Here’s my guide to 10 can’t miss Mexican inspired dishes in Tucson, Arizona. For the Food Network.
Tucson, Arizona, is famous for its Sonoran-style Mexican food. A college town located just 60 miles north of the Mexican border, and situated between Santa Fe and Southern California in both geography and style, Tucson boasts a truly unique regional cuisine.
In fact, Tucson has been designated the first U.S. City of Gastronomy by UNESCO, celebrating its unique regional cuisine, which is influenced heavily by the city’s proximity to Mexico and its location in the Sonoran Desert, where prickly pear, mesquite and chiltepin grow wild. Native American and Hispanic cultures mix with those of generations of settlers who moved to the Southwest looking for a new life.
Visit FoodNetwork.com to see my 35 can’t-miss Tucson dishes with a distinctly Sonoran-Mexican influence.
I know that a lot of people are concerned with food waste. Here is one little way in which you can reduce it. Save your dough scraps and turn them into one of the recipes that I developed (and photographed ) for my latest article for Food Network, which is appropriately titled, “10 Ways to Use Leftover Pie Dough Scraps.” Pictured above is my Scrap Pot Pie. Below are Pie Scrap Dessert Nachos and my Southern Style Scrap Turkey and Dumplings which are made entirely from Thanksgiving leftovers.
I’m happy to have written and photographed my first feature article for Edible Baja Arizona Magazine that includes a bunch of my super easy summer recipes inspired by Sonoran food classics, including these baked Carne Asada Tostadas with guacamole and pickled red onions. Here’s the link: http://ediblebajaarizona.com/sonoran-101
Sprinkles elevate an everyday dessert like this simple chocolate mousse into something special. Glittery red cinnamon sugar and vanilla mini marshmallow bits add a kick of flavor, while the subtle color of these pretty blue jimmies comes from natural dyes. So sprinkle without abandon and make even everyday celebrations sparkle like it’s the 4th of July.
Store bought pound-cake was a weeknight dessert staple when I was growing up, and it’s still got a strong presence in the grocery store’s freezer section. What I like best about it is that it’s sturdy, but not too sweet, making it a good base for creative elaboration. I came up with 10 ways to fancy-up store bought pound cake for my latest FoodNetwork.com article. I ate a couple of slices plain along the way, for old time’s sake.
“The most creative and inventive snacks are the result of mastering the art of improv” – me quoting me! Read the article I wrote for The Kitchn. The improv snack pictured is a bagel sundae topped with hot fudge, caramel sauce, popcorn, Raisinettes, whipped cream, cherries and of course sprinkles. There are also links to two original recipes I developed for The Kitchn’s Snack Week.
12 Unexpected Ways To Top Hot Dogs | By Jackie Alpers for Food Network.com
Summer party spreads like picnics and pot lucks are an excellent opportunity to put your creative snacking skills to use and experiment with inventing new and exciting hot dog combinations, or host a summer soirée with a pre-loaded DIY hot dog bar to get your guests’ juices flowing.
It’s time to “get hot doggin’ it” and accelerate your imagination with the fun and creative combo ideas I came up with (and photographed of course) for the FoodNetwork.com.
Pimento Cheese Dog on a Pretzel Roll
Chip & Dip Dog
Mexican Street Corn Hot Dog
I have two features in this month’s Edible Baja Arizona Magazine. For “The Plate” I selected and photographed four local dishes that should never be taken off of the menu. The Mexican street corn at NOX and the Charcuterie plate at Zona 78 are two of my picks. Visit the Edible Baja website to read the article and see the rest.
Haile Thomas is an 11 year old chef who has been honored by Michele Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign at the White House for her efforts to teach kids about healthy eating. I photographed three of the young chef’s healthy recipes for her column, “Halie’s Swaps”.
Halie’s Vegan Breakfast Wrap
