walnuts with Lemon Anchovy Pesto

ENJOY!

The Forking Truth

My Forking Thoughts on Lay’s Whacky Hot ‘N’ Sweet Chilli (Chili) Potato Chips

Leave a reply

I picked up this bag of Lay’s Whacky Hot ‘N’ Sweet Chili (spelled Chilli on bag) Potato Chips from the Asiana Market in Deer Valley Phoenix Arizona. This bag is from India so it is not a flavor that you will find everywhere. I like Chili and Sweet can be ok so I decided to give this bag a try. It’s a very small bag with very little in it.

The bag only weighs 2 ounces.

The ingredients look pretty good for flavored potato chips.

I’m so glad that the potato chips main ingredient is potato and they used edible vegetable oil instead of inedible vegetable oil.

I open the bag and sniff them.

They smell really odd. Something like tahini mixed with a frozen pizza.

The chips are smaller in size with ridges and do have a powdery surface.

I get scared to taste them.

I taste one….

It’s very spicy but not too spicy and it is sweet.

They are more savory than sweet with a tiny bit of onion and garlic an also an odd taste in the background.

You get the odd taste more near the

bottom of the bag.

It’s something like soy sauce.

Those were my Forking Thoughts on Lay’s Whacky ‘N’ Sweet Chilli Potato Chips.

Your Forking Thoughts may differ.

The Forking Truth

Rye Tortillas Recipe

Leave a reply

I was reading an article about the different types of tacos. I had no idea that a growing popular type of tacos are called deli tacos. I happen to have some FORKING Amazing home smoked pastrami in my freezer that I’m pulling out for tomorrow. As far as I know nobody makes rye tortillas so I’m making up my own today. I winged it and they came out pretty darn good. Whoo Hoo! I also made chef Alex Stupak’s recipe for pickled cabbage and mustard seed salsa to go with them. This recipe is only for the rye tortillas. This made me around 12 medium-ish size tortillas (around 6 inch diameter so that is either 6-12 servings depending if you eat one or two.

Ingredients for around 12 servings

1 cup flour + extra to roll dough

1 cup dark rye flour

2 Tablespoons canola oil + smalll amount of extra oil to fry tortillas

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

3/4 cup water

2 Tablespoons pickled cabbage brine (you can substitute pickle brine)

Instructions

Get a medium mixing bowl and add the flours, oil, salt, baking powder, caraway seeds, water and brine. Mix well. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let dough rest about 30 minutes.

Scoop out a piece of dough that is around a meatball in size. Roll it up in your hand and then place it on a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprinkled with a small amount of flour. Sprinkle a very small amount of flour over the dough ball. Cover the dough ball with another piece of plastic wrap. Squish the ball flat with your hands over the plastic wrap. Now get a rolling pin to roll out the dough better.

Get a non stick pan on medium high heat and drizzle a few drops of oil.

When the pan seems hot add your tortilla. You have the perfect amount of time to get another tortilla rolled. By the time you are done making your tortilla hit will be time to flip the tortilla. Leave it in the pan a short time till slightly browned or slightly charred. Wipe out the pan with a towel drizzle with a few drops of oil and repeat till you are out of dough.

Rye Tortillas

I made mine with my last batch of home made Forking Amazing Smoked Pastrami, chef Alex Stupak’ recipe for pickled cabbage and mustard seeds salsa, avocado cream (recipe is on site) Russian dressing (ketchup, mayo, Amora dijon mustard) laced with fresh home made zhoug (Micheal Solomonov recipe) Of course they were FORKING AMAZING!

home made smoked pastrami, home made rye tortillas, pickled cabbage and mustard seeds salsa, avocado cream, Russian dressing laced with zhoug

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

A Taste of Leo’s Island BBQ Peoria AZ – Hawaiian Plate Lunch – Worth a Fork!

Leave a reply

Leo’s Island BBQ is a Hawaiian Plate Lunch (including dinner) casual restaurant located near Arrowhead Town Center (mall) in Peoria Arizona. Leo’s Island BBQ is one of the few independently owned restaurants in this area. They offer around THIRTY varieties of the Hawaiian Plate Lunch. The Hawaiian Plate Lunch is a large styrofoam container filled with around eight ounces of one or two proteins, a bed of steamed cabbage, maybe some other steamed vegetables, a double scoop of white rice (or up-charge to brown rice) and a big scoop of Hawaiian style macaroni salad. They also offer appetizers, soups. salads, mini meals, burgers, Hawaiian bowls, family meal deals and catering. The food is never from frozen and is fresh made and even the sauces are made in house. Not all but many of the Hawaiian Plates are priced under $10.00 before tax. It’s not fancy food but it is superior to anything fast food and isn’t priced much different than fast food.

Inside is casual and you order and pay at the counter.

During normal times you. can seat yourself in the dining room (currently closed during covid.) Or you can seat yourself at one of the few tables on the patio or just do take out.

Today I got the maui maui grilled fish.

It’s a lot of food…I get 2-3 servings out of this. The fish is always prepared to perfection with a nice slightly crisp exterior and is always moist inside. I get LOTS of steamed cabbage and a few pieces of broccoli that seem healthy….There is a very generous serving of rice that can feed a small family and a good sized scoop of creamy macaroni salad that always get tastier if you hit it with a little sriracha.

My husband got the chicken kalua pork combo.

It’s a good amount of grilled marinated chicken thigh with grilled smoked pulled pork and a lot of rice, cabbage vegetables and macaroni salad.

Below are some of the other. plates we tried.

combo with bbq chicken and crispy shrimp (shrimps are shaped like onion rings)

island curry chicken (white meat)

lemon pepper chicken

garlic shrimp

loco moco (burger patty, fried egg, gravy.( added Spam)

curry bbq chicken MINI MEAL (………not so mini)

bbq chicken salad

chicken and rib combo

That was a taste of Leo’s Island BBQ in Peoria AZ.

Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.LeosIslandBBQ.com

Everything is subject to change these days.

The Forking Truth

Jamaican Jerk Inspired Parsley Salad

Leave a reply

I was gifted with many bunches of parsley so I got on a roll with parsley recipes. I made chipotle lime chili chimichurri, parsley pesto and tabbouleh salad so far. (BTW they all came out FORKING Delicious) I had around a cup of leftover rice and peas from a Caribbean take out. You can add a cup of regular rice or any grain you like for something similar. Then I got the idea to change it up a little and made another sort of tabbouleh salad but with added jerk spices. My GOSH this came out FORKING AMAZING!!!! This recipe makes around 4 servings. Chopping up 2 packed cups of parsley is a lot of work. I have no idea on how Mediterranean Restaurants serve all that tabbouleh.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

2 cups parsley leaves – packed tight and well hand chopped

1 English cucumber – seeds removed – small dice

1 small red onion – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme – chopped

3 red jalapeño peppers – fine chopped (or to taste…red one look pretty and usually are never too hot)

1 cup prepared rice or another grain

2 limes the fresh squeezed juice and all the zest

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon course sea salt (or to taste)

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

In a large mixing bowl add the parsley, cucumber, onion, thyme, jalapeño, rice or grain, lime zest and mix.

In a small mixing bowl add the lime juice, garlic, allspice, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, salt, oil, honey, paprika, cumin cayenne and brown sugar. Mix well. Pour dressing on salad and mix well. Chill a few hours or over night. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Jamaican Jerk Inspired Parsley Salad

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Universal Yums – Germany March 2021

Leave a reply

Universal Yums is a gift or subscription service for a box of international snacks.

You have three choices of size boxes.

Besides snacks your box comes with a booklet that includes some facts, trivia and a recipe.

I don’t know why but my box is marked reject.

That’s just dandy. WHATEVER

Lets try our first snack.

It’s puffed rice with a thin coat of waxy chocolate. It’s much lighter in texture than the Asian puffed rice bars. I think it might have ground rice powder in it with the texture of almost angel cake holding it together. I like the center of this bar with the ultra light texture. It ALMOST seems like the rice is suspended in angel cake but it isn’t…just taste that way.

Next

They smell tangy……They taste better than they smell…..Sort of like a ketchup taste…..Not awful (“PHEW”) but not something that I would buy.

Next we try the onion rings.

They smell just like onion powder. They have the same texture as softer lighter cheese curls but don’t taste like cheese curls. They taste onion flavored. Light oniony rings…they are ok.

Now we will go for something sweet.

Here are cinnamon almond cream wafers.

They are cinnamon-ee…kinda almond-ee………They remind me of other wafer snacks from all over the world. I think every country out there makes some sort of wafer snack.

Here is premium white chocolate with strawberry rhubarb crumble. I think this is pretty good. It taste like lots of strawberry in a cream……maybe the sour finish is the rhubarb? I think that this was the best of the box.

I saved this for last because I’m not a big fan of marzipan.

Well it’s a stick of marzipan. It’s covered in dark chocolate that isn’t too bad.

That was Germany Universal Yums for March 2021.

www.UniversalYums.com

The Forking Truth