Welcome to Chow Bella's Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you'd like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com. Miss a question? Go here.

A full moon. We always check to see when the moon is full each month and then staff and order accordingly. For some reason, a full moon usually affects our business for the better and it brings in a different crowd. Our restaurant can get a little weird. If you've ever watched a show on TV, like ER, they sometimes do "full moon" episodes featuring crazy people. That's our restaurant during a full moon! Our customers aren't crazy, but they're definitely "spicier" than usual. And there's always that one wild card who shows up to shake things up even more.

Laura dropped a list of her favorite metro Phoenix gelato joints earlier this week and fortuitously, the fine folks over at Cool Gelato Italiano passed along a coupon good for a buy one, get one half-off deal.

But first, a PSA from the friendly Vegan Police:

The Hummus Trio ($4.50 at happy hour) at Fired Up Grill is a testament to the bistro's obsession with spice: Be prepared for the rich and smoky Chipotle hummus - it bites back.

The Spot: Fired Up Grill, 7131 W. Ray Road, Suite 45, Chandler, AZ 85226. (480) 940-4040. firedupgrill.com

The Hours: 3 to 7 p.m. Every Day

The Details: All 15 appetizers are half off, from the popular Mussels Marinara (regularly $9.99) to the classic Assorted Cheese Board ($11.99). Drinks are all $1 off, so you can pick from the extensive wine list or try one of the signature cocktails.   

The Interior: Fired Up Grill is located in the part of Chandler that is very nearly Tempe and very nearly Ahwatukee, just steps away from the very same Buca di Beppo where Fired Up owner (then Buca manager) Joe Busone's dismissal inspired a staff walkout that shut the restaurant down - an incident of solidarity that garnered national attention. Those same servers followed Busone to Fired Up Grill, and three years later, the restaurant still feels like one big family.

And its new location should be easy to find.

courtesy of Breadfruit

About two months back, they found a lemon tree loaded with blossoms (more on that momentarily). What they eventually created, with help from the tree, is a lemon tincture that would be added to a new cocktail: the Kiwi Reserve ($9), a pale green and slightly floral number that looks and smells like spring in a glass.

The Kiwi Reserve is composed of:

Mount Gay Special Reserve rum
Muddled organic kiwi fruit
Hand-squeezed pineapple juice (sweeter, no metallic taste)
Hand-squeezed lemon juice
House-made lemon blossom tincture
House-made lavender bitters

How Allen and Leoni came by the lemon blossoms is the story of two decent people breaking bad . . . .

In Phoenix and beyond, about 90 eateries are offering three-course dinners at a priced-right rate of $30 or $40 per person (excluding drinks, tax, and tip) -- and most give the option of choosing a favorite dish from each course.

Where's a selection-overloaded diner to go? Depending on your angle, I've come up with three ways to enjoy the event. Plus, there's always the option to mix and match for a more individualized game plan. Whatever your strategy, make sure to take advantage of the dining deals. And for heaven's sake, make reservations -- the favorites fill up fast.

No matter what the moniker, this meat-minded, fresh, and spicy salad, regarded as the national dish of Laos, is a splendidly flavorful way to take your salad eating to the exotic side.

Today, the woman working hard to make paleta a household word in metro Phoenix.

Tastemaker 96: Betty Alatorre de Hong

Beatriz (Betty) Alatorre de Hong of Paletas Betty was born and raised in Michoacán, a central state in Mexico that's famous for its paletas, a.k.a. popsicles. Alatorre de Hong grew up with traditional Mexican fare as prepared by her grandmother and her mother, who owned a restaurant specializing in tortas. She may not consider herself a "real chef" but with paletas as good as Betty's, a product of her experiences from traditional Mexican roots and modern American culture, we don't care.

Nikki Buchanan

This is part two of my interview with Lori Hashimoto, co-owner and sushi chef at Hana Japanese Eatery. In case you missed it, you can read part one of my interview with Lori Hashimoto of Hana Japanese Eatery, which ran yesterday.

Favorite Metro Phoenix restaurants other than your own: FnB, Binkley's, Posh, Citizen Public House and Café Ga Hyang

Which chef (local or national) do you most admire & why: Charleen Badman of FnB. Her cooking is so soulful and reflects so many different influences. That woman has so much energy! When she's not doing something for one of her restaurants, she's doing something for the community. I like that she has so much drive.

What do you wish every customer understood about sushi: Its beautiful simplicity. Don't put a ton of wasabi and shoyu [soy sauce] on it. Let the ingredients shine.

What do you wish every customer understood about Japanese food: That Japanese food is very subtle. Flavors come in layers -- a little salt, a little bitter, a little sour, a little sweet. You get all the tastes on your tongue. But Americans mistake subtlety for blandness. I also wish people understood the Japanese rules for plating. It's elegant -- an art form, not a selling point. What we're doing is giving respect and appreciation to the food. My mother sings and talks to the rice when she makes it every day, and no one makes it as well as my mother.

How is being a woman sushi chef different from being a man sushi chef: Why are tall people paid more? There's no difference between a man and a woman sushi chef except that women have an elevated body temperature. Their hands are too hot to make sushi. That's always been the reasoning for no women behind the sushi bar. But I'm an intelligent woman and I can make adjustments. Hands should never be all over the fish anyway. There's a saying, "one touch too much," meaning don't over-handle the food. I see novice sushi chefs holding and pressing, pressing, pressing the nigiri and I want to say, "stop!"