You are poets and you know it. Between the entries in our comments section and those emailed directly to me, we had dozens of examples of caramel-coated haiku in our first 2012 Caramelpalooza contest. Caramelpalooza will be held Friday, March 2 at 7 pm at Smeeks candy store in central…
Think your rice cooker is only good for making rice and steaming vegetables? You’re McWrong. Looks like the “researchers” at Japanese news blog RocketNews24 have come up with something far more interesting — specifically, a McDonald’s meal (Big Mac, fries, and Chicken McNuggets) cooked on a bed of rice inside…
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 reckless…
This Sunday, the celebrities will be hittin’ the red carpet for the 84th Annual Acadamy Awards — and they’ll also be hitting the after parties. One particularly popular event is the Governors Ball. Wolfgang Puck will be the head chef for the event but instead of the typical extravagant celebrity…
Jose Garces is an Iron Chef, but then, if you’re a fan of Food Network’s Iron Chef America, the popular culinary game show based upon the Japanese cult sensation, you already knew that. And now the Iron Chef has come to the Valley. At just 39 years old, the Ecuadorian-American…
After working at Trader Vic’s for its entire five-year run at the beautiful Hotel Valley Ho, I developed quite an appreciation for rum. Most people’s familiarity with rum is limited to a mere two brands: Bacardi and Captain Morgan. Sometimes people are also familiar with Sailor Jerry. It’s a crying…
In preparation for Caramelpalooza 2012, we’ll be introducing each of the local chefs submitting their sticky, sweet creations on Friday, March 2nd at Smeeks in Central Phoenix. Today we’d like to present Virginia Senior of Urban Beans. An architect and fine artist, Virginia believes in the power of design and…
Touting servers in cheerleader outfits and grub at five bucks and unde — and with a tagline stating, “Every Inch Is An Adventure,” — Fritz’s Footlong, a new hot dog joint, has opened its doors on the northwest corner of Main Street and Gilbert Road in Mesa — in the…
Beer: Footprint RegionAleBrewery: Odell Brewing Co.Style: American Strong AleABV: 9.5 percentPeople like to say it’s not about where you’re from, but rather where you’re going. Weird thing about beer is, where you’re going in a way becomes where you’re from. Choices of where to distribute are not made lightly –…
As if the need to feed our faces with the goodness of salted, cured pork couldn’t get much more intense, a new medical study is recommending packing your nasal passages with the stuff as an effective way to treat troublesome nosebleeds. The Guardian cites published work from Ian Humphreys, Sonal…
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. With the Valley’s food truck phenomenon still in full swing,…
It’s official — the lovely Lola Coffee on Central just south of Camelback (4700 N. Central Ave.) has been sold. It shall now be referred to as Citizen Espresso Bar. Don’t worry loyal Lola fans, long time employee Tiffany Dew bought the place and she’s still going to be serving…
We don’t really go for all the hoopla over the made-up holidays that have crept onto the calendar in recent times, thanks to clever marketers. You know, like Orange M&M Day and Brown Rice Tortilla Week. (We made those up, don’t worry.) But there’s one fabricated celebration we’re more than…
And we thought we were all about the caramel (-palooza, that is). Check out this caramel dragon “painting,” created on the street in China. Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest. …
The Spot: Coronado Cafe, 2201 N. 7th St., Phoenix, (602) 258-5149. coronadocafe.com The Hours: 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday The Details: Beers, Mimosas, and Bloody Marys are all down to $3, while the Cocktail of the Day is a steal at $4. House wines are down to $5…
Sometimes you sit down to eat at a diner on the far side of Glendale, order a pulled pork sandwich topped with slaw, finish it with a deep-fried Twinkie, and tell yourself the place would be a great addition to Diners, Drive-ins and Dives – if it weren’t such a…
Today, the James Beard Foundation, the New York-based national nonprofit organization and undisputed standard of excellence when it comes to giving props to the culinary world, announced its semifinalists for the 2012 JBF Restaurant and Chefs Awards — and the Valley is seeing some sweet Beard love. Silvana Salcido Esparza,…
If the popularity of last Saturday’s pop-up dinner inside chef Cullen Campbell’s soon-to-open new Crudo location still leaves doubts as to his new restaurant’s appeal, Campbell has created additional excitement with the recent hiring of the bar’s owner, Micah Olson. “He’s whipping up some killer cocktails,” Campbell tells me. Sommelier…
Lately, in this In Season series, we’re taking a look at what I take home from Crooked Sky Farms each week and see what I’ve done with my CSA share, or part share. This week I’m using kale, farmers cheese, goat cheese and dates…
Think sushi can’t get any more Americanized than it already is? May I present How Do You Roll? Founded in 2008 in Austin, Texas, by brothers Yuen and Peter Yung, the Asian fast-casual franchise allows customers to follow a line, Subway-style, and build their own sushi rolls from an array…
February might be the month that Cibo, the so-cute wine cafe and pizzeria in downtown Phoenix, unveils its expanded dining room, but until then, its tasty new breakfast can be enjoyed throughout the rest of its bungalow home. Available on weekends only, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and courtesy…
From now through Caramelpalooza — March 2 at Smeeks candy shop — Chow Bella will introduce you to the 17 chefs participating in the third annual caramel tasting. Today, meet Lisa Rast of NutWhats. For years, Lisa Rast has been mixing it up with cinnamon, walnuts, oats, almonds and a…
