Dine Out Diva

Join Pam Swartz, founder of Dine Out, LLC and author of Dine Out Phoenix, Arizona's leading dining guide, on her culinary adventures.

Your insider's guide to solving your dining dilemma in-and-around Phoenix and Scottsdale with restaurant reviews, mouth-watering photos, plus culinary events, trends, and musings you can chew on!


Contributer Barbara Toombs:

Barbara Toombs has always secretly yearned to be a chef, even working as a chef's assistant at a cooking school for a period of time! But she followed her initial instinct (and education) to be a writer and editor, and after living and working on three continents, she eventually discovered how to blend her passion for food with her passion for writing, and is now content to write about great food, great chefs, and great restaurants...while dabbling in gourmet cooking in her own kitchen.


Blog


Personal chef to the rescue

 

I love my kitchen, but it's not exactly what I like to face after a stressful day at work.

I love my kitchen, but it’s not exactly what I like to face after a stressful day at work.

Those who know me know that I absolutely love to cook and bake (and eat good food, of course).  I would have never thought myself a candidate for the services of a personal chef, not for one doggone minute.  Nope, not even when I was faced with a week full of stresses of end-of-the-month deadlines at work (yes, I have a “real” job), caring for a sick granddaughter, catching a bug myself, and having to feed three people at home that same week.

Well, wait a minute. Continue reading “Personal chef to the rescue” »

Posted in Blog, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Food Nerd Army is marching strong

Dominic Armato, the "general" behind the Food Nerd Army.

Dominic Armato, the “general” behind the Food Nerd Army.

It was a pretty convincing recruitment pitch, conducted at the very first (and hopefully not the last) Ignite Food (part of the popular Ignite Phoenix events) in March 2012. Dominic Armato, whom I had met just prior to the event (while he was cooking up a killer gumbo for a Mardi Gras party at a friend’s house), stood before the audience and launched into his impassioned plea to join his “Food Nerd Army.” (You can view the video here.) Continue reading “The Food Nerd Army is marching strong” »

Posted in Blog, Events, Trends | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Did someone say beer and brats?

 

Baked in a stone hearth, the Brat Haüs pretzel is a fantastic break from ho-hum “bar snacks.” Order the fonduta for dipping, and mix in some of that house-made whole grain mustard!

 

Anyone who knows Chef Payton Curry (perhaps from previous gigs at Digestif, Caffe Boa, Welcome Diner, or sightings at FnB) knows that when he gets passionate about a project, he throws his heart and soul into making everything no less than perfect.  But I gotta admit I had my doubts when he initially told me about his next big venture, a Scottsdale-based German biergarten featuring a variety of brats, burgers, and craft beers.  I had to wonder if that genre was going to be a big enough canvas for his creative chef-foolery.   Continue reading “Did someone say beer and brats?” »

Posted in Blog, Events, Photos, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Chef Charles Wiley Shares His Creamy Grits Recipe

We can’t wait to see what Chef Charles Wiley/ZuZu will be serving up at Dine Out with the Chefs this year on Sunday, October 7, at 3PM at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. But in the meantime, he shares his recipe for his ever popular Creamy Grits which often accompanies his mouth-watering short ribs. Thanks Chef!

(photo courtesy of Kristin April Photography)

Creamy Grits

Yields:                  3 cups

1 ½ cup                      Water

1 cup                            Milk

3/4 cup                        Grits, course ground

1 Tbsp                           Butter, unsalted, cubed

¼ cup                           Mascarpone

To taste                        Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

 

  1. Bring water and milk to a boil.  Slowly add grits, stirring constantly.
  1. Lower heat and let cook for about 15 minutes; stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
  1. The grits are done when there is texture but very little give to the cornmeal.  Remove from the heat, stir in the cubed butter and mascarpone. Adjust seasoning and consistency with a little more water if necessary.

 

 

Posted in Blog, Events, Photos | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Delicious Inks

By Cindy Zimmerman
writinginstyle.com 

Deliciously wonderful! When you think about it, ink is not unlike the delectable sauces used to add a finishing note to fine entrées. They both come in endless colors and textures. They both elegantly dress up the simplest of notes, the simplest of dishes. A touch of special ink or a special sauce, added here and there, can turn the otherwise mundane into a beautiful masterpiece. And the ink itself can be a masterpiece: luscious reds and purples, crisp greens, intense, citrus-inspired yellows and oranges, lush blues, smoky grays or toasty browns.

But the connections between ink and food go beyond this. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a twelfth century ink recipe that calls for wine. Yes, hawthorn branches, water, wine, iron salts and more wine. The branches are cut in the springtime, and then dried, soaked in water, boiled with wine, hung in special bags in the sun, mixed with a bit more wine and iron salts, hung over a fire, and the ink is complete.

I also learned that ink made from vinegar serves up a number of environmental benefits. I had never thought my favorite balsamic vinegar might be pressed into service for writing. It had never crossed my mind. I began to think that I should start making my own ink. Wouldn’t that be fun? However, I am always careful to research my creative ideas. So, I reached out to my friend chef Gabe Bertaccini and asked him, “What do you know of delectable inks?”

Chef Bertaccini is known for using only the best ingredients and adding great wines, simple execution and great passion, in the culinary tradition of his beautiful homeland, Italy. As executive chef at the Los Angeles Il Tocco restaurant and the creator of the extraordinary Culinary Mischief underground dining events, he will surely know the answer to my question, I thought. To my dismay, my dear friend replied, “Cindy, my love, let me do the cooking, you drink the wine,and buy your ink from a pen store. The wrong combination of food, drink or ink, and you might not be around to talk with me about handwritten notes!”

Did I mention the chef is ever prudent? And I think he might just be right! So for now, at least, I’ll continue to accent my handwritten compositions with specialty inks from my favorite makers in the tastiest colors I can find. Because in the world of communication, as in the culinary world, presentation is everything.

Chef Gabe Bertaccini divides his time between Phoenix, Los Angeles and Florence. For more about his private dinners and culinary events, visit iltoccofood.com. Catch him hosting or in a guest spot in Phoenix Channel 3’s Your Life, A to Z.

Posted in Blog | Leave a comment