Author Archives: The Forking Truth

The FORKING Best Foods I Tried in Metro Phoenix in 2018 so far

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Christopher’s in Phoenix AZ

This is a collection of what I thought was most delicious that I tried in Metro Phoenix in 2018 so far. I note that the foods are in no particular order.

In the beginning of the year I made it to Christopher’s again before the Chef relocated to Geordie’s at Wriggly Mansion. All the food I ever tried at Christopher’s over the years has been superb. The Chef is well known for classic and contemporary French Cuisine.

But my last meal there was lunch and it was exquisite! Things start out with the unforgettable amazing shattering baguette like no other. What not to enjoy about expertly  prepared house smoked salmon that blankets this thin crisp crepe like no other holding this magical lemony salad. It even came with an edible spoon filled with cream…..Dessert was so detailed and equally as STUNNING……Actually MOST of  the very BEST DESSERTS I’ve ever had in Metro Phoenix might have come from Christopher’s over the years…….. This lunch was deserving of a standing ovation.

WOW!

The Bourbon Cellar (now closed but soon to relocate near by) specializes in Burgers by day and in the evening also serves steaks and fish.  I tried the House Ground Prime Filet Burger with Bourbon Pickles on an Apple Cider roll topped with a Wasabi deviled egg and a Bourbon Cherry. WOWEEEEEEEeeeee it  was so FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS it just might flip Vegetarians to eat beef……DAM it was that great! ******FIRST Burger I’ve ever had anywhere that didn’t even need a sauce…..I’ll be honest like I always am that this burger was all the packed with LOTS of mixed greens that were annoying. BUT who cares?  The greens fell out and the actual burger was so incredibly flavorful and juicy….Dang it was Great!. I’m looking forward to the reopening of The Bourbon Cellar in the fall in North Scottsdale. I have hopes that they are more than a one hit wonder. But that one hit is sure worth trying again!

The Luna Flavor Gelato was also FORKING INCREDIBLE from Luna Gelateria in Scottsdale…..it was so smooth……so creamy……just the perfect amount of sweetness…….the most amazing flavor with great mouth feel………THIS WAS THE FORKING BEST GELATO I’VE EVER TASTED…WOW! It must be tasted to be believed!

The Hot Chicken from Starlite BBQ in Scottsdale was Mighty Forking TASTY……It was the most developed with delicious flavors of the hot chickens I tried so far….not just hot but also delicious….The house made pickles, and that really awesome house made mustard also helped to elevate things….

I do have to say the Thai Style Ice Cream Roll from Nomadic Ice Cream Rolls were the best Ice Cream Rolls I’ve Tried…..others I’ve tried were also good…..but Shhhhhh….these were Forking Better……..Nomadic were the most creamy with the best rich and most interesting flavors. This one was made with avocado, a Brazilian Candy, high quality chocolate and agave……sounds weird but it was crazy good.

From La Piazza al Forno in Glendale came the Bianca Pizza – It’s made with a house pulled mozzarella like no other, a high quality ricotta, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, Sicilian oregano and we added Calabrian Chili peppers…..This was insanely delicious. Nobody’s crust is as light, tender and chewy…..This is the one pizza that is lighter than all the others. It really melts in your mouth. The mozzarella here is the best I’ve tried anywhere. When La Piazza al Forno gets it right….there are angels singing…..

The Other BEST Pizza I had this year was the Bufalina from Fabio on Fire in Peoria. The Flavors were unexpected…..Everything was happening here….The Bufala cheese was unlike any Bufala Cheese I’ve ever had before and was very flavorful and not watery….This pizza had sweet from the balsamic and peppery from the arugula. The cheese and San Marzano Tomato sauce was scrumptious……It was just everything you want and MORE! in a pizza. I seriously think this gotta be one of the BEST pizzas in Metro Phoenix.

Cafe Monarch is a fine dining restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale. The two dishes I enjoyed most were the Squash Blossom Relleno and the Tuna on a rice cake with Calabrian Chili Oil and Capelin Caviar……. I could do a serious number of the Squash Blossom Rellenos……I could eat them all day till my gut explodes……….Cafe Monarch should open a side window just for those dam Squash Blossoms……….Yes they were that great!

Pizzeria Bianco is well known for possibly serving the best pizza in the country and sister restaurant Pane Bianco is well known for their original high quality sandwiches……But what lingers in my memory the most from these places was the Nutmeg Ice. It is something to FORKING reckon with…It should be on everyone’s bucket list……It’s a wonder. It’s among the best desserts you should get in Metro Phoenix. It’s so unique light but creamy with that unexpected refreshing surprising taste…..YES bucket list if you haven’t tried it yet.

The dinner I recently had at Prado in Scottsdale was all delicious and very enjoyable. The house baked Sour Dough baked with Brie and served with lemon curd can help to aid the world to make world peace. (providing they supply a steak knife to cut the crusty bread) Prado also makes one of the most delicious Chicken Dishes in Metro Phoenix……Be real…..Who doesn’t enjoy an insanely moist, juicy and flavorful chicken with a thin crisp well seasoned skin. This was Forking Delicious and the rest of the plate wasn’t too shabby either.

Notable Honorable Mentions.

The Pecan  Smoked Chicken from The Rogue Tomato in Glendale AZ with Sweet Potato Hash was pretty darn good!

The Semifreddo from Botegga Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale AZ was delightful.

The Hot Pot from Shabu Fondue in Phoenix was FUN and Delicious. This makes dinner like a date night. You don’t just eat you dip, swish the meat in the hot bubbling broth and talk the night away.

You might not be aware that is very rare that you will find any restaurant that brines their own corned beef. Most restaurants either purchase already prepared or they just finish the cooking process of the already brined corned beef in house. 3on Smith Cafe in Phoenix impressed me with their in house brined corned beef, Although this corned beef sandwich is a very NON-TRADITIONAL tasting it still is very good and 3on Smith deserves a shout out!

We regularly enjoy the Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches and more from Banh Mi Bistro in North Phoenix. I like these Banh Mi Sandwiches best.

Both plates we tried from La Mejor Comida Barbacoa Restaurant in Glendale were quite good. I enjoyed my Corn Smut Quesadilla. I might be slightly more impressed with the Bisteck Huarache. It starts with a hand made flat bread that might be made from corn and it was topped with a house made green sauce, Mexican Crumbling Cheese and the tastiest tender nicely caramelized steak…I’m impressed because I usually don’t enjoy steak…It has to taste really good and be very tender like butter for me to eat it and it really was.

April – 22 – 2018

My last meal from Zabari Mediterranean Grill was a pita sandwich but it truly was the best pita sandwich I’ve ever had. They made a tastier, juicier and more caramelized Chicken Shawarma than any other I ever had anywhere. The pita bread was amazing and they also made all these delicious interesting  sauces and salads that none of the other Mediterranean Restaurants that I know of offer. I was particularly found of the Matbucha (cooked tomato salad) that was also in this pita. Sadly Zabari Mediterranean Grill has closed their brick and mortar restaurant. But who knows..maybe they aren’t done yet.

Saffron Jak Bakery and Cafe is located in North Phoenix and offers Modern Persian Food. They do make a great caramelized Chicken Thigh platter served with DELICIOUS charred vegetables. Most of the food they offer come with Persian Sangak Bread also known as Pebble Bread. It’s a flat bread that’s tasty and chewy…Saffron Jak also offers Persian Tacos and Pizzas made from Sangak Bread. This is a Great Value restaurant…delicious reasonably priced food and big portions.

The FORKING BEST FOODS of what I tried in Metro Phoenix AZ so far in 2018….

There’s so much more out there!

Don’t know what I’ll taste next!

Feel free to leave your favorite food finds in Metro Phoenix in the comment section……If you care too.

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

The Forking Truth

Vegetarian Mexican Style Black Beans Recipe

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Vegetarian Mexican Style Black Beans

I had a pound of black beans in my pantry so this is what I came up with today. This is a very flavorful and EASY recipe to prepare. The one ingredient you need that is harder to find is Epazote. You can find epazote at any Mexican Supermarket and I do come across Epazote at Whole Foods every now and then. You should purchase Epazote and keep it in your freezer because it is a very strong herb and a little goes a long way. I do have one jalapeño in the recipe but one jalapeño doesn’t add much heat here. If you want to kick up the heat a little I HIGHLY RECOMMEND sending away for Chitepin Peppers……(many different spellings). They are expensive and difficult to find but are worth it! They are tiny peppers only the size of peppercorns but are so darn delicious and flavorful…you only need 2 or 3 of these peppers to make a world of difference. You might have noticed that I didn’t sauté the majority of the vegetables first. That is because I wanted the flavors of the vegetables to go into the beans..when you sauté the vegetables the vegetables are tasty but I want to flavors to go into the beans……It’s easy and it works.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 lb dried black beans – rinsed and inspected and then soaked over night in twice as much water as beans. Refrigerate.

2 teaspoons course sea salt

1 carrot – peeled and well chopped

3 garlic cloves – chopped fine

1 celery rib – well chopped

1/4 cup onion – well chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon epazote – fine chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 cup green bell pepper – roasted or sautéed – cut in strips

1 jalapeno pepper – roasted or sautéed – chopped fine

fresh ground sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup scallions – sliced thin – to finish

1/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped – to finish

optional – if you like spicy 2-3 chiletepin peppers

Directions

The black beans get rinsed well and go in a pot and get covered with JUST WATER an inch over the beans. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for an hour. Put a loose cover on the pot after the beans are simmering.

After an hour add the salt, carrot, celery, onion, bay leaves, epazote, cumin, chili powder, oregano, green bell pepper and  jalapeño.

let the pot continue to simmer 30 minutes. You might need another cup or two of water here.

Taste and adjust seasonings and add fresh ground sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Decide if you want to add Chitepin peppers.

Decide if the beans need another 1/2 hour….Undercooked beans can be harmful or TOXIC…….you want the beans cooked all the way but only fresh dried beans will get creamy. You might need a little more water again.

When the beans are done serve with fresh scallions, fresh and cilantro. You might also want  some sort of sour cream and  Mexican Crumbling Cheese.

Vegetarian Mexican Style Black Beans

This dish is well seasoned and delicious! You will make people happy with this.

The Forking Truth

 

Fried Salmon Cakes Recipe

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Fried Salmon Cake with Orange Aioli and Corn Cilantro Cucumber Salad

We read that one of Costco’s most loved and high rated item is surprisingly the canned Wild Alaskan Salmon. I decided to try a pack of them to see what I thought. Honestly it is indeed better than not all but most of the fresh salmon I can get within 15 miles of my house. (with the exception of AJ’s Fine Foods but Fresh Salmon usually runs $29.00 to $39.00 a lb there so I’d never purchase that salmon to make into a cake.). I don’t even try to purchase fresh salmon near me because at least 50% of the time I have to return it because it’s too old to eat and sometimes I have settled for nearly passable. For canned salmon Costco’s is the best I’ve tried. Last time I made a Crispy Baked Potato Cake with this canned Wild Alaskan Salmon….This time I’m doing a fried Salmon Cake made in a similar way to the way Crab Cakes are prepared but with flavors that I think go with Salmon. I made the Salmon Cake mixture and let it sit in my refrigerator over night so everything settled together really well.

Ingredients for two servings

1 6oz. can Wild Pink Salmon – drained

1 L egg – slightly beaten

2 Tablespoons mayonaise

1 teaspoon dijon mustard – (I only use Grey Poupon)

1 teaspoon sriracha – (I like Shark Brand for this)

1 Tablespoon ketchup

10 saltine crackers – I used whole grain – crumbled fine

Canola or vegetable oil – for frying (guessing 3-4 Tablespoons but it seemed like none absorbed…I still had all the oil leftover when I was done.

Directions

In a small bowl Mix everything but the oil and salmon together. Carefully and gently add the salmon and try to keep it chunky and don’t break it up too much. Set it in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to over night.

Set oven to 300 degrees F.

Before frying make the salmon mixture into two patties.

Put the fry pan on medium high heat with enough oil to cover the pan very well. When the oil is hot carefully add the Salmon Cakes. Fry about three minutes on each side.

When done put cakes on a pan in 300 degree F oven while you whip up an aioli or make your side dish.

I made an Orange Aioli. I didn’t get down on paper exactly what I did but it was something like.

2 heaping teaspoons mayo

1/2 teaspoon dijon

small dash prepared horse radish

small dash bomba (a spicy but delicious Italian Condiment made with Calabrian Peppers)

really small dash ketchup

zest of a small sweet orange

juice of 1/2 a small sweet orange

Serve and Enjoy!

Fried Salmon Cake with Orange Aioli and Corn Cilantro Cucumber Salad

These Salmon Cakes came out very tasty. I have to add the Orange Aioli is a nice addition to these Salmon Cakes.

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

A Few of the Novelty Restaurants of Metro Phoenix AZ

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Slick’s Garage Peoria AZ

Metro Phoenix AZ offers a WIDE variety of restaurants to try. Some of the restaurants out there are the Novelty Restaurants. They all offer a unique atmosphere or theme.

****UPDATE****SADLY SLICK’S GARAGE BAR AND EATS HAS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS***

In Peoria AZ is Slick’s Garage Bar and Eats. They offer a casual menu that includes Burgers, Sandwiches and New Mexican Cuisine spiked with New Mexican Chili Peppers. ……Oh so yummy! …………Besides filling up on the food it is like dining in a museum of model trucks, vintage gas memorabilia and other things. The surroundings will keep your motor roaring and the vegetables they use don’t give you unwanted gas.

www.SlicksGaragePeoria.com

*****UPDATE****SADLY CAMP SOCIAL HAS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS*******

Camp Social is located in Phoenix. Camping can be fun..it’s a also a family friendly thing. You don’t need to bring a tent or bug spray to dine here…..the hostess steps out of a camper and then you get seated.  There is one camper on the floor to be seated in. There are also tire swings at the bar….Maybe you can be a swinger at the bar here while camping out?

The menu has changed since my visit but it’s still all casual and they offer Burgers, Sandwiches, Pizzas and MORE! I have to wonder if they added a bush to the restroom…because everyone pees behind a bush when you go camping.

www.CampSocial.com

The Fictional Mel’s Diner from The Alice TV Show is alive and hopefully still doing well in Phoenix.

You are not going to see Alice, Flo or Mel and you don’t have to kiss anyone’s grits. The people working there offer breakfast and lunch items at very reasonable prices. ………..(gosh the burger was only like $5.99 at the time I was there.)

As a child growing up I used to enjoy the TV Show but I never thought I’d actually dine at Mel’s Diner.

Look Mel’s Diner Phoenix AZ on Facebook, watch the re-runs! Or just stop right in.

Corleone’s is a Philadelphia Cheesesteak Themed Novelty Restaurant with more than one location in Metro Phoenix.

You can have a taste of Philadelphia without the traffic. You can a try a Cheesesteak on a genuine Amoroso Roll with hot and or sweet cherry peppers. Lots of Philadelphia Memorabilia to make you feel you are there and you don’t have to ride down the Schuylkill Expressway to get there.

www.Coreleones.net

Out here in Phoenix we really are a part of the Wild West and in Chandler AZ you can dine at Rawhide Western Town at Wild Horse Pass.

My few pictures here don’t do justice….This is a really neat place to visit. It’s really a small theme park with some entertainment, a train ride, panning for gold, activities, some cute shops and a restaurant. I don’t recall what I ate here (the few times I’ve been here) but at the time they served steak and my niece and nephew were very excited to eat the rattlesnake. My husband also entertained co-workers here and they seemed just as thrilled with Rawhide as my niece and nephew. It’s a place that you want to re-visit.

www.Rawhide.com

Maybe the most UNIQUE NOVELTY RESTAURANT THAT IS LIKE NO OTHER might be Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa AZ.

Check it out! Look! Some guy is at the BIGGEST WURLITZER ORGAN IN THE WORLD and Belts out all kinds of music. Themes from Star Wars, Star Trek, Lots of Disney…..Classics….lots of Americana…….It’s all Amazing!

Organ Stop Pizza

The pizza isn’t the type you’d drive across town for but the experience is like no other anywhere!

www.OrganStopPizza.com

These are just a few of the Novelty Restaurants in Metro Phoenix AZ.

Every Forking Thing is Subject to Change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

Tunisian Inspired Carrots Recipe

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Tunisian Inspired Carrots

There are many different Moroccan and Tunisian Vegetable dishes out there you might not know about that are insanely delicious. I am trying to discover them. I taste them when I come across them and read all the recipes I can find on them. Then I sort of wing them. This recipe is based on the flavors of a Tunisian dish called Horia. I saw the ingredients from the back of a jar and then did research searching out Tunisian Dishes for carrots so I’d get a feel for it. This dish I have NOT found at any restaurant yet. The Jarred version of Horia is more of a spread. You are welcome to blend everything up so get something closer to the actual dish called Horia. You can serve these carrots with olives, hard boiled eggs and tuna for a closer to a Tunisian feel. This dish is easy and comes out delicious.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

1 lb + 5oz carrots – peeled and cut on diagonal in about thumb sized pieces

1 Tablespoon kosher salt – to boil carrots

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon course sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – to drizzle on carrots

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro- chopped

1/2 cup harissa vinaigrette – (preferably my recipe)

optional – serve with olives, hard boiled eggs and tuna

Directions

Set the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put a pot of water on to boil and add the kosher salt. When water is starting to boil add the carrots. Let them boil four minutes and remove from pot on to a baking sheet.

Drizzle the carrots with the olive oil.

In a small bowl mix together the sea salt, sugar, cumin, caraway,  coriander and garlic.

Sprinkle the dry spices all over the carrots.

Put baking sheet on the top rack of oven for about a half hour.

Drizzle with harissa and add fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve

Tunisian Inspired Carrots

The Forking Truth

 

WTFork is MATBUCHA? and my Forking Recipe

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Matbucha

One of the best things I tasted in the past year was the Matbucha from Zabari Mediterranean Grill in Phoenix (Sadly now closed for business). I never heard of or knew of the dish called Matbucha until I tried it at Zabari. Matbucha is so delicious……I can’t believe this appetizer isn’t on the menu at most of the Mediterranean Restaurants in Metro Phoenix. Matbucha is also so delicious it should also be sold on supermarket shelves. You can think of Matbucha as a Middle Eastern/North African kind of Salsa. Matbucha in Arabic translates to Cooked Tomato Salad. The ingredients of Matbucha are Tomatoes that have the skin and seeds removed (so they taste extra sweet and yummy), roasted bell peppers (either red or green or both), garlic and chili pepper (s). Some variations do include some spices and some herbs. I’m lucky that I got in a recent last visit to Zabari Mediterranean Grill. I was only there days before they suddenly closed.  I had the most AMAZING Chicken Shawarma Pita with Matbucha and a few other fillings. The pita was incredible too and I have no clue how they stuffed it with so much food.

April – 22 – 2018

We couldn’t believe how great the food was…..Me and my husband are very saddened they closed because to date this was the tastiest Mediterranean Restaurant we’ve found in Metro Phoenix. If I knew they were closing I would have purchased a bunch of food to go. At least they left me with a happy food memory and I can thank them for introducing me to the delicious Cooked Tomato Salad called Matbucha. Since I tried the Matbucha from my first visit I kept thinking about it. I was hoping I’d come across a really great recipe for Matbucha but most of them didn’t sound as special as I thought this salad really taste. I read maybe every recipe I could find on the internet for Matbucha. I picked the ingredients I wanted to use and winged it.  This dish takes two hours to cook. It’s just like making home made tomato sauce. After you season it will taste different by the end of cooking time so the seasonings will need adjustments about a hour and a half into cooking time.

Ingredients for about 10 servings

1 Tablespoon course sea salt

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves – shredded….(really 5…I added one more near the end for adjustment)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons Aleppo ground red pepper (it’s a fruity pepper with mild heat) ((similar fruity with mild heat peppers but different tasting   are Nora Pepper and Piment d’ Espelette))

4 Tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

1/2 teaspoon  Hungarian sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

5 lbs tomatoes (big round ripe) seeds and skins removed – rough chopped

1 large onion – diced

1 lb roasted red bell pepper – skin, stem, seeds removed and rough chopped

1 bay leaf

optional * up to 2 Tablespoons sugar – you may or may not need any sugar…depends on your taste and how sweet tomatoes are.

2 serrano chili peppers (fried or roasted) and fine chopped – (you might want more…two chilies gives a very mild heat)

Optional 1 garlic clove shredded – I thought it needed one more garlic at the end

Optional just a pinch of parsley and cilantro at the end after salad is chilled

Optional fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a pot get the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and salt. Mix. When the onions look about half cooked add the garlic on top of the onions on one half and on the other half of pot cook up the tomato paste at the same time.

Keep the 4 tablespoons of water on the side.

When the onions are cooked add the Aleppo pepper and the paprikas, cumin and coriander and stir around the best you can. During this time use as little of the water as possible. The mixture will get very thick and you will need to use the water but use as little as possible.

Add the tomatoes. They must have the skins removed and also be deseeded.

An easy way to remove the skins is by removing the core and making an x on the botton of tomatoes like this.

You drop the tomatoes in boiling water. They only need 30 seconds – to a minute usually….depends on how hard the boil and the amount of tomatoes cooling down the pot.

The skins peel off very easily. Actually they just slip off.

Then you remove the seeds. It’s easier than you think. Just cut the tomato in half. Pretend it’s a lemon and squeeze. The seeds just disappear.

All the tomatoes and CLEANED UP roasted peppers got in the pot rough chopped.

Add a bay leaf and one hot chili pepper (finely chopped)

Turn down to simmer and let it go 90 minutes and stir occasionally.

Test and adjust seasonings.

I thought mine needed sugar so I added two Tablespoons but if my tomatoes were better I don’t think I’d need it. I also added one more shredded garlic and some black pepper.

Let it simmer another 30 minutes.

I don’t think seasoning will need any more adjustment but you should test and adjust anyway.

Mixture is hot and needs to sit out at least an hour to cool some before you can refrigerate.

Matbucha SHOULD be chilled to serve.

Optional a light amount of fresh parsley and cilantro. (I recommend  just a small amount)

…It’s basically easy and is just like making really good marinara sauce. You just make it once you know what type of ingredients go in it.

Matbucha

Matbucha is a cooked tomato salad that is served cold like an appetizer. Here I have it pictured with a soft healthy style Lavosh Bread. Please don’t tell anyone because Matbucha is suppose to be served cold…..But I love Matbucha served hot over meats too. My husband freaked out in a good way when I served it with brisket. It was prize winning good…I’m not kidding either.

The Forking Truth

Dining out with DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ May 2018

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Dining out with dogs is just a “Fluff” story of my adventures dining out with my dogs. It sort of started when my dog Louie was diagnosed with cancer. They said probably 3 months so I thought I’d take him out to eat as much as possible since he looked forward to it. Dining out was among the few things he could enjoy. Louie made it 17 months more. Any ways-  You need to know that many restaurants in Metro Phoenix have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It is always best to call a restaurant and ask if it is ok to visit with your furry friend before showing up. You never know if the patio is already booked for a party or if the restaurant suddenly turned to not accepting dogs. (that has happened to me) It is also BEST to avoid as many people as possible so I strongly recommend to dine with dogs at off times for a number of reasons. One is that the restaurant needs your business more at off times and is more likely to welcome you and your furry friend. Two is obvious….It’s best to avoid as many people as possible because some people don’t share your love for dogs or just might be allergic. It’s also best to avoid other doggy diners because dogs might start barking at each other…like dogs normally do and you might be asked to leave. AVOID potential problems and dine at off times. There are a few rules for dining with dogs. Your dog(s) is suppose to be close to you and by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT suppose to sit on restaurant furniture and are NOT suppose to eat off restaurant plates. You also need to be aware that most of the food and drink that you consume can be harmful or even TOXIC to your dog. You must consult a veterinarian on safe and harmful foods for dogs. For the most part plain lean sauceless meat is usually a safe choice for your dog. You might also want to bring your own dog bowl for water. Now that we got all that out of the way I guess you are almost ready to dine out with dogs!

Phoenix is heating up fast so any day could be the last day of Dining out with Dogs. I think for my dogs we can tolerate up to 90 degrees only if it is in the shade. It is VERY IMPORTANT to remember that your dog is NOT AS HEAT TOLERANT AS YOU. Dogs can’t sweat. Dogs also absorb lots of heat threw their paws. Your dog can die if you expose your dog to too much heat.

We had a cool snap recently and made it out to Humble Pie. They have a really nice $10.99 2 course lunch special (salad or soup and a pizza). This is also an official dog friendly patio and is listed on www.BringFido.com

We splurged for Tempura Green Beans because we had a generous $10.00 off coupon off a $25. or more purchase.

These Green Beans are really tasty…Even the dijon sauce on he side is tasty…..Dogs love the Green Beans.

I got the Strawberry Gorgonzola Salad with Pecans and the Margherita Pizza made with house made cheese.

My husband got the minestrone soup with Humble Pie Sausage and the Chicken Parmesan Pizza.

The dogs smell the food and both dogs decide they prefer the dishes my husband has the better options.

The dogs were happy with the chicken fingers and a little cheese. (I note that not all dogs are cheese tolerant…)

“We did alright at Humble Pie.”

www.HumblePieUSA.com

Wow Phoenix is really heating up. Got lucky and had a cooler day….It’s going up to around 90 today but if we do an early lunch it’s only around 80 in the shade.

“We are on our way to Cucina Tagliani in Glendale AZ”

Cucina Tagliani is an American Italian Restaurant that serves up all the usual American Italian Fair and also many healthy options with lots of vegetables that you won’t find at other places. Where else will you find Spaghetti Squash Lasagna and Grilled Chicken Parm? They offer at least a half dozen different vegetable side orders and offer whole wheat and gluten free pasta. They also offer a certified dog friendly patio and depending on what server you get your dog(s) might get their own bowls of water.

Today I got something I never ordered before. The chicken wrap…It’s like a big salad in a spinach tortilla with grilled moist chicken breast with a side. I thought the fresh fruit option was very thoughtful because fries or onion rings are too heavy with a wrap. A salad is an option but I don’t want salad with a salad filled wrap. (romaine was not from Yuma) My husband got a spicy pepperchini pasta with chicken.

Both dogs are very excited about the food.

“We usually get lots of food at Cucina Tagliani.”

www.CucinaTagliani.com

“We are on our way to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix!”

We had a cooler than expected weekend recently and got to go out to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery. This is a Vietnamese restaurant that serves many of your Vietnamese favorites expect for Pho. This is a PHO FREE Restaurant. The Specialty here are the Banh Mi Sandwiches. A Banh Mi Sandwich starts with Vietnamese Style Baguettes made with Rice and Wheat Flour. The Vietnamese baguette has a crispy exterior and a soft middle. The different varieties of Banh Mi include fresh cilantro, pickled radish and carrots, jalapeños and house made aioli.

Today I went with the Curry Chicken with baguette and my husband went with the BBQ Pork Banh Mi.

Wow I have more food than I can eat and it’s all good!

The dogs are pleased (to say the least) with the selections.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

That was Dining Out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix for May 2018. We don’t know if it will be cool enough to dine out soon but we hope to see you all again!

The Forking Truth

In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Trip to Ajo Al’s Mexican Cafe in Glendale AZ

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Ajo Al’s is a Sonaron Style Group of American/Mexican Restaurants in Four locations in Metro Phoenix AZ. They serve up the usual Tacos, Combo Plates,Fajitas and more. As I walked in memories from long ago resurfaced. This restaurant looks identical to the Casa Lupita Chain that latter became a different but similar Mexican Style Restaurant.

The Dining Room is very large and airy. It’s painted with bright colors. There are many Mexican Style Artifacts to look at and there’s an incredible amount of benches and booths to sit on. In the corner of the room near the kitchen entrance is a neon sign that reads tortillas. I remember at Casa Lupita and Don Pablo (they took over some of the Casa Lupita Restaurants)  they used to have a worker make fresh tortillas all day in a similar looking corner. The sign still hangs but I don’t see fresh tortillas being made at Ajo Al’s.

What brought me in were two things. One – it was Restaurant Week and Two – They were offering an Award Winning Menu with the incredible Taco Festival’s 1st prize winning Potato Tacos.

Everything on the menu was prize winning.

I tried the 2016, 2017 First Prize Winning Vegetable Tacos from the 2017 Taco Festival. Those Potato Tacos at the Taco Festival sure were FORKING Delicious! I was hoping to try them again.

We ordered and they started us off with Chips, Two kinds of Salsa, and Drinks.

My husband tries a margarita and I try an Ajo Al’s Mule. The Mule is suppose to contain Tequila, Ginger Beer, Lime Juice and Poblano Chile Liqueur. Doesn’t that sound good?…..I go to taste it….I don’t know what it contains but it taste like Ginger ale mixed with seltzer and something sour….I don’t get a buzz….and I don’t care to Finish it either…….Oh well.

Any Who-

Then I taste the Chips and Salsas.

These chips are very thin also crisp and lack corn flavor and salt. The small container of sauce taste like chile powder mixed with water and lots of dry oregano. The larger bowl of salsa lacks fresh tasting ingredients like onions, garlic and fresh herbs. Chips and salsas taste like they should be avoided.

Then our shared appetizer comes out that also is suppose to be the 2017 1st prize winning guacamole with smoked salmon. (Sorry my photo didn’t come out clear so I added part of it from another photo).

They gave a very large portion of guacamole…..maybe about four portions with a little smoked salmon sprinkled on the top. The Salmon is good but his taste like a combination of fresh and frozen avocados mixed with something creamy…..there are no lumps of actual avocado or onion and I don’t taste any fresh herbs. Actually it could use some garlic and lime juice too. because it’s very flat or one note tasting. The smoked salmon does go well with the avocado dip but this guacamole lacks the delicious fresh flavors and textures that make a delicious guacamole.

Our Prize Winning Tacos, Rice, Beans and Calabacitas (squash with vegetables and cheese) arrive.

I try a Potato Taco. THE FORKING TRUTH is that this doesn’t taste anything like the Potato Taco I tried at the Taco Festival….. 🙁 ……….The Taco at the Taco Festival was all full of delicious flavors. This Taco at the Ajo Al’s Restaurant taste like Mashed Potatoes with LOTS of sour cream…..It’s not flavorful and delicious like the Potato Taco that drew me in.  I feel bamboozled….They did a bait and switch on me.  My husband made me try a piece of steak taco. I took a bite….YUCK! …..It was FORKING  WEIRD…….It Tasted like SOY SAUCE! ……..Nobody wants a Mexican Inspired Taco to taste like soy sauce……..do you?

Sadly the rice and beans were too salty for me. It tasted like some sort of boxed flavoring that was mostly salt and specifically iodized salt.

Lastly was dessert. Our waiter made a big deal out of the dessert. he said only managers are allowed to make the dessert because the ice cream they serve coast $88.00 a gallon. I have my doubts about Ajo Al’s serving $88.00 a gallon ice cream……Maybe he heard wrong and the ice cream cost $18.00 a gallon.

The taco is filled with a caramel sort of ice-cream with a chewy center and also deep chocolate ice cream in a crisp chocolate taco shell.The plate is garnished with stale cotton candy, a jelly rainbow, watery whipped topping and some gel and some jimmies. Looking back the dessert was the best thing I ever tried at Ajo Al’s.

Nothing was spectacular and mostly everything was Disappointing…….

That was my Trip to Ajo Al’s in Glendale AZ.

www.AjoAls.com

Every opinion is subjective.

The Forking Truth is that every FORKING THING EVERYWHERE is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

Sometimes Your Taste Will Differ From The Chef’s Taste

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I recently went to a nice restaurant that I have enjoyed before somewhere in Metro Phoenix. They were offering three course specials for Restaurant Week so we decided to give them a try. I started with the Smoked Tomato Gazpacho. My first taste and I’m thinking to myself…….. Wow it’s powerfully smoky. To me it taste like a half a spice jar’s contents of smoked paprika is in there plus something else that is smoky too. For me this is painful to eat. In the middle of the Gazpacho is a mound of creamy Buratta Cheese…it seems odd to me that it’s in there but it does bring some relief to all the strong smoke. Maybe it’s just that my taste does differ from the Chef’s Taste…..I know I do have some sensitivities to certain flavors of smoke and I do prefer foods to be gently smoked and not strong with smoke. Perhaps it was MY BAD that I ordered this dish?……

For my main course I had the Seared Red Snapper.

The fish was a large portion that was slightly over cooked but seasoned well. It rested over the toughest gnocchi I ever tried to eat in my life. WOW the Chef here is talented for sure and does other things quite well but needs to try some really good gnocchi so he knows what gnocchi should be like. No matter what variety of gnocchi this is the gnocchi are suppose to be light pillows that melt in the mouth. Not tough, chewy and crispy. This was not my taste….These Gnocchi were really bad to me. Gosh now let’s tell The Forking Truth……These Gnocchi were Forking Awful.

I made a mistake and tried a small bite of my husband’s Relleno.

All I taste is smoke………… 🙁 …………..My husband wasn’t found of this either but really more because he didn’t like the chicken inside……It was very smoky but I think he didn’t like the fine shredded texture even more……..It was like they put the chicken in a blender…..My husband’s taste did differ too from the Chef’s. This plate wasn’t his cup of tea.

For Dessert We shared the Lemon Poppy Bread Pudding and the Flourless Brownie.

I liked the lemon cream that came with the Bread Pudding but the Bread Pudding might have been over cooked because the end was burnt tasting and the pudding was dense and dry. No complaints about the flourless brownie as it was quite good.

Sometimes Your Taste will indeed Differ from the Chef’s Taste.

The Forking Truth

 

Kabocha Squash Bundt Cake with Chocolate Drizzle & Chestnuts Recipe

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Kabocha Squash Bundt Cake with Drizzle and Chestnuts

Kabocha Squash is often compared to pumpkin but really has a natural sweet chestnut-tee taste. It almost like creamy chestnut mixed with sweet potato. Kobocha Squash is high in nutrition and is ONLY 40 calories a cup and is fat free before you add things to it. I try to think up ways to use it all the time. One of the best ways to use it is to make delicious desserts a little healthier and a little lighter. I’ve come up with a cake recipe this time and used my bundt pan (that I never use) for the second time. This is a one bowl easy recipe. You just stir the ingredients in the order given with a Fork. Just add a little drizzle and some crushed chestnuts if desired. Something special that’s delicious, quick and easy to prepare. I should note that I cooked the Kacocha Squash very well and past fork tender…..I also used brown turbinado sugar in this recipe. Turbinado sugar is minimally refined sugar and also has a different moisture content than regular and brown sugar. Your results WILL DIFFER if you use a different sugar.

Ingredients for about 15 servings

4 oz sweet butter – room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown turbinado sugar

3 eggs – lightly beaten

2 cups kabocha squash – cooked VERY WELL and slightly past fork tender and then mashed (PLEASE ROAST THE SQUASH! all you do is stab the squash about 4x and put on a pan in a 350 degree F oven for at least an hour and 15 minutes you want it very well done (******(or a little more if it’s a big one, cut in half scoop out seeds and scoop flesh from skin))

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch course sea salt

non stick spray – canola or vegetable

2 teaspoons turbinado sugar – for dusting the pan

1/2 cup – 1 cup chocolate chips or another flavor for drizzle (The Bittersweet Chips are …Forking CRAZY Good here) ((I used 1/2 cup caramel chips that I had to doctor up with some spices because they didn’t taste much different than white chips and I also used 1/2 cup bittersweet chips…each 1/2 cup was melted with 2 Tablespoons of HOT butter)

2 Tablespoons – 4 Tablespoons melted butter for drizzle

3 oz roasted chestnuts – crushed for cake topping

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray bundt pan with non stick spray.

Dust pan with 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar and set to the side.

Get a large bowl. Hand mix everything in with a fork. Mix the butter. Add white sugar and mix that into the butter. Add brown sugar mix in.  Mix in eggs till it looks creamy. Mix in squash. Dump the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix till combined.

Batter goes in bunt pan.

Put bunt pan in the 350 degree F. oven for about 30 minutes or until the cake feels done. It should spring back lightly when you touch it.

Let it cool on the counter some and when it’s almost cool invert the cake on a plate.

I tried a 1/2 cup of those new caramel chips. I melted 2 Tablespoons butter in the microwave and then stirred in the chips and put them in the microwave for 20 seconds…..They didn’t taste the way I wanted and were not much different than white chocolate so I added a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the drizzle and just put it in a ziplock bag.

Squirted with ziplock bag with corner cut off.

Then I did a drizzle of chocolate the same way but in a circular motion. Afterwards I poured the crushed chestnuts over the cake.

It came out REALLY FORKING GREAT!……… SUPER Great tender moist crumb and really GREAT FLAVORS. It’s not too sweet it’s just full of delicious flavors. The sugar that dusted the pan created a pleasing crunch on the surface and all the toppings are delicious but not too much because you only eat thin slices. I am SHOCKED my husband LOVES IT. He’s not into sweets and he is not a fan of  kabocha squash either and he ALSO isn’t found of chestnuts but even he says this cake is delicious and can’t stop eating it. He can’t stop talking about how perfect tasting, moist and delicious this cake is. It really is!

This one is a FORKING GREAT ORIGINAL by me.

The Forking Truth