My adventures in blogging!

Sneaky Diablo Burger Challenge

Susie Timm, Local foodie and Owner of Girl Meats Fork posted a cryptic tweet a while back asking if i’d be interested in participating in a fiery food challenge for a good cause.  Since I rarely shy away from either challenges or a good cause, I accepted without knowing what exactly I was committing to.

It turns out Bueno Burger Scottsdale created an Hamburger dubbed the “Sneaky Diablo Burger” made with several different types of Chile including the dreaded Ghost (Bhut Jolokia-formerly the Worlds Hottest Chile).  What could possibly make this challenge better?  Well, Rodney Hartwig and myself would be facing the fire so to speak, LIVE on television.

The Ronan Thompson Foundation is the beneficiary of Bueno Burger Scottsdale’s generosity and will recieve a portion of the purchase price of each burger sold.  It seems like everyone enjoys trying to make me sweat and though this burger was quite hot i’ve certainly had hotter food. Sucking down this burger in the time allotted was the real challenge here and Rodney was the better competitor at this (despite his looking like his head was going to explode).

All in all, the absolute best part about having this challenge on Sonoran Living was talking Host Andi Barness into taking one for the team so to speak, yes, Andi ate a Ghost Chile covered Jalapeno pepper “for the kids” and looked like she wans’t going to make it….Rodney and I had to finish the shows dialogue since Andi was a bit “incapacitated.”   We love you Andi, (and rumor has it, you’re no worse for wear plus I love that your crew added some pretty cool sound effects to the final video!)

25 Tastiest products in Arizona

WOOHOO!!  It looks like my humble brand of BBQ and Hot Sauces have been selected by Phoenix Magazine as being among the top 25 tastiest Arizona products for 2011!  Many of the brands and products chosen are regulars in my pantry an I can not express the pride and happiness I feel to be considered among such fantastic company.

The journey from idea to where Desert Smoke BBQ is today has taken three years and I have had nothing but encouragement and support from family, friends and customers.  A sincere thanks goes out to everyone that has helped me make Desert Smoke BBQ successful, watch out for what I have coming in 2012!

Check out the article HERE:

Hana Japanese Eatery

I recently dropped by one of my favorite local, family owned and operated restaurants to warm my belly with delicious hot food.  Why do I emphasize the word hot here?  Well, This particular restaurant happens to be Hana Japanese eatery, my favorite place for sushi in Arizona.  On this particular night, the mercury had dipped into the forties and I was in the mood for for something to counter the chill.  I tweeted @HanaJapanese asking what was recommended and commented that i’d happily put my stomach into their hands.  What followed was simply perfect.

A large, piping hot bowl of Miso Ramen soup was first brought to the table.  Steam from the delicate, flavorful broth wafted into my nose causing my mouth to water.  Generous amounts of ramen noodles paired with scallion, subtle spices and pork absolutely hit the spot.  I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor, texture and warmth this lovely bowl of soup delivered and have since found myself craving more.

While doing damage to the aformentioned ramen, my server brought over a propane fired hibachi grill along with a tray of assorted vegetables and strips of raw steak.  The grill was lighted and I was instructed to add the vegetables (asparagus, pumpkin, okra, long beans and portobello mushrooms) and then grill the meat to my desired temperature.  Forget going to kitchy chains like Benihana or Sapporo where the show is more important than the food, grilling it yourself using quality ingredients and truly becoming a part of the experience is where it’s at!  (not to mention, everyone seemed to be ooh-ing and ahh-ing at what was going on at my table adding to the over-all cool factor).

While the miso ramen was warming and hit the spot and the Hana Hibachi steak couldn’t possibly have been better, it was the Hana Lobster sauté that really made my night.  Tender chunks of well seasoned, perfectly sautéed lobster served with pieces of chopped asparagus lay before me begging to be snapped up by my eager chopsticks. I just ate and smiled, you have to order this dish and enjoy it to understand how good it really is.

I simply must mention the dessert here, green tea mochi in this case.  I am at a rare lack of words to describe the texture of this little gem. Green tea ice cream encased in a flour and sweet rice dough that was firm, slippery, sweet and refreshing all at the same time.  I hate using word like “delicious” to describe food because it doesnt really tell you anything about the experience but I will here because this mochi is a little weird, fanciful and yes, DELICIOUS!

Stop by Hana Japanese Eatery in Central Phoenix for simple, quality ingredients prepared lovingly and skillfully by a knowledgeable staff and remember something else important, while they will tempt your palate with a plethora of flavors and gladly fill your belly, the restaurant is strictly BYOB so if you like beer, sake or wine with your meal you’d better bring your own.

Lux Central

So I have a bit of a crush on this place.  Lux Central happens to be about 20 miles away from home past about just as many coffee shops but I find myself making the trek here several times a week.

I find Lux to be a bit of a love hate kind of place.  Parking can be  a battle as though there are a lot of spots and on street parking, it can still be a battle finding a place to tie up your horse.  With free wifi and plenty of seating, Lux is a place you want to plop down for a while and do whatever it is you have to do but here it’s “coolness” works against it as even with plenty of seating, It can be a bit like the 101 freeway at rush hour trying to find a place to sit.

I wish I could say the coffee was what brought me in but to be honest, it’s average at best.  The service is pretty good and the staff friendly and attentive.  The food items i’ve had both baked and prepared freshly have all been adequate (the Mac n Cheese with bacon and Jalapeno was tasty, served in a large portion for the money and well executed but fire roasting the japapenos prior to adding them in would have elevated this dish to excellence!)

So what keeps me coming?  Well, I can’t think of anyplace i’d rather to go hang-out, MacBook in hand, to get some work done and people watch.  The atmosphere here is GREAT!  A mixture or modern and retro furniture, exposed beam ceilings, varied work spaces, and locally produced art are on par with and in my opinion rival similar concepts in NYC, Seattle or San Francisco.

Did I mention the full bar?  Fancy an adult beverage to take the edge off of that paper you need to write or the power point you’re putting together for the “big proposal” at work?  You’re in the right place.  The bartenders here will gladly mix you up anything from a classic coctail to a trendy CenPho treat to whet your whistle.  I’d give Lux 4 stars if it were a bar that served food and happened to have coffee.

If your looking for great coffee i’d recommend Press Coffee Roasters, Cartel Coffee Lab or Echo Coffee. Lux is definitely my choice if you’re looking for a place to socialize, sit and get a little work done, plow through homework or just hang out and people watch.  If the coffee were better i’d rate it 4 stars but as it stands, they only get the third from me because the whole package is so appealing.

 

The Rose and Crown Phoenix

When Trusty Pal Mikey mentioned that The Rose and Crown had won Best Fish in Chips in the Valley at some point in the recent past, it was time to jump into the car and head on downtown for sustenance.

Arriving at the restaurant was kind of anti-climatic as on a Monday night during football there didn’t seem to be a lot going on (except for a pretty cool DirecTV trailer showing the game which was a nice touch)

There were several tables of mostly intoxicated patrons, to be expected of a bar/pub during a sporting event but the guy sitting ON the table next to ours stretched out in Cincinnati Bengals gear should probably have been asked to call it a night.

It took a while to get a server to clean some unidentified stickiness off of our table, bring menus and take a drink order and about then the table next to ours got LOUDER w/the addition of an off-duty server (confirmed by asking our server) wearing a Rose & Crown shirt and another woman identified as “the girlfriend of one of the owners.”

Loud, rowdy, employees enthusiastically dropping F-bombs didn’t make for the best dining atmosphere.  Fail there.

Then the starters arrived…The Sausage roll was mostly cold, the puff pastry which should have been light and flakey was gooey and undercooked although the pickle relish condiment was delicious.

The Scotch egg was served cold (the server confirmed this was as intended) which seemed odd to me as I’ve always had them hot (the British version), the flavor was good but the texture of cold sausage just didn’t work for me (this is a personal preference not a knock on their version).

The Fish & Chips Main arrived and I must say, the Chips were superb, well cooked and just the right size.  Then things went a bit pear shaped.  The fish, while piping hot was EXTREMELY greasy and devoid of seasoning.  Luckily the homemade tartar sauce was tasty (though the size of the pickles prevented dipping).

I LOVE a good order of Fish and Chips but was sadly underwhelmed by the offering here and was forced to grab something on the way home to satisfy my hunger.

(note:  The table next to us was joined by a patrons Dalmatian and even though we were on the patio, there are just some places that aren’t appropriate for the little furry people.  He was nice enough to lick my leg a few times during dinner though)

For future fish & chips fixes I will save the 40mile round trip and get it closer to home, very sad that this wasn’t as good as i’d hoped it would be.

 

The Coffee Shop at Agritopia

It is certainly no secret to anyone who knows me, reads my blog, or follows me on Facebook or Twitter, that Im a foodie at heart and will go to great lengths to try new restaurants, dishes or types of cuisine I’ve not previously experienced.  All of that having been said I have a HUGE food crush on a little gem hidden in Gilbert, Arizona at a place called Agritopia, I’m speaking of course of “The Coffee Shop.”

With such a simple name you would be tempted to assume this was a mere coffee shop slinging run of the mill or even above average coffee drinks and you would be WRONG.  While The Coffee Shop does in fact serve up coffee drinks as expected, it is not caffeine which drew me in or keeps me going back.

Lets begin with how I found them and what has brought me to today.  A few weeks ago Joe’s Farm Grill was having their 5th Annual customer appreciation day (they served in the neighborhood of 4000 free cheeseburgers but more on that later) and trusty pal Mikey and I dropped in to have a burger and fries.  As we were leaving, I decided I wanted to stop by The Coffee Shop (which is on the same parcel of land) to see what It was all about.

Upon walking inside, the salivation began.  There, arranged before me was just about the most mouthwatering display of cupcakes and whoopie pies I have ever seen.  The first thing that caught my eye were the Coconut creme whoopie pies, seemingly very plain but with the promise of greatness if done well…and they were!

 

These Coconut creme whoopies are just about the best things I have ever eaten (and Ive eaten a LOT).  Unlike many of the whoopie wannabe’s I’ve eaten in the past, the pastry chef here achieved the perfect balance of sweetness, moisture and density with the most pleasant, light crunchy outer texture.  So flavorful was the shell that I was almost taken aback by the creme filling that was obviously made with absolute care and devotion to the craft.  Simply incredible (I feel like there should be a new Food Network show called “Whoopie Pie Wars!”)

On to the next bit of tastiness in the form of a tray lined with cupcakes whose sign read “Chocolate chip cookie dough,’ YES please.  They looked simple, well decorated but not overdone and I was keen to try one. No flaccid, tasteless frosting here, there’s butter creme on that there cupcake.  Sprinkled with chocolate chips and what looks like chocolate Disco dust was the best tasting buttercream I can remember having eaten.  They’ve somehow been able to create the essence of cookie dough in cake form, a bit of gooeyness, great flavor and yes, i’d eat a whole bag of them.

The PB&J cupcake found its way into my mouth next and took me back to my Grandmothers kitchen with her homemade bread, peanut butter and preserves only BETTER (sorry Grandma), it was deliciously dense, the peanut butter buttercream (say that 5 times really fast) was sweet, creamy and perfectly accompanied but a little dab of jelly on top (along with a generous squirt in the middle of the cupcake.) I highly recommend this one.

 

I did grab a few other cupcakes before lapsing into a sugar induced coma including cake batter, coconut and a strawberry one I got pictures of and ate but whose clever name I cannot remember (terrible journalist…oh, wait, as a Blogger I admire recently wrote, I’m not a “professional journalist!”).  Everything i’ve had so far has caused me to make the 40 mile trek from home to The Coffee Shop for a treat I just can’t find anywhere else in the Valley.  If you desire a creative, perfectly made treat, get into your car and make the trip from wherever you might be to THe Coffee Shop at Agritopia.

 

Check out the Chefs responsible for the creations I’ve mentioned and more on their recent winning episode of  Cupcake Wars on the Television Food Network.

Desert Smoke Habanero Peach BBQ Sauce (New flavor)

“Desert Smoke BBQ is committed to combining tangy Carolina BBQ flavors with BIG, BOLD, Southwestern spices!”  With that as a guiding principle, I’m always looking for new flavor combinations that will make your tastebuds smile (and smolder). Our  new Habanero Peach BBQ sauce takes one of the most recognizable Southern flavors, the humble peach, to a whole new level with just the right amount of Fiery habanero chile pepper.  Used as a condiment, our Habanero Peach sauce will make your chicken dishes cluck and is the perfect compliment to pork ribs, roasts and chops.  Drop by your Phoenix area Whole Foods Market or Phoenix Public market and grab a bottle!  (Stay tuned for an upcoming contest).

 

 

Fiery Hot Sauces

Big, BOLD flavor is what we do!  Desert Smoke BBQ doesn’t follow the traditional product development model because we aren’t a traditional company.  For most of 2011, many of you have heard rumblings of a new line of Hot sauces and some have even been slipped bottles to try.  Our “focus group” consists of real world fire eaters, Chefs, foodies, friends and family.  These are all people who’s opinions I value and who were all willing to donate their taste buds to the cause.

Without further adieu I am happy to announce the launch of the following for exciting new products:

Hatch Green Chile Hot Sauce:  Fire Roasted Hatch green chiles, vinegar and salt combine to create a tart hot sauce with just enough heat to let you know its there.  This hot sauce is great as a condiment on anything that could use a little heat or to add flair to your Southwestern dishes.  Rumor has it, Chef Gwen Walters of Pen & Fork has even concocted a gourmet SMOOTHIE using our green chile hot sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Desert Smoke BBQ Habanero hot sauce Habanero Hot Sauce:  Our Habanero hot sauce is the cure for what ails you.  Red Savina Habanero chiles, vinegar and spices elevate this humble chile to fiery excellence.  Use as a condiment on your favorite dishes or add to soups or stews to add depth, flavor and heat.

 

Ghost Chile (Bhut Jolokia Chile):  In an homage to the World’s hottest chile, we have created this smokey, scorchingly hot sauce for true fire eaters.  Use in small quantities with extreme caution as this is the granddaddy of all hot sauces.  Your taste buds will not be tickled, they will be ASSAULTED with intense heat and flavor.  You have been warned.  Add to soups and stews to knock the heat level out of the park, or use sparingly on your favorite foods.Ghost Chile Hot Sauce.

All three of our new hot sauces are available at Whole Foods Market stores in Arizona, Phoenix Public Market and New Frontiers Natural Market Stores in Flagstaff and Sedona, Arizona.

Desert Smoke BBQ went to Texas & got sauced!

I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge and i’ll put my BBQ Sauces up against anything out there  so when I heard that Man Up Texas BBQ and the Independence Brewing Company of Austin, Texas were having their second annual “Gettin Sauced” competition, I jumped at the opportunity to see how my sauces stacked up.

Over 120 Different BBQ sauces from all around the country were represented at this years event including Desert Smoke BBQ’s own Sweet & Spicy, Raspberry Chipotle and Pineapple Habanero.  Entrants were separated into a fresh division prepared on site, a bottled division consisting of commercially available products, and included categories covering mild and spicy tomato based, mild and spicy vinegar based, fruit based, mustard based and miscellaneous.  All entries were presented to a panel of twelve expert judges who tasted and scored each.

I’m proud to announce that pitted against some of the best BBQ sauces in the country, Desert Smoke BBQ took FIRST and third place in the spicy vinegar based category with our Sweet & Spicy and Raspberry Chipotle respectively, fifth in the fruit category with our Pineapple Habanero and third place over-all!

Desert Smoke BBQ went to Texas and got SAUCED!  We’re looking forward to competing again next year.  For a complete list of results click HERE.

ALL-Star dishes on Sonoran Living

So, the other day I get a tweet from friend/PR person Holly Harmon asking if I’d be interested in doing Sonoran Living today on short notice. “Of course” I say, I have done the show several times before and love hosts Andi Barness and Stephanie Sandoval, and I go about planning a menu for three, three to four minute segments.

Up first will be my take on the “Sonoran Dog,” a tasty Mexican-ized take on the venerable ball park hot dog. Wrap a bratwurst in thick applewood smoked bacon, deep fry and cover with tasty toppings…

Next up, Cotija and Green Chile stuffed cheeseburgers.  Things all started to go pear shaped during the commercial break as the live segment at the ballpark with co-host Andi Barness lost sound and we had to hustle as the cooking segment became the main focus of the show.  Stephanie never missed a beat (TRUE professional), and we rocked through the second segment with zero prep time.  (notice the sizzling sound through the rest of the show, as Emeril LeGasse says “we’re really cookin here”)

What could be more refreshing on a hot summer day than a sweet, watermelon granita? Easy to make, delicious to enjoy (hint: take this recipe to the next level by adding 2oz of Jack Daniels whiskey to the mix before freezing)

Just a few last minute tips on making those Summer BBQ’s better

In all, cooking live is always challenging but working with professionals such as Stephanie Sandoval and the Sonoran Living Crew makes it all look easy!  I’m already thinking about what to do the next time I’m invited onto the show.

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