By Kira J Wills, Guest Blogger for Foodies Like US
Check out her blog at: www.saturday-chef.blogspot.com

There are infinite things to learn about cooking:  techniques, knife skills, information on thousands of ingredients, how to salvage recipes gone wrong.  Every recipe teaches me something, as does every mistake.  One of  the most important lessons I’ve learned is that cooking is a labor of love, a gift to the senses.

Chefs on reality shows and the super-chefs of the Food Network nearly bludgeon viewers with their big idea of Cooking With Love, the use artful and creative preparation of food as a way to express affection to family and loved ones.  It is a beautiful sentiment, and realistically, a fantastic and wholesomely marketable way to promote celebrity chefs and their shows, and sell Food Network cookware.

But it’s also true.

The act of cooking serves a paramount purpose: nourishing the people close to you.  It is a simple task that can be incredibly profound, and it’s never more apparent than when you discover or create a recipe that inspires much more than just yummy noises.  A simple meal can be the bedrock of tradition and nurture celebration.  My understanding of the Cooking With Love concept has once again been reinforced by creating.  It is everything I love: rustic braised chicken suspended in a rich sauce studded with potatoes.  It is warming and hearty, and can be made in about an hour.  It is the perfect meal to make for your family on a holiday or on a brutal winter day as an edible “I love you.”

I have dubbed this dish Cooking School Chicken as I get to practice a lot of techniques—braising, deglazing, chopping—and because it has taught me the biggest cooking lesson there is.

Ingredients

1 pound baby red potatoes, cut in bite-size pieces

6 to 8 chicken thighs (with bone and skin)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Flour for dredging

Olive oil

1 ½ to 2 medium leeks, washed and finely chopped

1 cup dry white wine

2 to 3 carrots, peeled, cut in edible pieces

4 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or juice of ½ lemon)

2 tablespoons Half & Half

Salt, Pepper

Parsley Flakes (optional)

Cut potatoes into even bite-size pieces, halves or quarters for the larger spuds.  Rinse.  Pour potatoes into a medium pot, cover with water and place over medium-high heat to boil while you chop vegetables and prep chicken.  Boil potatoes until they are soft but still a bit firm, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain.  Season conservatively with salt, pepper and a pat of butter.

Wash and finely chop leeks.  Set aside.

Peel and rinse carrots.  Quarter carrots lengthwise, then cut into roughly 2-inch strips  (Note: You can use baby carrots to decrease prep time.  I have used both.  I find that larger carrots impart more flavor.  And I really like peeling them).

Rinse and pat chicken dry.  Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme on both sides.  Dredge in flour seasoned with same spices.  Be sure to tap chicken gently to remove any excess flour.

Place the biggest skillet you have (16” of bigger) over moderately high heat and add enough olive oil to coat bottom of the pan.  When oil is hot, place chicken skin-side down and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.  You may need to work in batches as not to crowd the pan.  Transfer chicken to plate.

Drain off oil, chicken juices and darkened flour and reserve in measuring cup.  Carefully wipe out any burnt bits from bottom of pan.

Place skillet over medium heat.  Add about 2 tablespoons of reserved oil, then leeks.  Sweat until leeks are soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper.  Deglaze with white wine.  Cook until liquid begins to bubble at the sides.  Add carrots and 1 teaspoon of thyme.

Add 2 cups of chicken broth and stir to combine, allow to cook until liquid is boiling and has reduced a bit.  Add chicken, skin-side up, and juices from plate.  Cover and simmer chicken on low until meat can be easily removed from the bone with a fork and carrots are done, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Shake the pan peridocially while simmer.

When chicken is done, transfer to plate.  The leftover liquid should now be thicker and even formed a brown crust in some spots (don’t panic, it’s flavor!).  Increase heat to medium.  Add remaining chicken broth and stir.  Let sauce thicken and reduce for about 10 minutes.  Season with pepper and thyme if needed.  Add potatoes and two palmfuls of parsley flaskes for color.

When sauce has thickened to desired consistency, add lemon juice to brighten and Half & Half to thicken.  Check and adjust seasoning if needed*.  Add chicken back to skillet and leave on heat for a few minutes to marry flavors.

Serve immediately.  This can be made a day ahead of time.

Recipe Notes

*Lemon juice will bring out the flavor of salt, so use it conservatively when seasoning sauce and vegetables.

*Also, I almost always use Half & Half in place of heavy cream.  It’s readibly available, and a bit healthier.  Feel free to use cream if you wish

By J.E. Pizarro, Chief Executive Foodie

Winter in Phoenix has been known to make those that are enduring these recent winter storms dumping feet of snow on their roads green with envy. Those of us who are fortunate enough to live here do occasionally enjoy going up north to enjoy colder temperatures and actual seasonal changes. One great place to escape to is Sedona.

My friend Chris and I recently took an overnight trip up to Sedona to enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as stay at one of my favorite places: L’Auberge de Sedona.

This place is a must-visit with a significant other. Jump in the car, drive the hour and a half and experience a very unique staycation.

The place is currently undergoing some renovations, but having stayed in one of the renovated Spa cottages, the updates are significant and really bring the hotel up another star.

The hotel has cottages lined up against a creek with fireplaces, indoor/outdoor showers, super comfortable beds and a staff that really knows how to cater to its customers.  From check-in to checkout the entire experience was nothing short of spectacular.

Now, lets talk about the restaurant.  The restaurant was one of the biggest surprises that I’ve had this year.

The views of the creek and its quaint atmosphere could not have prepared me for the culinary masterpiece that I was about to enjoy.

Chef David Schmidt has spent what seems an eternity perfecting the items on the menu.  All of them equally delectable and savory as the next.  I admit it had been quite a few years since I had been to the restaurant, so I had forgotten about my last dining experience there.

I guarantee that I will not be forgetting this one any time soon.

I started out with the Goat Cheese and Beet Salad.  Served with a Humboldt fog, goat cheese mousse and red beet syrup.  It had an unbelievable mix of flavors and although my business partner Susie doesn’t like beets, I think she would have truly enjoyed this one.

My friend Chris enjoyed the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with marinated grapes, toasted almonds and drizzled with a romesco sauce.  Though not a “foodie” by any means, Chris cleaned his plate then went back to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

Next course was the Lobster Bisque with Cognac foam, lemon-pressed olive oil and shrimp toast.  The crisp rainy weather and cold temperatures made this the perfect item to have on such a day.  The bisque was buttery smooth and bursting with robust flavors.  The shrimp toast that accompanied it also absorbed the flavor of the lobster bisque and added another dimension of texture in it self.  I wish I could have taken some home in a thermos.  (read..Chef David, next time, I’m bringing one)

The following course is where the chef truly out did himself.  Chris had the Maine Lobster and Pan Roasted Diver Scallops (served with red pepper gratin, glazed dates and lemon-brown butter, though there is an onion souise, Chris opted not to have that included since he doesn’t like anything onion related).   Meanwhile I enjoyed the Roasted Port Tenderloin with cider-glazed pork belly, fall mushrooms, potato puree and a blackberry gastrique.

Both dishes were in the top ten of best meals I’ve had this year (maybe top 5).  Susie and I have spent more time in restaurants this year that in our own kitchens, so I feel like an expert by now!

I am definitely going to be making a trip up there just to show her Chef David’s culinary talents.

Finally, they presented us with dessert.  About two months ago while sitting at a restaurant in Phoenix I was speaking to two women and it turned out that one of them was the Pastry Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona Restaurant.  I had completely forgotten about that conversation until I saw Pastry Chef Carrie Davis again.

She really makes one of the most beautiful looking desserts I have every seen.  She was gracious enough to send over a sampling of some of her desserts that without hesitation we proceeded to eat until the last bite.

This culinary experience alone is worth the drive and but I highly recommend a stay-cation to go along with it.

The restaurant also has a fantastic brunch on Sunday mornings with plenty of food for all tastes.

Had we more time, I would have like to have stayed and enjoyed the ever-flowing mimosas and multiple courses of food that it has to offer.  Rest assured, I will be making another trip very soon.

By Susie Timm, Chief Operating Foodie
With his “culinary gansta” chef skull tattoo, signature bleached blonde locks and bowling shirts, Guy Fieri has rapidly become a foodie icon that represents the All-American chef.

I have been watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and Guy’s Big Bite on the Food Network since both shows began airing. To say I am a fan is an understatement. There’s just something about Guy Fieri…

This year, we were offered the opportunity to promote Fieri’s Roadshow at the Mesa Arts Center and we decided to host the pre-party that features 11 of the restaurants in Arizona that have been on Triple D. These events will take place on December 18, 2009.

Imagine my elation, when I was offered the unique chance to speak to Guy on the phone and to ask him some burning foodie questions!

The day before Thanksgiving, as Fieri was literally loading his truck and heading to the mountains to celebrate the holiday with 10 other families, smoked turkey and prime rib, he and I had our chat.

First, I asked him what he thinks of the term “foodie.”

“I think that ‘foodie’ is a misunderstood word. I haven’t thought of a better one yet and I am not sure how I feel about the ‘ie’ on the end of the word. I think people assume ‘foodie’ means ‘food snob,’ which it clearly does not. I guess we could call them ‘foodtastic people,’” Fieri laughed.

Fieri does enjoy making up words and terms that may be pedestrian in the purist of culinary circles (think chocolate-y, money, bananas, real deal holyveal); however, I think he is incredibly amusing and easy to relate to. Foodtastic is another gem that I will credit to him each time I repeat it!

I asked him when he knew that he was destined to cook and if he had an “ah-ha” culinary moment.

He replied,” When I was ten years old, I was complaining about food to my parents and my mom said, ‘if you don’t like it, you can do the cooking.’ I went to the store, picked up some steak and cooked it up. At that moment, I figured out that if I did the cooking, I got to pick what we ate, make people happy and I didn’t have to do the dishes.”

Hey, I have that same arrangement with my husband!!

At this point in the year, Fieri has been to seven stops on his 21 city whirlwind Roadshow tour. (find out where’s he’s off to next at www.guyfieri.com)

“This tour has been amazing, and overwhelming so far, but one of the best experiences of my life,” Fieri explained.

I asked him if he was excited to hit up Phoenix again on the tour as he’s been here to film Triple D 13 times.
“There’s just something about those places that are either very hot or very cold. I think you guys spend so much time inside perfecting your food. Every time we are looking for a new place I suggest we head down to Arizona. There’s some really special brothers and sisters I have met in Arizona, we’ve had some great success there,” said Fieri.

When I told him all about the pre-party before his Roadshow in Mesa, uniting all the chefs who have been on the show in Az, he said he “literally have chills,” and “I am so excited to hear you are doing that, you made my day.”

He would not pick a favorite city or restaurant featured on Triple D saying, “it’s like a concert, you can go, love the music and say ‘this is the best concert I have ever been to,’ but the next week you can go hear another performer who sings a different style and say the same thing again. These restaurants—it’s all in the moment—every one is great in the moment.”

About the different chefs and owners he has met he said, “My favorite chef is the All-American Chef –I am most impressed, blown away even by these restaurateurs on the road.”

I could hear in his voice that he genuinely loves what he is doing each and every day, from the cooking show to the Roadshow to Triple D. I asked him if he had a favorite project and he said, “each one feeds a different need for me.”

His favorite part of his job is, “The positive impact the shows have had on people. When people tell me I’ve changed their business, then I know I’m doing this right,” he said.

He said he would believe he would more likely “be on the moon,” that to have had the wild successes since he won the second season of the “Next Food Network Star” in 2006.

I was curious what essential kitchen item he would recommend to foodies and home cooks.

“First and foremost good knives—or a good knife. They are a huge necessity. It’s also important to sharpen and hone your knives. You don’t have to have a knife block, but a good chef’s knife and a paring knife for small work is where it’s at,” said Fieri.

Stranded on a desert island with his favorite meat, pork, Fieri would opt for garlic to flavor the meat and a Jack Daniels cocktail.

I am a huge fan of pitting foods against one another and asking the inevitable: If you only could choose one, which would it be?

Here’s what Fieri had to say:
Chocolate vs. Peanut Butter: Peanut Butter—I don’t like chocolate
Wasabi vs. Horseradish: Horseradish—that kills me—I own a restaurant called “Tex Wasabi’s!”
Steak or lobster: steak
Cherry or strawberry: strawberry, you realize there’s like 17 facets to each of these answers?
Guacamole vs. salsa: Salsa—my head is close to popping off my body with these questions, you know that right?
Chips or Ice Cream: Chips
BBQ or Chinese: ahhh Chinese!
Red Wine or White Wine: oh yea red wine
Mojito or Mai Tai: Mai Tai

At this point in the interview, he complimented my, “unique and interesting questions,” and so I decided, “what the hell” I am going to ask him about his ink.

As a tattoo fan, I wanted to know if he had any “food themed” tattoos.

“I have my culinary gansta tattoo that my buddies and I all have of a skull chef. I have my monkey wrench tattoo hand holding a fish knife. My newest tattoo coming next will be the culinary scorpion—his whole body will be made of kitchen utensils,” Fieri explained.

I found Fieri to be charming, funny and 100% sincere. What you see is what you get.

He took the time on a holiday weekend to give me an interview. That in it self will resound with me forever!

After the interview, I was on a serious high. Lucky for me, Food Network played the Diners, Drive-ins and Dives marathon all day on Friday.

I was inspired to try a couple of Triple D restaurants out this weekend. For lunch today, Eric and I went to Chino Bandido in North Phoenix.

This unique restaurant features Chinese-Mexican fusion—all served up in an aluminum pie plate!

Now I certainly know why this joint was on the show! To quote Fieri, It was “OFF THE HOOK!”

The owners, Eve and Frank Collins sat with us as we sampled Jade Red Chicken, Emerald Chicken Quesadillas, Cuban Black Beans, Jerk Fried Rice and Machaca Burritos.

The regaled us with all sorts of tales about their Guy Fieri experience and how much he has meant to their business.

“He was genuine and so easy to work with,” said Eve, ”The whole experience was amazing for us.”

Eric and I hung out at Chino’s for over 2 hours and although we really wanted the Collinses to adopt us, we reluctantly went home and started on our Triple D marathon.

After 9 hours of Guy Fieri and Triple D episodes, we saw many of the Arizona featured restaurants and of course, I cannot wait to try every single one!

Now on a Triple D Arizona roll, I called up Richard Bock from Giuseppe’s on 28th and we tried it out Saturday night.

I had pork shank osso bucco. It was heavenly. The very best I have ever had. One of the best things I have ever tasted.

Jay tried the pasta Bolognese and Eric had meat lasagna. All completely different yet all stunning flavors. The tiramisu was also light, creamy and one of the most delicious I have ever had.

About halfway through our dinner, I finally figured it out. Guy Fieri, the restaurants on his show and the chefs he features are just quite simply: real.

There’s not a hint of pretense. Most likely if you show up to 99% of the places on his show, you will meet the person who was featured in the flesh.

Like the Collineses who work the line and sample their foods to hungry customers with a smile. Or Bock who takes names down on a clipboard with a sharpie, holds the door for waiting foodies, refills waters and generally makes comical wise cracks to regulars and newbies alike.

Just real. Normal, kind and extremely passionate people.

“Some of the chefs in this town cook how they think people want to eat, I cook from my experiences. I cook from my heart,” said Bock.

It’s this attitude that earns these chefs the well-deserved recognition they get from Fieri and Food Network.

Guy Fieri is the epitome of an All-American Chef who has true admiration and respect for his fellow restaurant owners and their passion for real and delicious cuisine.

My glimpse into his world was truly one of the most fun experiences I have had.

***NOTE****As of today, November 30, 2009, There are currently 70 tickets left to the Pre-Party and Roadshow on December 18 at the Mesa Arts Center. These special tickets are ONLY available to Foodies Like Us Fans and you can purchase them for $48 (plus handling fees) by calling 480-644-6500, mention promo code “Foodies”. Click here for more information. Don’t miss out on the chance to sample food from 11 of the restaurants who have been on Triple D in Arizona and then watch Guy Fieri live and in person as he wows us with his cooking prowess!!

Here’s a couple of local Triple D Recipes you should try!
Pollo Diabo, Courtesy of Eve Collins, Chino Bandido
Ingredients
* 12 cups corn oil, for deep frying
* 3/4 cup egg whites
* 4 quarters skinless chicken, boned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* Garlic salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 3 cups cornstarch
Garlic Mixture:
* 4 tablespoons minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon minced yellow onion
* 3/4 tablespoon minced green onion
* Pinch dried crushed red pepper
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 minced Serrano pepper
* 1/2 minced jalapeno pepper
* Pinch garlic salt
* Pinch garlic powder
* 1/2 cup hot chili oil, divided
* 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
* 2 cups freshly chopped green onions
* Pinch garlic salt

Directions
In a Dutch oven or deep-fryer heat oil to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a handheld mixer until frothy. Place the chicken pieces into the egg whites, mixing until each piece is covered. Sprinkle with a pinch each of garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir to distribute.
Dredge the chicken pieces in cornstarch, draining most of the egg white from chicken by picking up a handful and allowing the egg white to drain while moving to the cornstarch. Cover the pieces completely by turning in cornstarch.

Pick up the chicken in handfuls and transfer from hand to hand to shake off most of the starch. If using a deep fryer place the pieces into a fry basket. Lower into hot fry oil and shake basket after 10 to 15 seconds to make sure the pieces separate as they cook. Fry until the pieces float on top of the oil and are light brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. The chicken should appear somewhat dry, not oily, when the basket is lifted. If frying in a Dutch oven place pieces of chicken in hot oil and fry until light brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
For the Garlic Mixture:
In a small bowl, add all the garlic mixture ingredients and toss to thoroughly combine.
Place 1 tablespoon of hot chili oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil into a hot wok or sauté pan over medium to high heat. Immediately put 4 tablespoons of the garlic mixture and 1/3 cup chopped green onions into the oil, stirring with a spoon to lightly cook the garlic mixture, being careful not to brown. Add approximately 2 cups of the fried chicken and toss to cover with the sauce. Finish them with a pinch of garlic salt. Toss once more and serve. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Emerald Sauce, Courtesy of Eve Collins, Chino Bandido
¼ cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
¾ cup finely minced green onion
2 tsp. kosher salt (can be adjusted to taste)
1 cup vegetable oil

Combine ginger, green onion and salt in small bowl.  Add vegetable oil, stirring to combine and dissolve salt.  Strain mixture thru cheesecloth to drain most of the oil. Oil can be reserved for other recipes. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
This recipe is great on chicken, shrimp, pork or as a salsa!

I have only appreciated lamb as meat option for about five years. Prior to that, I had reservations. “Oh, lambs are so cuddly. Oh, my mother has a stuffed lamb collection in the house. Oh, I have seen them on the farm since I was a kid.”

Oh no. No longer. I am a huge fan. Lamb is delicious in almost every form I have tried it. Here’s a brief list of my faves:

Gyros (To me, the best way!), Shank, Chops, Skewered

I have toured all over this great nation seeking out the very best lamb recipes. In Arizona, I love My Big Fat Greek Restaurant’s Gyros. They bring tears to my eyes and I crave them at strange hours of the day (I have woken up at 2 AM craving gyros on more than one occasion!) I also love the lamb chops at Heirloom and the lamb-pops at Christopher’s.

For all of my adventurous foodie travels, I have never cooked lamb at home. I thought, “I will leave lamb to the experts. I don’t want to dry it out, screw it up blah, blah.” You get the point.

I have conquered my fear ladies and gentleman. With one simple recipe, I have proven that lamb is affordable, accessible and delicious. In my own kitchen!

In my spare time, I am moderately obsessed with reading cookbooks and cooking magazines. It’s a food porn sickness. But, it has made me a better chef ten fold! I was reading Rachael Ray’s mag (June/July 2009 which is filled w/ great recipes this month) last weekend in the Jacuzzi (my preferred place to read cookbooks) and I found this recipe and got very excited!  I headed out to Albertson’s and was very pleased to see they carry lamb in various forms. I picked up 1 lb of ground lamb for about $8. Well worth it!

 

 

Middle Eastern Sliders

            4 pita breads

            1-1/2 pounds ground beef (I used lamb because I didn’t even notice it was beef on the recipe!)

            1 teaspoon ground cumin

            Salt and pepper

            1 romaine heart, thinly sliced crosswise

            1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

            1/2 cup dill pickle slices

            1 tablespoon estra-virgin olive oil

            1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

             3/4 cup store-bought hummus

Preheat a grill to medium-high. (I did this all on the stove top and warmed the pitas in the broiler)

Stack the pitas and wrap in heavy-duty foil; place on the grill and cover to warm.

In a large bowl, combine the beef with the cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; shape into twelve 1/3-inch-thick patties.

In another large bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes and pickles; toss with the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

 

Remove the pitas from the grill. Transfer the beef patties to the grill, cover and grill for 2 minutes on each side for medium.

 

 

Spread each pita with some of the hummus, then top with some of the salad and 3 patties. Serve with the lemon wedges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only 2 changes I made were: substitute lamb for beef and I added tzatziki sauce (yogurt, lemon juice, cucumber, garlic, dill, s & p) to the pitas when they were filled.

After taking his first bite, my husband made a noise akin to a “squeal” and said, “Wow these are amazing.” I thanked Rachael for YET AGAIN proving her recipes are simple, delicious and easy to make at home.

So foodies, try this at home! It will be well worth it!