Grace Ellis, What Are You Baking?

Even if your oven sits cold all year, chances are you’re considering firing it up, right about now. As a holiday twist on our “What Are You Eating?” feature on Chow Bella and “What Are You Wearing?” on Jackalope Ranch, for the next few weeks we’ll be bringing you “What…

2010 Redux: Best Food Battles

As we bid farewell to the year and look ahead to 2011, for the next two weeks Chow Bella contributors will bring you some greatest hits from 2010. We’ve already highlighted Carol Blonder’s most memorable food-related books. Today, we’re looking at Wynter Holden’s top Battle of the Dishes moments. A…

Meghan Olesen, What Are You Baking?

Even if your oven sits cold all year, chances are you’re considering firing it up, right about now. As a holiday twist on our “What Are You Eating?” feature on Chow Bella and “What Are You Wearing?” on Jackalope Ranch, for the next few weeks we’ll be bringing you “What…

Chef Bernie Kantak’s Mocktails Make Sober Holidays (Almost) Tolerable

Wild holiday parties are great, unless you’re the one sober person watching everyone else prance around with gift wrap bows on their heads, slurring mangled X-rated versions of “Jingle Bells.” Sucks for you! The least we can do to ease your pain is to provide a few holiday “Mocktail” recipes that taste…

Cookie Showdown: And the Winner Is . . .

The Chow Bella team came out in force for our latest food showdown, this time a battle of holiday cookie recipes. Thank goodness somebody showed up with a gallon of milk! I had an entire plate filled with all kinds of baked treats, and somehow I had to taste through them…

Andrea Volpi of Local Bistro

  Courtesy of Local Bistro Milan-born chef Andrea Volpi fancies himself a gypsy. After learning to cook in his mother’s kitchen, Volpi enrolled in a top Italian culinary school; then traveled through Italy and Spain for several years before crossing the ocean and settling in Chicago in 1989. He later moved to Arizona, where he…

Charles “In Check” Eis, What Are You Eating?

Charles “In Check” Eis The guitarist for The Rails is gearing up for the band’s upcoming album release in February. What’d you eat for dinner last night? Buffalo Burger at Native New Yorker. Favorite food: Enchiladas Least favorite food: Anything that’s even been in the same room with onions. Favorite…

Cookie Showdown: Chocolate Dipped Walnut Spritz Cookie

Carol Blonder Walnut Spritz CookieCookie exchanges are a staple at every holiday office party, including the offices of Chow Bella. But the contributors to this blog are a cutthroat bunch, and with an inordinate amount of trash talk thrown about, our cookie exchange quickly became a cookie showdown. Today’s our…

Jennifer Woods, What Are You Baking?

What are you baking for the holidays this year?I’m baking a lot less this year since I’m not hosting a cookie exchange. I always need to make my aunt Bonnie’s divine Sour Cream Cookies with browned butter frosting. My husband is the biggest sugar monster so I’ll be making him…

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: Taberna Mexicana in Scottsdale What Gourmet Ingredients Do I…

Cookie Showdown: Chocolate Chip Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Cookie exchanges are a staple at every holiday office party, including the offices of Chow Bella. But the contributors to this blog are a cutthroat bunch, and with an inordinate amount of trash talk thrown about, our cookie exchange quickly became a cookie showdown. Check back here each day through…

Kimber Lanning, Kenny Barrett and Razz Describe The Perfect Sandwich

Two ingredients? Why not? Ten? Bring it. As James Beard, the “dean of American cookery” once said, “America is a confirmed sandwich nation. Everywhere you go you find sandwich stands, sandwich shops, and nine out of ten people seem to stick to the sandwich-and-glass-of-milk or cup-of-coffee luncheon.” It may be…

Coming Soon: Otaku Sushi in Chandler

It looks like East Valley sushi geeks will be getting a little gift after the New Year — Otaku Sushi, a restaurant that’s currently under construction at 2430 S. Gilbert Rd. in Chandler. The restaurant’s name translates to “geek” or “hardcore fan” in modern Japanese slang and was chosen because the chefs are seriously…

Laurie Notaro, What Are You Baking?

Even if your oven sits cold all year, chances are you’re considering firing it up, right about now. As a holiday twist on our “What Are You Eating?” feature on Chow Bella and “What Are You Wearing?” on Jackalope Ranch, for the next few weeks we’ll be bringing you “What…

Chef Charles Wiley’s Southwest Chicken Salad

Chef Charles Wiley is busy preparing for the upcoming holiday dinners at Cafe Zuzu, but he took a few moments to share an easy appetizer recipe that you can use at your own holiday parties: Southwest Chicken Salad on Crisp Tortilla Rounds Yield:  32-48 hors d’oeuvres What you’ll need: ½ cup vegetable oil24 tortilla…

Cookie Showdown: Layer Bars

Cookie exchanges are a staple at every holiday office party, including the offices of Chow Bella. But the contributors to this blog are a cutthroat bunch, and with an inordinate amount of trash talk thrown about, our cookie exchange quickly became a cookie showdown. Check back here each day through…

Beckett’s Table Is Playing It Safe

Chef-owner Justin Beckett’s much-buzzed-about new eatery, Beckett’s Table, focuses on upscale comfort food. It must be a sign of the times that the most highly anticipated opening of 2010 wasn’t for a high-concept, cutting-edge eatery, or yet another celebrity chef-owned steakhouse. It was for a neighborhood restaurant serving straightforward, unfussy…

What’s Inside the Lunch Box?

Part Mexican joint, part American diner, part Italian sub shop, part espresso bar, and part old tables from Wendy’s thrown in for laughs, The Lunch Box feels and looks as though a fast-food Frankenstein chewed up the world and then threw it up into a shoe box. Yeah, it’s charming…

Cookie Showdown: Adulterated Mother-in-Law Macaroons

Cookie exchanges are a staple at every holiday office party, including the offices of Chow Bella. But the contributors to this blog are a cutthroat bunch, and with an inordinate amount of trash talk thrown about, our cookie exchange quickly became a cookie showdown. Check back here each day through…

Chef Chat: Charles Wiley of Hotel Valley Ho (Part Two)

Yesterday we heard from Chef Charles Wiley of the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale. Wiley has cooked at the James Beard House in New York, was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 1994 and regularly appears on 3TV’s Your Life A to Z. Today, our chat continues… Favorite local restaurant:…

Genevieve Rice, What Are You Baking?

  Genevieve Rice is a writer, stand-up comedian and producer of the Snark Show, which features stand-up comedy in a roast format. The next Snark Show is tonight, December 15, at the Ice House Tavern (3855 E. Thomas) and will feature comedians such as Will Novak, Cierra Miranda, Kon Stamadianos,…