Celebrating 10 Years of Food Hunting With A Giveaway!

By: The Food Hunter

I can't believe it's been 10 years already; boy how time flies when you are doing something you love. My motivation for starting this blog was to share my trials and tribulations on locating hard to find ingredients in Phoenix. Back then it was not uncommon for me to drive 30-45 minutes to purchase everything that was needed to put together a meal. Something I wasn't accustomed to, having lived on the east coast. One night over pizza and wine, a friend suggested I should start a blog to help others who might also be "hunting" for hard to find ingredients. And that's how the Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine was born.

It's interesting to look back at my earlier posts, some of which didn't include recipes or photos, and see just how far the site has come. As I mentioned my focus when I started was locating hard to find food items in the Phoenix area, but since then my blog has expanded to "food hunting" all over the globe; from NYC, to California to Northern Italy.

The Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine not only gave me an outlet to voice my opinions about food,  products and ingredients but also allowed me to develop my culinary skills and meet some wonderful people along the way. Over the years I’ve created recipes for cookware companies, grocery chains and local food growers. I've also had the opportunity to test many new and innovative products in order to share my findings with all of you.

Being able to share my passion for quality food and products with all of you is what inspires me to continue writing each and everyday. I want to give a big Thank You to everyone that has ever made one of my recipes or even thought about it; anyone that has read my restaurant/hotel reviews and/or considered my opinion when picking out new kitchen products! As a way to demonstrate my gratefulness I am giving away a beautiful 12 inch dual handle Lodge Cast Iron Pan.

Lodge is a family owned company that has been making cookware in the U.S. since 1896. I love cooking with cast iron and hope you will too! See contest below. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Peach Pecan Oat Griddle Cakes

By: The Food Hunter

We take a lot of road trips during the summer months which often have me in the car when my early morning hungry strikes. For this reason I like to have healthy pre-made food options ready to go when I need them.

Oat cakes are an easy-to-make, portable breakfast option that are both delicious & healthy. Since they are sweetened with your favorite fruit they don't need any added sugar. Though they are extremely filling alone you can also spread a layer of nut butter.

Peach Pecan Oat Griddle Cakes
(makes about 8 griddle cakes)

⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons coconut oil,
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup ground old fashion oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-2 peaches, thinly sliced
toasted pecans

Mix the yogurt, coconut oil, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat in the eggs. In another bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add wet ingredients & peaches to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. You can add the pecans into the batter at this point or sprinkle them over top of the finished griddle cakes.

Heat a nonstick griddle over medium-low heat. Lightly coat the pan with coconut oil. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto pan. Let cook about 3-4 minutes and flip it with a spatula. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.
Griddle cakes can be served immediately or frozen and reheated in a toaster. 

Mixed Berry Almond Pavlova

By: The Food Hunter

Pavlova is a meringue based dessert that has a crunchy exterior and a sweet, soft marshmallow like interior. Topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit it is a delicious dessert for spring/summer gatherings.

Pavlova's are extremely easy to make. They take less than 20 minutes to prepare and the rest is all oven time. Although a pavlova is a delicate dessert cracking only adds character so don't fret.

Mixed Berry Almond Pavlova

4 large egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
berries of your choice 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch circle on the paper. Turn the parchment paper over so the circle is on the reverse side.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attached, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peaks. Set mixer to high speed and start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time until the meringue forms stiff shiny peaks. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and beat until incorporated. Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and gently fold with a spatula. Spread the meringue over the circle on the parchment paper, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center.

Bake for 60 minutes or until the outside is dry and is a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven.

The meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place until ready to use. When ready to serve top with whipped cream and berries.

For the whipped cream topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

In the meantime mix all of your whipped cream ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until thick. Refrigerate until ready to use.

The Da Vine Intervention Wine Cocktail

By: The Food Hunter


Looking for a cocktail to sip by the pool this summer?



Ardi Dulaku, Head Bartender of SaltRock Southwest Kitchen in Sedona recently shared a cocktail perfect for day drinking in the hot Arizona summer. The Da Vine Intervention is a wine cocktail with more body and depth than the traditional sparkling wine cocktails. This spritzer pays homage to the mighty grape and the different range of flavors each varietal offers.



Da Vine Intervention Wine Cocktail
1.75 oz plymouth gin
0.25oz lilet rouge
0.5 oz house made grenadine
.25 oz lemon
Lambrusco wine

Mix the first four ingredients together. Add Lambrusco wine and mix.
Serve over ice in a stemmed glass.

The Zin Manhattan...A Wine Cocktail

By: The Food Hunter

I love both wine and cocktails and I hate choosing between the two; which is why I decided to try mixing a wine cocktail. As the name suggests wine cocktails are beverages made with a combination of your favorite wine and spirits.

For this project I experimented with various wines from the Folie à Deux collection, based out of California. After much research and sampling of several different varietals I decided the Zinfandel, with hints of blackberry, mocha & cedar would compliment the spirits I wanted to use.

The Zin Manhattan is a play on the Manhattan cocktail which substitutes Zinfandel for the vermouth in the classic version.

The Zin Manhattan

1 oz Folie à Deux Zinfandel

1 oz bourbon

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar

1 Luxardo Cherry

Stir all the ingredients together with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with cherry.

I've received product and/or compensation for this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.