This time it's about lunch...

I stole my husband away from the Town & Country Market the other week for a quick lunch at The Parlor Pizzeria. I know hectic market days are, but look at this Roasted Beet Salad and Funghi Pizza. Man, I love that beet salad.

Wouldn't you steal away too?

(Don't worry, Sean brought some of that pizza back to Bob.)

The Parlor Pizzeria

1916 East Camelback Road

Phoenix, AZ 85016

602.248.2480

www.theparlor.us

Food for thought...

We have been receiving a cinematic education lately on what is really afoot in the food industry. “Food Inc.” really set off a quest for all of us as a family to explore further into what is going on with our national food system. Bob certainly does his part in taking great care to cultivate and grow organic produce. But while I have a very fortunate position of eating locally and knowing my farmer, I am very aware that this is a vanishing reality in our society.

Our most recent viewing was of the movie “Ingredients”. This film really focused on produce and the changing practices of how it is grown, sourced, and used at a mass scale today in the United States. Our disappearing farm lands have made the local farmer almost extinct. In fact, “Farmer” is no longer an occupation choice in the U.S. Census anymore. We have become a nation that has been brought up and educated by the fast food industry that relies on sourcing based on price and not flavor, and year-around availability over freshness. Our food is brought in from around the world, sometimes coming from the poorest countries that use substandard practices in farming and spraying foods. As a result, the United States pays less for food and more for medication than any other country in the world. One in three children born after the year 2000 while develop Type Two Diabetes. These are frightening trends that are so easily preventable.

There has been a growing collaboration between top chefs, educators and small farmers across the country to combat these realities. Celebrated chefs like Alice Waters have sought out organic farms to find the freshest produce. In the early years of her culinary training, she saw what was readily available to chefs in France, and that it simply did not exist in the United States. Both the mentality and accessibility of using locally grown foods was disappearing. It was through her hard work, and chefs like her, that small farms were brought to life again. They are working in tandem to refocus our priorities on the how we are feeding our families. It is this joint effort that has both proven that the relationship between organic farming and eating locally is not only sustainable, but also a healthier choice, not just for the individual but for our society as a whole.

As the film notes, we have a choice to make, pay the farmer or pay the doctor.

www.ingredientsfilm.com

Simply Perfect...

I love when simple things are done simply well. The ability to beautifully prepare something seemingly easy is the mark of a true talent, because if it was truly easy, we could all do it. Pasta seems like it should be the most straightforward of culinary feats. But when you have had it done well, really well, you realize that perhaps something as basic as pasta can in fact be quite complex.

I have always thought of pasta as more the vehicle to showcase other flavors, rather than being the star itself. That was until I was introduced to fresh, handmade pasta. The ingredients seem easy enough, a little flour, some olive oil, salt, egg, but in the hands of an expert, these elements can come together as pure magic all on their own. And magic is what you will find at Pasta Bar.

Pasta Bar is not an Italian restaurant, it is a pasta restaurant. Their focus is completely on making the extraordinary out of something quite common. Everything on their menu revolves around the pasta. From the first dishes to the accompanying sides, everything is selected and edited to make sure that the pasta is properly highlighted and enjoyed. And let’s face it, if you are going to a place with pasta in the name, wouldn’t you want it to stand out?

Wanting to see exactly how good they are at making pasta, I selected one of the simplest dishes, the Bavette al Cedro, which is lemon, Italian butter and a little Parmigiano. It melted in my mouth. The flavors were balanced perfectly, and it was evident that the handmade pasta was done with care. Sean went with the more complex Orecchiette all Puttanesca, described as having twelve ingredients from the Neopolitan streetwalker’s pantry. He was equally impressed (both with the dish and the description). With both we saw how these dishes can be elevated at the hands of a master.

As per our usual, we ordered the local farm vegetables as a starter. It was a beautiful presentation that included three offerings, one with citrus, one with butternut squash, and one with an unexpected pairing of beets and walnuts that worked wonderfully well together.

It would make sense that we would both be so delighted. Wade Moises, Pasta Bar’s chef, learned his craft from Mario Batali, a true connoisseur of pasta. In our house even Aidan knows that Mario Batali equals good pasta. Wade trained at Babbo and Lupa, two of our favorites in New York, before coming to Phoenix. Wade and Nick Gentry also brought a little of the big city feel to their restaurant. Entering Pasta Bar feels a little like sneaking into a speakeasy. The entrance is in the back, hidden from the street by two other restaurants. And like a speakeasy, there is a cozy, private feeling and a well thought out menu of libations. If you go, order yourself a Jack’s New Fashion, their updated take on an Old Fashion. Just like the pasta, you will be dazzled.

Pasta Bar

705 North 1st Street, Suite #110

Phoenix, AZ 85004

602.687.8704

www.pastabaraz.com

"Fresh" the movie...

Bob, Marsha, Sean and I got to have a screening of the movie “Fresh”, a new documentary along the same vein as “Food Inc.” Much like “Food Inc.” the movie casts light on the travesties that have been incorporated into our nation’s food system under the guise of innovation and mass production. This is a story that cannot be told often enough and I am glad to see that there is another voice added in carrying this message mainstream. They highlight farmers, educators and grocers that are bucking convention in the name of personal and environmental health.

The movie did spend a great deal of time with Joel Salatin, the farmer featured in Michael Pollan’s book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. He is quickly becoming a rock star to me for his outspoken opinions on the industrial model of agriculture and his dedication to sustainable farming. He is very articulate and educated about the effects of chemicals and industrialized farming. His philosophy to farming is more holistic with a symbiotic cycle between his livestock, poultry and grazing fields that is not only organic but productive and sustainable. Just seeing him talk to his hens made me want to cry from happiness. “Good morning ladies!” is how Joel greets them each morning.

Seeing the other hen houses just made me want to cry.

“Fresh” is a stark look at what our current food supply is doing to our environment, our health, and frankly, our standards. This isn’t just a movie, “Fresh” is a call to action. For more information on how you can see the movie, or what you can do to support the movement, visit www.freshthemovie.com. It is well worth the time and effort.

Perfect roasted carrots...

My roasted carrots have never been as good as Marsha's. They are good, but they just weren't there. I finally asked her out of frustration how she gets her carrots that perfect combination of caramelized crunch on the outside and buttery softness inside.

Here's the secret... she steams them first!!

Now you know too. Just steam the carrots for 3-4 minutes, then toss with a little olive oil and sea salt and roast for at 350-degrees for 20-30 minutes, depending on how dark you want them.

It will work - I promise!

Warming up in Flagstaff...

We got to have a brief break during the holidays to go play up in the snow. Even as native Arizonans there is just something about seeing snow during December that just feels right. That said, I only lasted so long before needing to warm up and Criollo Latin Kitchen was the perfect spot to do just that.

Having just opened in December, Criollo is right in the middle of Flagstaff’s downtown located on San Francisco Street. I have always loved Flagstaff for its seasons and merciful temperature drop from Phoenix in the summer months. It has been nice to see the transformation that has been taking place up there over the past few years. The downtown area has begun to mature with the emergence of independent shops, galleries and restaurants are starting to add a local flavor and become a destination all their own. Criollo is adding its own flavor, Latin to be exact, that was missing from this mix. It is owned by Paul and Laura Moir, the same people who own Brix in Flagstaff, another favorite haunt of ours when in the northern country. If you haven’t tried Brix, that alone is worth the two hour drive.

Having spent the morning playing in the snow and working up an appetite, Sean, Aidan and I were ready to attack the menu when we got to Criollo. I was so hungry and cold at that point I would have settled for nearly anything. Thankfully I didn’t have to settle at all. Criollo offers brunch, lunch, dinner and tapas menus, although they offered to prepare us anything from their repertoire. A big thank you for that, since I couldn’t get past the Fingerling Potatoes with duck fat, sea salt and aioli on the tapas menu before looking at what they offered for lunch. Aidan turned his nose up at the aioli at first, but after accidentally getting a taste, he nearly finished off the whole plate.

Not to worry, I did have a Sandwich Cubano coming. I love a good Cuban Sandwich, and this one ranked right up there with the best. Sean and Aidan both went for the fish tacos, once they heard that they came with Mahi Mahi. I only got the briefest of bites from Aidan’s taco, since he was being a little territorial, but after having had a bite, I completely understand. The entire menu offers wonderfully authentic selections that all come with great care paid to organic ingredients and sustainably raised meats. Oh, and they have churros for dessert with Venezuelan chocolate! We were happily full by that point, but Sean has never turned down a churro. Why don’t all churros come with Venezuelan chocolate?

Flagstaff had been long overdue for noteworthy fare when Brix finally arrived four years ago. Brix turned up the notch for Flagstaff dining, moving away from the college/ski town fare to true cuisine. Criollo Latin Kitchen follows in that same tradition. It is nice to now have some real dining options in Flagstaff.

Latin food in cold weather, what a revelation!

Criollo Latin Kitchen

16 North San Francisco

Flagstaff, AZ 86001

928.774.0541

www.criollolatinkitchen.com

New Year's Pop!

To paraphrase a dear friend, "Santa came and went, the ball dropped in Times Square, and the holidays are now officially over. Sigh!"

I feel the same way.

I truly love all of the gifts of family, friends, and food that come during the month of December, but now I am readying myself for a new year. I spent the weekend putting away the rest of my holiday decorations and finding room for all of Aidan's new treasures. Two days of picking up, boxing up and cleaning up made me yearn for one last seasonal treat.

This is a recipe from Julia Child for Popovers. I didn't make these little beauties for Christmas Eve, opting for a Yorkshire Pudding instead, although these may make the menu next time. I am sure they will go wonderfully with Prime Rib, but I found that they were perfect on their own with just a little honey.

They ended up being just the pick-me-up I needed to get through that post-holiday slump and excited for the start of 2010!

Julia's Perfect Popovers

Makes a dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425-degrees, with rack on the lowest rung. Lightly butter or oil popover or muffin pans.

Allow of the eggs and milk to sit out to reach room temperature.

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 25 minutes until popovers are nicely browned. Turn temperature down to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes.

The popovers will be a little doughy in the center, which is ideal. Serve immediately. You may also freeze these in an air tight container and then reheat at 350-degrees for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!