Are you bored with the “usual” iced, grande, triple, skinny hazelnut latte and blasé, iced pumpkin scone. We know, we know: Starbucks is on the way to work, and it’s a drive-thru, and the scones are soft on Wednesdays because the shipment comes Tuesday evening … blah, blah, blah. Make your meals creative! We know a few who do! Speaking of, here’s a redux of this week’s happenings on our favorite food blogs.

Orangette, for example, mentioned enjoying lots and lots of fried chicken, lemon icebox cake and zucchini this summer! She also makes a dinner of leeks vinaigrette (that’s right, just vinaigrette) sound like absolute heaven on earth. (Not that DLT has anything against leeks). At 21, Molly W. learned how to make the steaming, shockingly flavorful vinaigrette from scratch and with the aid of her Parisian host mother. As she states, “I’d never thought about leeks before. I’m sure I grew up eating them in things, and certainly in potato leek soup, but I’d never paid attention. I’d certainly never eaten them the way she served them: on their own, as poireaux vinaigrette, steamed to a degree of doneness best described as pleasantly comatose and then sent out on a platter, towing a gravy boat of vinaigrette closely behind.” Take a gander at the photograph, courtesy of Orangette, and take a moment to jot down what appears to be an uncomplicated recipe. Leeks vinaigrette – excusez-moi, poireaux vinaigrette – is a very common first course in French kitchens and an easy concept to add to your culinary repertoire. So, what we’re saying is, try something new!

EATERAZ is also sharing some exciting, different dining options. Unlike Orangette, EATERAZ wants you goin’ out and sassing’ up the town! #1. Taste of the Nation Arizona. The boys are getting us pumped about the 11 acclaimed chefs who each cook a specific five-course meal for 10 guests each, including Posh’s Josh Hebert, BLT Steak’s Marc Hennesy and elements’ Beau MacMillan. Now for the good stuff, 100 percent of ticket sales for TNA (hehe) support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America via the nonprofit’s No Kid Hungry Campaign. When: September 26, 2010. Where: Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa. Tickets: 888-424-4142. #2. Jimmy Woo’s Chinese Food! For years, the Old Town Group (Stingray, Drift, Geisha) have been scheduled to open a new restaurant concept. We’re sure you’ll saw the orange Samurai Cowboy sign on Scottsdale Road. However, EATERAZ reports, “A few days ago, the Samurai sign which hung on the side of the building for months, mysteriously morphed into a new one complete with a new name and food concept.” Now, we’re waiting for Jimmy Woo’s Chinese Food, apparently. “Stingray partner and Exec Sushi Chef extraordinaire, Andrew Nam, tells EATERAZ that he and his partners just made a simple change in direction and opted for Chinese food after noticing a huge gap in the market not being filled by mega-chain P.F. Chang’s.” [Ed. Note, loyal DLT readers have known about this name/concept change for weeks]

Dearest Pen & Fork, We love thee. Most ardently, DLT. (Just kidding, there’s more). Pen & Fork wrote up a fabulously thorough Guide to Arizona Restaurant Week 2010. 114 Phoenix restaurants and 43 Tucson restaurants are participating in Arizona Restaurant Week from September 18-26. The participating restaurants have put together three or four-course prix fixe menus, priced at $29 or $39, excluding tax, tip and beverages (unless otherwise noted). Chef Gwen, being the genius that she is, scanned through the Phoenix list and came up with a few “strategies” to help with the restaurant pickin.’ For the AZ history buffs: Durant’s, Stockyards, Avanti and El Chorro Lodge. For the fun and funky: Cowboy Ciao, Culinary Dropout and Iruña. For the health nut: Calistro California Bistro, True Food Kitchen, Ko’sin and Roka Akor. For the chef groupie (that’s us, by the way): Posh Restaurant, noca Restaurant, St. Francis and Tarbell’s. Gwen further notes, “If you’re seeking value above and beyond the great deals all of these restaurants are putting forth, you might want to consider one of the resort restaurants on the list, like Bourbon Steak (Fairmont Scottsdale), BLT Steak (Camelback Inn), Deseo (Westin Kierland), Lon’s (Hermosa Inn), Prado (Intercontinental Montelucia) or Talevera (Four Seasons). It’s near impossible to eat at these resorts for less than $40 on a regular night with just two courses. (All $39++ with the exception of Deseo, $29++).” Many thanks, Chef Gwen!

Skillet Doux: Dominic Armato loves a good food fight. Um, we mean, foodie fight. As he blogs, “When two food-obsessed friends throw down the gauntlet and challenge each other to a no-holds-barred cookoff to the death, not only am I obligated to attend, I’m obligated to do everything in my power to ensure their fate is in my hands.” Still not getting it? Armato is front and center at the Judges’ Table. And, it appears that Joel LaTondress (of One For Dinner) and Ty Largo (of UP Agency) went Iron Chef on us – each wielding three courses and a sous chef at an event sponsored by Foodies Like Us, hosted at the Wolf and Sub Zero showroom, emceed by Robin Miller of FoodTV and catered by The Mission. Definitely legit. And, the “more than capable sous?” Eugenia Theodosopolous of Essence Bakery and Matt Carter of Zinc Bistro. Yum, right? Read on for the low-down.

In Team UpAgency’s (Largo/Theodosopolous) kitchen: a bounty of farm-fresh product. In Team Hotdish’s (LaTondress/Carter) kitchen: soy lecithin, alginate and a similar cornacopia of farm-fresh product. The theme ingredient: avocado. The dishes presented: Red Snapper Ceviche (a red snapper ceviche wrapped in paper-thin strips of avocado and dressed with lime foam, microgreens and, most interestingly, tomato and Tabasco served in “caviar” form) by Team Hotdish, Goat Cheese Tart (a puff pastry tart, layered with goat cheese, zucchini blossoms, slices of avocado and tomato, seated alongside a pile of greens tossed with a simple vinaigrette) by Team UpAgency, Turkey Meatballs with Avocado Fries (Pan-seared meatballs – a blend of ground turkey, avocado and assorted seasonings – served with a grape gastrique and set next to tempura-fried slices of fresh avocado) by Team Hotdish, Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Fruit Salsa (grilled, bacon-wrapped shrimp plated with whole roasted, fingerling potatoes, a fresh fruit salsa and sliced “coins” of avocado) by Team UpAgency, Avacado Ice Cream and Cannolo (a bacon-avocado ice cream with a chocolate-drizzled, avocado-filled cannolo) by Team Hotdish, Crepes with Blood Orange Sabayon (crepes filled with avocado, fruit and mascarpone and tied into “beggar’s purses,” which were floated in a foamy blood orange sabayon) by Team UpAgency. Are you hungry or are you hungry? Phew! The big winner? You’re not getting off that easy. Read it and weep.

Tweet