Street Eats Food Festival, Scottsdale, Arizona

Every year, I’m lucky enough to work the Street Eats Food Festival at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona.

My DREAM is to own a food truck, so this festival is not only an incredible source of income (that I have to miss next year, because of my wedding. Yes, I’m sad, the food is THAT good. ) so it’s a big deal for me.

For example, take a look at this grilled cheese from The Grilled Cheese Truck.

This is the “Grilled Mac n’ Rib” it’s been featured on the Food Channel and it’s amazing. It’s worth the wait, because, believe me, there is one. It can be an hour long if you don’t get there in time.

It’s a standard grilled cheese, but the outside is coated with a butter-mayo mixture that has a higher smoke point that just butter, so the sandwich cooks through before it burns on the outside. #fatkidlife Then, on the inside, is American cheese, a slice, yes, slice of mac n’ cheese and a portion of their slow cooked, pork ribs. It’s $7.25 on the street and various prices at a festival, but I don’t care what you have to pay, TASTE this bad boy. It’s amazing.

There is a ton of other good food at the festival, but the Grilled Cheese Truck is by far my favorite.

This was my view tonight from the VIP tent. I can’t believe I had a minute to breathe and take the photo on the right. It was SO busy it was insane!

If you are in the area, in the January-February time of year, look for the festival and make a point to stop by! I’m always tending bar, somewhere!

Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight, after work, walking to the car, the view was insane. There must have been a wedding on Camelback because there were paper lanterns being let off into the sky and actually landing all over the fields. It was gorgeous, but it’s so dry that I’m surprised they weren’t aware of where the lanterns would land! Anyway, it made for a gorgeous photo to end the night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baked Mac N’ Ham

No, this is not good for you. Nor is it low in calories, vegan, vegetarian or gluten free. This, is just plain ole comfort food. Because life is meant to be lived. Sure, you may fit into your skinniest jeans, but do you want to look back on a life of sad salads and fruit-ish smoothies, peppered with the stalks of nutrient rich weeds? I think not. But, that’s the Southern woman that raised me talking. Honey.

This dish is totally freezable, making it pretty easy. Sure, the sauce is roux based, but when made in bulk, it’s not that bad.

Ingredients & Directions: No exact measurements here, it depends how much you want to make and most of this is eyeballing anyway. I’ll amend with measurements…. Maybe? About a pound of shells and two cups of ham works for this recipe, using a large casserole dish.

Cooked and diced ham, I buy the big ass hams when they’re on sale, I use everything including the bone. For more on this click here.
Shells, cooked al dente and drained
Grated extra sharp cheddar cheese about 2 cups
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of garlic powder or minced garlic

For the sauce: It’s a roux, so you’re going to start with some butter and flour over medium to medium-high heat. Equal parts butter and flour, so if you’re starting with 2 tbsp of butter, use about 2 tbsp of flour. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and keep it moving until it’s just started to have a hint of goldenness to it. If you’ve got fresh garlic, add it now, incorporating it fully. Garlic powder can be added with the flour initially.

Add milk 2% and about 1-2 cups, whisking until it’s fully incorporated into the flour mixture and there are no lumps.

Whisk almost continuously, until milk starts to simmer and roll a low boil. Adding the cheddar cheese and whisking to mix it fully. In addition, about another cup of milk, whisking and boiling to reduce. Keep in mind that the sauce reduces slowly and not much volume is lost, so however much milk you add, is about how much sauce you’re going to get. Reduction is only about 1/5 total.

Mix pasta, sauce and ham in a large casserole dish. Cover with crushed ritz crackers or bread crumbs, whatever kind of crumbles you’ve got, but a nice crunch on top is key! I like to add a little cayenne kick on top too.

Bake, uncovered at 350 until bubbly and brown, serve with a crusty bread or a fresh salad!

Enjoy!

Spring Training 2014 @ Salt River Fields

The schedule for this coming season is up!

Make sure you get your tickets and come on out to see me at a game, grab a cold one and enjoy our beautiful Arizona spring weather.

Follow me on Instagram @Peachy_ChiChi to find out where I’m bartending at that day!

Photo is from Salt River Fields website.

Sizzling Steak Stir Fry & White Rice

So, I discovered the restaurant supply store the other day and copped myself a new wok. I literally only cook in them for stir fry, but, I just… Needed one.

Then last night, I had a girlfriend over for dinner and I decided I’d make us a quick and easy stir fry. Well, while it was delicious, I got a little side tracked with the wine and just cooked dinner. There’s suppose to be a bit of a definitive crunch to your veggies and I went ahead and cooked that right out.

So, pardon my photo if it’s a bit… Limp. It was delicious anyway.

INGREDIENTS:

1lb of skirt steak/flap meat (I use this cut, because it’s thin, lessening cooking time and it’s always cheap.)
2oz Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce
1oz Kikkoman Soy Sauce
1/2 head of garlic, minced
1/2 c dry white wine

2 large carrots
1 pkg of bean sprouts
2 stalks of celery
1/2 lb fresh green beans
1/2 white onion
1/2 head of broccoli
1/2 red bell pepper

There’s no science to this. You can marinate the meat or not, just make sure than when you’re ready to cook, you’ve got a well oiled wok. That’ll help the food to skid around and get evenly cooked THROUGH, quickly.

Basically, chop the meat and then chop your veggies, cook the meat first, leaving the majority of the marinade in the bag or bowl.

Once the meat is cooked, add the veggies and a little additional teriyaki and a splash of wine to the hot wok and toss around until they’re crisp, but cooked through. I usually add carrots and broc first, then the less dense veggies, that way I don’t have raw carrots and caramelized onions.

The rice, I just cook on the side, using either white or brown and chicken broth. I make my own broth, so I know my rice is packed with vitamins, not sodium. Take the time and do the same for your family, the benefits of bone broth are endless.

This is a quick meal for the week days, while being really fresh. If you have older kiddies or a helping husband, let the veggie chopping to someone else and make a team effort out of dinner!

And, above all, ENJOY!

Meatball 101

I love pasta. Who doesn’t? And at any quality restaurant here in Scottsdale, a pasta addiction will break the bank. Fortunately, I figured out how to hack many of my favorite dishes as well as create my own. And what’s easier than a meatball?

Mainstream meatballs are often all beef, fatty beasts, riddled with Lord knows what if you’re buying the pre-cooked, freezer babies that are every college kids bff. (“I’ll boil the water, you microwave the balls, we’re getting fancy tonight!” –Said no one, ever.) But a good meatball? Well, that’s just a fine art.

Let’s get to the balls, shall we?

I use to make all turkey meatballs… But they’re a little plain for my taste, so whenever I find a good quality, spicy Italian sausage on sale, I grab a pound or two and make some meatballs. Turkey can usually be found for pretty cheap, although this new brand from Smart and Final has me a little creeped, because I can’t find shit about it online. “Where’s the turkey from?” “Idk, I just found it on the shelf!” Yum….?

Anyhoo, creep turkey aside…

I like my two kinds of meats, turkey’s for the bulk, the spicy sausage for the flavor. I use granulated onion and garlic, because once frozen, those two ingredients, diced and mixed into the balls, would be gross, I feel. Loss of moisture, transfers of moisture upon cooking, random moisture where there shouldn’t be moisture… What a gross word. So, granulated is the way to go.

Use whatever kind of Italian seasoning you want, a mix of oregano, basil and thyme kind of work universally for me. Basil can get overpowering as HELL, so go lightly.

I use eggs and breadcrumbs, just like in my turkey burgers, to keep things together. Turkey can tend to fall apart when cooked, so breadcrumbs and egg act like a glue when they’re cooked, to hold everything together. Meatloaf magic, your mom knows all about it…

There’s really no exact science to the ingredients. Usually one egg does the trick per two pounds of meat or so. A large handful of bread crumbs is usually sufficient as well, if your meatballs won’t form well and are sticking to your hands, which turkey tends to do, add more breadcrumbs until it’s easier to work with. Seasonings are really just to taste, but I use about a table spoon of each herb, a teaspoon or two of black pepper, granulated garlic and onion and just a pinch of salt.

Since I freeze mine, I use a cookie sheet with foil or wax paper so that I can freeze these bad boys then throw them into a bag.

Mix all your ingredients with your hands, but wash them first, please.

Form yo balls, plop them down, freeze them.

To reheat, just thaw them and either boil them in a tasty marinara or bake them in the oven, which is what I did in the photo above. Either way, they’re perfect, every time.

Class dismissed.