Tag Archives: #food

A Different and Brilliant Way to do Sweet Potatoes Recipe

 

Sweet Potatoes with Cherry peppers, Figs, Green Onions and Balsamic Drizzle

Sweet Potatoes with Cherry peppers, Figs, Green Onions and Balsamic Drizzle

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Onions, Calabrian Chili, Figs with Reduced Balsamic

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Scallions, Calabrian Chile, Figs with Reduced Balsamic

I came across this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi for these Roasted Sweet Potatoes called Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Figs. After I read the recipe I thought about how interesting and different it was. I thought it was great because it wasn’t too sweet. It seems almost every recipe written for sweet potatoes just sweetens them more. Most of my life I have eaten sweet potatoes with just butter because I want my dessert to be sweet and not my potatoes. I served these similar potatoes last year for Thanksgiving and most people who tried them enjoyed them so I did these potatoes similar this year but used Calabrian Chiles instead of tame cherry peppers.

It very easy to prepare this dish. I didn’t follow Y.O. & S.T. Recipe exactly because it was very simple so I winged it.

Use however many sweet potatoes you need and cut them into wedges. In my photo is only two sweet potatoes.

Lightly dress them in olive oil and spread them out on a non-stick sprayed baking sheet in a 425 degree F oven for about 20 minutes.

Add fresh ground sea salt and black pepper

On another baking sheet

Add figs cut in bite size pieces. some scallions in bite size pieces and some chiles of your choice. Cut mild chiles in thin rings. Chop hot chiles in small pieces. lightly drizzle with olive oil.

I put these on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.

Added a small amount of fresh ground sea salt and black pepper.

Then I combined pans.

I used a better quality reduced balsamic vinegar and drizzled everything.

You can just easily reduce your own vinegar but it’s horrible to remove from a pot. I scrubbed and scrubbed and I thought my pot was ruined. It really was next to impossible to remove the residue of balsamic vinegar. I don’t recommend reducing vinegar unless you are using a non stick pot and even then I’m still not sure. Also the already made reduced vinegars differ greatly in quality. At the moment the one I like best is called “Fini” It’s the only reduced Balsamic that is 90% reduced balsamic without weird ingredients mixed in. I found Fini at World Market Store.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Onions, Calabrian Chili, Figs with Reduced Balsamic

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Onions, Calabrian Chili, Figs with Reduced Balsamic

A brilliant way to do sweet potatoes!

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

My First Try of Chicago Style Pizza in Metro Phoenix AZ

img_5525

I never have been to Chicago and I’m not real familiar with Chicago Style Pizza. Lou Malnatis is a Famous Pizza Chain from Chicago that’s well known for their Signature Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza.  Lou Malnatis has opened their first Restaurant in Phoenix AZ and that’s a big deal so I thought I’d give it a try.

Lou Malnatis

Lou Malnatis

The inside of the restaurant has a fun retro kind of interior with interesting fixtures and bright lights that spell cheese on a wall in the dining room.

img_5517

We order our individual sized pizzas and are told it will take at least 30 minutes.

After about 40 minutes we receive our pizzas.

I ordered a vegetable pizza named “The Lou.”

img_5522

The first thing I notice is that this is an extremely small size pizza. It looks child’s size to me.

My pizza with filled with fresh mushrooms, spinach mix that looked sort of grey, vine ripened Lou’s tomatoes (that were good), cheese blend (mozzarella, Romano, Cheddar) and topped with roma tomatoes (sort of unripe) in what they call Butter Garlic Crust.

You don’t pick up a slice and eat this pizza. You have to eat it with a knife and fork. I try a little end of the crust and it’s thin and fried pie like almost like a crostata. ( a crostata is made with olive oil based dough) The bottom of the crust is slightly thicker but still thin and is more pizza dough like. I don’t get the butter taste it almost seems more like dough that’s fried in oil….

I like the taste of the cheese blend and I also like the fresh mushrooms and vine ripened tomato sauce.

My husband tries the Malnati Chicago Classic. It’s a similar pizza but filled with lean Lou’s Sausage, vine ripened tomato sauce and cheese blend. The sausage is very lean and slightly dry. This pizza is very mildly seasoned.

img_5521

Lou Malnatis is the first of Three BIG Chicago Chains of Pizza restaurants to open in Metro Phoenix AZ. (the other two chains are opening soon within the year) You might want to give them a try if you want to take part in all the hype about Chicago Style Pizza.

For more information please visit www.LouMalnatis.com

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes Recipe

 

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes

This kind of potatoes are usually made for a special occasion, holiday or just to impress someone. These are those OMG potatoes………..You have to start out with perfectly baked potatoes. Let them cool. Then slice a quarter- third off the top and carefully scoop them out so you have a shell. With the use of a potato ricer the filling will be fluffy and free of lumps. Egg yolks, butter and heavy cream make these potatoes an indulgence. You can even build it up slightly more by serving these potatoes with either warm parsley or thyme butter and a crack of fresh salt and pepper.

Ingredients for 4 generous servings or 8 diet servings

4 russet style poatoes – medium sized and washed

4 russet style potatoes – small sized and washed

4 Tablespoons canola oil – for cooking all the potatoes

2 teaspoons kosher salt – for cooking the medium potatoes

6 Tablespoons butter – unsalted – room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 XL egg yolks

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

few grates fresh nutmeg

pinch cayenne

a crack of fresh ground sea salt

a crack or two of fresh ground black pepper – for seasoning potato shell and on top if desired

Directions

Set oven at 350 degrees F

All the potatoes get priced with a fork all over and get a light sprinkle of oil.

The larger or medium sized potatoes get a light sprinkle of kosher salt all over.

All the potatoes go on a baking sheet(s) in the oven for about one hour.

The potatoes should look like this. The skin is thin and slightly winked and is dry to the touch.

img_6655

Leave the potatoes cool till enough so you can cut them and then peel the small potatoes and put them in a bowl to collect. Then slice the upper quarter off the tops of the four larger potatoes. Scoop remaining potato from the tops and add it to the bowl with all the other dug out potato.

img_6656

Then carefully hollow out the potatoes with a teaspoon leaving about a quarter inch shell like this and add a crack or two of salt and pepper to season the potato shell.

img_6657

Now rice all the potato in the bowl.

img_6658

When done set to the side.

In a small bowl mix together egg yolks, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, white pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.

Use a fork and mix it in to the potatoes.

Spoon the potato mixture to the top of the potatoes like this.

img_6660

Now with a pastry bag with a #6 tip attached fold the bag halfway down and add one quarter of the potato mixture.

img_6659

Decorate anyway you like. I just applied pressure and made a circular motion over the potatoes sort of like an imaginary cork screw.

img_6662

Put them in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes and they looked like this.

fullsizeoutput_31a6

I didn’t add fresh hot parsley or thyme butter but did add a crack of fresh sea salt and pepper.

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes

Duchess Style Stuffed Potatoes

Forking Crazy Good Potatoes!

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

HO Ho Ho! The Green Giant is Back !

 

fullsizeoutput_3167

I was paging threw a food magazine and came across this ad for Green Giant. This brand of canned and frozen foods has disappeared years ago. I wanted to learn just a little more information so I searched Green Giant on the web. I found in the Chicago Tribune they wrote that in general sales of frozen foods are slumping. B&G Company who is the newest owner of Green Giant is planning to let the Green Giant out of retirement to push frozen vegetable products on TV again.

fullsizeoutput_3168

I read on the Green Giant Website that they are promising to bring back vegetables like you’ve never seen them before!

They are introducing frozen riced vegetables, frozen roasted vegetables and several varieties of frozen vegetable tots.

Later today I went to the store. I came across some Green Giant Products just today!

fullsizeoutput_316c

fullsizeoutput_316d

fullsizeoutput_316e

HO Ho HO! Green Giant is Back!

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Butter Cookie Recipe

Preserved Lemon Butter Cookies

Preserved Lemon Butter Cookies

This is recipe is based on Pastry Chef and Cook Book Author Elinor Klivans Slice and Bake Cookies featuring Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter. Her cookies get chilled into a log shape, get sliced washed with egg white, course sugar and topped with a nut. I think it’s the best butter cookie recipe I ever found and enjoy the recipe most as a butter cookie. I have done many variations over the years.

Ingredients for around 14 cookies or 14 servings

4 oz sweet butter – room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 XL egg yolk – beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch cardamon

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch kosher salt – or sea salt

3 Tablespoons turbinado sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

set oven to 325 degrees F

Get your baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

In a medium size mixing bowl mix up your butter and sugar well, add yolk and mix. Add vanilla, cardamon, mix well.

Add flour, baking powder, salt and mix well.

Get a disposable pastry bag, snip the end and insert a large star tip that’s very open on the end. Fill with dough and twist end to hold dough in.

IMG_4329

Squeeze out dough in swirl shapes and sprinkle on the turbinado sugar if desired for a nice textural crunch.

IMG_4330

Bake till they are slightly brown on the edges or about 14 minutes or until they look like this.

IMG_4336

Feel free to decorate the cookies anyway you like. Powder them with powdered sugar or drizzle with glaze or white chocolate. Add a cherry or sprinkles.

Preserved Lemon Butter Cookies

Preserved Lemon Butter Cookies

Tasty little cookies that are very easy to make.

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

Salad and Go Phoenix AZ – A Gourmet Salad Drive Threw is Worth a Fork

 

img_6537

Salad and Go is a Gourmet Salad Restaurant. Salad and Go is small local chain that seems to be growing in Metro Phoenix. You either drive threw and order or use the Walk Up Window pictured above. No dining room here but they do offer a Dog Friendly Patio and gave my dogs Dog Biscuits! At Salad and Go all the food is natural and organic and made in house. They offer over TEN varieties of fresh and seasonal salads that can also be turned into wraps. They serve healthy breakfast options, smoothies and more. Prices are very low and portions are surprisingly large. All nutrition values are posted on their website. www.SaladandGo.com

I ordered the Apple and Mixed Greens Salad ($5.74) added Chicken ($1.44).

fullsizeoutput_3142

My salad contained Fresh Mixed Greens, Romaine, Golden Raisins, Candied Pecans, Apples, Blue Cheese,  Balsamic Vinaigrette and added Chicken.The chicken was well seasoned and seemed like it was baked, chilled and cut into bit size cubes. This salad certainly was DELICIOUS and was so satisfying. This $7.18 salad is bigger and better than many $12.00 salads I had out in other places.

My husband had what they called a Santa Fee Salad with added Steak.

img_6528

The Santa Fe Salad contained Corn, Mexican Cheese, Sweet Grape Tomatoes and Spicy Beans and a Cilantro Lime Dressing tied it all together.

The dogs were well behaved and got to sample the Chicken and Steak too.

img_6536

Salad and Go is Budget Priced but Quality Food that’s Healthy and a Great Value.

Salad and Go is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

For more information on Salad and Go please visit www.SaladandGo.com

Anything is subject to change and your experience may differ.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

 

Fat Ox Scottsdale AZ Restaurant – Newly Opened

 

fullsizeoutput_3187

Fat Ox is one of the most anticipated new restaurant openings of the year in the Metro Phoenix Area. The Chef has trained in France and is well known for other very good restaurants in the area (The Brasserie, Zinc Bistro and The Mission).  Fat Ox serves Modern Italian Foods such as antipastos, salumi, pastas and main meals. The energetic atmosphere is a mix of all sorts and so are the lighting fixtures as I counted nearly a dozen different kinds of fixtures. It’s loud in here and it’s also very dark despite all the interesting fixtures…..in this very spacious restaurant with a very large Patio.

fullsizeoutput_3192

img_6613

The Forking Truth is that it’s THIS DARK in the dining room! Often I couldn’t see what was on the plates and ate mostly blind. I took most of the other photos with a flash. I didn’t actually know what the food looked like until I viewed my photos…..FT (ForkingTruth).

We start out with complimentary toasted bread cubes and Calabrian Chili Butter. I like the unique spicy but not too spicy taste of the Calabrian Chili and I have a jar of them in my pantry right now.

img_6612

Our First Course arrives. It’s the Charred Taleggio Cheese with similar bread, Beet Mostardo, Lemon and Walnut and Olive Oil.

fullsizeoutput_3188img_6613

I couldn’t see the Pomegranate Seeds but I felt them burst in my mouth. The Sage, Beets, Mustard and Walnut all dressed up the cheese nicely. This was a great plate!

Our second course was pasta and it was a show stopper.

fullsizeoutput_318c

There wasn’t much of it but what I tasted was amazing. Carefully made perfect to the tooth pasta shaped like little wrappers containing a prize….of…carefully seasoned butternut squash. It was a little sweet a little buttery highlighted with just the right amounts of mostarda, amaretti cookie, parmesan cheese, sage and pomegranate. Our server recommended that we order THREE Plates of pasta….Now I know why. Amazing, Delicious and tiny…any table can fit in three of these sized plates.

My main course was the A La Diavlo Rotisserie Jidori Chicken.

fullsizeoutput_318d

The picture looks amazing but remember it really was dark…dark or darker than the photo below because I moved the candle back to where it was suppose to go.

img_6613

The Forking Truth is that I didn’t see the vegetables on top of the chicken and when I went to use my steak knife it was like playing MURDER IN THE DARK with the chicken. I sawed off a piece and got an unpleasant mouthful of rubbery moist chicken skin in a tangy but delicious sauce. For me it was a difficult task to remove the chicken skin in the dark. Then it was difficult to find the chicken in the dark…and next…I got a mouthful of fennel when I was expecting chicken. This plate was too difficult for me to eat in the dark. I didn’t know I’d need a coal miner’s hat to eat the chicken. How silly of me to be unprepared.

My husband had the Rosewood Skirt Steak Tagliata.

fullsizeoutput_318f

Because it was dark neither of us saw the oil and balsamic around the plate. Leaving the steak to taste mostly natural tasting. A few baby herbs and baby vegetables accented the plate.

The waitress tells us about desserts but she is by my husband and I’m on the bench too far to hear her with all the music noise in the background. We pass on dessert this time.

I note this restaurant is new and may still be finding their way..

For more information please visit www.ILoveFatOx.com

I do note that everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

Mouth Watering Juicy Moist Delicious Turkey Breast Recipe with the SousVide

 

img_6416

If you want the moistest, juiciest best tasting Turkey Breast you must do it in a SousVide Water Oven. The Forking Truth is neither me or my husband has ever tasted better than what I prepared here. It so good that you can freeze leftovers and the leftovers will be just as amazing.

This time I just tossed in an already brined boneless half Turkey Breast into each bag.

The SousVide gets set to 140 degrees F.

1 small block of frozen garlic confit (about 2 oz of roasted garlic with olive oil whipped)

1 thyme  sprig

1 rosemary  sprig

1 sage  sprig

1 small carrot cut in half long ways

1 celery rib – cut in half long ways

1/8 of a sweet onion

fresh ground sea salt – to taste – (the way you’d season something you eat)

fresh ground black pepper – to taste – (the way you’d season something you eat)

Vacum up your bag.

In photo is the other bag I did with same vegetables and cilantro stems and a jalapeño

In photo is the other bag I did with same vegetables and cilantro stems and a jalapeño

Now insert bags into the SousVide

fullsizeoutput_30be

 

Put the lid on and about 5 hours latter when you have two packed bags

fullsizeoutput_3166

You will have the Forking Best Mouth Watering Moist Delicious Turkey Breast Ever!

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce Recipe

 

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

This sauce is fruity and spicy but not too sweet or too spicy. Something different that you don’t come by unless you prepare it yourself.

Ingredients for about 10 servings

12 oz fresh cranberries – soaked and rinsed a few times

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

2 medium mangos – remove skin and pit and cut in small chunks

1 habanero – (you should wear gloves) – chop fine

1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice

pinch cinnamon

pinch kosher salt or sea salt

Directions

Put the water and sugar in the sauce pot on medium high heat and bring to boil. When the sugar is dissolved you can add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. You might want to loosely cover the pot with foil because the berries will pop a little and get on your stove. Let it go about a half hour.

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

Cranberry Mango Habanero Sauce

Delicious!

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

 

Dining with Dogs in Metro Phoenix October and November 2016

"We are getting some goodies threw the Burger King Window"

“We are getting some goodies threw the Burger King Window”

Dining with dogs isn’t full blown reviews on restaurants and is only just a fluff story about taking my dogs out to eat. I usually go  to most of the same local favorites but every now and then we do find a new place that’s good for dogs. You must be aware that there are some rules for dining with dogs. First of all dogs must be well behaved. You also must note that not all restaurant patios are dog friendly and it’s always a good idea to call the restaurant first to make sure the restaurant can accept you and your furry friend on the patio and doesn’t have it rented out for a party. You usually do best on certified dog friendly restaurants. Restaurants that are certified usually post a certification in the window and are fully licensed to accept your pet as a guest. Once you pick your restaurant destination and get seated at a patio table you need to follow good pet guest behavior. Dogs are NOT to eat off of restaurant plates, sit on restaurant chairs and must be by your side at all times. Most of the food any restaurant serves can do harmful or possibly toxic to your dog. You should review a list of dog safe foods. Only a very few of the foods to avoid are anything made from grapes, chocolate, avocado, alcohol, bread, onions, garlic and much more. Usually the safest thing thing to feed your dog is to just pinch off some plain meat for dogs and wipe off any sauces.

October is cooling down but we are still having some hot days. The first week of October started out great but heated up by the weekend so we took the dogs out to a Burger King Drive Threw for a Sausage and Egg Breakfast Croissant Sandwich. For some reason the 15 1/2 year old dog really enjoys them and the younger dog likes them too.

Due to the high temperatures we had to mostly only dine in with dogs.

The 15 1/2 year old loves Chicken that I cook more than anything. Maybe that helps keep him going.

img_5731

He squeaks right in when I’m trying to cook. He seems to be doing slightly better. He walking slightly better and isn’t falling as often. I put more carpet runners in the house and that helps a lot. One of his doctors figured out that he walked jerky because he was sore from falling. If he was a person he’d be using a walker but he is a dog so he has to just do the best he can. The younger dog gives me my space when I cook.

fullsizeoutput_2e90

Thankfully October was much cooler than the last few months but almost all of October we were having record breaking heat of mostly 90 degrees F or higher so October was a wash for dining out with dogs.

We Finally started getting some cooler temperatures in the first week of November so we dined out at……….

"Were're off to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ"

“Were’re off to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ”

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery that doesn’t serve Pho. Their specialty are Banh Mi Sandwiches but they also offer many tasty appetizers, salads and MORE! Today we ordered Banh Mi Sandwiches.

I forgot to photo today’s food but I’ll insert a past picture here of one the Banh Mi Sandwiches we got here. I got the same Banh mi as in this picture. It was a Grilled Chicken Banh Mi. Possibly with xtra chicken for only $1. more. (I plan ahead for the dogs) The Banh mi is very tasty with lightly picked carrots and radish. Thin slices of jalapeño for a little heat.  Fresh cilantro and cucumber brightens it up! House made aioli is a nice touch but it’s really the roll that makes this big sandwich easy to eat. The roll has a crisp exterior and a light soft interior. It’s made with rice flour and seems much lighter and not heavy like a regular roll. The white meat chicken is tasty too.

IMG_3682

The dogs are interested in both sandwiches.

fullsizeoutput_2f6d

One dog was breathing hot air on my leg the whole time.

fullsizeoutput_2f6b

My husband had the BBQ Pork Banh Mi. It’s one of his favorites and he gets that one often.

fullsizeoutput_2f6c

“Yum yum De-lish……I’m ready for more!

fullsizeoutput_2f70

“I see some chicken that fell out with my name on it!”

For more information on Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ please visit BanhMiBistroAZ.com

"We're hitting a new place today called Pita Kitchen in Glendale AZ"

“We’re hitting a new place today called Pita Kitchen in Glendale AZ”

I knew Pita Kitchen had patio seating but wasn’t sure if it was ok to bring the dogs so we asked before we sat down. This time I tried a Salmon Platter that came with rice, hummus, garlic sauce and pita bread.

fullsizeoutput_3034

My husband got another Two Meat Platter of Shawarma and a Chicken Kabob.

fullsizeoutput_3036

His plate came with Greek Salad, Pita Bread, Rice and Cucumber Sauce.

All was tasty!

"It's forking time to slip me some more grub"

“It’s forking time to slip me some more grub”

"Old Man we did GOOD at Pita Kitchen"

“Old Man we did GOOD at Pita Kitchen”

For more information on Pita Kitchen in Glendale AZ please visit www.PitaKitchen.net

"We're on out way to Cucina Tagliani in Glendale AZ"

“We’re on out way to Cucina Tagliani in Glendale AZ”

(dog on left) #WEeeeeeee Tags" (dog on right) "That dog is so forking yappy"

(dog on left) #WEeeeeeee Tags” (dog on right) “That dog is so forking yappy and she hogs up too much of the Forking seat”

Cucina Tagliani offers an official licensed Certified Dog Friendly Patio. They serve American/Italian Foods. All the sauces and dressings are made in house. Portions are large and prices are reasonable.

I ordered the Grilled Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash instead of Pasta.

fullsizeoutput_308f

Instead I received the Fried and Breaded Chicken Parmesan. When the waitress checked on us I told her I would keep it. The Forking Truth is that the Fried Chicken Parmesan is much more delicious and tasty than the grilled Chicken Parmesan. I just usually get the grilled chicken parmesan because it’s a little healthier. I enjoy sliding the cheese off the chicken to the spaghetti squash to make it tastier. My little buddy in the top picture and lower picture to the left also enjoys the spaghetti squash.

fullsizeoutput_3091

My little buddy to the right just has his mind on my plate minus the spaghetti squash.

My husband got the Spicy Rigatoni with added Meatballs.

fullsizeoutput_3090

img_6351

Dogs enjoyed the aromas and food.

img_6349

“It’s a good thing that waitress ordered the Fried Chicken Parmesan and not what my human ordered…I Forking enjoyed it!”

For more information on Cucina Tagliani in Glendale AZ please visit www.CucinaTagliani.com

That was Dining with Dogs in Metro Phoenix October-November 2016.

We’ll see you next month!

 The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth