Chief Foodies Jay and Susie were co-hosts of the Jan D’Atri Show on 550 KFYI on Saturday June 19. They were honored to sample various apple coleslaw recipes and talk about them on the show. Thanks for passing these along Jan!!

Green Apple Slaw

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Agave Nectar or Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon brown mustard
2 Granny Smith apples, matchstick cut
1 large carrot, matchstick cut
1 green onion, sliced long and thin
1/8 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, syrup and mustard. Add remainder of ingredients and mix well. Serve chilled.

Honey Slaw

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds (can be found in bulk at most heath food stores)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and match stick cut
1 package (8 oz.) shredded slaw mix with carrots (or 1 medium cabbage, shredded)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, mayonnaise, honey and poppy seeds until well blended.
In a large bowl, combine apples, slaw mix, green onion, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour in dressing and toss until well blended. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

By Susie Timm, Chief Operating Foodie

A long time ago, in a land far, far away, I visited Oklahoma City to teach a sales training class at a bank I used to work for.

What makes this a riveting tale, is the fact that this particular bank branch is located in the Stockyards in Oklahoma City, which incidentally, is celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year!

It’s like stepping into another universe. A really beefy one.

My good friend Lewis Jones is the manager of the bank. He gave me the lowdown. The bank branch is over 40,000 square feet, opened in 1924 and the interior is decorated in a pretty sweet 60’s western motif.  It has over 10 drive-thru lanes. The parking lot can hold hundreds of cars. The tour of the property took over an hour to show me every nook and cranny. It really is a sight to behold.

It stands out in my mind as one of the coolest experiences I had ever had in banking. The people who attended my class had a warm hospitality and kindness that has scarcely been replicated.

Having lived in Phoenix for almost 19 years, I had certainly heard of the Stockyards restaurant located near Sky Harbor. However, I had never an opportunity to try it, and had no expectations upon my arrival.

I pulled into the parking lot, and was instantly transported back to that day in the Oklahoma City Stockyards. Granted, I am comparing one building in Phoenix to a gigantic section of the city in OKC. But bear with me—I’m a nostalgic one.

The Stockyards Restaurant opened in 1947 and it was located in the center of the Tovrea Stockyards, which was the world’s largest cattle pen feeding operation with over 300,000 head of cattle per year! That’s a whole lot of beef!

The owners restored this Phoenix institution in 2005 and it’s now listed on the City of Phoenix’s Historical Register!

Jay and I had a drink at the infamous 1889 Saloon, and then we were seated in the main dining room.

I enjoyed the authentic interior that has been updated with new ceilings and carpet and paint. It really helped me stay in my OKC daydream.

We perused the menu and noted some interesting items—while there is an abundance of standard steakhouse fare—there was also interesting items like Buffalo Meatloaf, Wild Boar and Venison Sausage and of course their signature appetizer, the Calf Fries with Cocktail Sauce.

As I have mentioned in MANY of my reviews, I am nearly as fond of “other meat” than your basic fish, chicken, beef and pork. Jay is however, a fan of all things edible.

I was willing to try the meatloaf and sausage, but I drew the line at Calf Fries (I will let the reader Google that term to determine why). Call me a wuss. Tell me I am not adventurous enough. I’ll take all the ribbing. But there’s not a chance in hell I was going to try a calf fry.

Just thinking about it now makes me shudder.

I have heard however, that as calf fries go, The Stockyards does a fantastic rendition. I’ll take their word for it.

We sampled shrimp scampi that was tender and perfectly cooked in a buttery garlic sauce that highlighted all the flavors of this classic dish.

I did enjoy the boar/venison sausage and thought it had a delectable flavor and texture.

The blue crab cakes had a spicy remoulade sauce and some cheese on top of them—we desired they be cooked a tad bit crunchier, but we liked the overall composition.

We tasted both the iceberg wedge and Caesar salads. Both were creamy and very fresh.

Our server Kathy showcased more of that OKC hospitality I was yearning for. Perhaps it’s just a Stockyards thing? I wonder if anywhere there are stockyards, exist kind and delightful people? I digress.

Jay and I continued thru samples of salmon, walleye, elk and a filet done Oscar style. We enjoyed the varied tastes and seasonings on each preparation.

The true homerun of the night however, were the two desserts we were presented with.

The strawberry shortcake was second to none! It was bright and spongy and truly outstanding.

The chocolate mint parfait had a slightly crunchy texture but the notes of mint and chocolate were pronounced.

Next time I visit, I look forward to a large heaping pile of steak, or perhaps their prime rib dinner with all the fixings for only $24.95 all summer long!

I enjoyed my nostalgic adventure to The Stockyards restaurant immensely. It is a Phoenix relic and must-visit dining spot. Next time I am jonesing for a truly authentic meat-filled trip down memory lane, I know just where to go!

http://www.stockyardsrestaurant.com/

By Susie Timm, Chief Operating Foodie

Were you aware of the health benefits of bison? It contains a high proportion of protein and minerals in relation to its calorie content, and is a great source of iron, zinc, phosphorus, niacin, vitamin B6 and B12. In addition, bison graze on grass and are not fed commercial feed or grains. Bison also have a lower fat content than beef or pork. (http://health.families.com/blog/nutrition-101-health-benefits-of-bison)

So if you’d like to introduce bison into your cooking, this chili recipe is a great place to start!

INGREDIENTS:

1lb ground buffalo/bison
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion cut into large chunks
1 TBS Olive Oil
2 cans no salt added diced tomatoes
1 can no salt added tomato sauce
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 TBS dehydrated onion
2 TBS Chili Powder
2 TBS Ground Cumin
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Kosher Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp paprika
3 shakes garlic powder
3 shakes onion powder

DIRECTIONS:
In a large frying pan, heat on medium high and then add 1/2 TBS of olive oil. Add bison meat and dehydrated onion, 1 TBS chili powder, 1 TBS Cumin, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook until completely brown. Drain excess fat from pan (there will be a tiny amount).

In a large soup pot, heat on medium and then add the remaining 1/2 TBS of olive oil. Add fresh garlic and onion and saute until soft. Add chicken broth, 1 TBS chili powder, 1 TBS Cumin, oregano, basil, paprika, garlic and onion powder. Combine and taste. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Combine thoroughly until heated through. Adjust salt, pepper and red pepper to taste. Add bison meat and mix well—take care not to break up tomato chunks.

Bring to a boil, adjust all seasonings to taste. Reduce to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve with cheese, sour cream or other desired toppings.

By Molly Cerreta Smith, Guest Blogger, Foodies Like Us

Tucked into a strip center on the corner of 7th Street and Mountain View lies Scramble, a quick casual breakfast joint that is mixing things up in this Sunnyslope neighborhood that is a mixed bag of old, ramshackle homes and luxury condos. Though the location is a bit precarious, Scramble is in good company; it sits adjacent to the popular Il Posto/Lounge and across from the Burger Studio.

We dined on Memorial Day Monday and, though when we walked in we pretty much had the place to ourselves, by the time we were stuffing forkfuls of scrumptiousness into our faces, the place was packed and there was a line out the door.

Scramble is a hip, sunny little spot – hues of green, bright orange and brown fill the modern, open space. Clocks tell the time of cities across the country from San Francisco to New York, large flat screens cover every corner, cute egg and breakfast quotes adorn the walls and a giant word scramble (no pun intended) keeps diners busy searching for egg varieties during the short wait for their plates.

Armed with recommendations from General Manager Cameron Froment, we decided to try both a savory and a sweet dish. He suggested the French French Toast and one of the Brizzas. What’s a brizza, you ask? It’s a breakfast pizza, and while for me those two things would have never gone together unless it was actually pizza for breakfast, I was pleasantly surprised!

Ok, so let’s start with the sweet. The French French Toast is super-thick slices of French baguette dipped in vanilla custard and served with cherrywood bacon. It was crispy on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside. I am a true French toast lover, and this goes down as one of my favorite French toast experiences. You know it’s good when the butter and the syrup are the only things that remain on the plate when you’re done. With French toast this good, you don’t need anything to cover it up.

The accompanying bacon was thick and chewy, not crispy and curly like the kind of bacon I make at home. The cherrywood flavor really came through not only in taste but in color – it was quite beautiful bacon! But truth be told, I slid most of it over to my carnivorous hubby in exchange for another slice of his Brizza!

There are four Brizza choices on the menu, but we chose the Toluca, following Cameron’s sage advice – plus it had a little fire icon next to it, signifying it as a spicy dish. We were sold. In case you aren’t into spicy, especially as the sun is still rising, the Gouda is another very popular Brizza choice.

The Brizza is made with hand-tossed dough that is reminiscent of a breakfast biscuit, then it’s covered with hollandaise sauce, scrambled eggs, and in the case of the Toluca, chorizo, bell pepper, Monterey jack cheese and a jalapeno cream cheese drizzle. The chorizo packed a powerful spicy punch, but the creamy cheeses and hollandaise sauce cooled things down. It was an exercise in delicious complexity, and left me wanting more. I’m a convert and am intrigued to try other Brizzas!

Classics such as eggs benedict, omelettes, pancakes and oatmeal round out the breakfast menu. Scramble serves lunch after 11:00 a.m., and offers a variety of sandwich, pizza and salad options.

Scramble is no ordinary breakfast joint, however. Despite its quick casual atmosphere, this restaurant is truly dedicated to its craft – and that starts with the ingredients. Scramble uses only fresh ingredients from local markets, farmers and vendors and maintains relationships with local favorites such as Hickman’s Family Farms, Schreiner’s Fine Sausage and Sun Orchard.

My only disappointment here was that I did not have enough room to sample all the items that I would have loved to try. But I’m not too sad about it — I’m planning my next trek to Scramble very soon. I hope to see you there!

http://www.azscramble.com

By Lizbeth Conguisti, the Sassy Sommelier

Professional wine tasters and writers have created a lengthy list of descriptive words to help us understand the characteristics, fragrances, and aromas of the many different wine varieties on the market today. Unfortunately, many of us do not smell the same scents in the glass that the pros do.

My suggestion is to find your own descriptive words to describe what you smell in your glass when you taste. If the wine in your glass smells like your grandmother’s cedar chest, and that is something you like using to describe the wine, this will work well for you. The same is true for the taste in the glass. Look for a taste you are familiar with, things you can identify and put a name to. All the descriptive words are useless unless they can help you remember what is in your glass. Match the smell and taste of the wine to something you can identify and remember. To help you build your vocabulary of descriptive words, take time when in the grocery store to smell fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, and spices. In no time you’ll have your own lengthy list of descriptive words.

A few key words on Italian wine labels you need to pay attention to: “classic” is the word used to reference the “heart of the region”. We often see this word used on the label of wines from the Chianti region.  The other term we wanted to bring to your attention is “superiore” — to use this word on an Italian wine label indicates higher alcohol. 

My Italian heritage makes Italy my favorite place to vacation and when I am not in the country I love tasting Italian wines. Over the past few weeks we’ve tasted a few wines we would like to share with you. Our hope is you’ll find them enjoyable.

Colli di Soligio Prosecco Brut, NV:

100% Prosecco. A sparkling wine made from grapes from the Treviso hills.  A wine with delicate flavor notes of dry fruit and mangoes, with a pleasant and creamy aftertaste on the palate.

Firrato Chiarmonte Nero d’Avola:

100% Nero D’Avola. The Nero D’Avola is a native grape to Sicily. This wine is full bodied, opaque deep purple color, with ripe plum and spice notes. Exotic flavors and a silky finish. 

Tenuta de Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmingnano, Toscana DOC 2006:

A blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet and 10% Canaiolo Nero. It is ruby red in color, with attractive youthful perfumes of ripe, red fruit, strawberries and redcurrants with the French oak adding a spicy depth. On the palate, it has lovely balance between lively, red fruit characters and smooth, spicy tannins. The quality is sustained right to the finish (Wine makers notes). I couldn’t agree more.