Tag: chefs

Project Roots AZ “Taste of the Garden” to feature locally grown food

Local non-profit Project Roots AZ hosts its inaugural fundraiser, “Taste of the Garden” on Saturday, April 30th at 6 p.m. The Spaces of Opportunity garden at 1200 W. Vineyard Rd in Phoenix will host well respected Phoenix area chef members of Local First Arizona who will prepare foods grown and harvested by Project Roots AZ volunteers.

“Creating dishes for people that come directly from the community gardens at Spaces of Opportunities is a perfect way for stakeholders to see a value in what we are doing first-hand,” said Bridget Pettis, Project Roots AZ co-founder and former WNBA Phoenix Mercury player and Chicago Sky coach.

Pettis started the non-profit in 2019 to provide access to nutritious foods and promote a healthier way of living in urban neighborhoods. She uses her gardening knowledge to help educate the undeserved in Arizona with community gardens and mobile kitchens. Volunteers grow fruits and vegetables in two community gardens then have them donated to local food banks, sold at farmer’s markets and sold through produce box deliveries. These proceeds then get reinvested in the non-profit to help feed more people.

“Most people in the Valley don’t have the luxury of experiencing food that comes directly from garden to table, that’s something we are excited to share during this fundraiser,” Pettis added. “The chefs we are working with are amazingly creative. The dishes they’ve crafted showcase the fruits of our labor perfectly.”

Monies raised from the “Taste of the Garden” event will help support programs including gardening classes for kids & adults and cooking demonstrations that help educate the community on how to cook and prepare their own food. Tickets are $100 each and can be reserved here.

Blue Watermelon Project connects chefs & farmers with students

Many school aged children don’t have the access to quality foods and rely on lunch served at school for free. Unfortunately after expenses there is only $1 left for the meal for each student which usually buys processed foods. Enter the Blue Watermelon Project, a program from Slow Food Phoenix inspired by chef and restaurant owner at FnB, Charleen Badman.

Blue Watermelon Project connects chefs, restaurants, farmers and food advocates with individual schools in an effort to help students re-think their relationship with fresh and whole foods making them a more adventurous eater. Along with parents and the community they offer taste education and interactive programming to help K-12 aged students become better eaters.

Blue Watermelon’s annual fundraiser, Feeding the Future helps bring awareness about school meal programs and Blue Watermelon’s mission. The 2022 event is Saturday January 22nd at The Farm at South Mountain from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Feeding the Future connects students and their Chef Mentors from Phoenix and Tucson to help create healthy school meals with several meal being judged to win prizes and scholarships. The meals meet the National School Lunch Programs nutrition, cost and other requirements.

Tickets for the event are $25-$75 and can be purchased at Eventbrite.

Epicuriad 2020 has 15 chefs cooking for children’s brain tumor research

Billed as where “Top Chefs Vie for Food-Pairing Glory”, Epicuriad 2020 will have more than 15 local chefs competing to win the coveted Epicurean chefs jacket while raising money for the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation. Harley Davidson of Scottsdale will host the 8th annual event on Saturday May 2nd at 6 p.m.

Each chef will be tasked with creating a dish that will pair well with a specific beer and wine. Attendees will vote for ” Best Plate” and “Best Pairing” crowning a winner. Money raised will benefit research and programs for brain tumor and patients put on by the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation.

Tickets for Epicuriad 2020 are limited and can be purchased at their website. General Admission tickets are $85 and VIP is $100. Harley Davidson of Scottsdale is at 15656 N. Hayden Rd. Scottsdale 85260.

 

“Smoked” to feature local chefs & cocktails at unique food event

Diana Brandt a.k.a Arizona Foodie is looking to blow your mind with “Smoked”, her food event on March 23rd. Bringing together local chefs and creative cocktails she wants people to hang out and enjoy what the local culinary scene has to offer.

“I wanted to create an event that captures the quality and talent of the Arizona Food scene but also keep it very intimate,” says Brandt. “There’s something primal about cooking with fire and it’ll be really cool for the guests to interact with the Chefs and watch them as they prepare distinctive dishes. It’s going to be lit. You will be amazed how creative these Chefs will get. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!”

Smoked foods

Chefs will be left to create whatever dishes they want as long as there is an element of smoke. Expect to taste dishes from these chefs scheduled to participate.

Matt Carter from The Mission, Zinc Bistro and Fat Ox

Stephen Jones from The Larder + The Delta

Aaron May from Malibu Burger, The Goodwood Tavern, The Lodge Sasquatch Kitchen and Over Easy

Jason Alford of Bulthaup Az

Walter Sterling from Ocotillo

Alex Levine from Starlite BBQ

Adam Allison of Handlebar Diner

Chef Dell from Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North

Chef Paulo from Obon Sushi Bar Ramen

Justine Dachel of Jewel’s Bakery and Cafe

Smoked Cocktails

Ketel One, Seagram’s, Bulleit, Johnnie Walker and Union Mezcal are sponsoring the event and guests will be able to sip on their creative cocktails in the Bulleit Smoked Lounge.

They won’t just be creating cocktails but their own brand experience. Wander over to the Seagram’s Airstream trailer with a photo booth and dry ice cocktails. Ketel One Botanicals will decorate their space with fresh flowers and guests can created their own smoked candles. Johnnie Walker and Union will create their own fun experiences too.

Purchasing tickets

“I truly want the Smoked experience to be available to everyone. So I’m keeping this upscale event affordable so the ticket price doesn’t kill the budget,” says Brandt. “I’m hoping that this event will show many of the people that follow me how amazing our food scene is and get them out of their routines and into these restaurants.”

This is at 21+ over event. Tickets for the event are sure to sell out and are available at https://www.arizonafoodiemag.com/events/smoked-hosted-by-arizona-foodie . Tickets are $35 and get all food and drink samples with entry at 1 p.m. VIP tickets are $50 and gain entry at 12:00.

Smoked will be at Ocotillo Restaurant at 3243 N. 3rd St. Phoenix 85012.

The who, what, where & when for the 2018 Devour Culinary Classic

Details are starting to emerge about one of the highly anticipated food festivals of the southwest as the 2018 Devour Culinary Classic is less than 7 months away.

This 2 day food event takes place on Saturday and Sunday March 3rd & 4th 2018 and moves this year to the Desert Botanical Garden on the Phoenix/Scottsdale border. Skip breakfast as this annual event opens its doors each day at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.

“Just like all the participants in the Devour Culinary Classic, the Garden is proud to fly the ‘locally grown’ flag,” says Desert Botanical Garden Executive Director Ken Schutz. “We look forward to hosting the event in 2018.”

Local First Arizona started Devour Culinary Classic almost 10 years ago and has become a model food event around the country for supporting locally owned restaurants, wineries, brewers and more.

“Our main objective is to support the development and promotion of the culinary and extended local food community and culture in Arizona, bringing deserved local and national attention to our state’s food scene,” said Kimber Lanning, founder of the event and Executive Director of Local First Arizona. “We believe we’ll be even better suited to showcase Arizona’s one-of-a-kind culinary culture with Desert Botanical Garden as our host.”

Devour Culinary Classic chef talent

As of the end of August, over 30 chefs from around Arizona are confirmed to strut their stuff with the list continuing to grow. A few of the names you can expect to see are…..

Bernie Kantak The Gladly & Citizen Public House, Danielle Leoni The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, Kat and Brad Moore Short Leash Hot Dog, Jeff Smedstad Elote Cafe, Tamara Stanger Helio Basin Brewing Co. (Winner of last year’s Devour Excellence Award)

Ticket packages, Week of Experiences and more.

Before the Classic goes off there are two events leading up to the festive weekend. The Devour Classic Bartending Competition shakes things up on Fri. February 25th from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. and the Seven Chefs Singh Along prepare a meal under the stars on Wed. February 28th from 5:30- 8:30 p.m. More details can be found on event links.

Tickets go on sale for members of Local First Arizona localist program, Desert Botanical Garden and Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance to all events of November 1st, 2017 and to the public on November 13th, 2017. Tickets are limited to all events and non-members should consider membership to above groups for pre-sale tickets.

3 ticket packages are available for those that want to experience much of what the event has to offer. Early entry, Cooking demonstrations, access to wine and spirits tents, meet and greet with chefs and more are available. The single day packages are The Tasting Package $105,  The Connoisseur Package $165 and The VIP Package $205. See ticket link above for individual package perks.

As details continue to become available be sure to check the website for updates.

 

 

 

Arizona Foodie Pop Up Dinners now Eatable plus a permanent home

Diana Brandt headshot1[6]
If you’re a foodie in Phoenix and like intimate dinners with rotating guest chefs then you should know the name Arizona Foodie Pop Up Dinners, well forget that name as it’s now called Eatable and has found a permanent location at 1514 W. Lynwood St. in Phoenix. The new name was changed to help show all that founder Diana Brandt had in mind when she started the dinners, “I really envision this space and concept helping to create an even brighter food scene for Phoenix and opening up opportunity for those with a passion. I hope for more collaborations, more creativity and more out of the box cooking, all while breaking bread with new friends and old.”

Pop up dinners will still be on the menu that can host up to 20 guests who can socialize with other guests while dining on courses prepared by Phoenix areas most respected and popular chefs. Cooking demonstrations will also be available for those attending the dinners. Local chefs who have prepared dinners for Eatables pop ups and who will be in the future include Chef Aaron Chamberlain, Chef Stephen Jones, Chef Gio Osso, Chef Mel Mecinas, Chef Cory Oppold and Chef Juan Zamora, Jacob Cutino from Homeboy’s Hot Sauces, Chef Greg Wiener and Chef Doug Robson.

The dinners also provide up and coming chefs the opportunity to showcase their cooking while building a following as there careers continue to rise.

In addition to pop up dinners Eatable event space is available for private parties, new product launches and more according to Diana “I have people ask all the time for a place where they can have a special meal for a birthday or anniversary. This space can be used to connect a Chef with these people to create a memorable celebration.

Dinners sell out quick and are $65 and guests dine on passed hors d’oeuvres, 3 courses or more and beverages. For more information about pop up dinner and Eatable visit www.azfoodieblog.com