Chanukah: The Festival of Frying

Chanukah — the Jewish festival of lights — begins tonight at sundown. So what’s for dinner? Traditional recipes for food, savory and sweet, cooked in oil, are found on Chanukah menus in Jewish communities around the world. Ashkenazi Jewish families, with roots in Russia and Eastern Europe, favor latkes (potato…

Chelsea Brown, 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…

Alcohol-Infused Whipped Cream: Just Say No

​Some things are not meant to be. It’s hard to find anything that the staff at Phoenix New Times agrees on, but we are in lock step on one thing: Whipped Lightning is terrible. Beyond terrible. It’s like eating flavored lighter fluid. And not in a good way. “No.” That was…

Pie Social Recipe Cards Make a Sweet Holiday Gift

Visions of sugar pies dancing in your head, ever since our Pie Social last month? Us, too. We’re still reeling over the fact that hundreds came to taste, bringing more than 200 community pies. And 10 professional bakers/chefs competed for top pie honors.  In the sugary hubub you might have missed…

Guido Saccone of Cibo Urban Wine Cafe & Pizzeria

Phoenix has crazy love to thank for Chef Guido Saccone’s pizza and pasta at Cibo Urban Wine Cafe & Pizzeria. Saccone, who was born just outside of Naples, fell in love with the American girl working in Tuscany for the summer, who just happened to be from Mesa. A love story straight out of a fairy tale lead the Italian chef to Arizona.

Austin Chantos’ Sicilian Tiramisu

Pastry Chef Austin Chantos enjoys taking old world classics, and giving them a new twist. Today he shares a recipe for Sicilian Tiramisu with layers of biscotti soaked in espresso simple syrup and chocolate sponge. recipe after the jump…

Alcohol-Infused Whipped Cream — We Found It in Phoenix

​How did we make it through Thanksgiving without alcohol-infused whipped cream?!  Well, bring on Christmas — because we’ve found Whipped Lightning here in Phoenix and the liquor stores where you can get it opened this morning at 9. (And thanks to our sisters in Orange County and Houston for tipping…

Yichao Wang, What Are You Eating?

Yichao Wang The artistic director of CloPet Theatr can be seen performing with Jester’Z improv this December and January What’d you eat for dinner last night? I ate at Hong Kong Gormet Buffet in Ahwatukee. Delicious though a bit pricey–but lots of yummy seafood, and great sushi as well! Favorite…

US Airways Center Upgrades Concession Menu

We know Phoenix Suns fans love their two free tacos from Jack in the Box when the team scores 99 points, but just in case the Suns don’t do the deed, US Airways Center has several new menu options that may win fans over. Levy Restaurants and US Airways Center’s…

Kim Porter and Ben Kaplan, 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…

What Are You Doing Here?

We’re glad you showed up. We just weren’t expecting an audience on the old blog today. Not sure if you heard, but it’s Thanksgiving. We’re sort of on holiday as it were. Still, Chow Bella is not known for turning away an audience. For you loyal followers who took time…

Rico’s Taco: Party in the Back

The northwest corner of 16th Street and McDowell is like a Mexican mullet — La Hacienda Carniceria lunch business in the front, an outdoor fiesta in the back. The host of the party side? Rico’s Tacos. The celebration starts every day at 4 p.m., when La Hacienda closes its doors…

A Thanksgiving Dinner Fowl: Cornish Pasty Company vs. All Wrapped Up

Remember that scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where disgusting gum-chewing champion Violet Beauregarde gets her choppers on a piece of gum that tastes like a roast beef dinner, complete with tomato soup and blueberry pie? According to the Institute of Food Research, we’re not far off from a similar lazy man’s dinner…

Nutmeg High: The New ‘Spice’?

Spiking the eggnog has a whole new meaning now that we’ve learned nutmeg, that unassuming spice grandma puts into just about everything during Thanksgiving, is considered a “psychoactive drug” according to the FDA’s Poisonous Plant Database.

Aaron May of Vitamin T, Part Two

Chef Aaron May’s Vitamin T opened last Friday, making it the eighth restaurant concept May’s launched along with Iruña, Over Easy and The Lodge. Just the thought of running eight restaurants wipes us out, but when we meet up with May at Vitamin T, he’s in rare form: Stretching on the outdoor patio, chatting with his business partner Quinn Goldsberry.

Recipe: Christine Boerner’s Rocher

Rocher (FR: rock) When I was a kid we called these chocolate -coated bites haystacks. I stand corrected! These yummy little mounds can be made with your choice of ingredients, toasted nuts, golden raisins and chopped dried fruit. Christine Boerner provides a classic recipe for Rocher with a punch of…

Aaron May of Vitamin T

Vitamin T. Aaron May’s eighth restaurant concept’s name has both a ring of familiarity and a healthy dose of cheese. What’s the daily recommended value of this new nutrient, you ask? According to May, it’s as much as you need to stay alert.

Luke Ciotta, What Are You Eating?

Luke Ciotta Ciotta is the drummer for local pop/rock group Absent Akridge What’d you eat for dinner last night? Pasta with vodka sauce and a Greek salad Favorite food: Hummus and pita Least favorite food: Anything deep-fried Favorite dessert: Rice Pudding…

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey 101

The dreaded fear of running out of food for company, especially during the holidays, inevitably leaves us with more turkey than can be consumed during a Thanksgiving feast. For some of us, leftovers are premeditated; we look forward to our sandwich creations even more than our turkey dinner.Here are a…