Werner Herzog on Chickens from Tom Streithorst on Vimeo.

Hey Werner Herzog, famous German film director, why don't you tell us what you really think about chickens?

I found this video over on the Tosh.0 blog (I don't know how I ended up there. I swear I have been doing real work all day long) and I couldn't help but share.

After having four chickens once roam my yard, I'm going to have to agree with the creator of the Grizzly Man documentary -- chickens are stupid creatures. And messy.

Feel free to tell me that I'm wrong in the comment section but I expect examples of amazing feats that your chickens have performed -- egg laying doesn't count.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest.

Kelly McCollam

Spice of Life: Recreation of Van Gogh's "Starry Night"

​

Kelly McCollam

Spice of Life: Recreation of Van Gogh's "Vase With Fifteen Sunflowers"

​If the most creative thing you've done with your seasonings lately is re-organize your spice rack, get an eyeful of artist Kelly McCollam's works created using salt, spices, and food coloring.

The Ohio-based McCollam is primarily a fine art photographer, but took a step out of her comfort zone to construct two series of works -- Salt of the Earth and The Spice of Life -- which present textured interpretations of colorful landscapes and recreations of classic works by her favorite painter, Vincent Van Gogh, using some of the most miniscule and basic elements of cooking.

There are no digital manipulations in McCollam's creations and after she is done taking its photograph, the salts and spices are (sadly) swept away.

Want to see more? Read on.

More >>

Okay this is it. We promise not to talk about the Super Bowl for an entire year after this post but we found these four things while looking for extremely important stuff on Pinterest.

Like the above video of Top Chef champion Michael Voltaggio makin' his super boneless chicken wings. We couldn't not share this with you. Look how good those wings look!

What about beer cocktails? Your Super Bowl Sunday totally needs to include these. Good thing we found this list! There's a recipe for beer spiked run punch that sounds delish. Check it out " target="_blank">here.

More >>

​If you're planning a party for the big game this Sunday, we figure you've already got the basic four food groups -- chicken wings, chips, dip, and beer -- covered. But what about the sweets? It's not a party unless there's cake, right?

And if you're not throwing the party but you have plans to trash someone else's home during the Super Bowl, then you should bring one of these sweet football treats. Or send them the link to this blog with a note that says "hint, hint".

6. Chocolate Covered Strawberries -- Decorated as tiny footballs, of course. This is super simple dessert that any of you can throw together in a short amount of time. We even found a video (above) in case you can't figure out how to pipe the lines.

More >>

​In what may be a Valley first, two fans of Big Earl's BBQ, chef James Porter's home of "old school 'Q" in Old Town Scottsdale, have paid the ultimate tribute to the restaurant by having themselves tattooed with the restaurant's logo.

Kyle Ohland and Ike Conrsolle, both visiting from Minnesota, stopped by Big Earl's for lunch last week. The story goes that they enjoyed their experience so much, they each got an exact replica of the Big Earl's logo (one including Big Earl's contact information) tattooed to their legs.

Keep reading to see the ink and to find out what tattoo artist Daniel Lucero and Big Earl's BBQ had to say.

More >>

Courtesy of Kai

​Have you seen the Phoenix New Times Resolution Guide 2012 yet? You might want to give a read. It's packed with thoughts on resolving to love the Valley through the city's art, architecture, nightlife, and more -- all from my fellow scribes and friends Amy Silverman, Robrt L. Pela, Benjamin Leatherman, and Claire Lawton.

There's a section from yours truly as well. In it, I outline a few reasons to love the Valley's dining scene. Here's one of them:

"Kai's swoon-worthy patio: Sure, the dining room is divine, but the real picture poetry at Kai (5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, www.wildhorsepassresort.com), the top-notch restaurant of Native American cuisine and the only five-star dining establishment in Arizona, is the view from its patio. Overlooking a desert landscape of majestic mountains, stately saguaros, and a sky kissed with twinkling stars, this outdoor dining experience, along with exceptional service and the sophisticated cuisine of chef Michael O'Dowd, makes any special occasion all the more memorable -- thanks to Mother Nature."

Want to read a few more? Add your own? Go here.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter.

courtesy of DirtyBob.com

Savannah

​Chow Bella does not intend heartless disrespect toward the loved ones of any suicidal junkie porn stars, particularly of the late Savannah née Shannon Michelle Wilsey, who reportedly took her porn name from her favorite film, 1982's Savannah Smiles, which starred a little girl named Bridgette Andersen who also grew up to be a heroin addict (but not a porn star) and took a fatal "accidental overdose" at the age of 21.

We are sorry for everyone's loss -- and if Pauly Shore had told us he'd marry us if we got clean, as he allegedly did Savannah, we might have held a 9mm to our temple, as well. (We're sorry for Shore's loss, too.)

But this is all too weird not to mention -- mostly because the Girl Scouts of the USA (not America; thanks to the reader who caught that) are now selling a cookie named after this very film. (The phrase has even been trademarked.)

​ It's Girl Scouting's 100th anniversary in the U.S., founder Juliette Low was from Savannah, Georgia, the cookie is half-moon-shaped, like a smile, and maybe a lot of current adults fondly remember the movie and GSUSA didn't bother to look into it any further? (GSUSA claims that the licensed bakeries name most of the cookies, so maybe someone at Little Brownie Bakers is taking the piss.) We're stumped -- stumped!

More >>

Via Organic Green Roots on Facebook

​It's always fun to remind ourselves of the wonders of nature. We saw these and thought it would be fun to get you in the mood for food.  More >>

Chefs Matt Carter, Aaron May, James Porter, Christopher Gross, and Beau MacMillan give it their best sabers.

​Looks as if a few notable Valley chefs may have benefited from our post last week on sabrage, the name given to the practice of opening a champagne bottle with a sword.

The aftermath.

​Last month, during a benefit dinner at the home of Jamie Hormel (owner of the Wrigley Mansion, heir to the Hormel meat-packing empire, and girlfriend of chef Christopher Gross), five notable Valley chefs -- Christopher Gross (Christopher's Restaurant and Crush Lounge), Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro and The Mission), James Porter (Petite Maison and Big Earl's BBQ), restauranteur Aaron May, and celebu-chef Beau MacMillan (elements) -- attempted a bit of sabrage themselves, with highly amusing but less than stellar results.

Gross told me, "I've done this maybe a hundred times and never had a champagne blow up. Matt Carter's and mine blew. James [Porter] cheated and popped the cork by hand."

With the exception of a few bruised egos, no one was hurt during the sabrage.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter.

Phantom Cocktails from Ty Migota on Vimeo.

Nice to see you here! We're out popping corks, setting off fireworks and lining up some fabulous content for Chow Bella, the 2012 edition.

Wishing you and yours a happy, safe New Year's celebration. See you next year.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter.