Category Archives: Forking Thoughts

Random Forking Items of Interest

The Forking Truth is that It’s really hard to find a GREAT Vegetable Peeler

 

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I got this CIA Culinary Arts Institute vegetable peeler. I think I paid 7 or 8 dollars for it maybe last year. I thought it worked great when I bought it but now it doesn’t peel.  I still have it but never use it.

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I recently purchased this vegetable peeler and paid about $5.00 for it because it looked very different to me and I thought it might be very good. It had a serrated blade and it looked like it had a carbon surface. I used it once and thought it was the best vegetable peeler I ever forking used. The skin of the carrot came off so easily with no pressure at all. I never had a vegetable peeler that worked so smoothly before.

BUT……..

After I used it just once.

JUST ONCE!

JUST FORKING ONCE.

I washed it by hand and thought some of the carrot just stayed in the blade so I threw it in the dishwasher and this is how it came out. Now I have to forking throw this peeler the fork out because it rusted.

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About 3 years ago I purchased this $1.50 vegetable peeler from Ikea.

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The handle wobbles a bit when I use it. It peels carrots but nothing else.

I don’t remember when I purchased the wooden handle vegetable peeler in the photo below but it’s going in the trash because it never forking worked. It was suppose to peel and do fancy peeling on the other side. It doesn’t forking peel a carrot, a potato or a thing.

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I recently picked up the white handled peeler at the AZ International Market in Mesa AZ for $1.50. It doesn’t peel potatoes and hardly can peel a carrot. I don’t need it so it’s going in the trash along with the wooden handled peeler.

I recently got this Oneida Brand Peeler. I think I paid about $4.99 for it.

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At the moment it’s my only peeler that works on everything. It’s very awkward to use because it has a very small head and doesn’t feel right in the hand.

The Forking Truth is that it’s very hard to find a really great vegetable peeler.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Barrio Cafe Gran Reserva in Phoenix AZ ****UPDATE Now CLOSED FOR BUSINESS

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Update******Now CLOSED FOR BUSINESS ***The Barrio Cafe Grand Reserva in Phoenix AZ is a newly opened very upscale Mexican Restaurant owned by a locally famous James Beard Nominated Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza. She is very well known for her guacamole topped with pomegranate seeds, her Oochinita Pibil and Chiles en Nogada.

The restaurant is very tiny and only has up to 8 small formal tables if they aren’t pushed together. The outside around the restaurant is decorated with all kinds of whimsical things like crochet around the trees, strange dolls, lots of colors, multi color string lights and all kinds of things.

The inside has a very different look. It truly feels like you are seated in a vestibule at an art museum with lots of bright natural light.

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Fine Artwork is all around you that tells a story.

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With music from La LLorona. Is about a ghost of a woman in-between worlds who lost her children that’s popular in Mexican folklore.

Back to the restaurant.

The bar and kitchen are postage stamp sized.

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This is one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of the year. I tried to make a dinner reservation and my message was that nothing was available in the time slot I wanted for eight weeks.

I didn’t think I’d get in for lunch but I did easily.

To my surprise the lunch menu was more like a dinner menu and also sort of dinner priced.

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I had to ask the waiter about some of the ingredients because some weren’t familiar to me.

We ordered and complimentary bread and roasted olives arrive.

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Perhaps the olives are a nod to Arizona since olives grow almost everywhere here.

Soon a house salad arrives.

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It’s not an average mixed greens salad. It’s full of mixed greens and herbs I’ve never seen or tasted before that are absolutely delicious! The vinaigrette is spicy with sweetness but different and unlike flavors I tried before. Very very good! Very powerful with flavors.

I tried the Tacuba.

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They were made of what’s called tortillas de nixtamal a process were the maize is soaked and cooked in lime water (not the citrus). The tortillas were filled with fresh spinach, several sauces and many cheeses I never had before. These were good anyone would like them but I was left slightly deflated after the fireworks of flavors from the previous salad.

Half way threw me and my husband switched plates.

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The Mole du Jour-Chicken.

Every mole is different as this one was to me. This wasn’t the smoothest mole. Look close to the mound of chicken. But this mole was maybe the deepest tasting one I ever tried. It was deep like coffee. I was expecting maybe part of stewed chicken but they serve matchstick cut white meat chicken breast. The chicken was tender and natural tasting. The rice was studded with some surprises  tangy and a few other flavors.

At the time of this review this newly opened restaurant was only open for three days and I wouldn’t be surprised if changes are made to the lunch menu.

For more information please visit www.BarrioCafeGranReserva.com

Only open three days so it’s too soon to rate.

Your experience may differ and I only wrote The Forking Truth.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Here’s a peek at the ladies room.

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Yogurt is now FORKING Dessert

 

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I noticed Chobani is offering all these outrageous varieties of yogurt lately, I grew up thinking yogurt was a healthy food but now that is not necessarily the forking truth. Yogurt these days is infused with candy and cookies. The Forking Truth is that these days Yogurt is forking dessert. The yogurt pictured above reads peppermint yogurt with dark chocolate cookies and chunks of chocolates.

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Lots of forking key lime everywhere…… now it’s in yogurt and also Key Lime certainly is a dessert.

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Strawberry Chocolate Truffle. Chocolate Truffle is a forking candy. Does forking candy belong in yogurt?

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Peanut Butter Dream has honey roasted peanuts in it with milk chocolate. Sounds like a candy bar. I do love me some candy but I enjoy candy straight up or in ice cream…..not forking yogurt.

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Salted Carmel Crunch….. I don’t forking think yogurt is a heath food anymore. I just don’t…

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Here’s a bunch of yogurt that comes with popular chocolate American Candies.

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Oreo Cookies made it into yogurt and more candy.

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Cotton Candy Flavored Yogurts in smoothies and squeezable. Cotton candy is just spun sugar….so maybe this is just more sugar added to yogurt?

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Apparently Cotton Candy Flavored Yogurt is a forking thing……with Wild Berry Blue flavored and possibly Trix cereal added….since it called Trix and Trix is a cereal…?

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More forking Key Lime

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Chocolate Covered Banana…

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Forking Red Velvet Cake Yogurt……

Yogurt is now FORKING Dessert.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

My Forking Opinion on M&M’s Honey Nut and Chili Nut Candy

Chili Nut M&M's

Chili Nut M&M’s

Honey Nut M&M's

Honey Nut M&M’s

M&M’s Candy has an easy to enter contest on Facebook where you vote for the new flavor of peanut M&M’s. The new flavors up for consideration are Coffee Nut, Honey Nut and Chili Nut. You till 6-17-16 to vote on FaceBook and have a chance to WIN $100K.

M&M’s are the famous American candy that is chocolate that’s known for melting in the mouth and not the hand. The candy is chocolate that is covered in a hard sugar shell.

M&M’s were one of my favorite candies as a child and as an adult I have to try not all but most of the flavors they introduce.

If you read my blog you might remember I don’t drink coffee because it usually taste bitter to me and although I LOVE the aroma of coffee maybe my least favorite thing about coffee is the aftertaste that only comes with coffee. So to be honest as I am I can’t review the Coffee Nut Flavor.

I do have to say that these candies are next to impossible to find anywhere. I didn’t actually find them and my husband picked them up for me when he was out.

I start with the Honey Nut. I love honey and I like honey roasted peanuts so I thought these should be good. I taste it and it doesn’t forking taste like honey to me. It taste more like fake maple syrup. I don’t like them. I can’t eat them even though the actual peanuts in them seem less stale than from regular peanut M&M’s.

I try the Chili Nut. The bag gives off a deep chocolatey aroma. The chili nut has a little kick and leaves your mouth with a mild peppery finish. These are actually very good. Just like the coffee nut flavor the peanuts in the candy are a little bigger and seem less stale than in regular peanut M&M’s. I really like them. I was hoping for a little more heat but still these are good.

I voted for the Chili Nut!

That was my forking opinion on Chili Nut and Honey Nut Peanut M&M’s Candy.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

My Trip to the New AZ International Marketplace

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The New AZ International Marketplace is 100,000 Square Feet and promises to sell items from all over the world but I’ll be forking honest and let you know that maybe I didn’t notice everything I walked by but I saw mostly Asian Foods and Goods followed by Mexican, Indian and some Arabic. items. Besides food some housewares and other home goods are sold and I came across paper men’s suits. Yes I forking said PAPER MEN’S Suits.

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I wasn’t sure if the paper suits were decorations or for to clothe the dead.

Well take a stroll with me threw the store and lets see what we see.

AZ International Marketplace was shortened to World Marketplace for the cart

AZ International Marketplace was shortened to World Marketplace for the cart

 

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I saw a few casual eateries here is I Snow Boba and Smoothies

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Wok On must be Asian Style Food Wok Fired.

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Jalsence ……I’m guessing they will sell Jalisco Style Mexican Food

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The Marketplace has a Warehouse Kind of Look.

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They have a Grand Opening Sale on Artificial Pho Beef Noodle Soup.

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Fresh Lodchong Drink with Konjac Jelly

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I think this is canned rice porridge

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Burmese Food

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Some Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste)

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Chicken Chicharron

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Sunflower Crackers that are pizza flavored

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Louisiana Coffee

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Household Items

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Cheddar Cheese

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Corned Tuna from the Philippines

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Preserved Mud Fish

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Vegetarian Squid Balls

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Mexican Pastrami…… Ay Carumba and oy vey

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Produce

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Dragon Fruit

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Red Corn

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Cinnamon Sticks

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Arabic Chickpea Dip next to Enchilada Sauce in the Mexican/American section

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Arabic Beans and Mexican Beans in the Mexican/American section

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Lots of Rice.

That was just some of what I Forking saw at the new AZ International Marketplace in Mesa AZ.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

My Forking Review on Guinness Rich Chili Potato Chips

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I found Guinness Rich Chili Potato Chips at my local Sprouts Store for $2.50. This brand of chips came in two flavors plain and rich chili. I went with rich chili because it was vegan and I didn’t have to worry if a weird animal product was in it.

The bag says that the chips are hand cooked and are made with all natural flavors. I liked how sturdy the chips are with a really good crisp crunch. The chips seemed oil free and came in nearly perfect potato sliced shapes.

I opened the bag and took a big whiff. To me it smells like burnt tomato soup.

I tasted a chip.

Gosh…..

How do I describe this….

The chips are dusty with seasoning.

It taste like a cross between eating  from a really big pot of burnt (the really burnt part) burnt tomato soup, cigar ash and what I can only describe as spoiling perspiration with a bitter finish. I actually ate three chips hoping the taste would change. As I ate the chips the bitterness was just too overwhelming for me and the taste was just awful.

I can’t help but wonder if this is a defective bag of chips because I can’t imagine that someone would make chips to forking taste this bad.

These chips are not for me but your opinion may differ.

Your opinion may differ.

Not Worth a Fork!

Not Worth a Fork!

That was my Forking Review for Guinness Rich Chili Potato Chips.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

My Last Dinner at Binkley’s in Cave Creek AZ 2016

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(apologies if some photos face the wrong way. Some formats will see all the photos correct. I understand the problem now and am working on it)

Binkley’s of Cave Creek Arizona is a fine dinning experience and is considered to be one of Arizona’s finest of restaurants. The cuisine is artistry, French Inspired, imaginative and whimsey. You can expect some molecular gastronomy and benson burners with your meal. The Chef/Owner is a four time James Beard nominated Chef and had experience working at the French Laundry. This was my last dinner at Binkley’s in Cave Creek because the Chef is closing Binkley’s doors the end of June. It is expected that Chef Binkley will open a new concept in the fall.

The atmosphere isn’t terribly fancy at Binkley’s. This fine dinning restaurant is located in a strip mall. The dining room looks like next picture below.

This is the kind of restaurant that you make a reservation for. You don’t just walk in and expect to get a table. For most people it’s a special occasion type of restaurant and depending on your wallet it’s either a one time visit or a once a year kind of visit if you enjoy fine dining.

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Their were many changes to Binkley’s from my previous four visits.

My previous visits offered a choices of tastings menus and ala carte options with bountiful bite size amuse bouche served through out dinner, assortment of bread and choices to customize your menu. For example a choice of three each of cold appetizers, hot appetizers, dinners and desserts or Cheese Courses and you put it together the way you please.

The latest menu I had offered either an already written Petite Menu (5 Course) or a Chef’s Selection Menu (8 Course) Menu. I didn’t really have all these choices this time. I had to order the Petite Menu or the Chef’s menu. I was allowed to swap off plates I didn’t care for to go with vegetarian options. The cheese menu has been discontinued.

I was looking forward to the really delicious assortment of breads we usually get. My favorite was the bite size brioche.

They started us off with a well made crusty bread. Bread has been streamed down to one selection on my visit but it was served with French Butter.

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Next comes our first amuse bouche.

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Parsnip Soup with drops of Sumac Oil. It was so smooth and so rich and full of flavor.

Next comes our second amuse bouche.

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Peas and Carrot with Ginger Oil and Spiced Hazelnuts. Tasty- I would have liked this one slightly bigger or served on a spoon or a piece of lettuce so it would be easier to eat. This one was candy for the eye but also was extremely hard to eat with a fork.

Next came my first course.

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Milk Poached Daikon Radish with Mizuna, Wasabi and in Zabaglione garnished with starry blue flowers. The sauce was rich and smooth. The Mizuna gave this dish some texture.

My second course was….

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Asparagus with Lemongrass Daikon, ( daikon again ?) Shiitakes, Cilantro, Tomato and Galangal. The flavors were mostly mild and the strongest flavor was asparagus. The only technical flaw of the evening of food preparation were the shiitakes. They were very thin and very leathery and chewy.

Next was my third course and favorite plate of the evening.

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It was Leek Risotto with a Parmesan Foam. The rice was al dente and was in a perfectly flavorful seasoned balanced sauce. The Parmesan cream added that wonder umami to it to make it irresistible. This was forking great!

After that was an amuse bouche.

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A palate cleanser of house made Grapefruit Soda.

My main course followed.

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I had Steelhead Trout with a Fiddlehead Fern, Spring Onion, and a Stinging Nettle Sauce. Technically this dish was prepared to perfection but this dinner was far less detailed than other dinners I had previously from Binkley’s. It was good but no fireworks. I also note that no-one cleared empty glasses and previous amuse bouche ware from the table. To my surprise someone served me a very fruit forward Cabernet instead of something that might pair with this dinner. This is NOT typical of Binkey’s. I can’t help thinking that I don’t know if they were short on help or if the help were not running on full fuel because they know their jobs are in limbo with Binkley’s restaurant closing soon.

Don’t take what I wrote the wrong way……The food is always excellent at Binkley’s but in some of my past visits the food was more like this……..

Horseradish Crusted Halibut

Horseradish Crusted Halibut

Lobster Ravioli

Lobster Ravioli

Smoked Loch Etive Sea Trout

Smoked Loch Etive Sea Trout

Complexity …..More Bells and Whistles….FIREWORKS!

Fortunately after being underwhelmed with my entree the best amuse bouche I ever had comes next and dishes are cleared.

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House made Mascarpone Cheese with prunes, a vegetable chip, local honey and Fresh Shaved French Truffles. This was awesome. How could it not be great. This is one of the reasons why  you dine at Binkley’s. I can’t think of another restaurant around the metro Phoenix area where it seems truffles are always on the menu.

Waitstaff come out with a Benson Burner to present us an amuse bouche of Hibiscus Tea infused with lemon and rosemary. It was wonderfully fragrant.

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Our dessert is next. This plate involves molecular gastronomy. The dessert being served was Freezing Strawberry Soup.

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I think I was too close to the dessert because it felt like ice rubbing against my lap.

We finish with two more amuse bouche.

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A mini Chocolate Souffle and Orange Macarons.

We both enjoyed the chocolate souffle the most of the desserts.

We pay and notice the hostess desk is deserted. Usually someone thanks us for coming and hands us a bag of house made snack mix.

We help ourself to our snack mix.

Then in the parking lot someone runs after us to ask us if we got our snack mix. A couple days latter someone does call from Binkley’s and thanks us for dining with them.

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That’s the Truth. It was The Forking Truth.

That was my last Dinner from Binkley’s of Cave Creek 2016.

Binkley’s is evolving into something different and this restaurant is closing summer 2016 The “new” project is expected to open at the more casual Bink’s Midtown Location that will be remodeled for the new dining experience that is expected to be on a higher lever. The new Binkley owned restaurant is expected to open around fall 2016.

Worth a Fork..... You might Travel across Town to Dine Here because they offer something different you can't find at most places.

Worth a Fork….. You will Travel across Town to Dine Here.

For more information in Binkley owned Restaurants please visit.      www.BinkeysRestaurantGroup.com

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

Sometimes you Read FISHY Things

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(Apologies in advance if photos are upside down or sideways…Got an appointment to see a computer person to get fixed)

I noticed a food critic from a certain newspaper earlier this year wrote a plea to restaurants to stop serving ten certain dishes that are found on many restaurant menus. One of these dishes in particular is salmon with a vegetable and a potato. Some of these ten dishes he just thinks are boring, tiered of, uninspiring or not original enough and other reasons. I find this is a fishy reading to me….

The Food Critic went so far to say something like….If every restaurant just replaced salmon with something original or hard to find that menus would be so much better. I’m not against original or far off creative dishes and I do agree with the critic that many menus choices can be tweaked to be more interesting. That really IS.. a good idea. I just think it’s especially not fair to pick on the salmon dish. That is fishy to me….because…..

The Forking Truth is that this is Phoenix Arizona……. The Desert. We are far from water and it’s usually hot here so very little fish makes it here. You just don’t get much edible fish here. Often on many but not all restaurant menus salmon is the only fish option on the menu. The Forking truth is that most people would want a vegetable and maybe a potato if they were eating salmon. I’d be bummed if I didn’t have a vegetable with my salmon and would feel cheated if the restaurant didn’t give me a potato, rice, a fun grain or noodles with my entree.

I don’t understand why the critic didn’t suggest to to remove a steak from the menu. Isn’t steak a similar dish with a piece of meat vegetable and potato? We have lots of steak around Phoenix and it’s pretty easy to pick up pretty good steak at any of the grocery stores here. Everyone in every home can have a nice steak dinner tonight in the Phoenix area tonight it they prepare it themselves or go out to dine.

Getting back to Salmon I don’t know if I took what he wrote the wrong way but it really bothered me that he partially attacked salmon being on many menus. I do look forward to salmon on menus since it’s a treat that I can’t purchase fresh tasting anytime I want from my local stores. Sadly most of the time it’s not fresh tasting to say the least and more often than not it’s inedible and spoiled and I usually have to make a forking trip back to the market to return it. I almost never purchase what they call fresh fish here anymore. If I want to eat salmon I usually have to go out to dinner to forking eat salmon.

Many of the best restaurants in the country do offer salmon on their menus.

I partially enjoyed this salmon I had in at Bouchon in Napa California.

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I FORKING doubt I’d be the one telling a 7 star Michelin Chef Thomas Keller that he needs to take salmon off his menu because it’s boring……….. but maybe a food critic would??? I know I forking wouldn’t.

I also enjoyed this Salmon I had at L’Atelier in Las Vegas Nevada.

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I also doubt I’d tell the multi Michelin star Chef,that is Chef of the Century and also Meilleur Ouvrier (France Best Craftsman Award) Joel Robuchon that he needs to be more original. Could you forking imagine that?…….(people have forking been shot for less)…. Here is that piece of fish with vegetables and potato! It was stunning and fabulous among one of the best dishes I ever had. I could never get board of something this well done.

I certainly think Chef Keller’s and Chef Robuchon’s restaurants made exquisite dishes that were amazing and not boring and they were salmon.

I don’t think it’s the protein really that makes the dish fabulous. I do admit a certain skill is needed to make the protein shine….But isn’t it really more about the spices and vegetables and how they work together? It boils down to the flavor…that is what you remember.

Part of the joy of going out for a great dinner are the original, different and classic dishes on menus. It’s thrilling when a dish is made with  ingredients that are very hard to find like fresh truffles, finger limes, bamboo fungus, red sorrel and corn smut  or an unusual spices.

I also would like to enjoy restaurant classics that seemed to have disappeared from most menus like Chateaubriand, Duchess Potatoes, Tables-side service menu items and Real Fondants (lava kind of cakes not frosting).

I sure hope the local restaurants ignore the critic’s plea to rid their menus of salmon. Not everyone out here would prefer offal (organ meat) to salmon and not everyone here has developed a craving for nearly raw eggs in cold broth.

Let’s give this plea a spin just for my amusement ……. I can write that I’m tired of Hamburgers and Chocolate Cake. Because I can find Hamburgers and Chocolate Cake on almost any menu out there almost anywhere. How original is a hamburger? French Fries are always on menus with hamburgers. Can’t Chefs be more creative and figure out something more interesting than French Fries to go with burgers? Every restaurant that serves cake always has Chocolate Cake on the menu. A million other flavors are out there you know. How about Salmon? Ever heard of Salmon Cakes?

Now that is something to write about!

Sometimes you Read Fishy Things!

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

Check Please Festival Sunday March 20th Phoenix Arizona

Entering the 2016 Check Please Festival

Entering the 2016 Check Please Festival

(Apologies if any of the photo are upside down or sideways from my end I don’t see them that way but on certain cell phones or computers I’m told some of the photos don’t show as they should.)

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Check Please is a local public television TV show where viewers get to dish about their favorite local publicly owned restaurants.

Check Please Food and Wine Festival features some of the dished about restaurants, wine and beer tastings, cooking demos and panel discussions. This year the tickets ran in cost between $49.00-$69.00 depending on when they were purchased and is considered a donation to public television.

Special guest of the festival were……

Chef Lidia Bastianich- Celerberty Chef, Cookbook Author, TV Host and Restauranteur & More

Barbara Pool Fenzi- SouthWest Cooking Teacher and Cookbook Author

and

Host Robert McGrath- TV Host, Best of SouthWest James Bread Awarded Chef & More

There were at least two no shows at the festival.

One was Eddie’s House. Kinda sad about that because you can get some tasty food at Eddie’s House I’ve been there several times. Eddie was also suppose to do a 12:30 Presentation on the Sub Zero Wolf Stage. Don’t know what happened to Eddie no news is on FaceBook or Twitter at this moment.

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The other that I noticed was Old Town Sarajevo. I also have been to Old Town Sarajevo and was looking forward to Bosnian Cuisine but for whatever reason they also weren’t able to show up.

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I didn’t try everything at the festival that I photoed but did try quite a few things.

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The first thing I tried at the festival came from Tarbel’s a Scottish Beef Sandwich with Horseradish Sauce. Chef Tarbel is considered to be among the best chef’s in Arizona and actually won an Iron Chef Competition. I’ve eaten at his restaurant and the food I had there was certainly 5 stars out of 5. I tasted the sauce and it was delicious, but the beef in this sandwich was too fatty for me to enjoy. After one bite I couldn’t eat it. I confess I don’t enjoy lots of beef fat. I also do confess I’m not familiar with Scottish Beef and maybe it’s suppose to be a very fatty beef?

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Lon’s at The Hermosa Inn presented their well received already famous Pork Mangalita.

Sorry for poor Photo

Rula Bula Irish Pub and Restaurant made a delicious Bread Pudding topped with an Irish Whiskey Sauce.

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The Dhaba made Tikka Masala and Mutter Paneer.

Sorry for poor photo

Foie Gras over Chicken Liver Mousse from The Pig and Pickle.

Inspired by Lidia Bastiaich Cheese Crusted Chicken Tender

Inspired by Lidia Bastiaich Cheese Crusted Chicken Tender

The Soon to open Match Cuisine & Cocktails has not appeared on the Check Please Show. But graciously prepared one of Check Please special guest Lidia Bastiaich’s recipes from her new cook book her Cheese Crusted Chicken Tenders with Celery Pestata. They also prepared Pork Belly Press-Trami. I thought Match Cuisine & Cocktails food was executed better than most from the festival.

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Special Guest of the Festival were Chef Robert McGrath and Chef Lidia Bastianich mostly discussing Lidia’s career and American Italian Food in America and Italian food in the different regions of Italy.

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Several Wine Pouring Tables. I tried three wines that weren’t for me and got dumped.

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Honey Chipotle Chicken with Quinoa from Tryst Cafe.

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Flavors of Louisiana prepared Catfish Étouffée and Praline Cheese Cake.

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The Haymaker served Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

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Vovomeena served  seafood tacos made with three seafoods and served the broth of the seafood.

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Cowboy Ciao served Pork Belly with Chayote Squash Slaw, Pickled Watermelon and Prickly Pear Reduction. It was among one of the more impressive dishes at the festival.

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The above photo is from America’s Taco Shop and it’s a Pork Taco.

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Bella Luna Ristorante served Chicken Piccata. This is one of the restaurants that was out of it’s element. The Forking Truth is that the food wasn’t kept hot and someone accidentally slipped with the salt because it was a salt bomb. I thought this food would make me sick. I thought it was inedible.

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I skipped over Rito’s but my husband said all the food he tried here was delicious. He also said we can make the trip to Surprise AZ to try them out.

The Salt Cellar prepared some sort of Shrimp Dish. ( the photo is at the bottom)

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Freshers Smoke House offered Pulled Pork and Extremely Sweet Butter Cake. It was as sweet as frosting.

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Attractive looking Brie Cheese Crostini came from Murphy’s Restaurant.

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Four Peaks Brewing Company made Kilt Lifter Bratwurst.

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Bertha’s Cafe made brownies and Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies. I saw a sign for cupcakes but they were out when I got there.

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Timo Wine Bar had an accident with the Brie Soup but offered Ceviche and salads of Beet Root  and Goat Cheese.

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Cucina Tagliani served Meatballs and Tiramisu. I have to say the Tiramisu was the best Tiramisu I ever had any where.

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Brownies from Chloe’s Corner.

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Pasta with Marinara and Pink Sauce from Salerno’s Restaurant and Pizzeria.

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Pork on a Stick and Sticky Rice from The Wild Tiger/ Little Tiger.

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Hob Nobs prepared Turkey BLT Sandwiches.

I didn’t take any notes at the festival so I didn’t remember everything perfect.

t have two leftover shrimp photos I think one of them is from the Salt Cellar on the left and the other one on the right might be San Tan Brewing Co?

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The Check Please Festival started providing bottles of water but then switched to weird tasting water with electrolytes. I got slightly dehydrated at the festival because I didn’t like the taste of the electrolyte water and the wines being poured were too cheap for me to drink. If I attend the Check Please Festival next year I’ll have to bring my own water.

That wasn’t everything but that was most of the 2016 Check Please Arizona Festival.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

Key Lime Might Be be The New Chocolate

 

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Key Lime Might Be the New Chocolate.I’ve recently noticed that there is a whole world of Key Lime flavored things  co-staring in the sweets department everywhere I go.

The Key Lime is a small thin skinned seedy lime that turns yellow when ripe.  Key Limes are higher in acid, aroma, sweetness and bitterness than a Persian Lime.The Key Lime is best known for flavoring the Key Lime Pie that is associated with the Florida Keys.

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I saw some Key lime Coconut Patties.

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Keylime Pie filled Chocolates.

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Key lime Cookies.

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Key Lime White Chocolate Cookies. (excuse the poor photo)

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I never thought I’d ever come across Key Lime Pie Gum.

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Some sort of Key Lime Candy Disk.

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Key Lime Cake Mix and Frosting

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Key Lime Candy Crunch

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Key Lime Fruit Slices made by Cavalier Candies.

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Key Lime Starlight Mints

I’d never imagined I’d ever come across so many Key Lime Flavored things.

Key Lime might be the new chocolate.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth