It’s that time of year again, when everyone and Bob’s uncle crank out a trends list.

We maintain a running list of food and beverage finds throughout the year. The ones with multiple entries are considered for our year-end Food Fads or Trends? list.

In 2009 and 2010, we easily identified Sweet 16 Trends (or Fads). This year it wasn’t so easy — we settled on 10.

Are they trends or fads, or just really good at bubbling to the top via marketing and mentions?

You decide…

Ingredients:

1. Rabbit

We joked in April about rabbit belly becoming the next hot trend. (Could “Beyond Pork Belly” be a trend? A good writer friend says lamb belly is the latest rage).

Back to the bunny, it turns out we weren’t too far off, but it wasn’t just the belly… it was the hindquarters and loin, too. Home cooks got in on the act, too, with more access to fresh rabbit through high-end butcher shops, grocery stores and sites such as Gilt Taste.

2. Harissa

We’re talking about the hot red chile condiment originating in Tunisia, not the Arab soupy lamb and wheat dish that goes by the same name. Restaurants, such as FnB in Scottsdale paired the spicy relish with vegetables for a kick, and others were marinating meats with harissa, such as Barley Swine in Austin.

3. Kimchi

This fermented cabbage dish is the first thing we think of when thinking about Korean food. We spotted kimchi (also spelled kimchee) at farmers’ markets and on restaurant menus and in cookbooks. And of course, the Kimchi Chronicles launched on PBS this year, featuring Marja Vongerichten.

4. Black foods

Rice? Check…Forbidden rice. Lentils? Check…black beluga. Pasta? Check..squid ink. Garlic? Check…fermented black garlic. Crackers? Check… blackened with charcoal powder. We did a round-up of black foods earlier this year.

Beverages:

5. Bitters

A common theme from planet cocktail was the rise of bitters, from the classic standards Angostura and Peychaud’s, to small batch bitters made by individual bartenders. The book Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All pushed the fever for bitters even higher. Home “pharmacists” are experimenting, too, including a Phoenix-based engineer-turned-weekend bitters warrior, who documents his experiments on Facebook at AZ Bitters Lab.

 Media:

6. Online food magazines

Print Gourmet magazine may have kicked the bucket but it lives on (sort of) online as Gourmet Live. Other print magazines moved from paper to internet, including Culinary Thymes, while others began media life online, such as Organic Connections. We expect to see more food magazines with online only issues.

7. Culinary apps

Sure, there were culinary apps before 2011, but this year the floodgates opened as everyone got in on the “there’s an app” for that. Want to know where (and what) chefs eat? There’s an app for that. It’s called Chefs Feed. Martha Stewart’s Whole Living smoothies, Baking with Dorie Greenspan, and The Professional Chef from the Culinary Institute of America are just a few that launched this year.

8. Cookbooks

Printed cookbooks had a banner year, and two themes that seemed prolific were chefs cooking at home (Jean-George Vongerichten, Ferran Adriá, and John Besh) and bloggers-turned cookbook authors (Lisa Fain of the Homesick Texan, Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites and Jessie Oleson of CakeSpy.)

Desserts:

Photo courtesy of Our Feeding Frenzy Blog

9. Popsicles & Paletas

The Zoku pop machine hit home kitchens and entrepreneurs like Fru Fru Pops hit the farmers’ market, cooling us down in the process. Mexican popsicles (paletas) were big, too, as Chandler, AZ based Paletas Betty opened a second location in Tempe, AZ. Our Feeding Frenzy blog spent a good bit of the summer tempting us with very grown-up cocktail ice pops, ensuring everyone got sweet relief from the summer heat wave.

Other:

10. German Pub Grub

We don’t have solid data on this one, but we feel it. Maybe it’s because of the fabulous alpine cuisine at Grüner in Portland. Or maybe it’s the continuing rise in “gastropub” popularity (Meddlesome Moth in Dallas, Citizen Public House in Scottsdale). For whatever reason, we think there’s room for gastropubs who focus on updated German classics (charcuterie, terrines, potatoes, sausages, pickled vegetables, etc.)

Bonus round: Things we can’t seem to get enough of

Burgers

Oh, America, will you ever tire of burgers? Apparently not, especially if said burger is piled high with fried things and there’s a big honking knife stuck in it.

Southern food

Bon Appetit magazine anointed Husk, a Southern restaurant in Charleston, the best in the land. Countless cookbooks on Southern food emerged, including Basic to Brilliant by Virginia Willis. Grits, cornbread, and fried okra spread from sea to shining sea.

Small plates

Few restaurants can survive serving only small plates, but it’s rare for a modern American restaurant to not have a least a smattering of small plates. A few of those doing it well include FnB in Scottsdale, Ned Ludd in Portland, and Barley Swine in Austin.

Related:

2010 Sweet 16 Food Fads or Trends?

2009 Sweet 16 Food Fads or Trends?

Tags: bitters, black foods, food fads, food trends, food trends 2011, German Pub food, harissa, kimchi, popsicles, rabbit
Posted in News & Nibbles | 2 Comments »

Sometimes the best laid plans get up and walk away — and I’m not talking about when these Pernod-soaked figs self-flambéed as I turned off the heat. (Note to self: use a taller pan next time.)

I’m talking about my BIG plans for my 200th gourmet smoothie — the one where I’d finally stop the smoothie madness.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know I’ve got a little love affair going on with smoothies.

When I started the Gourmet Smoothie Project in the summer of 2010, I didn’t have a plan.

It was hot… I was thirsty… and there was a gorgeous melon on my counter… so I made a Melon + Peach + Chai smoothie.

The next day, I made another one: Strawberry + Basil + Lime.

Before I knew it, I’d made 199 gourmet smoothies.

(You can see a good chunk of them in my Flickr Smoothie Set.)

I had big plans for a fantastic, final smoothie. Number 200.

It was going to be epic.

It was going to be boozy. (Why not? It’s the holidays.)

To make my gourmet smoothies, I pilfer my packed pantry, experimenting with ingredients such as pink peppercorns, lavender buds, juniper berries, and rose water.

I study my chef comrades, stealing their ideas, such as a Honeydew + Hatch Green Chile + Lime smoothie, based on a chilled soup I slurped at Chef Joshua Hebert’s Posh restaurant in Scottsdale.

Recently, had a dessert with Sambuca macerated figs and a bit of orange, draped over a ricotta cheesecake. The cheesecake was so-so, but the figs were outrageous. I didn’t have Sambuca, but I had Pernod, the French substitute for absinthe that tastes of licorice.

Perfect! So I set about to make (and document) my final smoothie. But I forgot the crucial element one should consider in a final anything.

Does it blow me away and scream “That’s IT!” ?

This one? Eh, not so much. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s very tasty.

Thick and boozy, figgy and orangey.

On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a solid 8.

In my head, though, this one was a 10. It sounded like a 10, but as it turns out, it tastes like an 8.

There’s nothing wrong with that. I have had plenty of 8′s I’ve been thrilled with and still make because they are really delicious, for example, the Pineapple + Black Pepper + Saffron and the Papaya + Coconut + Curry.

But I can’t quit on an 8.

So, I’ve decided this will not be my last smoothie. No way. Ain’t gonna happen.

Smoothie # 200: Fig + Pernod + Orange

Here it is — #200 — a very good smoothie — just not the final one.

Makes 2-1/2 cups: enough for 2 large or 4 small servings

Ingredients:
2-1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) dried Mission figs, stems removed and halved
1/3 cup Pernod

Method:
Bring figs and Pernod to a vigorous simmer in a tall saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer 1 minute and then turn off the heat. Set aside to cool. Figs will soak up some of the liquor, but not all of it. Chill figs (with liquid) until ready to use.

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups low fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
Figs from above (with liquid)
Leaves from 2 (4-inch) sprigs of tarragon
1 tablespoon Pernod

Method:
Place all ingredients (in the order listed) and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

Note: If you substitute Sambuca for the Pernod, use slightly less (1/4 cup with the figs, and 1 teaspoon at the end), as it is a much stronger tasting licorice flavor and much sweeter liquor than Pernod.

Tags: Chef Gwen's Gourmet Smoothies, figs, orange, Pernod, smoothies, tarragon
Posted in Beverages, Recipes | 10 Comments »

We were floored when the Phoenix New Times awarded Pen & Fork with the Best Food Blog in Phoenix for 2011.

Apropos to this interconnected world we live in now, we found out through a congratulatory tweet on Twitter.

We didn’t believe it until we read it with our own eyes.

You can read it here, with your own eyes but here’s a taste:

“Her food blog is always ripe with juicy descriptions of local grub, penned by Walters or such notable foodie contributors as James Beard Award-winning editor Linda Avery.”

It’s a huge honor, and we are so grateful to New Times and to all of you who keep coming back to devour our recipes, cooking tips, cookbook reviews and restaurant and travel eats journals.

Gracious thanks to New Times for recognizing us, and special thanks to our loyal readers who make what we do such a delicious task.

Please let us know if there are other food related things you’d like us to cover. We always love hearing from you.

Tags: Best Food Blog, Best of Phoenix New Times, Pen & Fork wins Best Food Blog, Phoenix New Times
Posted in News & Nibbles | 6 Comments »

Editor’s note: It’s no secret Pen & Fork’s book reviewer Linda Avery loves Moroccan food, so she was thrilled to get her hands on Paula Wolfert’s new 528 page cookbook, The Food of Morocco. Take a look and see what she thought, then try the delicious chicken dish with fragrant spices and tomato “magic.”

The Food of Morocco

by Paula Wolfert
photos by Quentin Bacon
drawings by Mark Marthaler

Facts: Ecco, an imprint of Harper Collins, 528 pages, $45.00 (or Amazon at $22.50)
Photos: More than the number of recipes (and that’s saying a lot!)
Recipes: 192
Give To: friends who belong to a cookbook club, anyone wanting to explore Moroccan cuisine

Decades ago I did a brief touch-and-go in Tangier. I’ve wanted to return to Morocco but never so much as now, after reading The Food of Morocco. Although a few have complained that this book has many recipes found in Paula Wolfert’s Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco (originally published in 1973 and inducted into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2008), I find this is yet another cookbook with a travelogue dimension.

Within the book’s introduction lies a fascinating map of Morocco listing notable dishes and ingredients indigenous to various areas e.g. Marrakech: rabbit tagine; Casablanca: camel meat; Tangier: Kalinté, a chickpea flan; Fes: the famous preserved lemons, etc.  Paula Wolfert has no doubt personally experienced each and every dish noted.

Wolfert then lays a foundation for the recipes by explaining the curious eathenware tagine, the Moroccan larder, the most used spices and secondary spices, and how to make basics like preserved lemons. The recipes in the ten following chapters would paint bright mental images even if there weren’t fabulous photos. Colorful salads with oranges, dates and raisins; green and red peppers complement fish, poultry, meats and vegetables. Fruits are plentiful in this diet, including dessert couscous with pomegranates and poached pears with prunes.

There is no doubt that in addition to a love of complex and unique flavors, Moroccan people don’t mind spending time achieving those results. The recipes in this book require a commitment whether in terms of time, learning or both. This is particularly true if you decide to tackle bastila (AKA pastila, bisteeya, or bestela) making your own warqa, their pastry akin to phyllo dough. It would take me most of the day and I’d only have a first course completed!

This would be a fun book for a supper club whether the club cooks all dishes together or divvies up recipes among your membership and comes together for the dinner. BTW, if you have a recipe calling for a tagine and are without one, Wolfert says a deep straight-sided large skillet with a tight fitting cover and a sheet of parchment paper placed directly on the food will give you good results. And SHE is indisputably the queen of Mediterranean food.

Chicken Smothered with Tomato Jam

photo © by Quentin Bacon

Recently I asked my daughter, Leila, to test this recipe, since she remembered it from her girlhood in Tangier. She was thrilled with the results, telling me that two of her friends liked it so much “they actually licked the bottom of the tagine pot.”

Please remember to transfer a hot tagine to a wooden surface or a folded kitchen towel on a serving tray to prevent cracking.

Serves 6

Ingredients
For the Tomato Magic
(Makes about 1 1/2 cups)
One 6- to 8-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
One 28-ounce can organic tomatoes, preferably Muir Glen fire-toasted tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken
6 large fat chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), preferably organic and air-chilled
2 large garlic cloves
Coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons saffron water (see note)
1/3 cup grated red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
2 1/2 pounds red-ripe tomatoes, peeled, halved, seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon Tomato Magic or tomato paste
2 tablespoons thyme or floral honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Method
Make the tomato jam
1. Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, with their packing oil from the jar; the canned tomatoes, with their juices: the salt; and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

2. Scrape the puree into a wide heavy-bottomed saucepan, set over medium-low heat, and cook, stirring often, until reduced to a thick jam, about 30 minutes.

3. Scrape some of the tomato paste into a clean, dry jar for more immediate use. Cover with 1/4 inch of olive oil, close the jar, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. For longer storage time, divide the remaining paste into 1- or 2-tablespoon balls and place them side by side on a flat tray. Set in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes, until firm, then place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer.

Make the chicken
1. The day before: Rinse the chicken thighs and pat dry; trim away excess fat. Slide your fingers under the skin to loosen it from the flesh. Crush the garlic and 2 teaspoons salt to a paste in a mortar. Mix with the pepper, ginger, olive oil, and saffron water, and rub under and over the skin of the chicken. Let stand, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.

2. The next day: Place the chicken with its marinade, in an 11- to 12-inch tagine set on a heat diffuser. Add the grated onion, cilantro, 3/4 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon, and 1/2 cup water and mix thoroughly with the chicken pieces. Cook, covered, over low heat, stirring once, for 20 minutes. Then begin to slowly raise the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and the Tomato Magic or tomato paste to the tagine and continue to cook over medium heat, uncovered, turning the chicken pieces often in the sauce, until very tender, about 20 more minutes. Take the chicken out and wrap in foil to keep warm and moist. Allow the tomatoes to cook down until all the moisture evaporates, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching, about 1 hour. The tomatoes will begin to fry and the sauce will thicken considerably.

4. Add the honey and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to the tomatoes and cook for several minutes to bring out their flavors. Reheat the chicken parts in the sauce, rolling them around to coat evenly.

5. Remove the cover, scatter the sesame seeds on top, and serve hot or warm.

Note: To prepare a small jar of saffron water, dry 1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron strands in a warm (not hot) skillet. Crush again, then soak in 1 cup hot water and store in a small jar in the refrigerator. This will keep for up to a week.

Tags: chicken, cookbook review, Linda Avery, Paula Wolfert, The Food of Morroco, tomato jam
Posted in Book & Product Reviews, Chicken & Turkey, Recipes | 1 Comment »

You might want to save some of your holiday cash.

A new cookbook is arriving at the end of the month, and this one is worth bellying up to the bar for.

photo © by David B. Moore

Guitar-strumming chef Bryan Dooley of the award-winning Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in Cave Creek, AZ, just penned a cookbook, along with Leslie V. Bay, with photos by David B. Moore.

We got a sneak peek at the roughly 112-page, soft-cover book that will be released on December 27.

Frankly, we’re shocked (in a happy, woo-hoo! way) that Dooley is spilling the beans about his smokin’ barbecue and off-the-hook side dishes.

Lest you think Dooley has revealed everything, he has not — at least not completely — but he does include recipes for his Bryan’s BBQ sauce and rub, aptly named “Almost” and “Nearly.” (Hey, the guy can’t give away all his secrets.)

He does give the whole enchilada away for some serious fan favorites, such as:

photo © by Gwen Ashley Walters

* Bryan’s pulled pork

* Brisket & black-eyed chili

* Sweet pickled jalapenos

* Pulled squash BBQ sandwich

* Watermelon with jalapeno & cardamom honey

* Root beer battered apples

And he’s included some new dishes, too:

* Beer & pickled jalapeño hush puppies

* Crawfish mac ‘n cheese

* Shrimp Evelyn (a nod to his grandmother’s shell-on shrimp appetizer)

* Chicken Brunswick stew

* Snickerdoodle cardamom ice cream sandwich

photo © by Gwen Ashley Walters

The book is not just a cookbook.

It’s a story book — you might even say it’s a love story.

Dooley and Bay document his journey from how he became a chef to his 13-years at the Scottsdale Princess Resort, to how an accident and an ultimatum from his wife Donna led the fine dining chef to open a casual barbecue joint.

Dooley’s right-hand man in the kitchen, Rob Olson, contributes to the cookbook, too, including a recipe for his renowned collard greens.

The narrative conveys how Dooley fell in love with the Old West, and how he puts his own spin on dishes that are more apt to resemble the New West, such as a smoked sausage hoagie with pickled watermelon chow-chow.

Along with 48 or so recipes, there is a whole section on smoking and another on how to stock a BBQ pantry.

Much like Dooley himself, the book is filled with character, including personal family photos. Dooley dabbles in poetry, too, and there’s a smidgen of his wordsmith wizardry tucked here and there.

For now, plans are to sell the book at the restaurant starting December 27 (note: the restaurant will be closed for the holidays from December 22-26).

photo © by David B. Moore

Details:
Stories & Recipes from Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue
by Bryan Dooley and Leslie V. Bay

Photos by David B. Moore
Designed & illustrated by Lori Cowherd of The Orange Gourd Design Studio

Available December 27.
$21.99
bryansbbq.com
6130 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek
480-575-7155

Tags: Bryan Dooley, Bryan's BBQ, Bryan's Black Mountain Barbecue, Cave Creek AZ dining, cookbook, Leslie V. Bay
Posted in News & Nibbles | 2 Comments »

Some cities outright own a particular dish.

Boston? Clam Chowder. Austin? BBQ — beef brisket to be specific. Atlanta? Fried chicken. Santa Fe? Green chile stew.

In Charleston, it’s shrimp & grits.

You can order shrimp & grits in any city these days — Southern food is a hot trend — but in Charleston, it’s not a trend. It is breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it is woven into the very fabric of this historical city. There is hoity-toity shrimp & grits, down-home shrimp & grits, and everything in between.

Here is a look at six Charleston restaurants and their version of the dish that defines this gracious Southern city.

1. Husk: Bon Appetit magazine’s Best New Restaurant, Husk, serves their seasonal shrimp & grits (above) in a bowl with a roasted tomato broth ladled over Anson Mills grits, with artisan sausage, lardons, and plump, jumbo shrimp. (here is the recipe in NYT.)

2. Jestine’s Kitchen: Rachael Ray, Anthony Bourdain and Roadfood’s Jane & Michael Stern all had a hand in putting Jestine’s Kitchen on the national radar for home-cooking Southern grub like meatloaf, fried chicken and of course, shrimp & grits (above). Jestine’s version features soupy grits with a meaty tasting brown gravy, onions and roasted red peppers. Very basic and delicious, although the shrimp were a tad overcooked.

3. Southend Brewery’s shrimp and grits (above) is more akin to cheese soup with tomatoes, Tasso ham and oh yes, shrimp and grits. The tomato wedges didn’t add much — it would have been better had they been diced, but the shrimp was perfectly cooked. Pair it with the hoppy Castle Pinckney Pale Ale.

4. Marina Variety Store: (left) There is always a line at this kitschy, seafaring restaurant overlooking the marina, but it moves quickly. Ask to sit in the front room for the marina view. MVS serves up a whopping plate of plain white grits topped with a modest amount of sauteed shrimp, cooked just right.

The fried green tomatoes pictured on the plate are optional. Adding a dash of hot sauce is not.

5. Poogan’s Porch: (right) uses yellow, coarse ground grits, thick and sturdy, along with a generous helping of onions, scallions, ham, sausage and tail-on shrimp, sauced in a blue crab gravy. I loved the rough and firm texture of the grits. I did not love having to take the tails off the shrimp.

6. Hominy Grill: I saved the best for last (below). Nothing fancy about this shrimp and grits plate. But everything in this dish has a purpose. The grits were firm but creamy. The shrimp were spiced and perfectly cooked. Bits of salty, smoky bacon and meaty mushrooms provide the supporting cast. Green scallions and a spritz of lemon, and this dish is everything I could ask from this humble, Lowcountry dish. If you love this dish as much as I did, pick up a copy of the recipe booklet. It includes the recipe.

Details:
All six restaurants are located in the historic district of Charleston.
Husk
76 Queen Street
843-577-2500

Jestine’s Kitchen
251 Meeting Street
843-722-7224

Southend Brewery
161 East Bay Street
843-853-4677

Marina Variety Store
17 Lockwood Drive
843-723-6325

Poogan’s Porch (next door to Husk)
72 Queen Street
843-577-2337

Hominy Grill
207 Rutledge Avenue
843-937-0930

Tags: Charleston dining, grits, Hominy Grill, Husk, Jestine's, Marina Variety Store, Poogan's Porch, recipe, shrimp, shrimp and grits, shrimp and grits in Charleston, Southend Brewery
Posted in Travel Eats | 3 Comments »

The Great Ranch Cookbook

Spirited Recipes & Rhetoric from America's Best Guest Ranches

Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook

Culinary Expedition Through World Class Golf Resort Kitchens

The Cool Mountain Cookbook

A Gourmet Guide to Winter Retreats