Now that summer is officially here, it’s time to break out the salad recipes. At Thompson 105, a new North Scottsdale restaurant, executive chef Bob Reardon makes a refreshing citrus salad and has shared his recipe with us. “I love the brightness of the vinaigrette – the sweet profile balances well against the peppery arugula,” he says. “It’s a great way to showcase the amazing citrus Arizona produces.” Thompson 105 Citrus Salad Prickly Pear Dressing...
Drink ThisDrink This: Banoffee Pie Martini
Nikki BuchananJanuary 11, 2023
The banoffee, a divinely inspired British dessert whose name is a conflation of its two major ingredients – bananas and toffee – has been transformed into a blissfully boozy martini milkshake at The Parlour Room.
Desert DigestFood & DrinkMama’s Meat-Za Balls Recipe from Picazzo’s Italian Kitchen
Marilyn HawkesDecember 15, 2022
If you’re looking for a healthy appetizer to serve at upcoming holiday gatherings, Chris Disney, managing partner of Picazzo’s Italian Kitchen, shares a recipe for turkey meatballs. These delightful orbs can be served as an appetizer or main dish, Disney says. As an appetizer, Disney suggests 2-3 meatballs per person. He recommends using a chafing dish to keep the meatballs warm, and to add sauce so the meat won’t dry out. “A good marinara is...
Drink ThisDrink This: Cattle
Nikki BuchananNovember 4, 2022
Bar 1912 writes love letters to Arizona, using local ingredients to honor the state’s varied landscapes and historic industries. Of the five “5C” cocktails on the menu, Cattle is the most elegant.
Desert DigestFood & DrinkRigatoni Vodka Recipe from Sfizio Modern Italian Kitchen
Marilyn HawkesOctober 24, 2022
Chef Rocco Pezzano, owner of Sfizio Modern Italian Kitchen in the Desert Ridge area, says that pasta with vodka sauce is making a comeback. “This (dish) used to be popular in the ’80s and then disappeared. Now it’s coming back and the younger generation loves it,” he says. Pezzano offers a couple of tips: Don’t put oil in the water, because oil coats the pasta and then the sauce won’t adhere; and use a short,...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkHottie Sandwich Recipe from Chickadees Chicken and Fries
Marilyn HawkesOctober 21, 2022
If you’re hankering for a hot chicken sandwich, but don’t feel like going out, we’ve got a solution for you: Make yourself a spicy sandwich at home. To help you out, we spoke to Miguel Banuelos, executive chef at Chickadees Chicken and Fries, an Old Town Scottsdale spot that opened on Labor Day weekend. He graciously shared one of the chicken sandwich recipes with us. Banuelos offers a couple of tips when making the sandwich...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkCaesar Salad Recipe from Humble Pie and Humble Bistro
Marilyn HawkesSeptember 28, 2022
Executive chef Jorge Gomez takes great pride in all the recipes he’s crafted for Humble Pie and Humble Bistro, including his updated Caesar salad. “I wanted to create something a little different,” he says. Gomez’s recipe veers from the iconic Caesar with the addition of pickled jalapeños for a “little kick” in the dressing and fried Brussels sprout leaves and toasted panko bread crumbs in the salad. “I want every bite to have a crunch,...
If you’re looking for an easy pasta dish to wow your dinner guests, executive chef Dylan Shortridge of Society by EVO in Tempe shares his garlic shrimp recipe. Shortridge, previously with Bourbon & Bones and Pinnacle Peak Country Club, really likes this dish because it incorporates three of his favorite ingredients: garlic, onions and citrus. The recipe is pretty straightforward, but Shortridge cautions against overcooking the shrimp and garlic. “I add the garlic right after...
When you go to locally-owned breakfast and lunch eatery U.S. Egg, you’re probably thinking about tucking into a stack of pancakes or a fully loaded omelet with hash browns. But did you know that the restaurants also offer a soup du jour? Chef Mario Gebran recently shared his recipe for the restaurant’s chicken veggie soup. If you want to make a smaller batch, cut the ingredients in half. The recipe calls for onion, celery and...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkZ’Tejas Huevos Rancheros Recipe
Marilyn HawkesNovember 10, 2021
If you’re searching for a novel brunch dish to serve your holiday guests (or perhaps tuck away for your own use), the folks at Z’Tejas have shared their popular huevos rancheros recipe. The multi-layered dish has a lot of components, but if you have all the ingredients lined up, you can make it in a snap. As for the Mexican cheese, Z’Tejas Chef Diego Bolan uses a mix of Oaxaca, Monterey jack, asadero, panela and...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkChicken Pot Pie Recipe from The Lodge Sasquatch Kitchen
Marilyn HawkesMay 20, 2021
Even though we’re heading into summer, there are plenty of folks who still want to eat a hot, hearty meal. And if you don’t feel like heating up your house, visit The Lodge Sasquatch Kitchen for some comfort food classics, including mac and cheese and double crust chicken pot pie. If you’re keen on making the pot pie at home, The Lodge’s chef Jose Dominguez has shared the recipe with us. A couple of tips...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkPCG Pasta Recipe
Craig OuthierApril 14, 2021
Hard to believe it’s been nearly 25 years since Phoenix City Grille brought its brand of casual-but-sophisticated urban dining to North-Central Phoenix. One constant through it all: the restaurant’s now-iconic signature pasta dish, which isn’t so hard to whip up at home. 1 1/2 cups penne pasta, cooked 2 tbsp. olive oil 6 oz. raw chicken breast, diced 1/4 cup Chardonnay or other white wine 1/4 cup chicken stock 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 tbsp. roasted...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkIrish Soda Bread Recipe from Mediterra Bakehouse
Marilyn HawkesMarch 16, 2021
Photo courtesy Mediterra Bakehouse Most people attribute soda bread to the Irish, but the quick bread was first made by Native Americans. “They were some of the first to combine soda in bread,” says Nick Ambeliotis of Mediterra Bakehouse. The Irish began making soda (baking soda) bread in the 1830s when baking soda was introduced to the United Kingdom and is now associated with St. Patrick’s Day. If you want to try baking the...
Desert DigestFood & DrinkChef Mark Tarbell Contributes Vegan Dish to Jacques Pépin’s Celebrity Cookbook
Leah LeMoineMarch 12, 2021
Mark Tarbell by Joanie Simon When legendary French chef Jacques Pépin – known nearly as much for his kindness as his cuisine – asks you to do something, you say yes. That’s what Valley chef Mark Tarbell, a legend in his own right, has learned over the years. “My first cookbook, at age 15, was La Technique by Jacques Pépin,” he says. “Many years later in the ’80s, when I was working at the Boulders Resort, we did an event with Jacques which marked the beginning of a long...