Monthly Archives: February 2022

A Little Taste of Wren & Wolf Restaurant in Phoenix AZ

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Wren & Wolf Restaurant is located in Downtown Phoenix Arizona. It’s a very swanky spacious restaurant that serves craft cocktails and food.

It’s a mix of fancy and rich inside accented with taxidermy and paintings of wolves and wren and has a sort of retro feel.

We try craft cocktails called Fredricksons.

It has one single large ice cube. This is really strong but very smooth and not sweet. It’s the type of drink that might make you sprout hair on your chest. It’s made of rye, vermouth, Alpine & French liqueurs, saline, and citrus smoke.

For dining we started with the full bread service and stuffed peppadew peppers.

On the top tier are small puffy cheesy pao de queyo breads (Brazilian cheese breads). They are nice and light and go with the truffle butter in the fancy egg shaped container. I’ve had Brazilian cheese breads before and these are much puffier and lighter. There also is sweet chili butter in the ramekin that goes with the bing bread (flat breads……the bing bread today is a little too greasy for me) On the lower level and on the right side is a generous amount of fresh grilled local Noble Bread that is very good. This really is too much for two people but it’s a treat and we don’t mind bringing the leftovers home.

The stuffed peppadews are really great with all kinds of flavors and textures dancing around in your mouth. The peppers are stuffed with local Crow’s Dairy goat cheese. Charred romesco, Marcona almonds and local citrus enhance the plate.

For dinner I tried the wild Tasmanian salmon.

The salmon is prepared a tad over done but is reasonably well prepared. It’s a little different with bitter arugula, curry finagling potatoes and finished with serrano lime glaze. They must have accidentally gave me extra potatoes….They sure are way more than I can eat. I didn’t mind bringing them home for another time.

My husband tried the dry aged meatloaf and they were nice enough to let him substitute their mac’n’cheese for the buttermilk mashed potatoes that are normally served wit it.

Great Swap!!!! That macaroni and cheese is really very good! I was told that the meatloaf had a really great sauce one it……but it was an off day for meatloaf because my husband said that its was the driest meatloaf that he has ever tried…….The management apologized sincerely and made things right with us the best that they could.

Tonight I really. didn’t have room for dessert but. the manager insisted that we try one. The house specialty dessert is a bourbon butter cake with lots of ultra rich toppings, like cream cheese frosting, bourbon caramel, bananas foster, and candied pecans…… that might be delicious and did sound hard to pass up…….We tried the lime tart that seemed a little lighter and refreshing.

This lime tart really is VERY GOOD and is among the better lime tarts that I have tried. It’s not too heavy or too sweet with a nice bright lime taste. It also has a very tasty pecan crust.

That was a little taste of Wren and Wolf Restaurant in Downtown Phoenix AZ

www.WrenandWolf.com

2 N Central Ave Phoenix AZ

602-562-3510

You can get validated parking at Renaissance Square Garage on 1st Ave

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Eggplant Wrapped Baked Ziti Recipe

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This is actually an eggplant timbale…….but most people never heard of a timbale so I am calling this eggplant wrapped baked ziti because it is closest to that. A timbale might be layers of food or a combination of pasta, and or custard, rice, potatoes, eggs, cheese, meat, or vegetables held together with egg and usually baked and is traditionally covered with bread crumbs. A timbale is usually molded but also can be covered in pastry. Serving size is always difficult to judge because some people want a tiny slice and other people want a great big wedge. This made 9 (what I consider large) portions. I’ll post 8 portions.

Ingredients for around 8 portions

8oz of a tube shaped pasta – cooked in salty water, drained and set to the side

2 eggplants -peeled – sliced thin (I sliced most longways but slicing across is easier….it doesn’t really matter)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I had to guesstimate this…I used an oil squirt bottle to oil eggplants lightly)

1 cup Localtelli cheese – shredded ( you can substitute any hard Italian cheese)

16 oz ricotta cheese (preferably home made and drained…if not a good quality one drained)

8 oz provalone cheese – I used slices and grated around half the cheese reserved (1/2 the provolone mixed with the other cheeses and the slices I used near the bottom (just under the eggplant.

2 eggs – lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

Optional 1/2 cup green beans (mine were cooked and chopped up) (can substitute peas, a different vegetable like drained spinach, or a cooked meat)

2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped

1 cup tomato sauce (preferably home made plus extra for serving)

non stick spray

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Either set oven to broil or heat up your grill but NOTE*****on an outdoor grill you will not be able to get your eggplant slices as thin…..so things will be slightly off. If you are broiling your eggplant slices you need to sprinkle them with oil and the smallest amount of salt and pepper (you hardly need any here because it condenses) Take the eggplant out when they look slightly charred and golden and set to the side.

All the filling gets mixed together in a big bowl….cheeses, eggs, black pepper, nutmeg, green beans, basil…(maybe a small amount of the tomato sauce….(I used a small amount so my pasta wouldn’t stick)

Spray springform pan with non stick spray. Line your pan with eggplant in a thin layer and have ends of eggplant hanging off the ends.

Then you put a thin layer of provolone above the eggplant. Next a thin layer of tomato sauce.

Filling goes in next.

Top the filling with a layer of provolone and a thing layer of tomato sauce. Top that with remaining eggplant.

Fold up the ends of the eggplant.

Springform pans usually leak so put a lined sheet pan under to collect to mess.

Spray some aluminum foil with non stick spray……Cover the dish spray side down so it doesn’t stick.

This goes on the middle rack of a 350 degree preheated oven for 90 minutes.

This needs to set up over night.

Cut serving size and reheat and serve with more sauce and extra grated cheese and maybe some crumbled tarallini crackers for some crumbs.

Eggplant Wrapped Baked Ziti

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Hula’s Modern Tiki in North Phoenix (Desert Ridge) AZ

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Hula’s Modern Tiki Restaurant is a Tiki Bar type restaurant with three locations. They have two locations in Phoenix and one location in Scottsdale. The North Phoenix location on High Street by Desert Ridge has an indoor outdoor bar and wrap around patio and is casual and airy inside.

Natural light come in the glass front during the day. You also get a view of the farmers market on Sundays.

They offer and all day menu and the weekend brunch menu. Both menus offer starters, sides, bowls, tacos, burgers, and sandwiches. The all day menu offers more starters like ceviche, poke, and wings. fresh fish, jerk plates, and Hawaiian kalbi ribs.

I tried the spicy Thai chicken bowl.

I received a generous amount of sliced chicken breast, fresh shredded cabbage, creamy fried plantains, beans, avocado, soy glaze and Thai Sauce. I was surprised that this wasn’t spicy. The sauce today doesn’t taste Thai to me but does have something soy or soy sauce like in it. This dish is not for me and I would not order this again but have heard that this dish has been a beloved favorite from this restaurant for over twelve years. I did enjoy the plantains….they had a nice creamy texture and a natural sweetness to them. They seemed less starchy than others I’ve had.

My husband enjoyed the hunkin Samoa burger. he did much better than me.

This burger came with jack cheese, fried Spam, linguisa sausage (he said it was very good), sunny side up egg, and Hula sauce (ketchup, mayo, ginger, other ingredients).

That was my trip to Hula’s Modern Tiki in North Phoenix.

www.HulasModernTiki.com

5450 E High St PHX AZ

480-597-5808

The Forking Truth

Baked Avocado with Crunchy Takeout Rice Coating and Spicy Tahini Miso Sauce Recipe

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A while back Fry’s had a sale on Avocados. I got a bag of 4 avocados that were small like eggs and stayed hard like rocks for about a month now. I figured I’d try to do something with them. These avocados were difficult to open up and I feared inedible but I made them tasty. I did a basic seasoned flour on them and then dipped them into egg and I had a cup of leftover take out rice so I sprinkled the rice on them. Baked them till crispy and whipped up a sauce. They came out tasty. I don’t know if this recipe will work as well on softer avocados. Mine came out almost like potatoes. If you find yourself with some hard avocados you might want to give this recipe a try. Ingredients for 2-4 avocado. Mine were unusually small avocados. My guess is that this recipe will make 4-8 servings depending on how much avocado that you want to eat. I think most people will eat a half avocado if they use very small avocado. I think most people would only eat a quarter of a larger avocado. This recipe worked well with small hard avocados so that is what I would suggest.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

4 small hard avocados – cut in half long ways, pit removed and scooped out of skin

3 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 eggs

1 cup of leftover take out rice

non stick spray

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (guesstimated…I just sprayed them with oil from my squirt bottle

3 Tablespoons tahini

1 Tablespoon white miso

1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon sriracha (I used Shark Brand that is very sweet and mellow)

1 Tablespoon Sambal (or to taste)

1/3 cup yuzu juice (I had this leftover but you can substitute a combination of fresh squeezed orange and lime juice)

Sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet with non stick spray and set it to the side.

In a gallon zip lock bag add the flour, chili powder, salt, black pepper. Shake it to mix and add avocados. Shake gently to coat avocados.

Take out the avocados and pour leftover seasoned flour into small mixing bowl. Add the eggs to the mixing bowl and mix well. Coat each piece of avocado with the egg mixture. Then sprinkle the rice on both sides of each avocado and place on sprayed baking sheet.

These go in the preheated 350 degree F oven till crispy and slightly brown. (around 30 minutes)

Make sauce while the avocado are baking.

In a small mixing bowl combine the tahini, miso, vinegar, oil, sriracha, Sambel (to taste) citrus juice. Add black pepper to taste. I didn’t think mine needed salt but you might want a little more salt.

When the avocados get lightly browned and crispy take them out and serve with the sauce you’ve just whipped up.

Baked Avocado with Crunchy Takeout Rice Coating and Spicy Tahini Miso Sauce

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Lutong Bahay Filipino-Asian Restaurant & Minimart Glendale AZ- Lowest dining prices in town! Worth a Try!

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Lutong Bahay Filipino Asian Restaurant & Minimart is located in Glendale Arizona. It’s very casual here because the restaurant food is served cafeteria style. Maybe your not so familiar with Filipino food? You should not be afraid to try something…..Filipino food is all inspirations from multiple cultures such as Spanish, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and American.

You decide if you want one, two, or three entrees (prices are subject to change but on my visit they were one entree $6.75, two entree $8.99 and three entree $14.99)

On our visit we couldn’t see the food because all the pans were covered. They do have names of the dishes written on the clear plastic sneeze guard in front of the pans. Most of the names of the dishes I wasn’t familiar with so you ask for the type of meat that you are interested in such as fish, chicken, beef, or pork…..and you get your choices that way.

Today my first choice was something chicken….They only had one chicken dish today. She lifted the lid so I could see it. It looked like chicken rice soup. I was in the mood for something different and I went with the fried tilapia.

I have no idea on how they make any money selling me this for only $6.75. The fish is seasoned nice and it doesn’t even seem fried. It’s not oily at all. The rice seems fresh made.

My husband tried the dinoguan (beef) and pork adobo with two scoops of rice $8.99.

The meats are both succulent and tender….They are both good but kind of plain and very mildly seasoned……

We walked around a little to check out some of the groceries.

They have a bit more than I photographed…Frozen meats, fish, packaged goods.

That was my trip to Luton Bahay Filipino-Asian Restaurant & Minimart in Glendale AZ. Lowest dining prices in town! My whole fish with a scoop of rice was only $6.75! That’s cheaper than fast food! Go here instead!

Worth a Try!

www.LutongBahayAZ.com

9250 N 43rd Ave Glendale AZ

602-703-0590

The Forking Truth

Fig, Ricotta, Beet Relish topped Caraway Parmesan Potato Tuile Recipe Based on Frances Atkins Elderflower Jelly and Relish Recipe.

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This recipe is a variation of Frances Atkins’s Elderflower Jelly and Relish Recipe. In 2003 Frances Atkins was the first female British chef to win a Michelin Star. I found her recipe when I was searching recipes for beets (the relish here is made with beets). I didn’t change her beet relish much or change. her tuile recipe. Instead of making elderflower jelly I just used half a packaged small fig and instead of using goat cheese I made QUICK ricotta cheese that was done in five minutes. The combination of these flavors are FORKING AMAZING. For me this recipe made 12 small tuile with extra beet relish.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1 lb beets – peeled, shredded

2 shallots chopped

3 juniper berries – ground

150ml red wine vinegar

200g sugar

275g cooked potato (around 1 +1/2 regular size) peeled and riced

3 egg whites

caraway seeds to sprinkle (around 1/2 teaspoon)

Parmesan to sprinkle (around 2 Tablespoons)

vegetable oil for deep. frying

3 cups whole. milk

1 lemon (just the fresh squeezed juice)

around 12 small halves of pieces of fig

Directions

Make the cheese. In a large microwaveable tub add the milk and lemon juice. Microwave for 5 minutes. Use a mesh strainer and fish out all the curds and shake out the extra whey. Refrigerate.

Combine the beet, shallots. juniper berries, vinegar and sugar and cook gently till soft. Stove top will be quicker than oven but either is fine.

Set oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix the potato with the egg whites. Pour on a silicone mat. Sprinkle with caraway seeds and parmesan.

Place on bottom rack of oven for 5-10 minutes or until it looks sort of baked.

Cut into pieces.

Fry with vegetable on medium heat till the tuile get crisp.

Assemble

Spread some beet relish and top with fresh ricotta and some fig.

Fig, Ricotta, Beet Relish, topped Caraway, Parmesan Potato Tuile

These are FORKING DELICIOUS!

A special THANKS!!!! to Frances Atkins for her amazing recipe so that I could come up with this.

The Forking Truth

Making Michelin Stars Chef Rohit Ghai’s Dhokla with Apple and Beetroot Recipe

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You can cook like a Michelin Star Chef if you find the recipes on-line or buy their cookbooks. I found Michelin Stars Chef Rohit Ghai’s recipe for Dhokla with Apple and Beetroot when I was browsing for beet recipes. I didn’t even know what a dhokla was. This is another recipe that has a lot of steps to it but none of the steps are very hard. I started by making the chutneys first.

I didn’t have the main seasoning ingredient (chana dai) for the tomato chutney so I used my recipe that I developed. I also didn’t puree my tomatoes because I used tiny sweet tomatoes of different colors that I thought looked nice to keep whole.

Then I made the mint chutney….

Mint chutney is easy. Just blend together mint, cilantro, yogurt, green chiles, ginger, lemon juice, chaat masala (I substituted gram masala (a little different but similar…less sour but made up a little with the lemon), cumin, salt.

The apple gets peeled and cut into wedges. You soak the apple in a solution of apple juice mixed with beet powder. I didn’t have apple juice so I cheated and used apple cider vinegar and added some honey…but I DID HAVE BEET POWDER! (See the pretty apple?)

You have to know how to cook beets because you need cooked beets for the recipe. You then make a tempering mix that you cook up. You heat up the seeds in a pan with the oil till you hear the seeds popping. Then that goes over the beets made of – onion seeds (I substituted poppy seeds because I didn’t have onion seeds), cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, oil, salt, sugar and vinegar. This is the first thing that goes over the beets.

This dish also calls for something called ghati masala. It’s the tasty crumble topping that you see sprinkled over things in the picture. It’s really meant to be sprinkled more generously but I wanted to show what I made so you could see. (I will add more when we eat the plates).

You heat up some oil and cook garlic and just blend together a combination of sesame seeds, coconut, roasted peanuts, chili powder, coriander, tamarind paste, and salt.

Now you make the dhokla.

Chef Rohit Ghai’s recipe calls for a combination of gram flour, semolina, lemon juice, ginger, green chili, yogurt, salt and something called fruit salt that is a leavening agent. This mixture gets steamed. I didn’t have the right flour or the fruit salt so I used a combination of chickpea flour, corn meal and regular a.p. flour, baking powder, and eggs. I also baked mine because I don’t have the right dishes to steam it all. It’s kind of similar but not what the chef did………..

Your not done yet.

Now you have to make a tempering liquid to pour over the dhokla you just made. You heat up oil with mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the seeds begin to crackle add curry leaves and green chilies. After it cooks you add sugar and water. This liquid gets poured over the dhokla.

Now put it together and add some radish, pea shoots, cilantro (If you have any left) and go heavier on the ghati masala than I did.

Dhokla with Apple and Beetroot

A SPECIAL THANKS!!!!! To Michelin stars Chef Rohit Ghai for sharing such an incredible recipe with the world!

The Forking Truth

FORKING DELICIOUS Gochujang Brown Butter Green Beans Recipe

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I accidentally created something FORKING AMAZING and FORKING DELICIOUS today. Gochujang Brown Butter Green Beans. The secret just might be the brand of gochujang that I used. You won’t get good gochujang from the regular supermarkets. Gochujang is always better from an Asian market. I used Chung Jung One brand. Most of the box is printed in Korean. It comes in three tubes that are around 60g each or weigh on my kitchen scale 2.5 ounces each in the tube. All I did was fry up green beans till they started to wrinkle (put to side) and then in same pan I browned the butter and as soon as it browned I squirted in a whole tube of gochujang (around 2 oz) poured it over the green beans and added lemon zest and GOSH it was FORKING BOMB DELICIOUS!

Ingredients for around two servings

1 lb washed and trimmed green beans

2 Tablespoons canola oil

4 oz sweet butter

60g or around 2 oz gochujang (preferably Chung Jung One)

1 lemon (just the zest)

Directions

Heat up thee canola oil on medium high heat. Fry up the green beans on medium high heat till wrinkly or starting to wrinkle (my green beans seemed a little dried out so I only took mine to starting to wrinkle. Fresher firmer green beans can wrinkle more) When done add to a bowl and set to the side.

In thee same pan lower the heat to just under medium and add the butter and cook it till it is amber sort of brown. Next mix in the gochujang and pour over green beans. Add lemon zest and enjoy!

Gochjang Brown Butter Green Beans
Chung Jung One

The tubes are also very handy. I don’t cook Korean so often so most brands in tubs dry out and don’t last long for me.

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

NoRa Asian Fresh (fast/casual Sushi & Asian Restaurant) recently opened in North Phoenix AZ

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NoRa Asian Fresh is a fast growing chain of fast/casual restaurants that offer limited sushi, American Chinese and other bowls, ramen, Asian Entrees, soft beverages, and more. At the moment (subject to change soon) there are around a dozen locations of NoRa Asian Fresh in the valley and two locations in Texas.

It’s very casual here. You order at the counter and seat yourself.

A few minutes latter our order arrives.

We tried a nigiri combo (It’s tuna and salmon at this location)

nigiri combo

The fish is clean and fresh tasting today! The rice under the fish holds together very well without falling apart. The wasabi paste is a bit on the dry side. You have to add the wasabi paste under the fish if you like it seasoned that way.

We also shared a tuna lover roll (spicy tuna topped with fresh tuna)

tuna lover roll (spicy tuna topped with fresh tuna

It’s mildly spicy. The rice holds together very well and doesn’t come apart. They don’t have chopsticks here so you have to pick up pieces with a fork. The tuna doesn’t look like hand cut tuna?????? I’ve never seen tuna cut so perfect before. Looks like it was cut on a slicer but I don’t know how they did it.

We also tried a chicken egg roll and chicken dumplings.

chicken egg roll and chicken dumplings

We both didn’t care for the egg roll or either of the dipping sauces. The chicken dumpling were fried nicely but were just ok.

While the sushi we tried is not high end sushi it was fresh and clean tasting. There is something to be said for that! Many of the sushi restaurants in this area didn’t serve me sushi as fresh tasting. So this seems to be a quick low priced option.

That is a little taste of NoRa Asian Fresh in North Phoenix.

www.NoraAsainFresh.com (locations differ slightly with prices and menu items)

www.Nora OnlineOrdering.com

4225 W Bell Rd PHX AZ

602-675-0301

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth