Tag Archives: #foodies

Red Grapefruit Beet Salad with Fried Crispy Radish Feta Radish Sprouts and Red Grapefruit Tahini Mint Dressing

I had beets, red grapefruits, fresh mint and a watermelon radish in the refrigerator and that is how I came up with this recipe. It’s sort of light and tasty with textures. I think most people would like it.

Ingredients for around 6 servings

1 medium/small watermelon radish – sliced very thin on a mandolin (this gets fried and is used for finishing)

neutral oil for frying

1 lb beets – peeled – roasted and cut in wedge shapes like pieces of citrus

2 cups red grapefruit supremes and the fresh squeezed juice from the flesh around the segments

1 cup radish sprouts

1/4 cup (loose) fresh mint – torn (for finishing)

1/4 cup feta cheese – crumbled (for finishing)

1/4 cup red grapefruit juice (squeezed from the flesh that was around the segments from your grapefruits (dressing)

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (dressing)

1 Tablespoon tahini (dressing)

1 1/2 teaspoons red Aleppo pepper (dressing)

1/2 teaspoon paprika (dressing)

small pinch ground allspice (dressing)

1 1/2 teaspoons date syrup (you can substitute honey or sugar) dressing

small pinch cinnamon (dressing)

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander (dressing)

I Tablespoon chopped fresh mint ( dressing)

1 garlic clove -ground to paste or microplane (dressing)

Directions

Set oven to 400 degrees F if your beets aren’t roasted yet. The peeled beets get wrapped in foil with some water and go on a tray that can catch some liquid if they leak. They need to stay in the oven till fork tender. Depending on their size and age the timing will differ. Beets usually take one hour – one and one half hours. If you have very large beets you might want to cut them in half. When the beets are cool enough to handle cut them in wedges that are similar to citrus segments and set to the side.

Get a pot on medium heat with around an inch and a half of oil. You should use a thermometer and when the oil get to 200 you can start frying if your radish are sliced paper thin. You do need a pan lined with paper towels or a cooling rack for the beets to drain on. You can fry about a third of the beets at a time. They are done with they turn into a small flower shape like in the picture. Repeat till they are done and set the fried radish to the side.

Make the dressing. The grapefruit juice, olive oil, tahini, pepper, paprika, allspice, date syrup, mint, garlic, cinnamon, coriander all get blended together. I don’t think they need anymore salt or pepper but feel free to add some if you want.

When you are ready to serve dress the bottom of your serving plate with dressing. Add the beets, grapefruit and radish sprouts. Then it gets topped with some crumbled feta cheese, torn mint and the crispy fried radish.

Red Grapefruit Beet Salad with Fried Crispy Radish Feta Radish Sprouts and Red Grapefruit Tahini Mint Dressing

Enjoy!

Perfect Pear Bistro in Tempe AZ – Worth a Fork – Casual Eatery that’s a little different

Leave a reply

The Perfect Pear Bistro has two locations in Tempe Arizona. This is a very casual eatery that serves casual foods and many may contain a pear surprise. Some of the pear surprises are spicy pear pico, a pear quesadilla and a grilled pear bread grilled cheese sandwich. Some of the food is very unique like the cauliflower nachos. They are made of crispy cauliflower that is tossed in green chili sauce and made with cheddar cheese, avocado and PEAR pico. Perfect Pear Bistro serves a changing menu of regular and tapas sized appetizers, tacos, salads, wraps, quinoa bowls, sandwiches and pasta. They source as much local as possible.

They offer patio seating.

Seating at the bar.

Dining room seating

We thought the tapas appetizers so so interesting and different. Most of them were only priced at $3.33 each so we tried TWO of them.

On the left are Buffalo Falafels and on the right are Ginger Sriracha Brussel Sprouts topped with pumpkin seeds. Both are very tasty and really different. I’ve never seen these on any other menu this way. Besides tasting great I LOVE the portion size (like tea cup saucer sized) and the LOW $3.33 price. WOW this is GREAT!

For my main I had a salad called Perfect Pear Classic ($10.29) with added chicken ($3.00).

This is a very large salad……(I don’t know if it’s always this big…or maybe they accidentally gave me extra?) Here is house blend mixed greens (spinach, baby kale, arugula), PEARS, dried cranberries, mint, red onions, gorgonzola, hazelnuts and cider vinaigrette with added chicken. It’s different…a little bolder tasting than not all but most salads you get out. The chicken is chilled but it taste like it was prepared recent and it is moist.

My husband got a sandwich called French pantry served with a side (French Fries) ($10.59).

It’s a toasted French Roll stuffed with PEARS, brie cheese, four cheese blend, chicken, red onion arugula, grain mustard and balsamic glaze and fries were picked as the side. I was told that the flavors were great. My husband said that this is a really good tasting sandwich but it came out steaming hot like possibly from a microwave. The bread was so hot that some of the bread turned hard….and the brie almost turned to liquid. It would have been a perfect sandwich if it didn’t seem like it was finished in the microwave…but was still mostly good. I did taste two fries. I usually don’t like the skinny style fries but these came out piping hot and very fresh tasting with a really good potato flavor.

The Perfect Pear Bistro is a little different and Worth a Fork!

www.PerfectPearBistro.com

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

Century Grand Phoenix AZ – Dim Sum, Trains, The 1920s Oh My – Worth a Fork!***UPDATE*Bar Only at this time

Leave a reply

*****UPDATE BAR ONLY AT THIS TIME****Century Grand is a 1920’s themed restaurant with a prohibition train themed with special effects cocktail bar and a high end whiskey bar and store in the Arcadia Section of Phoenix Arizona.

You can only make one reservation a day for 90 minutes in the train themed bar called platform 18 or make your reservation for dinner in the restaurant Century Grand. Dinner is only served three times a night at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm. I came in early for my dinner reservation and hoped I could start with a cocktail in Platform 18 but I was told that no seats were available but I could make a reservation for the bar after dinner I declined but took two pictures of the restaurant before opening.

Came back for dinner and only a what seemed like a few minutes the same room looked like this. The tables are somewhat close together and the tables are very small.

Once they open up the atmosphere is loud but not too loud with 1920’s music. Dinner starts with a drink. There is a menu with lots of detailed exotic cocktails and wines. There also is a passing wine cart with a sever that describes the wines. I picked a drink called Iowa ($13.)

It was made with Old Forester 100 proof Rye Whiskey, Peychavo’s Apertivo, calamansi juice, a big handful of fresh mint and sparkling water. It was strong and not too sweet and was served with a metal straw.

We ordered a couple things off the menu and mostly picked from the passing dim sum carts.

We started with a spaghetti squash spring roll with spicy peanut sauce ($3.) from the dim sum cart.

It’s super tasty delicious and spicy! YUM!

Then another dim sum cart rolls by.

We try a cold spicy Szechuan Noodle Salad and house made hand pulled mozzarella and vegetable salad with herbs and a slightly spicy oil. We both really enjoyed the cold spicy Szechuan Noodle salad. It really was spicy and delicious! The mozzarella salad was very good too but was a much milder dish. (I forgot the prices of the rest of the dim sum dishes but they were priced between ($7-$11.)

My husband ordered a fried oyster Rockefeller that was made with fennel, spinach and bacon ($5.).

He said is was brine-ee (like it should be), the oyster was soft and tender and very good.

Another dim sum cart rolls by and we pick up a house smoked salmon with yuzu cream cheese and our heirloom cauliflower dish arrives from off the menu ($13.).

Both dishes are absolutely delicious.

I’m almost full now.

Here comes another dim sum cart.

My husband talks me into the tuna stuffed pepper with romesco sauce. I didn’t need it but it’s tasty.

I saw that this cart also had panko fish on it but by the time it got to us all the fish was sold out.

Maybe two more carts roll by and offer about four more things that I would have enjoyed but had to turn down because I am full by now.

Then our dinner that we ordered arrives.

It’s a Snake River Farms Prime Wagyu with Jerusalem artichoke puree and a warm potato arugula salad with some crisp chips that I think are fried Jerusalem artichokes. I have to tell THE FORKING TRUTH (that’s my thing…that’s what I do) The steak is not the most tender. My husband eats a good amount of it and I bring the rest home for my dogs….My dogs had no complaints.

The desserts offered tonight sound amazing and that baked Alaska flambe has my name on it but I can’t do dessert tonight.

Most of the food was amazing! Service was terrific everyone worked as a team to serve us.

I take a little stroll around the restaurant to take a few pictures.

Behind the room that I’m in is another dining area that is in-between Platform 18 and the Grey Hen Whiskey Bar and Store.

I peek into Platform 18.

The windows look like they are passing by snow in the desert.

*****UPDATE During the pandemic this became a bar only.

I’d say Century Grand is Worth a Fork!

www.CenturyGrandPHX.com

Every FORKING THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.

Sichuan Inspired Chili Cauliflower and Green Beans Recipe

Leave a reply

I got inspired to make this recipe because I was thinking about making Sichuan Chili Chicken but needed a vegetable instead of chicken for dinner…So I thought I could make cauliflower taste like Sichuan Chili Chicken and I DID! I made a batter for the cauliflower and just cooked it off in the oven. The green beans got sort of fried on a pan. You can’t make substitutes here or it won’t taste right. The peanut oil and Szechuan peppercorns are essential.

Ingredients for around 4 portions

1 medium cauliflower – break down in florets

4 Tablespoons peanut oil

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns – crushed

3 garlic cloves -ground to paste or microplane

4 Tablespoons corn starch

1 egg white

6 oz green beans – trimmed

1 jalapeno – chopped

2 Tablespoons peanut oil

1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 Tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns – crushed

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste or microplane

3 Tablespoons chili sauce like sambal – (or to taste)

non stick spray

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro – chopped

Directions

Set oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a sheet pan with non stick spray and set to the side.

Ina large bowl mix together 4 Tablespoon peanut oil, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 2 Tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns, 3 garlic, egg white and corn starch. Mix well. add the cauliflower and mix till coated. Lay the cauliflower on the sheet tray in a single layer leaving a little room around each floret. They go in the pre heated 375 degree F oven until cooked though and brown and slightly crispy. (in my oven on the middle rack this took 45 minutes but timing can differ)

While the cauliflower is cooking in a small mixing bowl mix together the remaining peanut oil, soy sauce, sugar, Szechuan peppercorns together and heat it up in a small fry pan on medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the green beans and jalapeño. Cover with some foil so it can steam the green beans tender. This willl only take a few minutes. Add the garlic and take off heat.

Stir the cauliflower and green beans with chili sauce and finish with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Sichuan Inspired Chili Cauliflower and Green Beans

Delicious, spicy and tasty!

The Forking Best thing I ate out this week was the Fried Chicken from Confluence Restaurant Carefree AZ

Leave a reply

Confluence is a small but upscale restaurant located in Carefree Arizona. They serve painstakingly detailed farm to table elevated modern cuisine. Everything is masterfully prepared. Most plates are very detailed and complex. The atmosphere is classic and cozy with modern touches and mountain views. Seating is available in the dining room, the bar and on the patio.

Here’s the Fried Chicken (lunch menu $23.00).

My photo doesn’t show you how big this really is. I would say that this is TWO and one half portions of food. Three shattering crisp moist juicy flavorful chicken in this magical delicious chili tepin honey mustard sauce. It’s so incredibly delicious and scrumptious. It’s perfect union of this spicy sweet flavorful sauce, crazy tasty crunch, juicy moist tender chicken. It’s just perfection. It’s FORKING CRAZY yummy and so delicious that it puts a spell on your mouth and then your mouth just craves this taste. The plate also contains a butter poached smashed potato and broccolini. Maybe the best part is that I ate the biggest of the three pieces of chicken and took home the top two smaller pieces and half the potato to enjoy again! Leftover food from Confluence is like a great gift.

My husband had the roasted chicken sandwich ($14.00). This one is made with pancetta, caramelized onions, fontina cheese, (mayo but not for my husband) on a house made fontina roll that comes with either a salad or house made chips.

Desserts are always worth the calories here. Here’s the macerated strawberries with angel food cake, macadamia nuts and vanilia creme fraiche ($7.00) The flavors go together so well! I had no idea macadamia would taste so great with strawberries, the cream and cake. Just divine!

Here are not all but some of the previous dishes that we’ve enjoyed from Confluence.

Fruit Granite (all the desserts were great but this one was my favorite)

This Chicken Sandwich was to DIE FOR!!!!!

Now this was among my favorites….This was BBQ chicken sandwich , celery root, spicy pickle, smoked onion mayo, on that house made fontina roll. So great!………beyond words……… To die for………

After you try a fish dish from Confluence and taste the expertly seasoned crisp skin and the perfect flesh you will be hooked. Then all the flavors around the plate go together in layers of different flavors you never tasted before.

The best huitlacoche I’ve ever had. The whole plate was amazing.

The Forking BEST thing I ate this week was the Fried Chicken from Confluence in Carefree.

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

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

Turkish Inspired One Pot Red Lentil Chicken Recipe

Leave a reply

I read a recipe for Turkish Red Lentil soup from a Magazine and I thought those flavors would be really great with chicken. Then I read about a dozen different recipes for Turkish Lentil Soup to get different ideas but honestly the majority of the recipes were almost the same and all of them were vegetarian. I jotted down the spices used and adjusted to what a one pot recipe would need with a 4 pound tray of chicken thighs would need and it came out FORKING DELICIOUS! Flavors are nailed perfect and the chicken is falling. apart tender and is very flavorful. The sauce even reheats well and doesn’t turn thick or get loose either. It’s slightly spicy from Aleppo pepper and turns almost creamy without dairy or cream after you blend. Everyone will love this! This recipe makes 6 smaller dinner portions. That measured out to be 4 ounces a serving with plenty of delicious sauce. I’d suggest a salad, rice and or vegetables to serve with. I do need to note that the skin from the chicken will not be edible…but it is the secret that gives amazing flavor to the dish.

Ingredients for 6 portions

4 lbs chicken thighs with skin and bone (a typical tray of chicken thighs from Safeway is usually around 4 lbs of 8 thighs and usually ((but not always)) cost only 99 cents a lb)

1 large sweet onion – diced

13 garlic – chopped fine

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup red lentils (inspected and rinsed)

1 Tablespoon white rice

1 cup water

20 grape tomatoes – cut in half

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil – finishing

2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper – finishing mixed with oil

1 teaspoon paprika – finishing mixed with oil

1/4 cup mint leaves (loose) – torn – finishing

1 lemon cut in 6 wedges for serving

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, water and 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, lentils, rice, onions and fresh garlic. Add this mixture to a large baking dish or half buffet pan. Place the chicken thighs over the mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle the salt, granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper and half a teaspoon black pepper over the chicken somewhat evenly. Cover the pan tight with foil (or a lid). This stays in the oven till the lentils are broken down and the chicken is at least 165 degrees but I don’t like dark meat chicken till it’s at least 180 degrees F. I make these dishes all the time and on a middle rack in my oven I find these dishes are usually perfect in two and a half hours.

You remove the chicken from the pan. and let it cool so you can remove the skin and meat from the bone. Blend the lentil mixture till smooth. Top with torn mint leaves and serve with a lemon wedge.

Turkish Inspired One Pot Red Lentil Chicken

Everyone will love this!

All You Can Eat Shabu hits P83 in Peoria AZ at Manna BBQ and Shabu

Leave a reply

Manna All You Can Eat Korean BBQ opened around September 2018 in the P83 area of Peoria (near the sports complex). They are a Californian Based Korean BBQ Restaurant with two other locations in Metro Phoenix. Now besides the BBQ they offer a Shabu all you can eat.

The shabu tables are set up slightly different from the BBQ tables with soup wells instead of a grill in the middle of the table.

You have several choices for your soup and pick as many meats as you care to start with. You can eat all you want for up to two hours for $24.99.

Then you hit the buffet.

You might want to start with cold shellfish.

Next case over are several kinds of fish cakes and tofu. They are not marked.

Then you got more choices. All kinds of noodles…one is marked cactus..???

Now to get your veg on.

Corn, yams, seafood mushrooms, enoki mushrooms cilantro, jalapeños, something I forgot (didn’t take notes) and Asian Squash.

Asian greens, onions, bok choy, bean sprouts and another pan I can’t make out.

A vanity of green onions, cabbage and spinach.

Various sauces, herbs, condiments, dressings and eggs.

By now your meats and soup you asked for are delivered to your table.Now you put whatever you want in your soup.

I just did my soup and now I have to wait a few minutes for it to get hot and cook.

I really like the seafood mushrooms a lot. They are an amazing flavor in Shabu…The hard squash aren’t done yet and need a few more minutes. I picked the tomato soup because I’m a big fan of tomato flavor with beef….It’s on the weak side….and gets even weaker when you add vegetables and meat to it. The Manna house soup is also on the weak side today. Maybe the other varieties are more flavorful?

I liked the vegetables and all the variety. The meats seemed to be shaved even thinner than last time. Each meat was an extremely small serving that cooked down to very little in the soup so you could try many.

The food seemed fresh and healthy and might be the only Shabu in this part of town.

www.MannaBBQ.com

Here’s some photos from my last BBQ visit. (it’s more meaty than the shabu)

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

The Farish House Restaurant Phoenix AZ – Worth a Fork!

Leave a reply

The Farish House Restaurant is located in downtown Phoenix Arizona. This is a historic tiny bungalow that has been converted to a French/American restaurant. It’s very charming and is like a cross of an antique shop and maybe a grandmother’s house. Most of the food and drink are served on antique china or craved glassware. They serve dinner and Sunday Brunch.

It looks like they use three small rooms, a patio, and a few bar stools for seating.

While you are waiting in the lobby you can read the history of The Farish House if you desire. It was named after the first Phoenix City Manager William A Farish.

This is the biggest dining room. The walls have an almost ultra bright robin egg blue kind of color. I guess it fits in with the bird theme. There is a bird theme in the restaurant. The lobby has a peacock painting. There is a peacock tapestry in this blue room on the back wall and the drapes have a bird pattern on and bird plates grace the wall.

The kitchen is in a small building in the backyard.

For my main I had the smoked salmon Wellington ($18.00)

There is two puff pastries stuffed with smoked salmon, spinach pesto, chèvre cheese with lemony bernaise sauce. It’s sort of like a more complex French Style lox and bagel. It taste delicious! I love how all the flavors go well together. The greens look dry but taste fruity and some fresh fruit is on the side.

My husband went with the sloppy Giovanni ($18.00).

The Noble Brioche bun is topped with Chianti short rib, gravy and poached medium egg. On the side is a generous amount of roasted fingerling potatoes and greens. The rib is tender and developed with flavor. The egg is jammy instead of loose but everything taste great.

Instead of the house desserts we decided to try the gorgonzola spiced walnut stuffed figs for dessert ($7.00)

We both thought the stuffed figs were the perfect sweet ending to a very nice meal out.

The Farish House in Phoenix is Worth a Fork!

www.FarishHouse.com

Every Thing is subject to change and your experience may or may Not differ.

Tomato Chutney One Pot Chicken Recipe

Leave a reply

I came across a Tomato Chutney recipe and thought of it as an Indian flavored tomato sauce that is used like a salsa or condiment. I started researching different recipes for tomato chutney so I would know what ingredients I’d want to use. Of course tomato chutney is vegetarian and wouldn’t be used the way I’m using it here but it is really delicious this way. Tomato chutney is a sweet, sour and spicy tomato sauce. I didn’t add sugar but used golden raisins for sweetness. It’s something different and delicious that you might want to try. I really got the one pot dishes down and they come out Forking GREAT. However the chicken skin in these dishes is not edible but gives off amazing flavors to the dish. The chicken is always moist and flavorful and leftover heat up moist , tender and flavorful too. This recipe will make about 4 dinners with sauce of about 4 oz of chicken each with around 6 ounces of leftover moist flavorful chicken that you can use for maybe two lunches. I would suggest to serve with a salad or maybe some rice or potato.

Ingredients for 4 servings plus around 6 ounces of extra chicken

1 medium sweet onion – diced

13 garlic cloves – fine chopped

25 curry leaves (curry leaves are controversial in cooking. Some chefs pull them out like bay leaves and other chefs chop up…I chopped them up fine and they were very good in the dish) – fine chopped Or whole if you want to remove.

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste…you might want more or less depending on your tolerance for spicy food.

1 teaspoon gram masala

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 cups crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

4 1/2 los chicken thighs – (with bone and skin)

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large baking dish or buffet half pan add the onion, garlic, curry leaves, cumin, mustard, red Chile, garam masala, ginger, fennel, tomatoes, raisins, vinegar and add the chicken thighs in a single layer on the top skin side up. Sprinkle evenly the salt, pepper, granulated garlic and paprika over the chicken. Cover the pan tightly with foil.

Put in pre-heated 350 degree F oven on the middle rack. Timing may differ but in my oven this was perfect in two and half hours. You must cook till the chicken is at least 165 degrees F to be safe to eat…but I prefer my dark meat chicken cooked at least 180 degrees…..I think that you will too if you try it.

When you take this pan out of the oven be careful not o burn yourself. You should remove the thighs so they will cool some so you can remove the meat from the bones and skin. The fat from the chicken does not mix with the sauce and you need to spill the chicken fat off. Either by letting it cool to room temp and chilling over night in the refrigerator and scrapping the fat off the top….OR you can just tilt the pan and let the fat run out.

If you enjoy sweet sour spicy and flavorful then you should enjoy this.

Some Forking Thoughts on the Christmas Candy Cane

Leave a reply

A long time ago in a land far away it was said that children were given candy sticks in church to make them shut The Fork Up. It also has been written that a person from Germany got the idea to put a little bit of religion in the candy sticks by making them Shepard hook shape.

Some time has passed and someone got the idea to add hyssop flavoring to the candy because hyssop was used in the Old Testament for purification and sacrifice. Maybe nobody really wanted child sacrifice on their hands and they stopped adding hyssop flavoring. But maybe the real reason they stopped adding hyssop was because mint was cheaper and tasted better…