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Courtesy of Steampunk Cookery

The steampunk chef slices up a brisket.

​While trolling the net, we stumbled upon a creative little blog called Steampunk Cookery that got us thinking about potential culinary trends for 2011. The blog is run by a Steampunker slash culinary student from Detroit named "Mac" and features recipes that hearken back to the 19th century.

If you're not familiar with steampunk, it's a subset of science fiction lit that merges steam powered and futuristic technologies, usually in a Victorian-era setting. Think Wil Smith's Wild, Wild West or The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Lately, the genre has seen a renaissance among costumers (check out our cover story on the trend).  

Like fashion, cooking trends tend to recycle every so often. Remember the recent fondue and progressive dinner fads? The return to classic '50s cocktails?

With farm-to-table cooking seeing an upswing, it wouldn't be much of a leap to see local restaurants hosting Victorian themed dinners where fresh, natural ingredients are cooked over a stone hearth. Mac is already hosting steampunk dinner events in Detroit, so why not Phoenix? Diners could even wear top hats and bustle dresses!   

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epicute.com

​We are the grumpy sorts who don't care to be wished a "Happy Friday," but we can't stop grinning from ear to ear, after spotting this blog. EpiCute, the Cute Food Blog, is exactly that.

And if you're looking to waste some time, click over and spend some time giving thumbs up or down to a variety of allegedly super-cute food. You can even submit a photo of your own.

These pancakes get a big thumbs up from Chow Bella, though they kinda killed our appetite for breakfast for dinner. Happy Friday.

​Funny, the more time we spend sailing the blogosphere, the more we appreciate paper. Like the new album from She & Him. Yeah, we could have downloaded it from iTunes, but we had to own it, if only for the cover art -- and the feeling of buying something and holding it in your hands.

Ditto for the latest issue of ReadyMade, a huge favorite/guilty pleasure here at Chow Bella.

What can be bad about having Todd Oldham show you how to make a toilet seat cover? (Or the like.) Seriously, the photos, the newsy/handy tidbits, the weight of the paper -- this is why we are constantly obscured by piles in our office (ok, and home) and worried the Hoarders producers will show up at any moment.

​It's worth it. The current RM (still on newsstands, we found ours at MADE Art Boutique, 5th and Roosevelt streets in Phoenix) happens to have a food theme -- including gorgeous art and instructions on how to keep honeybees, mix sausage, raise hens and roll pasta. Ah, magazines.

But then, you know, you discover a blog so delightful, so delcious, that you get that whole blog thing, too. And the act of bookmarking can be almost as satisfying as buying a mag. (Almost.)

No no, we're not talking about ourselves, though we do hope you're enjoying Chow Bella.

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Run! Run for your lives! The flaming ball at the center of our solar system has crashed in the center of the parking lot of Vincent's on Camelback! We're doomed!

Oh, wait, never mind. It's just an orange Lamborghini driven by a recession-proof rich dude in search of an overpriced breakfast. He's come to the right place.

​The outdoor patio/parking lot of Vincent's Camelback Market seems like the perfect place to enjoy fruity fare on a beautiful spring morning. And it is -- if you've won the lottery, received an inheritance, or just sold your collection of 1/18-scale military aircraft. Oh, and also if you don't mind crowded pathways, waiting forever for a place to sit, and allowing purebred dogs and Bellyitch strollers to trample your toes.

The fare this morning? A mixed berry tart with cream and a raspberry fruit pizza. Let's take a taste.

Was it worth it? Find out after the jump.

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In the end, we get what's coming to us. Let's hope it's sweet.

​Ah, spring mornings. Who doesn't love to wake to the sounds of birds singing, see the sun peeping through the bedroom window (Hello, Mr. Sun!), skip breakfast to take a leisurely walk under bright, blue skies. What? Skip breakfast? No way. Not when there's a yogurt parfait just waiting to be plucked from its icy bed of slumber at The Farm at South Mountain.

What's so great about a yogurt parfait? Put down your Cocoa Puffs, you're going to food school this morning.

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In the end, we get what's coming to us. Let's hope it's sweet.

​Ah, spring. That time of year when the axis of the Earth increases its tilt toward the sun and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. Or: Pretty flowers! Pretty flowers! And with the world seeming brand new again, what better way to celebrate than with fabulous, fruity fare at Bertha's Café. But what to have -- Pie Snob's crazy-delicious looking apple pie or the Bertha-baked blueberry cheesecake bombshell?

Put down those flowers and pick up a fork. Time to dig in.

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In the end, we get what's coming to us. Let's hope it's sweet.

Since 1970, McDonald's has been celebrating St. Patrick's Day with the Shamrock Shake. Available at select locations, this seasonal, mint-flavored green goody has inspired a frenzied following of shake shaggers to hunt down the frozen treat year after year (check out shamrockshake.com for the latest sightings).

Sadly, the Shamrock Shake's luck may be running out when it comes to taste. This year, it's less minty, too vanilla-y and some locations are even topping it off with whipped cream and a cherry, then dumping the whole concoction in a McCafe cup. Shame on you, McDonald's. What would Uncle O'Grimacey have to say about this?

Thankfully, there's a solution to keep Irish eyes (and taste buds) a-smilin' when it comes to keeping the green dream of the Shamrock Shake alive, and it's just two little words.

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In the end, we get what's coming to us. Let's hope it's sweet.

​According to Sunset magazine, cupcakes are out, and exotic ice cream flavors are in. After visits to Mary Coyle and Pink Spot, delicious, creamy pay-dirt (and a hot tip) was unearthed at Sweet Republic.

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In the end, we get what's coming to us. Let's hope it's sweet.

​Sunset magazine says the cupcake craze is giving way to exotic ice cream flavors. Last week, after checking out what Phoenix frozen dessert institution, Mary Coyle, had to say about that, it was off to Pink Spot for this week's frozen flavor forage. More >>

In the end, we get what's coming to us. Let's hope it's sweet.

​The latest issue of Sunset magazine says a $4,000 dresser is "worth the splurge" and the rooms at a former sanitarium turned bed-and-breakfast are calming. One article that doesn't incite a high-pitched "ha!" is the one predicting that the cupcake craze is giving way to exotic ice cream flavors. What would Phoenix frozen dessert institution Mary Coyle have to say about that?More >>