Jayson Swearington

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Editor's Note: The original headline on this post was "The Manly Man's Guide to Cooking for Your Woman," but since our intern Jayson Swearington is still in high school, that didn't feel quite right. And yet you'll likely agree after reading this post about making chicken piccata for Valentine's Day that Swearington is quite a man, indeed. This may be our favorite recipe post ever at Chow Bella. Happy Valentine's Day, Jayson and Renisha.  

Jayson Swearington

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Valentine's Day is fast approaching and if you are a man with a girlfriend you have every right to panic. Our "better halves" can be so hard to please sometimes, which makes it nearly impossible to find a gift for them that they will actually appreciate.

Don't worry though, it can be done! I met my high school sweetheart last year, when I was a junior, and we celebrated our first anniversary last Saturday. Now, I don't claim to be a girlfriendologist, but I have managed to get by so far without any major issues or fights, and if there is one thing I know, it's that women love it when you cook for them.

I have seen it time and time again without fail, and I believe this mostly is due to a hormone in women called Romancelin. Romancelin is what causes women to want their boyfriends to be just like the men they see in all the love movies (at least on Valentine's Day). But if you are like most men, your gut churns and your body quivers at the very mention of Valentine's Day.

There is so much pressure to spend money to get the perfect gift for your significant other. But if your girlfriend is anything like my girlfriend, she would appreciate even the simplest gift if you make it yourself. All women love it when you cook for them; they are hard-wired to love sentimental gestures like that and when it comes to Valentine's Day, do not be afraid to be cheesy. In fact, the cheesier the better.

So, in the spirit of the season of love, here is a simple dish that will get the job done for you and have your ladyfriend madly in love.

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DrWeil.com

​Last week, we shared our ten favorite vegetarian entrees in Phoenix, but an unforgettable salad didn't make the cut. Why? Because you can make it at home! It's always a treat to go to True Food Kitchen to enjoy fresh juice drinks or inventive cocktails with their signature Tuscan Kale Salad. But when you don't have time to enjoy lunch or dinner out of the house, luckily True Food has been nice enough to share the recipe so that you can quickly toss it together for a healthy meal.

Lemon juice gives the salad a bright flavor, which is rounded out with garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian hard cheese, like Pecorino. Steer clear of Parmesan, however, because the real stuff from Parma must be made with animal rennet, as are many European cheeses. Be sure to check labels, and to play it on the safe side, go with a vegan substitute, like Daiya Shredded Vegan Italian Cheese or Eat in the Raw's Parma.

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Laurie Notaro

​Boy, are we full.

2011 was a year of great new restaurants, delicious morsels -- and many new recipes to try. Here are a few of the favorites Chow Bella shared with you this last year.

 10. Laurie Notaro's Chicken Pot Pie

Not only was our favorite funny lady kind enough to share her thoughts on crazy culinary trends,  she also offered up her recipe for chicken pot pie, a comfort food more in line with her tastes (and, frankly, ours).

Get nine more recipes after the jump.

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Cookie dough porn.

​Our latest Chow Bella showdown: a traditional holiday cookie exchange. Today: our final entry, Amy Silverman's "The Holidays Really Take Their Toll (House) Cookies."

 

Let's face it: You've made it this far in the holiday season and all you really want right now is a stiff drink (we've got plenty of coverage to that end, here on Chow Bella). But you've got one more batch of cookies to whip up. Might I suggest a classic? The Nestle Toll House cookie.

The best part: You can't lose the recipe. It's right there on the freaking bag. I like to go to Safeway, pick up a bag of chocolate chips and use that as my shopping list.

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Our latest Chow Bella showdown: a traditional holiday cookie exchange. From now through Christmas, we present Chow Bella's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Today we bring you two recipes: Amy Morris' Snickerdoodles and Spritz cookies.

Snickerdoodles! Fun to say, and delicious. These are my husband's favorite and if you mention "cookie" in our house, you better have a batch ready to go. My mother always made these cookies at the holidays and I would have so much fun getting my hands gritty in the cinnamon sugar. Cleaning me up afterwards probably made her double-think her choice of cookie selections every year.

I've always thought of a snickerdoodle as the adventurous sugar cookie. The crispy, cracked surface is created by the cinnamon sugar you roll the cookies in before they are baked. A good snickerdoodle may be crispy on the outside, but should be chewy inside. Other key ingredients for the success of these cookies: butter, shortening and cream of tartar.

Get the recipe Amy used after the jump.  

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Our latest Chow Bella showdown: a traditional holiday cookie exchange. From now through Christmas, we present Chow Bella's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Today: Nicole Smith's Mini Pans.

​Some people say, "I'm turning into my mother" like it's a bad thing. Yeah, so there are a few traits I've been known to curse (i.e. embarrassing phrases, leaving my keys in the front door), but for the most part, I'm totally okay with every passing day I become a "mini" version of my mother (with maiden name, "Pan"aro). Especially since it means inheriting Holy Grail cookie recipes like (cue drum-roll and singing angels), "The Mini Pan."
Biting into these little morsels will change your life and (yeah, whatever) maybe your waistline. But hey, its the mini price you pay for the nutty/chocolate chip/dried fruit flavor party that will soon take place inside your mouth.

Note: Mom was sure to include a warning in the copy of her beloved recipe, which states: "this recipe is not to be shared, left unattended, or placed in an 'unsafe environment' where the wandering eyes of others may view it-- basically, it is to be guarded with nothing less than your life."

Oops... Hi Mom!

(Get the recipe, after the jump).

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Tedd Roundy

​Our latest Chow Bella showdown: a traditional holiday cookie exchange. From now through Christmas, we present Chow Bella's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Today, we bring you Claire's Chocolate Chip, Better Than They Look (Really) Cookies. More >>

Vegan English Toffee from Pomegranate Café

​Still don't know what you're making for your holiday table? Here are three recipes from local chefs and restaurateurs to get you started. First up, Kita from Chakra 4's Red & Green Holiday Salad will get you in the festive mood. Next, Lemongrass "Chicken" à la Chef Damon from Green makes a nice light entrée, ensuring you'll still have room for plenty of toffee and Bûche de Noël. And speaking of toffee, whip up some Vegan English Toffee from scratch using a recipe from Pomegranate Café's mother-daughter duo.

You don't have to be vegan to enjoy this menu. If you know and love a vegan (and these days, many of us do), sometimes the most thoughtful gift you can give is home cooked food.

During one holiday season, I baked vegan cookies so as not to leave out my three vegan coworkers, and everyone - carnivores included - was overjoyed. So, use one of the following recipes to win over the vegans in your life, or head to Pomegranate Café, Green, and Chakra 4 to pick up delicious dishes made by the pros.

Want to know these chefs' secrets? Find out after the jump...

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Erica O'Neil

Wait juuuust long enough so that you don't scorch the roof of your mouth eating one of these fresh from the oven.

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Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

​Believe it or not, these little tarts started out as Pecan Tassies. While trying to find something to bake for Thanksgiving, I stumbled on this recipe. They were easy to make and incredibly delicious, so I decided to take this bite-sized pie idea a step or two further, combining it with a chocolate pear tart.

If you're looking for something simple to make, stick with the Pecan Tassies. Your family and friends will still love them. On the other hand, if you look forward to the holidays because they provide an excuse to spend all day baking something extra special for your holiday cookie tray, you can't go wrong with these rich Mini Dark Chocolate Pear Tarts.

Dying to know how to whip up a batch of your own? Find the recipe after the jump...

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