With Memorial Day coming up next week, it’s time to start thinking about your plans for the long weekend. Whether you’re staying in town or traveling to a cooler climate, we can bank on there being an abundance of booze and food. It is an American holiday, after all. Rather than show up to your gathering of choice empty handed, we saw this awe inducing Strawberry Tart on Cupcakes and Cashmere and thought it selfish not to share. Bright, festive and drool worthy in appearance alone, this tart will have everyone thankful for a day dedicated to its enjoyment. C &C blogger, Emily, scored the recipe from Smitten Kitchen and recommends Seascape Strawberries for their sweetness, fragrance and vibrant color. Check out the recipe here and watch the process step-by-step to inspire your inner domestic goddess.

image via Cupcakes and Cashmere

Beet and Arugula Salad with La Tur Cheese, Squash Blossoms and Honey.   To get full recipe go to Tasting Table Sous Chef, and if your not already a member, be sure to sign up today, membership definitely has its privileges.

Come on down, it’s cookie time. Forgive our terrible Troop Beverly Hills reference (only because we love good Shelly Long flick), but today is actually National Oatmeal Cookie Day and to celebrate, we thought we would share with you a sweet recipe from Cookies From Home owner, Corey Meiteen. Why not just look up any old oatmeal cookie recipe? Because this particular take has a Southwestern twist that will have you scratching your head with one hand and reaching for more with the other. Try some!  It’s all after the jump.  »READ MORE

Cafe’ Bink, the little sister restaurant of Binkley’s Restaurant from James Beard Nominated Chef Kevin Binkley, is known for its use of exceptional ingredients that are “prepared with straightforward simplicity.” Because we can’t always make it to Carefree to quench our french fries cravings, we’re lucky enough to share (and we won’t tell if you won’t) Cafe Bink’s famous french fries recipe with you.

Cafe Bink | 36889 North Tom Darlington Drive | Carefree, Arizona 85377

Cafe Bink French Fries

Ingredients
2 each Potatoes (alturos or kennebeck)
1 oz Thyme
5 cloves Garlic, smashed
Salt
Water
1 gallon Fry oil »READ MORE

National Day This, National Day That, we’re pretty much over the whole “National Day” gig. But when we caught wind that today is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day and thoughts of our favorite, highly-addictive peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s made us instantly salivate, well…we just couldn’t ignore this festivious, glorious, creamy-never-chunky National holiday. High-fives to US Egg’s “Peanut Butter Lovers” dessert (or breakfast, lunch and dessert) – a deep fried peanut butter sandwich served with a sliced banana, topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with honey. Heavenutty! Want to kick it up another notch? As life-long PB lovers may we suggest you enjoy the Peanut Butter Lovers, Elvis-style and add a slice or two of crumbled bacon (just order it on the side and crumble yourself). You won’t be sorry.

Can’t make it to US Egg for the Peanut Butter Lovers? Here are a few of our favorite Pinteresting Peanut Butter recipe finds below:

Bake or Break's Peanut Butter Cookies

Bake or Break: Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies 
Baking With Basil: Peanut Butter Brownies 
Cooking with Peabody: Peanut Butter Banana Peanut Butter Chip Bread 
The Carmel Cookie: Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
My Baking Addictions: Peanut Butter Snickeroos 

Here are DLT we love to eat. What’s more is that we love to make our own food, whether for ourselves or to impress that special someone. Well it is almost Halibut season and Executive Chef Tom Harvey of Eddie V’s has an awesome recipe for us to share with all of you. Eddie V’s will be featuring the first of the season halibut beginning March 15. Check out the in season recipe below.

Sautéed Halibut with Macadamia Crust

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While the organic and natural eating trend has become more of a staple over the past five years, the resolution to eat healthy is still difficult to stay with – much less carry out before bathing-suit season. The trick? Besides the usual non-fat sugar-free soy latte, Food Network chef Claire Robinson says that less is definitely more when it comes to reading labels. She looks for few ingredients; the fewer the better.  “I only choose products made with natural ingredients,” she says, “such as Coffee-mate Natural Bliss and Natural Bliss Low-fat.” Reading labels also gives shoppers the ability to decipher their sugar and fat intake, which can be unclear on items like yogurt. “The full fat ones are not clearly labeled and can be full of sugar and calories,” says Robinson. “When buying yogurt make sure you have the low-fat version and be sure and check the sugar content. Low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt tends to be a better option with low sugar.”

If all this talk about healthy food has you aching for a candy bar, don’t do it. You know that natural food can be healthy, too, and today we’ve got you covered. Follow the jump for a very healthy, very tasty recipe with Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss Low-Fat Vanilla – no hidden ingredients.  Check out the recipe:

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Do you crave that luscious, salty taste of bacon but loathe the concept of consuming meat? No worries: the Queen Creek Olive Mill is back with the ultimate condiment, Bacon Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Crafted again by popular demand, Bacon Olive Oil is perfect anywhere you want a subtle or not-so-subtle bacon flavor without actual meat: a B.L.T. without the B, over breakfast potatoes –  we’re even trying it over pasta! If you’re still not convinced, head on down to the Olive Mill’s Mediterranean-inspired eatery del Piero to sample some of new Chef Matt Carvalho’s special breakfast and lunch menu items created with the bacon olive oil. Or, follow the recipe for a very tasty Spinach and Arugula Salad with Bacon Olive Oil after the jump.

The Olive Mill’s annual Olio Nuovo (Festival of the New Oil) is also taking place now through February 19th. During Olio Nuovo, visitors and food lovers alike can enjoy live entertainment on the weekends, wine tastings, extra virgin olive oil and other gourmet olive product samplings; tastings by local product vendors, tours of The Olive Mill, the Olive Oil 101 class, and more.

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You’ve seen their cookbooks in bookstores, you’ve read their articles and you may have even tried a hand at their culinary masterpieces in your own kitchen – but do you really know the secrets of your favorite chef? If your answer is no, wait no longer: the Arizona Biltmore Waldorf Astoria Resort will begin their second season of “Inside the Chef’s Studio” February 18. Continuing through the last weekend of April, chefs such as Joe Yonan, Food Editor at The Washington Post and author of Serve Yourself, and Christina Tosi, author of Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook will bring their gastronomic expertise to the Valley to teach participants how to create gourmet meals in one-of-a-kind weekend cooking classes combining demonstration and hands-on learning. Open to resort guests and non-guests alike, classes are $50 per person and include the author’s cookbook and lunch (the meal prepared during the class). Space is limited.

Get your chef’s hat dry-cleaned, your apron ironed and follow the jump for the class schedule:

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Alright, the rush of Super Wu Sunday is over. Now, we’re moving onto Super Bowl Sunday without a plan, but with an adorable new Jason Wu for Target dress. Here’s a quick roundup of what’s going on around town and from the internet to make this big game day Super despite a game plan:

1. Drop in to any of AZ Central’s “21 Places to Enjoy the Super Bowl in Greater Phoenix.”

2. Check Gawker’s “The Non-Sports Fan’s Guide to Maybe Enjoying the Super Bowl” for hilarious tips.

3. Review DLT’s guide to “Homegating” for the Super Bowl.

4. Luckily, there’s not enough time for any of theses ridiculous “Super Bowl Funny” recipes.

5. What would the Super Bowl be without chicken wings, guacamole and beer? Check the Food Network’s guide for Super Bowl Recipes.

6. Join the “Pabst It To Me” Party at the Crescent Ballroom. The party starts at 3:00 p.m. More info here.

7. Taste each team with Zinburger’s “Super Burger Bowl” specialty burger recipes through today.

8. Stay home, whip up a batch of this amazing Beer and Cheese Dip and watch the game at home in peace. Recipe courtesy of Chef Gregory Wiener from Top of the Rock at the Buttes Resort:

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small onion minced
Hot sauce (like Tabasco Chipotle) to taste
1 clove minced garlic
1 beer (preferably an IPA)
¼ cup diced canned green chilies

Method:
Combine all ingredients except the beer and stir or use food processor to get an even texture.
Add enough beer to get desired consistency (flat beer works best).
Chill and serve with crackers and vegetables.

Image via Fox News

By now we’re sure you’ve got your Valentine’s Day plans set– the candles are bought, the wine is in the cellar, the roses are ordered – but the real question is still on your mind: how to make this one sizzle? For couples staying in this Valentine’s Day, there is still a fun, inexpensive way to make that candlelit dinner the best one yet. Smart Kitchen, the video cooking curriculum that has been used in culinary schools around the country, is not only perfect for food enthusiasts but is also a great idea for couples wanting to injection passion into their Valentine’s Day – and every – date night. Plus, there’s a special: the first 100 people who join Smart Kitchen using promo code COOKTOGETHER will enjoy unlimited cooking lessons FREE for 30 days (that includes Valentine’s Day, in case you are still looking for ideas). 

Cooking as a couple not only brings you together but is a fun and sexy way to get to know one another. From the dinner table to…ahem, dessert, follow the jump for three tips to make your dinner – and whatever comes next – red-hot:

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Local pasta sauce, herb and oil company Costantino’s Kitchen is bringing the authentic taste of Italy to your kitchen, just like Grandma used to make! We love it on spaghetti squash and can’t wait to try the Angie’s Meatballs recipe below. Find the sauce at a local farmer’s market here and hopefully soon to Chow Locally. 

Angie’s Meatballs

Yield: 12 Meatballs

1 jar Costantino’s Kitchen Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
4 oz ground beef
4 oz ground pork
1/4  cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2.5 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Preparation:

Heat sauce over medium-high heat.

Combine beef, pork, breadcrumbs, cheese, onion, milk, egg, garlic and pepper. Shape into 12, 1-inch meatballs. Cook in skillet over medium heat until brown on all sides. Move to oven and cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until cooked throughout. Serve over pasta with a generous portion of Costantino’s Kitchen Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce.

If the concept of eating locally and buying fresh produce from the desert sounds foreign to you, Friday’s Panel Discussion at Changing Hands Bookstore might clear up some confusion. At 7:00 p.m. January 27, Edible Phoenix Magazine will moderate an interactive panel with Cooking the Wild Southwest author Carolyn Niethammer and Southwest Comfort Food author Marilyn Noble. Along with a tasting of Southwestern foods and a book signing, the authors will discuss how to shop smart at the farmer’s market, how to find locally-produced grassfed meats and how to utilize desert vegetation in your own kitchen.

Changing Hands Bookstore | 6428 S McClintock Dr. Tempe, AZ | 85283

We admit it. Our favorite day of the year isn’t Thanksgiving, Christmas or even our own birthday: it is January 27. Known as National Chocolate Cake Day, this Friday is a day to commemorate what we all know and love as one of the greatest inventions ever: cake. Cake, which is great, made out of chocolate, which is the best. To celebrate this day, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood at Scottsdale Quarter is sharing their signature Chocolate Godiva Cake recipe with the world. With it warm and paired along locally made vanilla bean ice cream from Sweet Republic, this Friday is slated to be the best day of 2012 yet. Follow the jump for the greatest recipe ever:

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We all know about the powers of Pinterest. One can lose hours of his or, let’s be honest, her life browsing through inspiring photos of fashion, home decor and food while dreaming of living in Erin Wasson’s loft and cooking like Paula Dean. Well, if you’re indeed a fan of cooking, you can use Pinterest to find recipes from just like you all over the country. It’s a great way to discover new blogs and expand your recipe books while keeping your belly in a very happy place. Here are five, easy to find Pinteresting foods to check out.

1. Grilled Bruschetta Chicken from Jamie Cooks It Up 

2. Nutella Crack Pie from Showfood Chef  (the name alone is enough to take a look)

3. Bloomin’ Pizza Bread from The Girl Who Ate Everything 

4. Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup from Simple Recipes 

5. Drunken S’mores from MSNBC

January is National Soup Month. Makes sense, but we had no idea either. You’ve got nearly two weeks of souper-duper celebrating to do with a bowl of your favorite, slurpable winter soup meal before February brings us National Canned Food, National Grapefruit and National Creative Romance Month. Try this new recipe courtesy of Smart Kitchen, online cooking school in Scottsdale, for Yellow Split Pea with Butternut Squash Soup. This soup recipe got you stumped? Click here to Smart Kitchen for the recipe and more information on their online school.

Yellow Split Pea with Butternut Squash Soup »READ MORE

If you’re like us, the back-to-work grind has you reaching for a stiff drink. Don’t worry; there’s no need to let go of vacation fever just yet. Ditch the vodka-on-the-rocks this weekend and head to Scottsdale’s Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar for our fruity and refreshing drink of the weekend pick, the Hibiscus Key Lime Cocktail. Infused with sweet pineapple and tangy key lime juice, this pretty-in-pink elixir may transport you straight to Hawaii…or at least get you in the mood for the next holiday.

Ingredients
1.5 parts vodka
.5 pars Cointreau
1 part hibiscus syrup
1 part pineapple juice
1 part hand pressed key lime juice
5 cubes muddled fresh pineapple

Preparation
Mix all ingredients together and strain into a tall Collins glass, garnish with 3 floating key lime wheels.

Image via Naples Illustrated

You can bring your game face and your sponge finger, but you can’t bring the following to tonight’s Fiesta Bowl kicking off at 6:30 p.m. at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. AZ Central reports, “Certain items won’t be allowed in the stadium. They include weapons, folding chairs, beach balls, umbrellas, video cameras, food, cameras with detachable lenses, bottles and cans.”

The ultimate “do” of the Fiesta Bowl starts at 12:30 today for the Pre-Game tailgate at the Stadium’s North Orange Lot. Visit Phoenix reports admission to the tailgate is $20 and includes “Activities such as pep rallies, performances by the university marching bands and cheerleaders, jumbotrons to watch team highlights, interactive games, and food and beverage booths all help fans prepare for the big game. Keep your ticket to enjoy a free tailgate-inspired meal which is included in your admission.” Join the party from 12:30 – 5:30 p.m. today.

Staying home for the game? Maybe mix up a batch of DLT’s favorite Artichoke Dip. Or, check out my favorite, super quick party recipe for Tuzzi Dip:

Ingredients:
2 package cream cheese
1 pound hot sausage
1 can of dices tomatoes with green chili (I prefer Rotel)

Preparation:
Brown sausage in skillet.
Heat tomatoes in saucepan and add cream cheese. Stir to melt together. When melted, add sausage.
Serve with tortilla chips or slices of baguette bread.

Wanna skip the dishes and watch the game out? Here’s our top 3 picks for places to watch tonight’s game:

Zipps Sports Cafe – With 8 locations in the Valley to serve. Check locations here.

Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe – If the game stinks, at least your beer won’t. Click here for location.

The Herb Box – The best place to take your lady for the game. Click here for the location near you.

Foam finger image via Gimmees.

Chef Peter DeRuvo of the crazy good Italian eatery Cuoco Pazzo in Scottsdale was featured in the daily food email Tasting Table, dishing up the ingredients for his take on polenta, an Italian table staple. Tasting Table writes, “Chef Peter DeRuvo knows that the key to authentic Italian polenta lies in high-quality ground corn and classic technique. At his modern Italian restaurant, Cuoco Pazzo, the Scottsdale chef proves that ingredients and method matter.” 

Are you just crazy enough to skip a relaxing dinner out and cook up a batch of Chef DeRuvo’s polenta at home? Check the recipe for Mascarpone Polenta with Wild Mushrooms after the jump:

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We don’t know about you, but this is the most adorable DIY holiday idea we’ve seen all year!  We stumbled upon these Pinteresting little Santa Hat Brownies on food blog Erica’s Sweet Tooth, and decided to really amp up the holiday spirit by combining Santa Hat Toppers with this Red Velvet Brownie recipe from How Sweet It Is. How festive are these? Your family and friends will be so wowed with our recipe combo that you’ll definitely make the nice, not naughty, list this year.

Santa Hat Brownie Bites
(Adapted from Erica’s Sweet Tooth and How Sweet It Is) »READ MORE

The fruit of the moment: sweet and juicy grapefruits, ripe and ready now. Fresh Arizona citrus is a locally grown fall staple at most tables. Modernize the sweet-n-sour fruit by adding avocado and fresh Yellowtail as in this recipe by Chef Nobuo Fukuda of Nobuo at Teeter House in Phoenix. Or join chef for “A Night with Nobuo” Monday night at Roka Akor in Scottsdale. More details on the event can be found here.

Recipe for Yellowtail with Grapefruit & Avocado and full menu for Monday night’s event after the jump: »READ MORE

The second best part to Thanksgiving – the leftovers (the first, the day off of oourse!). We’re really looking forward to leftovers this year with this Turkey Risotto recipe from Chef Stephen Jones of Latilla at The Boulders Resort. Ditch the turkey sandwiches and feast, post-feast on this tasty turkey dish.

Ingredients:
3 cups roasted turkey stock warmed (Recipe See Below)
2 oz dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Un-oaked Chardonnay
¼ cup shredded left over turkey (white and dark meat)
1 each shallot, finely minced
1 clove garlic , finely minced
1 tsp each fresh sage, thyme, rosemary , finely minced
3 tbsp grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 tsp minced fresh chives »READ MORE

Today’s the last day of our Falliday recipe week and we’re finishing big with a fancy-schmancy Pumpkin Pie Crème Brulee provided by Executive Chef Bryan Hulihee at Roaring Fork.

Before we get to the recipe, here’s a quick rundown of all recipes this week:

Pumpkin Waffles
Turkey Sausage Stuffing
Don’t Mind if I Fondue (Chocolate Pumpkin Fondue)
Butternut Squash Soup »READ MORE

Impress your family and friends with this tasty twist on the falliday classic, Butternut Squash Soup. Top of the Rock at the Buttes’ Chef Akos Szabo passes on the traditional with a spicier version of the starter. Recipe and prep after the jump:

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