Martha Stewart Radio Welcomes Chow Bella’s Carol Blonder

Chow Bella’s resident chef, Carol Blonder, caught the attention of producers at Martha Stewart Radio with her recent “Ask the Chef” post on keeping herbs and spices fresh. Now, Blonder’s about to spice up the airwaves. Although Blonder herself isn’t keen on tooting her own horn, I’m more than happy…

Thanksgiving Classics We Hate

​It’s almost Thanksgiving. Tell the truth. Are you dreaming of crisp-skinned, juicy turkey, creamy mashed potatoes and moist, spicy pumpkin pie? How about oily, gummy, sticky candied sweet potatoes with tacky mini-marshmallows — or a sphere of cranberry gunk?  Yeah, that’s what we thought.  We can think of no holiday…

What’s Your Grind Coffee

This past First Friday, we tried an Arizona coffee blend, from a mobile vendor on 9th Street and McKinley. We were pleasantly surprised to not only see some action east of Roosevelt Street, but at the robust flavor of said local coffee, called What’s Your Grind.This family-owned Arizona company specializes…

Pie Social: Dishing on the National Dish

Pie Social on Saturday, November 13th, is less than a week away and we are getting excited. For inspiration, check out this photo of a pie and cake table in Pie Town, New Mexico in 1940. Just look at that assortment! It’s got our mouths watering.  Pie Social’s also got…

This Week In Chow Bella:

Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let’s have one last look at the blog posts from this week: 3 Recipes for Leftover Halloween Candy Three New Restaurants…

Brewed For Battle: Pumpkin Ale

At what point does one elevate from merely drinking beer to being a full-on beer snob? Answer: when you feel compelled to tell other people what to drink. And the inevitable result of this peculiar ailment is the beer argument. In the spirit of all great beer-related discussions, we present…

Rojo Mexican Grill Coming Soon to Biltmore Fashion Park

There’s more construction underway at Biltmore Fashion Park, as the space next to Zinburger will soon become a new spot called Rojo Mexican Grill. Set to open by the end of this year, it’s a Mexican restaurant founded by restaurateurs Michael McDermott and Jason Merritt, who were partners in founding Kona…

Where Am I Eating?

Nothing can quite replace biscotti with coffee. Call them bland, call them crunchy, call them what you want, but we’re sticking to our guns. We sneak away to this quiet hotspot to re-caffeinate and get some work done. What about you? Where do you hide out? Is it here too? Go ahead and take a guess… Where am I eating?

Geisha A Go Go Celebrates Hello Kitty This Weekend

As the proud owner of a Hello Kitty toaster, Hello Kitty coffee cups, a Hello Kitty eyelash curler (which I’ve never used, but hey, it’s clear pink glitter plastic!), too many stickers, and decades’ worth of miscellaneous cute Japanese cartoony stuff, I am officially declaring myself New Times’ expert on the subject of said…

Brad and Kat Moore of Short Leash Hot Dogs

The business: Short Leash Hot Dogs What they’re packin’: Gourmet hot dogs named after real-life dogs, topped with lots of fresh ingredients and wrapped in a warm naan “bun” (don’t worry all you orthodox hot dog eaters out there, they’ll throw your dog in an old-school bun upon request) Where…

Foodies Like Us Co-Founder Launches Girl Meats Fork

If you subscribe to Foodies Like Us’s newsletter, you’ll notice in today’s installment that Susie Timm is absent from the photo in the header. Now, it’s just an image of Jay Pizarro laughing it up all by his lonesome At least, I noticed it right away, because the co-founders of the culinary…

Chana Masala: Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Yesterday we told you about asafetida, a pungent spice that adds a flavor reminiscent of garlic to a dish. Used in minute quantities, asafetida complements fish, vegetables and legumes. In Indian cooking it is a spice that is added to chutneys, sauces and pickled dishes. It also goes well with…

Cheese from Costco Likely Tied to E.Coli Cases, Officials Say

This just in from the Arizona Department of Health Services: You might want to think twice before cutting the cheese. From a DHS news release sent out this afternoon: More than two dozen cases of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in five states are likely tied to cheese sold or tasted…

Want to be a Judge at Pie Social?

The line-up of judges for our celebrity pie bake-off at the first-ever Pie Social on Saturday, November 13 is looking almost as swanky as our line-up of celebrity bakers. But we’ve got one slot left — for YOU. We want to add a Chow Bella reader to our judging panel. Enter…

Hemp Drink: This Stuff is Gooooooood

In the name of good health and a good read, each week we’ll be bringing you a health product, complete with review. We’re calling this feature Crunchy Granola — even though we doubt much of this stuff tastes that good. This week: hemp drink. It is still unclear whether Arizona’s…

Alicia Jorgensen at Beckett’s Table

​Veterans of the food industry will attest that while it’s one thing to begin working in an established restaurant, it’s another thing entirely to be part of the crew that opens a new one. The experience can be stressful, especially at an eatery as hyped-up as Beckett’s Table (3717 E. Indian…

Pie Social: No Need for Humble Pie

The first-ever Pie Social — to be held Saturday, November 13, 2 to 6 p.m. at 5th Street and Roosevelt — is right around the corner. While we wait, we are busy trying to flex our pie-baking muscles. We’ve never made lemon meringue pie before so this seems like the perfect…

What is Asafetida and Where Can I Find It?

I have a recipe that calls for asafetida. What is it and where can I find it? Asafetida (also asafoedita) is a spice associated with cuisines of the southern and western regions of India. The pungent spice packs a strong (to some offensive) odor, smelling like an onion or garlic…

Gasper Manno’s Bruschetta Pasquale

Gasper Manno is known for his Neapolitan pizza at Gasper’s Casual Italian Dining/Pizzeria, but today he divulges the recipe for another Italian classic that doesn’t require a wood oven: Bruschetta Pasquale.

Petite Maison’s Offal Halloween Dinner

Despite what the supermarket aisle may lead you to believe, there’s more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompasses all those taboo edibles that don’t make the cut at your local grocer. Just Offal is here to explore these…