Sweet Spot

Exactly one year ago, I started writing for PHOENIX Magazine.
Each month I have the privilege to describe a dessert from a local restaurant in a column called “Sweet Spot.”
(Yeah, tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.)
I also write a “local product” column and restaurant reviews for the magazine, which I love writing, but [...]

Tasty Turkey Burger

I merely suggested to my brother that we do some turkey burgers in addition to the beef burgers he was planning to grill for our family lunch.
Judging by the horrified look on his face, you would have thought I asked him to put mayonnaise instead of cream in his coffee. Despite what he thinks, ground [...]

Phoenix Files: 5 Must-Try Fries

(Image courtesy Bourbon Steak)

French fries never go out of style.
But lately, fries have made a resurgence of sorts, appearing on the menus of high dollar steakhouses, quirky neighborhood spots and upscale fast food joints, not to mention gracing the cover of Gourmet.
Some may think that the big daddy of all fries is found under the [...]

How to cook Swiss chard

I’m standing in line at the grocery store and the cashier starts ringing up my basket. He has to look up every single code on the produce, save bananas.
He’s young.
When he picks up the Swiss chard, he says, “what’s this?”

I tell him it’s spinach on steroids. A light bulb goes off in his head.
And then [...]

Christopher’s Louis Jadot Wine Dinner

This must be wine dinner week in Phoenix.
On Tuesday, May 19, just one night before the Binkley’s-Duncan Farms dinner and the Autostrada wine dinner, Christopher’s & Crush Lounge presents a five course dinner paired with five wines from the famed Louis Jadot winery (and a port from Portugal for dessert).
Just for fun, I’ve put a [...]

Binkley’s or Autostrada?

Next Wednesday, May 20th, two wine dinners are happening in the northeast valley and wouldn’t it be great if you could clone yourself so that you could go to both? Take a look at the menus and wine pairings, and call to make a reservation before the rest of the valley finds out.
Autostrada’s wine maker’s [...]

Coddling Baby Fennel

Don’t you just love the name baby fennel?  It sounds much more beguiling than just fennel.
Baby vegetables are either cultivated to be just babies or, including this baby fennel, are harvested before they reach maturity, so they are miniature versions of the fully matured vegetable. Generally, that means they’re not only more tender, but also [...]

Happy Mother’s Day…I miss you.

Dear Mom,
Happy Mother’s Day. I wish you were here. I would cook something for you. Something fancy because you were always so impressed when I did.
I can’t believe it’s been almost five years since you left us. I still think about you every day.
I’m not sad like I was in the beginning. Now I can [...]

Jicama – The Mexican Potato

We’ve seen this brown, bulbous root vegetable in our markets in the Southwest forever, yet without fail, someone in the grocery store will stop me and ask me what it is, followed by “what do you do with it?”
I use it as a paper weight. (Kidding).
Jicama, a staple in Mexican and South American cuisine can [...]

Montreal Steak Seasoning…

I picked up a free sample of McCormick & Co.’s Montreal Steak seasoning somewhere. I’m not exactly sure where I got it, either at a culinary festival or a culinary conference. I know that it was free because it says so right on the little packet.
We don’t eat much beef around here anymore, despite my [...]