Marsala Sausage & Arugula Pizza

There’s a brilliant little restaurant in Phoenix, AZ called Pizzeria Bianco.  It’s the perfect date restaurant – someone took me on a fabulous date here and I still compare most dates to it.  We started next door at Bar Bianco and enjoyed a delicious cheese plate with wine.  When our table was ready, we moseyed over to one of the most magnificent dinners I’ve ever experienced.  And guess what we ate!  Pizza!

Not just any pizza though.  The Biancoverde.  You may have heard of it on Food Network.  Yes, it’s THAT good.  Ricotta, Mozzarella, Arugula.  MmmmHmmm.

Thanks for the great date, M.

The following recipe is my humble version, inspired by the astounding original. This pizza is crunchy, savory and satisfying with a hint of fresh pepper from the arugula. 

Marsala Sausage & Arugula Pizza

Italian Sausage (I like mine in chunks, but it’s up to you)

½ C. Marsala Wine

1 pizza crust (I used Tyler Florence’s Recipe)

Mozzarella cheese

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Arugula (found near the herbs in your grocery store)

In a medium skillet, brown up some Italian sausage.  When it’s gained a bit of crunch, add the Marsala wine.  Let it reduce and caramelize.  When most of the liquid has been absorbed by the sausage, remove from the heat and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 450. 

Roll out your pizza dough and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and Marsala sausage.  Bake until the cheese has begun to brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two.  Cut into your favorite shapes. 

Top the pizza with arugula. 

RR :: Wing Hing

There are very few things in this world that truly never change.  Wouldn’t you agree?  Whether it’s the ice cream shop that continually exchanges their flavors, the necessity of upgrading your vehicle even though you hate to part with your trusty old one, to even noticing the changes in your own personality and preferences throughout the years.  Change is omnipresent.  It can be good or bad, but it’s everywhere. 

Well, I’ve found something that has not changed in 10 years and I’m confident that it never will.  Let me introduce you to my THE BEST hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant, Wing Hing!

My family discovered this jewel of a restaurant in 2002 when we moved from Illinois to Arizona.  It’s located in a strip mall (as some of the best Chinese-American restaurants are) and it’s the best deal in town.  Hands down.  When I was in high school, and making pennies at my part time job, my friends and I thrived off of Wing Hing.  Recently, I've been there a couple times a month.  Their lunch combo is $4.95 and this is what you get: 

Wanton chips with sweet and sour sauce & Chinese mustard

Choice of soup:  Hot and Sour or Egg Drop

Rice

2 Wantons

1 Eggroll

Your main entrée

Fortune Cookie

All for $4.95!  It can’t be beat!  And the food comes out quickly too.  You never have to wait long. 

One of the best things about eating at Wing Hing is Tam, the owner.  She is cute and friendly and has treated my family incredibly well over the last 10 years.  She’ll treat you well too because her restaurant is her pride and joy.  Her son Willie Chang is great too and he’ll refill your water glass a million times.  Tam has my order and my brother’s order memorized, which makes us feel all the more welcome in her restaurant. 

My favorite dish that Tam makes is Orange Chicken.  It is crunchy and sweet and spicy and garlicky all at the same time.  Forget about that candied Orange Chicken that you get at Panda Express.  This is ever so much better.  There’s always so much of it that I have leftovers too!

I’ve eaten here for 10 years and I can’t imagine Wing Hing changing.  Or, having to find another Chinese restaurant.  Whenever I eat at another one, I always compare it to Wing Hing and it never matches up.  I encourage you to pay a visit to Tam, to try the Orange Chicken and the treasure of Wing Hing.  

                                     Wing Hing

                                     7420 W Cactus Rd

                                     Peoria, AZ 85381

                                     (623) 561-8338



P.S. - I've been trying to get Tam's recipe for 10 years and she's still not talking :)

RR :: Valle Luna

A few months ago, my friend Kelsey told me about Restaurant.com and their great deals on restaurant coupons.  They had a sale going on where you could buy a $25 gift certificate for only $2.  It was too good to pass by, so naturally, I told Sean.  The three of us ended up buying several certificates so we could eat out and save some serious cash.  What we didn’t know was that we all bought certificates for the same restaurant!  That’s right, we had each purchased gift certificates to Valle Luna.  I guess that goes to show you just how much we all love this restaurant!

We had a good laugh about our lack of coordination, but in the end, we were incredibly pleased because it just meant that we could eat at Valle Luna at least three more times. 

When you go to Valle Luna (and you know you want to!), make sure you arrive with time to spare because there will be a line out the door.  It’s a fairly large restaurant too, so you know it’s worth the wait!

Each time we eat at Valle Luna, we never miss out on the margarita of the day:  blue agave, melon, prickly pear, etc.  They’re all delicious and incredibly refreshing.  This, combined with the bottomless chips and salsa is a perfect start to our Mexicana meal.  Now, I have to be very honest with you.  Every time I eat here, I tell myself I’m going to try something new.  I try to convince myself to be adventurous and go out on a limb to explore the menu.  And everything on menu is good - I've tasted Sean and Kelsey's meals!  But, when it comes down to it, I lose my "cares to the wind" mentality and go with my trusty favorite:  The Machaca Beef Chimichanga with Green Chile sauce.  It's THAT good!  This dish is hearty and comforting and packed with rich flavor.  Exploring menus are great, but sometimes it's just as good to stick with a classic.  It's what I crave each time I think about Valle Luna and I will probably order it each and every time I go to this restaurant in the future.

Valle Luna
3336 W Bell Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85053
(602) 993-3108


 www.valleluna.com

Harley's Italian Bistro

Recently, my friend Kelsey, and Sean and I went to a brilliant Italian restaurant called Harley’s Italian Bistro.  We had a great dinner before visiting several art galleries for First Friday.  The restaurant was quaint and comfortable with bold colors and uhhhh-mazing food!  The servers and owners are friendly and welcoming and provide a fabulous dining experience.  I particularly liked the mason jars full of fresh herbs throughout the restaurant that gave the decor a charming, 'home-grown' touch.  

For dinner, I ordered bowtie pasta with disks of sweet Italian sausage, topped with mushrooms, onion and red peppers drenched in a luscious and creamy Gorgonzola vodka sauce.  The sausage had great flavor, the veggies were fresh and wonderfully caramelized.  And the sauce was so heavenly that I've actually dreamt about it since tasting it.  Light and rich at the same time, and so completely infused with Gorgonzola, I couldn't have asked for anything more!

I loved it so much, I convinced Sean to take me again this weekend.  This time, we went for Sunday Brunch.  We had bottomless mimosas, a unique and scrumptious breakfast pizza and an Italian sformato, or tart, with brie, spinach and prosciutto.  We even ordered dessert!  I don't think I've ever ordered dessert after breakfast, but I'm going to do it all the time now.  I had been promised that Harley's version of Tiramisu was incomparable, and I have to say, it was pretty damn good!  I'd have another slice right now if I could.  

Harley's Italian Bistro is owned by three friends and they do a great job of creating a beautiful atmosphere, with truly impressive Italian food.  I thoroughly enjoyed both of our meals and experiences here and I’m dying to go back!  It might become our weekly remedy.  You’ll have to try this Italian gem for yourself and let us know what you think! 

Harley's Italian Bistro

4211 N. 7th Ave

Phoenix, AZ 85013

(602) 243-0333

   www.harleysitalianbistro.com

Restaurant Recommendations :: RR

I’m going to start posting restaurant recommendations on Natural Sugar.  So, get ready for some delicious and impressive field trips to my favorite Phoenix restaurants.  You may want to save a bit of extra money for these adventures, but don't worry.  I'll make sure you're spending it in the right places.  My goal is to introduce you to a number of fantastic, interesting restaurants so that you will no longer have to spend hours online just to choose a place for dinner.  


I don’t much care for the über critical reviews I’ve been reading lately, so I thought I’d do my best to inject a bit of positivity into the food world by means of the blog.  I used to be a big snob (about everything, food included) and although I still appreciate a perfect dining experience, let’s be honest.  Perfection is hard to come by. 


So, I will begin recommending restaurants where I would be proud to share a meal with you and where I know you'll be pleased to eat!  The service might not be impeccable; the décor might not be très chic.  You might even see the bottom of your glass once in awhile.  But, by george, they will be places where you’ll enjoy delicious food, a good atmosphere and they will be restaurants I would return to in a heart beat!