Shops & Markets

Monday, Sugar Rush shared a primer explaining just what buttercream is — and how many different kinds there are. Today: Make your own in eight steps…

With about 15 craft breweries in the Phoenix area alone and almost every other bar in town carrying at least one craft brew, it may seem as though craft beer has taken over the market. According to NPR, the Brewers Association is reporting that sales of craft beer did increase…

I received an email order request the other day. It started like this: “I just had one of your chocolate and whipped cream cupcakes at the market.” No whipped cream here, folks, just real buttercream. No shortening, no emulsifiers. Butter. European butter…

After being the bearer of bad tequila news when we discussed why tequila probably won’t help you fight diabetes or obesity, we’re happy to bring some good news in the world of guilty pleasures. Well, actually, calling chocolate a guilty pleasure might not even be accurate at this point anymore,…

Despite several news organizations reporting that a new study might show that tequila could actually help prevent diabetes and obesity, the leap from the agavins, the sugary compound in the agave plant, to tequila, which is distilled from agave, is actually too formidable to draw that conclusion. We know, we…

Eater just released a series of infographics showing the gender of finalists and semifinalists for the 2014 James Beard Awards. We aren’t shocked that finalists are 72 percent male, but, more interestingly, the 27 percent female showing on the finalist list is the highest percentage since 2009. (The other 1%…

To celebrate the reopening of the Denny’s on Scottsdale Road between Drinkwater and Goldwater boulevards, the diner chain will give away its most iconic menu item, the Grand Slam breakfast, for the first 100 guests through the door. This location’s remodel is part of a company-wide initiative to update 70…

Former Food Network judge and journalist Nicole Cotroneo Jolly is on a mission to show the world how some of our pantry and fridge essentials are actually grown. Her Kickstarter-funded project, called “How Does It Grow”, aims to educate people (especially children) about the exciting world of healthful produce to…

My husband thinks Pinterest is dumb. I honestly don’t think he even really knows what it is, considering Facebook and ESPN are the only apps on his phone. However, I believe his dislike comes from wondering where I am at midnight, only to find me in my office, aggressively “pinning”…

While University of California-Davis already has topped our list of coolest colleges by offering both beer-brewing and winemaking degrees, the university’s latest research center is kind of blowing our minds. According to NPR, the California school recently founded a Coffee Center dedicated to the research and study of our favorite…

Finally, science has started asking the important questions — like, if I drop the only piece of cold pizza left in the fridge on the floor after a long night of drinking (we swear this hasn’t happened to us), is it okay to eat it if I follow the five-second…

With all the Layover-esque planning guides for trips to Phoenix coming out, it seems our metropolitan region is finally getting some national love. The most recent list comes from USA Today and supposedly guides you on a hipster’s trip around the city. Unfortunately, in our humble opinion, someone was trying…

Remember the “I give God 10 percent. Why do you get 18?” scandal from last year? Well, one Tennessee pastor has created a website to show that both he and God care about servers’ tips. “Sundays Are the Worst” is meant to be an outlet for servers in pastor Chad…

In a world of Hooters, Twin Peaks, and Tilted Kilt-style breastaurants, it’s nice to know that ladies can get some classy culinary man candy thanks to Grey Tie Events. The new local chef-for-hire cooking-class service focuses on teaching culinary skills to party-goers with the added bonus of “witty banter” and…

Who doesn’t have a list of “don’ts” at work? Today’s the pastry chef’s turn. We love making people happy with sweet concoctions, and we work hard to make that happen. Here are some tips to remember when dining on sweets that will keep your pastry chef from turning into a…

Pretty much nothing in the world sounds more appealing than smacking someone in the face with a pie. Well the folks over at Peace Pi have a way for you to channel all your pastry-fueled aggression for a good cause this Saturday when the mathematically inspired Pi Day weekend hits…

According to bartenders, the Moscow Mule is so over. Thrillist spoke to 15 of the top bartenders and assembled a list of the drinks they think have trended themselves to death and those that deserve a little recognition. Somewhat surprisingly, the Moscow Mule hit the overrated list the most times…

You might be turning to a Paleo diet or going on an Atkins kick to help you prepare for the rapidly approaching pool season. However, according to the Huffington Post, those high-protein diets are far more harmful to health than helpful for folks in their middle age, with negative effects…

Now, we all knew Europe was snobby about cheese. According to NPR, one of the caveats of a new trade deal between the European Union and the United States could mean that American cheese makers would have to change their cheese classifications to remove any semblance of names that have…

The eventual revamp of nutrition labels on food packaging has been rumored for a while now, but the wait is finally over. The layout and design of the new label is subtly different from the old labels, but it emphasizes healthy eating directives that both the FDA and first lady…

Last summer, Wisconsin named the kringle as the state’s official pastry — not to be confused with their proposed state dessert, the cream puff. A kringle is a Scandinavian flaky pastry, similar to a danish pastry in texture, then filled with nuts, fruit filling, or custard. Since Racine, Wisconsin, apparently…

While the rain ended up shutting down downtown Phoenix’s Mardi Gras bash at CityScape last weekend, there’s no need to give up on Fat Tuesday completely. King Cake, cocktails, and parties around Phoenix will liven the mood back up, even if there’s no parade. Check out what you can do…