The Uprooted Kitchen

​Earlier this week we mentioned that The Uprooted Kitchen, a vegetarian food truck getting ready to start serving around town, plans to reveal its menu of salad bowls sometime in the near future. These bowls won't be your standard lettuce with dressing B.S. They're loading them up with hearty greens, alternative protein sources, nuts, and grains...all topped off with Erin's homemade dressings and served with a delicious and healthy desert.

We couldn't wait to see just what goes into one of these things. So we did the only logical thing and asked for the recipe.

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The Uprooted Kitchen

The Uprooted Kitchen will be a family affair (Erin and Chad Romanoff with their boys, Cole and Jonah)

​If you've been wondering why nobody's thought (much) to bring vegetarian and vegan food into the burgeoning food truck scene, we've got the answer: They have.

Meet The Romanoffs: Erin and Chad, a pastry chef and occupational therapist, who will be hitting the streets in their 1968 vintage Avion trailer, hopefully, by the end of the month.

The Business: The Uprooted Kitchen (Great name, they know.)

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Damon Brasch

​This week in Chef Talk we've been at Green talking to owner and chef, Damon Brasch. Over the last two days he talked about the process of renovating the two century-year-old buildings in downtown Phoenix, which now house the second Green location and his coffee/snack shop, Nami.

Today he comments on his fears over being a restaurant owner and shares his recipe for a Sour Cherry Tart.

"I don't know, people were always telling me for years I'd own my own my own restaurant. I always said no way....because every restaurant owner I knew was a psychopath. Like, they were just crazy people. I fear sometimes, when I look back, am I that guy now? Are they looking at me like that? You definitely have to be a little bonkers to be doing it, but when you love what you and it's really something that you're good at, it makes it easier."

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Lauren Saria

​Yesterday we shared the first part of our talk with vegan chef and owner of Green, Damon Brasch who shared the story behind the century-year-old buildings that now house his most recent culinary endeavors in the middle of downtown Phoenix.

Today Brasch, known also for his mad music skills (he's the guitar player in the band MISR WAT), explains how he, a former meat-eater turned vegetarian nearly two decades ago, ended up being a leader in the Valley's vegan food scene.

"I'm a working class guy. I didn't go culinary school; I didn't get to work under a famous chef...but I did get to work under some great chefs. I've been working in the restaurant business my whole life and I have a passion for food. The passion for food comes from my family, a big Italian family. My mother and my grandmother are two of the best chefs I've ever known. They were a huge part of me wanting to cook and not just wanting to cook, but [wanting to] understand where your food comes from."

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Lauren Saria

​At the second location of the vegan bistro, Green, we met up with owner and chef Damon Brasch for this week's Chef Talk. Next door at the also new-to-town snack shop, Nami, we chatted over a cup of coffee (with soy milk, of course) about the history behind the recently renovated buildings, of which Brasch is particularly proud.

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21 Cakes

​Over the past two days we've brought you the highlights of our time with pastry chef Linda Schneider of 21 Cakes. If you haven't made it out to the shop since it open last August, the elegant confections and beautiful space in which to enjoy them will make the drive worth your while.

We asked the confection connoisseur if she's worried about the frosting wave of the cupcake-craze reaching the shore anytime soon. Here's what she had to say:

"I shouldn't say that I don't look that far ahead, but I'm loving this so much, the fact that I was able to open this store. We are a family. I'm so lucky, I have the best people working with me and everyday we're pretty darn happy in here. So I think we just enjoy everyday and take it as I comes and introduce new products to show people we can do more... "

With that said, she shared her recipe for Potato Candy, a unique confection that has been popular in Pennsylvania for decades. 

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Lauren Saria

​This week we bring you Pastry Chef Linda Schneider of 21 Cakes, the gourmet cupcake and macron bakery in Scottsdale.

Yesterday she told us about her childhood baking with her grandmother and explained the difference between a macron and a macaroon. Today, we ask her advice for new bakers and find out why she's nuts for macrons.

Quick recap: a Parisian macron, not to be confused with a macaroon, is an almond based confection of French origin. Schneider's macrons are made in a three-day process that includes several hours of "maturing" and should always be enjoyed at room temperature.

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21 Cakes

​In this week's Chef Talk we satisfy our sweet tooth by sitting down to chat with pastry chef Linda Schneider of 21 Cakes in Scottsdale.

Schneider, a classically trained chef and cupcake master, grew up baking with her grandmother and mother. Today family recipes like her grandmother's chocolate cake live on in miniature form as Schneider turns out fresh-baked, gourmet cupcakes and Parisian macrons from her charming shop located near Scottsdale Rd. and Indian Bend.

Don't know what a macron is? That's ok, neither did we. But don't worry, she'll explain the difference between a macron and a macaroon and tell us all about the three-day process required to make a traditional Parisian macron.

Just kidding; that's top-secret information. But we do have the history of 21 Cakes and Schneider's advice for novice bakers...after the jump.

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The Breadfruit

Appleton Rum Scallops

​Yesterday The Breadfruit's Chef Danielle Leoni told us she'd be teaching how to make Appleton Rum Scallops at the Winter Chef Series later this month. Well we've got a sneak preview for those of you who just can wait.

Appleton Rum Sea Scallops

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 Large Diver Scallops
2 oz Appleton Estate VX Rum
2 teaspoons The Breadfruit's Signature Jerk Rub (available @ The Breadfruit)

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Lauren Saria

​Today we've got the second part of our chat with Chef Danielle Leoni of The Breadfruit.

Although the restaurant's been open for several years, The Breadfruit stays true to its roots and original mission to offer fresh, Jamaican cuisine in a friendly, casual atmosphere. Leoni prides herself in the taking time to ensure every customer's experience is a great one despite the obvious difficulty in re-creating the food of a tropical island, here, in the middle of a desert.

"I think that people expect too much and here we certainly are in the business of managing people's expectations--not meeting them. You always leave happy and no matter what you order you'll have a good experience."

Also, find out what she'll be cooking up at the Winter Chef Series after the jump.

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