Page 36 December 2011 Gingerbread can be found in all sizes and shapes By Amanda Goossen As the holiday season swings into high gear, I came up with my version of a genius idea. What if I could fi nd the very best gingerbread this city has to offer? Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and molasses create a distinct fl avor pro fi le and together they’ve become some of the most beloved elements of the month of December. No longer is gingerbread required to come in the shape of a man with red buttons and beady little eyes. As the culinary world evolves and palates sharpen everyone from the ice cream parlor on the corner to the Waf fl e Lady down the block, are getting in on the action. Looking to plan a spectacular holiday brunch for your friends or wow the kids on Christmas morning with your cooking expertise? The Waf fl e Lady is here to help. This Southern California mom, cook and farmer became known as the Waf fl e Lady, fi rst serving her family, then her restaurant patrons and now to Whole Foods and online shoppers. I found Waf fl e Lady a year and half ago and I credit her with changing my life forever. Although Arizona shoppers are limited to ordering her products from her website www.waf fl elady.com, Waf fl e Lady Waf fl e Mix, Daily Oats Oatmeal and syrups will be coming to Arizona Whole Foods stores after the fi rst of the year. As with each of the Waf fl e Lady Pancake and Waf fl e Mixes, the gingerbread mix creates a moist, yet incredibly crisp waf fl e, Continued on page 40 Hilton Village 6149 N Scottsdale Rd 480.556.9900 Desert Ridge 21050 N Tatum Blvd 480.502.2121 Central Phoenix 2333 N 7th St 602.229.1289 C 2 w w w . H U M B L E P I E U S A . c o m Downtown Scottsdale’s favorite restaurant disguised as a wine bar! 7051 E Fi Ō h Ave 480-699-8001 www.5thAndWine.com 11 am to 11 pm M-Sat; 11 am to 8:30 pm Sun HAPPY HOUR Mon-Fri 3-6pm RELAX ON THE PATIO Live Music Thu, Fri, Sat 6:30-9:30 $5 Wines by the Glass until 6:pm Located on the corner of 5th Ave. and Marshall Way

Page 37 December 2011 By Gabe Bertaccini In Tuscany, a popular next-day leftover is re-heated zuppa co’ fagioli , or bean soup, usually made with cabbage or black kale and covered with olive-oil-soaked toasted bread and sliced onions. It’s called la ribollita , which means “re-boiled.” Cities from Livorno to Florence to Siena claim the soup, but after all it was typically a soup of the countryside rather than the city. On Fridays in the country, a simple soup is made with beans, black kale, potatoes, bread and a prosciutto bone. It was reheated Saturday morning, usually for breakfast. Renzo Cantagalli in his Guida ai detti toscani called the dish a kind of pre-coffee ( anticaffelatte ) for those who take things to heart very early in the morning (before their coffee). Today, ribollita is made with the leftover bean soup that is covered with very thin slices of onion, sprinkled with bread crumbs, drizzled with lots of olive oil and fi nished in the oven until a golden au gratin. It is served hot without cheese. Remember that any leftover soup can Continued on page 39 This soup often served at breakfast One sees more walking by the house rather than driving. “There’s a bubble machine in the driveway that the kids love to play in. I tell people, ‘Look, you put up thousands of lights and the kids are more interested in the bubbles.’” A snowman holding a pot that blows out fake snow also is a big hit. “The kids’ll put their face in the pot and come out looking like a frosted doughnut,” Sepanek said. And then there’s Sepanek’s personal favorite, the animatronic window displays. “I love things that move, I love animation.” Work on the display begins in October, and even then the last two weeks before Thanksgiving are a push. Sepanek said he is helped by one paid assistant. “It’s a lot of prep work,” he said. “There are the lights that didn’t work last year that need to be fi xed, planning where some of the moveable things go, fi xing lights, all that.” This year’s displays will include one featuring carnival rides, another window showcasing various Santa Clauses and teddy bears, and another that will have all Warner Bros. or Disney characters. And of course there are the Sepaneks themselves, who sell hot cocoa and sugar cookies to help defray some of the cost. Lights Continued from page 14 Italian Treat for 2... $ 44 00 ★ 2 Soup or Salad 2 Soup or Salad ★ + ★ 2 Dinner Entrees 2 Dinner Entrees ★ 20 entree choices included + ★ Full Bottle of Wine Full Bottle of Wine ★ from proprietor’s selection Open Mon–Sun 4:30 - 9:30pm 4231 E Indian School Rd • Phoenix 602.955.1213 • LaFontanellaPHX.com Expires December 30 Expires December 30 th th . Not valid on Christmas Eve. Maximum 6 people per table. . Not valid on Christmas Eve. Maximum 6 people per table. Not valid with other offers or special events. Valid only with payment in cash. Not valid with other offers or special events. Valid only with payment in cash. INCLUDES INCLUDES Best wishes to you and your family... Best wishes to you and your family... for a happy, healthy Christmas for a happy, healthy Christmas Season and a better New Year! Season and a better New Year! This Holiday Season let us help you find all the right gifts: wine, spirits, beer or a custom made gift basket. Have a finicky connoisseur to buy for? How about a Sportsman’s Gift Card? Join us for Happy Hour or a glass of wine during the craziness of Holidays! For the love of food and wine. Happy holidays! From your friends at Sportsman’s SE Corner of 32nd St. & Camelback | (602) 955-7730 | www.sportsmanswine.com