True Food Kitchen is a popular local restaurant with locations in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona. It hit the ground running about two years ago in the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix and has not slowed down since.
True Food Kitchen's success is based on its philosophy of fresh, healthy, satisfying food that tastes good. Most of the items used are sourced locally and are organic. The menu changes frequently as new items come into season and others cycle out. True Food Kitchen works closely with Dr. Andrew Weil and the tenets of his Food Pyramid. The best part of eating here is that you get a delicious, filling meal and do not have to feel guilty when you leave.
Occasionally, True Food Kitchen will host a special event and yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a cooking demonstration. The theme for the demonstration was "Cooking Smarter for Health and Happiness" and it was led by the Executive Chef Michael Stebner, who opened the original restaurant a couple of years ago.
Upon seating, we were served a drink called "Red Moon" that contained pink grapefruit juice, yuzu, agave nectar and soda. It was refreshing without being too sweet and I would definitely order it again. Chef Stebner took the opportunity to open up and talk with us about the restaurant's focus and how eating fresh, in-season produce not only tastes great, it is great for your health as well.
We then moved on to a demonstration of how to make three dishes that are favorites among diners. As each dish was being prepared, the audience members were given their own portion of the dish to enjoy. The first item was Shiitake & Tofu Lettuce Cups, a hugely popular appetizer. The ingredients cooked quickly in the wok and the aroma of ginger, garlic and teriyaki sauce smelled delicious. As promised, the dish was extremely flavorful and yet was not heavy or greasy.
The second course was something I had been looking forward to trying for a while. It was a Spaghetti Squash Casserole, which, when ready resembles a bubbling lasagna with spaghetti squash standing in for the pasta. Not only is it relatively easy to make, the finish product tasted as good as I thought it would.
The final course was a sorbet made with orange juice, agave nectar and olivello juice. The olivello juice was new to me and is actually made from sea buckthorn berries which are antioxidant powerhouses. The sorbet was a refreshing and delicious way to end the demonstration.
Overall, it was a great afternoon with a really entertaining and informative course. Not only did I get a great meal, I walked away with recipes and tips on some of the best local organic farmers' markets that I had not been to previously. If you have an opportunity to attend one of these demonstrations, I highly recommend it.
More Information:
True Food Kitchen
Biltmore Fashion Square, Phoenix, AZ
Scottsdale Quarter (across from Kierland), Scottsdale, AZ
(602) 774-3488
www.TrueFoodKitchen.com
- Newport Beach, CA location as well
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