Cookbooks

Chris Bianco on Jamie Oliver, the Local Chefs He Most Admires, and What Makes an Awesome Pizza Awesome

Chris Bianco Pizzeria Bianco, Bar Bianco 623 E. Adams Street, Phoenix, 602-258-8300; 609 E. Adams St., 602-528-3699 Pizzeria Bianco/ Trattoria Bianco 4743 N. 20th Street (Town & Country), Phoenix, 602-368-3273 Pane Bianco 4404 N.Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602-234-2100, pizzeriabianco.com See also: -- ... More >>

Semenology Is The Art of Bartending with Man Sauce -- And There's A Cookbook.

You might have already heard about Natural Harvest, a cookbook that features all sorts of sweet and savory recipes all of which feature one quite special ingredient, sperm. The book was released in 2011 and caused, as you can imagine, quite a fuss. But it seems author Paul "Fotie" Photenhauer had a ... More >>

Short Leash Hot Dogs' Recipe in Eat St. Cookbook Out This Week

Phoenix isn't the only place that has fans of Short Leash Hot Dogs, the truck that in large part gave rise to the flourishing food truck scene that the city has today. The North American food truck scene has gained so much momentum over the past few years that there's a TV show to share the best of ... More >>

Lon's at the Hermosa Picks Up a New Pastry Chef; Former One Heads to T. Cook's

It's the latest edition of "As the Resort Restaurant World Turns," folks. And this time, it's the pastry chefs doing the moving. See also: - Todd Sicolo Leaves Royal Palms; New Menu Stays in Place - Lee Hillson Leaves T. Cook's for The Phoenician "Completely revamping the dessert menu." That's th ... More >>

Will Someone Please Tell Jessica Porter What a MILF Is?

If there were a single reason the world should have ended when the ancient Mayans said it would, it might have been The MILF Diet. See also: The PDT Cocktail Book: Does It Belong on Your Shelf? But the world didn't end. And now, as of January 1, The MILF Diet, by Jessica Porter, who also wrote Th ... More >>

Last Minute Christmas Gift: Dirt Candy's Comic Book Cookbook Is Hilarious, Has Pandas

The Book: Dirt Candy: A Cookbook: Flavor-Forward Food from the Upstart New York City Vegetarian Restaurant The Sell: A cookbook presented as a comic book with vegetarian recipes good enough to intrigue even the most diehard omnivore. "Dirt Candy: A Cookbook" is a cookbook about vegetables told thr ... More >>

Chris Bianco Finds New Chef (Who Shares His Philosophy) for Italian Restaurant

Word on the street was that Chris Bianco had installed somebody new in the kitchen at Italian Restaurant, but nobody was quite sure who. So I called the pizza maestro and soon-to-be cookbook author (No, it won't be entitled The Life of Pie), who confirms that he's brought in some new talent -- namel ... More >>

Five Things to Eat and Drink this Weekend

Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. See Also: The Handlebar and Grill: Happy Hour Report Card Latke Lowdown: Guest Critic Eric Schaefer Pits Abe's Against Goldman's Crafeteria The weekend is always cause for celebration, a ... More >>

Top Chef Brian Malarkey Promoting New Cookbook at Searsucker Tomorrow

Since he was a finalist on Bravo's Top Chef Miami in 2009, Brian Malarkey has gone on to host TLC's Mega Bites, made appearances on The Today Show, and opened five restaurants in San Diego (Searsucker, Burlap, Gingham, Gabardine, and Herringbone) as executive chef and partner. See also: - Searsucke ... More >>

50 Shades of Chicken Parody Cookbook Has a Sexy Trailer

"What happens in this room will be very intense for you," intones the narrator as he strips to his waist and begins forcefully but lovingly... trussing up a chicken. This is from the trailer for 50 Shades of Chicken a titillating parody cookbook following in the trail blazed by the socially accepta ... More >>

Iron Chef Jose Garces Celebrates Release of New Cookbook -- The Latin Road Home -- With Temporary Menu at Distrito

Jose Garces comes to town frequently to check up on Distrito, his modern Mexican restaurant specializing in Mexico City-style street food. This trip, however,the Iron Chef had another objective: to promote his new cookbook -- The Latin Road Home -- by hosting a special five-course dinner using recip ... More >>

My 103.9 DJ Monti Carlo Dishes About Her Life Before, During and After Master Chef

I'm in love with Monti Carlo. And if you've listened to her lighthearted patter on My 103.9 or seen her emoting on Master Chef or met her in person (in which case, she gave you a great big hug, guaranteed), you're probably in love with her too. See also: Local Restaurants Featured on Food Network's ... More >>

So This Exists: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook

Like most of us Yanks who love the British television series Downton Abbey, (OMG, the Dowager Countess of Grantham did NOT just say that!) we have to wait until January for Season Three to get our Crawley-on. Bloody hell. Thankfully, while we're waiting, we can at least eat like those in the estat ... More >>

Chris Bianco Writing Pizza Cookbook with Local-Food Movement Guru Gary Nabhan

See also: Pizzeria Bianco Makes Food & WIne's 25 Best Spots for Pizza in America See also: Behind the Design of Pizzeria Bianco, Italian Restaurant and Pane Bianco with Chris Bianco Word's been out for a while that Chris Bianco's writing a book -- but Chow Bella just got the scoop on his co-author: ... More >>

Beau MacMillan Stars in New Game Show "Beat the Chefs," Premiering Thursday, August 23rd

See also: Beau MacMillan To Appear On Premiere of Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Made Beau Mac -- executive chef of Elements at Sanctuary Resort -- is our local celeb-chef and certifiably famous TV star, the high-energy, fast-talking BoSox buff who's truly in his element on the small screen. ... More >>

Home Edition of Six-Volume "Modernist Cuisine" Tome in the Works

Nathan Myhrvold used to be the chief technology officer for Microsoft, then he retired and co-authored the $625, six-volume cookbook, "Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking." The book embraced the burgeoning field of molecular gastronomy and used some extreme techniques, including sawing ... More >>

Jacques Pépin and Barbara Fenzl Cook Southwestern Cuisine on PBS

If you love cooking shows that focus on teaching -- not drama -- you're in for a real treat at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 4. That's when Eight, Arizona PBS premieres Jacques Pépin Cooks for Eight, a two-hour cooking special starring world-famous French chef Jacques Pépin and Arizona's own culinary c ... More >>

Mad Coyote Joe Bakes Bread -- and It Goes Fast Wednesday Afternoons at Janey's Coffeehouse

Sleepy Cave Creek wakes up fast Wednesday afternoons, when a Valley cooking legend with a hard-to-forget stage name shows up at Janey's Coffeehouse with 50 loaves of freshly baked bread. Joe Daigneault is only Joe Daigneault to his creditors and his mother. To the rest of the world, he's Mad Coyot ... More >>

Valley Resident Creates an Online Universal Recipe Box with SaucyPants.com

We're always on the look out for new and creative food sites and this one is from a local woman. Valley resident Kristi Murphy has started Saucy Pants. She's created a "universal recipe box" where you can add your favorite recipes to be able to refer to them later on. The inspiration to create t ... More >>

What's Your Favorite Cookbook?

Welcome to Chow Bella's Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you'd like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. Miss a question? Go here.Inspiration, information, mouth-watering photogra ... More >>

Get Ready for the Hunger Games Movie With These Fan Cookbooks

Those of you waiting to dive into the bloody world of Panem ritual battle royale this Friday might want to whet your appetite by checking out two unofficial Hunger Games inspired cookbooks. Both were written and published by fans of the series but the first is a particularly slick volume. "The Unof ... More >>

Savannah Smiles Cookie Milk Ice Cream: Girl Scout Cookie Showdown

What better use for an extra case of Girl Scout cookies than a Chow Bella Showdown? In years past we've challenged our contributors to make something delicious out of Thin Mints and Trefoils. This time: Savannah Smiles. Stay tuned for more recipes and a decision from our "judge," web ... More >>

Christina Tosi of New York's Momofuku Milk Bar Coming to Arizona Biltmore

Cereal Milk Ice Cream, Crack Pie, the Compost Cookie -- for fans of foods like potato chips, marshmallows, and corn flakes, Christina Tosi's desserts are a highly creative and sugary godsend. The current pastry chef of David Chang's Momofuku Milk Bar in New York who's responsible for creating all ... More >>

Five of the Most Expensive Cookbooks You'll Probably Never Own

thekitchn.com​If you like cooking as much as we think we do, you probably have at least a few referential or inspirational cookbooks tucked away in your personal library. You might prop them up against a solid mixing bowl and flip through their pages with buttery, sticky, garlic-y fingers and ... More >>

Momofuku Milk Bar's Christina Tosi at Second Session of "Inside the Chef's Studio" Cooking Classes at Arizona Biltmore

We just got word of the line up at the second session of "Inside the Chef's Studio" cooking classes at the Arizona BIltmore Resort that will run from February through April 2012 and it's full of heavy national culinary hitters. They range in themes from global cuisine, and cooking for one, to crazy ... More >>

Blood, Bones and Butter Signing at Changing Hands Bookstore Last Night with Gabrielle Hamilton

​ For those of you who couldn't make it to Changing Hands Bookstore last night for Gabrielle Hamilton's packed house -- the very last stop of her paperback tour -- here's what you missed: We found out that Hamilton's marriage has, in fact, ended and that she has returned to Italy, though only ... More >>

Eating Local: Cooking Wild and Slow Panel Discussion Tonight with Edible Phoenix

If you'd always wanted to play with the foods growing in and around our Sonoran desert like prickly pear and mesquite, there is an event tonight to jump-start your inspired kitchen. Changing Hands Bookstore is hosting a panel discussion and book signing led by Edible Phoenix Magazine tonight at 7 p ... More >>

For the Culinary Historian: A Cookbook Celebrating Arizona's Centennial

Here at Chow Bella, we understand how important it is to give (and receive) the perfect foodie gift. So this season, we're helping out by offering 21 food- and drink-focused gift suggestions, one each work day until Christmas, from a local business or provider. You get scads of rock-star ideas, the ... More >>

AndyTalk: Top 10 Things Not to Give a Cook

Last, if you live with the cook in question, don't buy an appliance that makes something you love and want made for you. In this case, buying me a waffle iron so I can make you waffles isn't really a gift for me - it's for you.

Food Network's Robin Miller Shares Details About Her New Book Robin Takes 5, Women's Lacrosse, and Her Quick Fix Cooking Demo Downtown Nov. 30th

​Author and nutritionist Robin Miller is a Scottsdale resident with boundless energy and advice for miles on how to get a lip-smacking dinner ready in just a few. You probably have caught her Food Network show Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller and maybe her contributions to the Food Network ... More >>

Stephanie Izard's Girl in the Kitchen Cookbook Review and Interview

Jennifer Woods​Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats and Drinks by Stephanie Izard and her friend Heather Shouse, published by Chronicle Books, has the look and feel of many of the celebrity cookbooks you've seen before. Colorful and engaging graphic design, photo of ... More >>

Top 5 Favorite Cookbooks

​We wanted to remind you that we've started our Chow Bella Book Club in partnership with Changing Hands Bookstore. This month (October) we're reading the new book by Kathleen Flinn called Kitchen Counter Cooking School. If you still need a copy, you can get a discounted one from Changing Hands, ju ... More >>

Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

Watching Plenty -- the veggie-centric cookbook by chef, restaurateur, and "New Vegetarian" food columnist Yotam Ottolenghi -- climb to the final round in Food52's Piglet cookbook competition last year was a frustrating experience. The cookbook, published in the U.K. in 2010, had yet to be rele ... More >>

"Screw the Skinny Bitches....I Want to Eat" Cures the Break-Up Blues With Booze, Food and a Fun Read

"Screw the Skinny Bitches...I Want to Eat!"​If Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda bumped into Martha Stewart, hit it off, became gal pals and then one of them got dumped -- this book would be the result.   "Screw the Skinny Bitches...I Want to Eat" is a sassy hybrid of break-up bi ... More >>

Local Blogger Selected to Participate in Emeril's "One-Pot Blogger Cooking Party"

​To promote Emeril Lagasse's new cookbook, Sizzling Skillets and other One Other One-Pot Wonders, the folks at William Morrow Cookbooks have decided to have a blogger "party" with the online food community - and in this town, they've chosen Peoria resident and creator of the Food Hunter's Guid ... More >>

Bobby Flay Signing New Cookbook at Sur La Table in Scottsdale's Kierland Commons

​Celebrity chef Bobby Flay, best known for his colorful personality, his interpretation of Southwestern food, his television shows, his two New York restaurants and, most famously, jumping up and down on a cutting table on Iron Chef, is coming to Scottsdale. Flay, who recently made a cameo on ... More >>

Chef Vincent of Vincent on Camelback, Part Two

Hayes Button Vincent Guerithault​Yesterday we brought you the first part of our conversation with Chef Vincent Guerithault of Vincent on Camelback. Today our talk continues. What was the new life like for you when you came to America?It was a lot of work. I didn't speak a word of English s ... More >>

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

Good Time from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams on Vimeo. There are no secrets to ice cream making at home. Classic ice cream recipes begin with a cooked custard base of milk or cream, or a combination of the two, egg yolks and sugar. Temper the eggs with the hot milk or cream, cool the mixture, pour int ... More >>

Rebecca Nab Young Shares Volga German Recipes and Stories

Maya DukmasovaRebecca Nab Young poses with her book and some family photographs​This week in Chef Talk, we take a bit of a detour to explore the culinary and cultural traditions of Volga Germans with Rebecca Nab Young, the Phoenix-based author of a new cookbook, There is Always Room for One More: ... More >>

The Elote Cafe Cookbook

​ Although he describes himself as an introvert, Jeff Smedstad has always been at ease when sharing his garnered wisdom of Mexican cuisine. At the original strip mall location of Los Sombreros in Scottsdale, a diner's question about ingredients could easily coax him out of the kitchen, and if a cu ... More >>

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, World-Renowned Chef, In New PBS Series on Korean Food

​Three-star Michelin chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's culinary empire includes restaurants in Las Vegas, London, Paris, and Shanghai, as well as his flagship eatery Jean Georges in New York. But when it comes to Korean food, Vongerichten needs a little help. That's when he calls on an expert ... More >>

Angry Birds Cookbook Will Be Egg-cellent

​Can Angry Birds, the crazy-addictive game that challenges players to catapult furious fowl at structures containing egg-stealing swine, get any more popular? Answer: Yes. Now put your apron on. Angry Birds is gettin' a cookbook. Read on for the egg-y details. Follow Chow Bella on Faceb ... More >>

Rock Biters

Local Mixed Media Artist Writes and Illustrates Kid Cookbook

​Give the moppets in your life a lesson in cooking and art appreciation at the same time with local mixed media artist Alice Van Overstraeten's new cookbook "My Zoo Cookbook: Youngsters Cooking & Enjoying Art." It features Van Overstraeten's original artwork paired with her twists on kids' fa ... More >>

"My Sweet Mexico" -- A Guide to Making Mexican Desserts

​Following in the footsteps of Diana Kennedy, known as the Julia Child of Mexican cuisine, and Rick Bayless, celebrity chef and restaurateur, New York City-based chef Fany Gerson brings together history and culture and in her collection of authentic Mexican dulces recipes in My Sweet Mexic ... More >>

AZ Biltmore Hosts "Inside the Chef's Studio"

​Any excuse to hang out at the iconic Arizona Biltmore resort is great (oh, that architecture!), but if you've got a thing for gourmet cooking, there's extra incentive to visit, thanks to the new "Inside the Chef's Studio" series. This will be your chance to step inside the Biltmore's main k ... More >>

Mosh Potatoes: A Heavy Metal Cookbook That Rocks

​There's a new heavy metal cookbook in stores called Mosh Potatoes (Atria Paperback), and even if you're not a headbanger, you'll find something to appreciate in this clever tome. Where else could you ever find recipes for things like "Hot Rod Penis Loaf" (courtesy of Gen from Genitorturers) ... More >>

2010 Redux: Books

Carol Blonder Books we like As we bid farewell to the year and look ahead to 2011, for the next two weeks Chow Bella contributors will bring you some greatest hits from 2010. First up: Carol Blonder's most memorable food-related books. ​Making a list of picks for the top 5 books on food pu ... More >>

Johnny Chu of Sens & Tien Wong (Coming Soon)

Chef Johnny Chu is on double-duty: He's the chef/owner of Sens Asian Sake & Tapas Bar and the innovator bringing Asian hot-pot cooking to Chandler at the soon-to-be-launched Tien Wong. We catch Chu between gigs to talk travel, sake, and Asian markets. He lets us in on what a deep-fried fish with sca ... More >>

Kitchen Consignment Boutique Coming to Phoenix

Carol BlonderKitchen Switchin'​On 7th Street north of Glendale Ave there is a sign hanging on a freshly painted building for Kitchen Switchin', a consignment boutique. This consignment boutique has a dedicated niche, gently used high end kitchen goods. A red Kitchen Aid professional series m ... More >>