Seasons 52 at Biltmore Fashion Park Gets You Slim Again

The holidays always feel like one long, strange trip, sort of like the scene in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory where the group goes on a psychedelic boat ride. In my version, theres a gravy-soaked turkey feast at the onset, colorful lights and a barrage of buttery cookies throughout…

Taco Bell’s Beefy Crunch Burrito: Holy Flamin’ Hot Fritos!

Another year, another crapload of new menu items from Taco Bell. First up, the Beefy Crunch Burrito. Touted as “layers of seasoned ground beef, rice, warm nacho cheese sauce, reduced-fat sour cream [hahaha!] and Flamin’ Hot Fritos wrapped in a warm, flour tortilla,” the Beefy Crunch Burrito, or BCB, is…

The Cup of Noodles: Republic Ramen vs. Cherryblossom Noodle Cafe

Ramen has come a long way since the five-for-a-buck instant “noodle bricks” of our college dorm days. In Japan, ramen is a comfort food dish consisting of thin wheat noodles curled up in a rich broth. There are several types of ramen, and many regional variations, including the popular miso ramen, shōyu (soy…

Michael DeMaria of Heirloom, Part Two

Yesterday, we spoke with 51-year-old Chef Michael DeMaria of Heirloom and M Catering. Today, our chat continues… Even though he’s cooked for celebs and can afford to stay in style, DeMaria isn’t afraid to rough it in a tent. In his spare time, he’s an avid fisherman who practices the…

Gluten Free Creations: Snickerdoodles

LynnRae Ries from Gluten Free Creations has been providing Valley restaurants with gluten free breads and sweets for seven years. Yesterday LynnRae shared the story of her motivation to provide great baked goods to others, like her, who have some form of gluten intolerance or other food allergies. You don’t…

Michael DeMaria of Heirloom

Though Chef Michael DeMaria moved from New York to Phoenix when he was a teenager, he retained that East Coast go-getter attitude — and a trace of the Long Island accent. He’s constantly multi-tasking, whether it’s juggling gigs at his DC Ranch restaurant Heirloom and M Catering or doing television appearances on Fox 10’s Arizona Morning and Food Network…

Greg Forward, What Are You Eating?

Greg ForwardForward is the founder of Forward Thinking Productions, LLC, which puts on live music showcases to help create awareness for Huntington’s Disease (and other charitable causes). What’d you eat for dinner last night? Chicken cacciatore. Favorite food: Lasagna. Least favorite food: Anything that gives me food poisoning. (Thank you…

McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal: Look Ma, No McMuffin!

Let’s face it, a quick breakfast at Mickey Dee’s usually doesn’t bring to mind anything that’s going to be good for you (McGriddle!), but with this month’s nationwide launch of McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal, Ronald seems to be taking the high, healthy road. What gives? Available all day long…

Sweet Potato Pot Pie

Last week we announced our commitment to participate in the grass root efforts for Meatless Monday. A recap of why we made going meatless one day a week a resolution to kick off our New Year: Personal health is a motivation; we all know that increasing a variety of grains,…

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: The Virgin Cook Pops Her Cherry With a Bloody…

Brit Grit and Pub Grub: Dinner and a Movie

Staying in? We’ve got you covered — both on the culinary and entertainment fronts. Now presenting Dinner and a Movie — a guide to do a do it yourself evening of food and film. Winter in the desert can get cold and gray. More people are wearing black sweaters, jeans, full coverage…

Cafe: Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery

We are not ones to turn our noses up at Asian cuisine. Quite the opposite actually. So when we here that there is a new Thai restaurant opening up, we’ve got to check it out. Fod Critic Michele Laudig on Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery: Despite the glamorous digs, Soi 4…

Becky Windels’ Smoked Trout Beignets

Yesterday we talked to Chef Becky Windels of The Herb Box in Scottsdale. Today, she shows us how to prepare one of the restaurants signature appetizers, Smoked Trout Beignets. A beignet is a fried pastry ball, often served as a dessert with powdered sugar or jam. Here, Windels puts a…

Steampunk: The Past and Future of Cooking?

While trolling the net, we stumbled upon a creative little blog called Steampunk Cookery that got us thinking about potential culinary trends for 2011. The blog is run by a Steampunker slash culinary student from Detroit named “Mac” and features recipes that hearken back to the 19th century. If you’re not familiar with steampunk,…

Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery Brings Authentic Thai to Scottsdale

You’d be forgiven for losing track of all the Thai places that’ve opened lately. The past few years have been boom times for the Southeast Asian cuisine — to the point that Thai restaurants are nearly as ubiquitous as Mexican joints. (It makes sense, really, given that both cuisines have…

Matt’s Big Breakfast Threatens to Flatten Joe’s Diner Like a Pancake

A real pancake is a thing of beauty. Not Bisquick or the fast food version, but an honest-to-goodness made from scratch griddle cake filled with love and real buttermilk. Some people, like my earnest dining companion, grew up with these comfort food treats. Others of us were forced to eat the cheap boxed crap that…

Becky Windels of The Herb Box – Part Two

Yesterday, we heard from Chef Becky Windels at The Herb Box. Today, the conversation continues… Windels is as much a savvy businesswoman as she is a chef. “We run our business like a business,” she says. “We have lot of amazing people, and we keep them on task.” Thanks to that attitude,…

Becky Windels of The Herb Box

Chef Becky Windels’ career is a culinary Cinderella story. Once upon a time when she was waiting tables, Windels was offered the opportunity to help start a catering business. When a chef friend backed out of the project, Windels began reading cookbooks cover to cover so that she could take his place. Now more than fifteen years later, Windels…