Something about an Arizona beer festival felt a little trivial Saturday, a day when angry hordes across the country beat up our state’s idiotic new immigration law at May Day rallies.Hell, they were protesting the law in Milwaukee. If Milwaukee could ignore beer for a day, you might wonder, what…
Sorry people – salad again. We’ve always felt like our salad repertoire was just well, sad. So for the sake of personal improvement we’ve decided to work on it. Also – meager little confession – we want to eat more kale. Here’s the thing about kale — It makes us feel…
An early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives. S. Pellegrino’s annual “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list was recently released and 8 United States restaurants made the list. Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark stole the number one spot from Spain’s El Bulli, which had been at the top…
In honor of Mother’s Day — and stove-slaving moms everywhere — this week we will present What Mom Made, Q&As with some Valley sons and daughters, who dish about their home-cooked favorites (as well as some flops). First up, Ty Largo, a 20-something marketing/PR firm owner in Tempe who writes…
Napoleon Dynamite: This is pretty much the worst video ever made. Kip: Napoleon, like anyone can even know that. Kip’s right. How can anyone know what’s the worst (or the best) of anything? TLC’s hoping we’ll trust their judgment with its new show, Best Food Ever, narrated by Treme star John…
We’ve tried hundreds of energy drinks, and just when it seemed like we’d tried them all, we found Lotte: It’s the Sun energy drink. The colorful 8.3 ounce can looks energizing, with its bright orange and red sun label and depiction of a soccer player, but is there really anything…
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: Green Pork Chili – Monday Night Martha Local Breeze:…
When it comes to a cold drink on a hot day, bigger (and rounder) is better—for ice anyway. The ice ball trend started in Japan, where artisans hand-carve them with icepicks or sushi knives to fit each glass, providing a longer chill and minimal dilution. Then Japan’s Taisin Trend Shop…
There is a fairy godmother at work in Phoenix, and like all fairy godmothers she often works behind the scenes and outside of the spotlight. Yet her presence can be felt by the sparkle she adds to the places she goes, or in this case, by the bundt cakes she…
Spring is one of the best times of the year for the culinary arts. Veggies are ripening, farmers’ markets are stocked and it’s perfect patio weather. It’s also a great time for local restaurants to change up their seasonal menus and prepare for summer. On May 1, J&G Steakhouse at the Phoenician is rolling…
Real cooks can’t stay out of the kitchen. That’s why four of Chow Bella’s regular contributors have concocted four different types of salsa just in time for Cinco de Mayo. Check in next week to see who won the showdown. Now, someone pass the chips. Today’s salsa: Pretty Simple Pico…
The Valley has many beer festivals, but the second annual Eight Craft Beer Festival will be the first to focus solely on beers made in Arizona. Dubbed “Made in Arizona,” the event will take place 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Lath House Pavilion in downtown Phoenix’s Heritage Square…
Charles Kane really gets around! The local herbal medicine expert will be lecturing at four Whole Foods Markets tomorrow, Saturday, May 1st. His book is called Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest and Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions. …
Tyler Christensen, the 31-year-old bar manager at Malee’s Thai Bistro, thinks of bartending as alchemy. In Christensen’s modern-day apothecary, he likes to create a new cocktail list each season. Christensen never used to like margaritas, so he decided to come up with a new recipe that kept the traditional aspect of…
Beauty Lab: Cookin’ up good looks in nature’s pharmacy. I’m hilarious. How do I know? Because I’ve got lines around my eyes from laughing so hard at my own jokes. What to do? Consult The Beauty Cookbook by authors and beauty experts Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman. In the chapter…
Different cultures, different languages, different tastes. Somewhere along the line, things are going to go wrong when it comes to packaging our foodstuffs for the rest of the world to see. We’ve captured the top five most unfortunate in today’s post. 5.) Shitto Hotly Spiced Pepper Sauce: Ghana What’s the…
An early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives. Saturday El Pedregal will be hosting the 4th annual Salsa Festival from noon to 3 p.m. More the a dozen chefs and restaurants will be handing out free samples of their best salsas. The festival will also feature…
An Italian farm boy leaves his home and family behind for the hot sun and his heart’s true love in Phoenix, Arizona, where he opens a prosperous pizza joint and lives the American dream. A Lifetime original movie? Hardly, but a delicious story like this one needs to be told…
Real cooks can’t stay out of the kitchen. That’s why four of Chow Bella’s regular contributors have concocted four different types of salsa just in time for Cinco de Mayo. Check in next week to see who won the showdown. Now, someone pass the chips. Today’s Salsa: Mom’s Extra Hot…
Burgers? Yes, have some. It’s pretty much that simple when it comes to pleasing a pedestrian palette. Yet having a professional food critic recommend a particular burger joint doesn’t hurt either. Food Critic Michele Laudig on The Grind: Truly, from my experience, the best cure for burger fatigue happens to…
