MOUTH BY SOUTHWEST
By Jess Harter

Despite this week’s 90-degree temperatures, fall has arrived at AZ Food Crafters. The Chandler hand-pie shop is debuting two new soups this weekend.

The first is Comfy Chicken and Fall Veggie (pictured on left), made with chicken breast, onion, butternut squash, sweet potato, celery, garlic, fresh thyme, parsley, swiss chard, sea salt, and black pepper.

The other is White Bean, Tomato, and Kale, made with tender Great Northern white beans, onion, fresh tomato, tomato paste, kale, basil, thyme, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper.

Of course, AZ Food Crafters has a full array of fall-themed hand pies, including Pumpkin, Orange Cranberry, Squash Apple, and more.

There’s even a new fall salad, Squash and Root Vegetable Slaw (shown on right), with butternut squash, sweet potato, rutabaga, golden beet, celery root, gala apple, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, sea salt, and black pepper.

AZFAMILY
By Tami Hoey

Fall is in the air and that means it's the season for pie. But on Tuesday's Good Morning Arizona, we found out about "Hand Pies," which provide a whole new take on the pie concept.

AZ Food Crafters in Chandler focuses on locally sourced, in-season ingredients to create unique pies just big enough to fit in your hand. And naturally, they're called Hand Pies.

"They're all pocket pies," says owner Eddie Castillo. "They're filled with all sorts of different things."

The pies come in 16 different flavors. Fillings include meat, veggies and dessert ingredients.

The baked hand pies are both savory and sweet-filled pocket pies that are frozen for easy heat-and -serve consumption.  They're ready in 20 minutes.

"They're really easy to make," says Castillo. "They're a lot of fun to eat because it's a hand held food."

Hot sellers this fall are the pumpkin, spiced brown butter apple and cranberry-orange-walnut pies.

AZ Food Crafters is located at 961 West Ray Road in Chandler. The store delivers free within five miles. The pies are also available by calling 602-692-4129 or by ordering online.