Cookbook Let's You Add a 'Taste of Tucson' to Your Life

Taste of Tucson is a collection of delicious recipes from local restaurant experts, chefs and the author’s own original recipes, all inspired by the rich culture of Southern Arizona.

Alpers shares her own inspired recipe creations in this book as well as recipes from 16 of her favorite regional restaurants and chefs, while incorporating the history of the region, the mysticism and lore, and how it has contributed to the food of the people who live there.

“TASTE OF TUCSON is about how the evolution of food culture in my community inspired me,” Jackie says. “The cuisine of this region emphasizes its connection to Sonora a state in Mexico. Though the borders have been redrawn over the years Sonora (which Tucson was part of until only very recently) remains only sixty miles away. This cookbook is about inclusion and it is also about diversity. You will see the merging of cultures over time and the way food has progressed in one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in North America.”

The city of Tucson was designated as the first food capitol of gastronomy by UNESCO. The city’s agriculture heritage extends back thousands of years, its rich and diverse culture celebrated in the delectable food dishes and vibrant local ingredients. 

"In addition to my recipes, I collected recipes from local chefs whose recipes are excellent examples of Sonoran cuisine. Some are local classics and old favorites, some are new. All are outstanding representations of Sonoran cuisine at this time, and in this place.”

Some of the Tucson chefs who contributed recipes include: Daniel Contreras: El Guero Canelo; Suzana Davila: Café Poca Cosa and The Little One; Carlotta Flores and the Flores family: El Charro Café; Benjamin Galaz: BK Tacos; Amanda Horton: Desert Provisions; Teresa Matias and the Matias family: Mosaic Café; Maria Mazon: BOCA Tacos y Tequila; Isela Mejia: El Sur Restaurant; Erika Mattson Munoz: Seis Kitchen and Bruce Yim: Hacienda Del Sol.

“I’d like for TASTE OF TUCSON to be a jumping off point for readers to explore new culinary adventures. I hope these recipes and ideas inspire them to create their own recipe creations."

The Gay Vegans: Easy Home Cooking, Vegan Style

By Dan Hanley

The idea of cooking meals at home rather than going out to eat could be met with a simple “of course” from some while being completely foreign to others. And to clarify, cooking in this post means actually cooking, not putting something frozen into a microwave.

I have a long history with fast food and processed food. When I started dating Mike my typical meal consisted of frozen Amy’s burritos or veggie burgers with tater tots. Whenever we do a meal similar to that these days we call it a “Dan’s meal”. For us, some days it’s perfect for us to just cook up some veggie burgers and add a salad with dark greens to it. Or even tater tots! But there are also several quick meals that we can prepare.

One I talk about all of the time is super simple, super affordable and super good for you. Note: I am not a dietician or nutritionist. There are three components: beans, rice, dark leafy greens. In a skillet I start with garlic and onions in olive oil, then add a can of beans. For me it’s usually black beans but pick a bean. I add cooked rice to this, again your choice. You can also add quinoa. Then it gets even more fun! Your choice of greens! My go-to greens are spinach, Swiss chard or kale. Once the greens are added you can go for it and personalize it even more with more veggies and spices. I add a little cayenne pepper and if I have peppers or broccoli that needs to be used I toss those in.

The diversity of this dish means you can switch around all of the time. Once the rice is cooked it takes about five minutes in a skillet. Cost wise, it’s tough to beat. I get three bunches of greens for $5.00 at our market and am always looking for beans on sale. You can also buy whole beans in bulk and soak them.

Try this and let me know what you think! Remember, you can take this idea and make it your own with your own favorite beans and veggies.

Skinny Cooking: Portobello Mushroom Towers

By Victoria Dwek and Shani Taub C.D.C. 

Portobello Mushroom Towers
Yields 2 large servings
Dairy ▪ Gluten-Free ▪ Low Carb ▪ Sugar-Free
Calories: 181 per serving; Shani Taub Exchange: 1 protein, 1 Vegetable

One summer Sunday afternoon, my family and I passed through Monsey, stopping at the Evergreen shopping center. I really wanted iced coffee, so I headed to Hava Java. As I waited for my Skinny Frappe (one of the best ever), I watched the hot dishes emerge fast from the kitchen. One dish that caught my attention was the towering Portobello Mushroom Sliders. I went home and recreated the dish … and it was just as good as it looked.

MUSHROOMS
2 Portobello mushroom caps
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt

TOPPINGS
1 red pepper
½ onion, sliced
1 tsp salt, plus more for sprinkling
½ onion, diced
8 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained
2 (1-oz) slices Muenster OR mozzarella cheese

[1] Place mushroom caps into a ziplock bag. Add red wine vinegar, garlic powder, basil, and salt. Seal; marinate for 1 hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

[2] Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place mushrooms and marinade into a baking pan; bake for 25 minutes.

[3] Meanwhile, place red pepper into the oven (on its own or in a baking pan). Roast until skin is blistered, about 35-45 minutes. Let cool; peel and discard peel and seeds. Slice pepper; set aside.

[4] Coat a sauté pan with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion; lower heat and sprinkle with salt. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside.

[5] Coat the sauté pan again with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add diced onion; lower heat and sprinkle with salt. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook an additional 2 minutes. Season with salt.

[6] Assemble the towers: Top each mushroom with half the spinach mixture, half the peppers, and half the onions. Top with one slice of cheese; bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 9-10 minutes.

Make Ahead: All the components of this dish can be made ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Simply assemble and bake when ready to enjoy.

Recipe from SECRETS OF SKINNY COOKING: Mouthwatering Recipes You Won’t Believe are Low Calorie, Artscroll/Shaar Press; May 2017

The Gay Vegans: A Recipe - Stuffed Peppers

By Dan Hanley

I know. This isn't a food blog. I like to do reviews on vegan food, on restaurants and once in a while on vegan products. I have hardly ever passed along a recipe.

Last week Mike and I weren't sure what we wanted to do for dinner. I had bought green peppers at the farmer's market and thought I would finally try to make stuffed recipes. They came out so good that I just have to share my recipe.

This takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, and then the bake time. And so easy! 

Recipe after the cut.

Recipe: Celebrate the Flavors of New Orleans this Mardi Gras Season With Vanilla Beignet Bites

Celebrating the end of the season of Carnival, Mardi Gras has been a state holiday in Louisiana since the 19th century. Steeped in rich traditions, New Orleans is a city full of sights, sounds, and flavors that you can bring into your home this Mardi Gras season.

“Food is an integral part of New Orleans history and Mardi Gras celebrations,” said Craig Nielsen, CEO, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. “By introducing the rich notes of Nielsen-Massey’s high-quality vanillas and flavors to your favorite Mardi Gras recipes, you can create your own spin on traditions to celebrate for years to come.”
For a sweet end to your Mardi Gras celebration, try the recipe below for Vanilla Beignet Bites with Vanilla-Lemon Raspberry Jam. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Pure Vanilla Powder add a sweet twist to this New Orleans classic that is sure to please your guests.

Vanilla Beignet Bites with Vanilla-Lemon Raspberry Jam
(Yield 6 dozen)
Ingredients
¼ cup warm water
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions
In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar; set aside to activate yeast. In a medium bowl, add butter, half-and-half and vanilla extract; stir and set aside. In a small bowl whisk eggs; set aside. 

In a bowl of a free standing electric mixer, add flour, sugar, salt and cardamom. Place bowl on mixer stand which has been fitted with a dough hook. Turn mixer on lo

Turn mixer to medium speed then add activated yeast mixture. Add half-and-half mixture, then add the whisked eggs. Mix until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary. Dough will be slightly sticky. 

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead, about 2-3 minutes; adding additional flour only when needed. 

Lightly coat a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and keep warm until dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours. After dough has risen, place on a lightly floured surface and gently knead. Roll dough into a rectangle, about ¼-inch thick. With a pizza cutter, cut dough into small rectangles, about 1 x ½-inch pieces. 

Heat oil to 375°F; carefully place dough in hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 45-60 seconds. Turn beignets so both sides are golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels; dust with Vanilla Powdered Sugar while bites are still warm. Dip Vanilla Beignet Bites in Nielsen-Massey’s signature Vanilla-Lemon Raspberry Jam.

Vanilla Powdered Sugar (Yield ½ cup sugar)
Ingredients
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder

Directions
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and vanilla powder.

Vanilla-Lemon Raspberry Jam (Yield 1 cup jam)
Ingredients
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Pure Lemon Extract

Directions
In a small bowl, add jam, vanilla and lemon extracts. Whisk until jam is smooth and serve with warm Vanilla Beignet Bites. Vanilla-Lemon Raspberry Jam can be refrigerated and also served with whole grain toast, English muffins or scones.

Creepy Confections: Mile High Monster Mash Recipe

By Brandon Engel

Looking for recipes for festive nibbles for your Halloween party? My friend Gayle and I had a whimsical impulse that I thought I’d share, in the spirit of the season.

So this was the idea: take the vintage Halloween breakfast cereals (Frankenberry, BooBerry, etc.) and make cereal treats with them. I call it “Monster Mash.”

Cocktail Chatter: Dill-Vodka Martini

By Ed Sikov

When we left our hero, he had just ruined yet another dinner party with a rare but deadly combination of bad memory and gracious seasonal taste. I had made dill-infused vodka and served it to a good friend who, I’d forgotten, had auditioned for the role of Dill in the film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird and, having not gotten the part, has spent the rest of his life in mortal dread of the very word dill, let alone the herb it signifies. I mentioned that the dilled vodka was delicious, and I gave instructions on how to make it, but the following weekend’s (shall we say) full-throated reception of the cocktails I made from it was so overwhelmingly positive I’ve actually decided to expand on the recipe and offer one particular suggestion for a cocktail to make with it.

I acknowledge that I’m not the world’s most humble human being; I can be quite a blowhard sometimes. But I must say plainly and simply that dill-infused vodka is by far the best drink I’ve ever made, and it was greeted as such by our housemates last weekend. They polished off practically the whole fifth in less than an hour. I barely had enough to experiment with, and I wanted to create a martini-like cocktail using the infusion as the base. I snatched the bottle right out of Craig’s pudgy fist to get the last ounce before he gulped it down.

“Heyyyyyy!” he whined.

“Hay is for horses, dear,” I clucked. “How many times must I tell you? What would Princess Grace say if you were at the palace and said ‘hey’ at the dinner table?”

“Outa my way, Letitia!” Craig side-butted me and sent me flying into the refrigerator. He attempted to grab the vodka bottle but I held firm. “Oh, why are you such a douchebag?”

“Douchebag?” I said it as though I was a Harvard anthropologist quoting another anthropologist’s study of self-reporting users of vulgarities in Appalachia. “I simply want enough to try a recipe….”

“Which you naturally will drink yourself,” Craig batted back. ‘OK, fine. Have it your way. You always do. What’s Dr. Mengele’s experiment this weekend?”

“A variation on the martini….”

“A Dill-Tini! Wait, no. A Dill-a-Tini! Or for you a Dill-a-Tante-Tini!”

I was putting my concentration toward measuring a tiny amount of dry vermouth, not Craig’s chatter, so I didn’t hear Dan and Paolo and Chipper come into the room. Their sudden barks of laughter caught me off guard and I nearly dropped the shot glass.

“You know that I hate those stupid ‘tini’ suffixes,” I said huffily. “I’m not inventing the best cocktail of my career only to ruin it with a dumbass name.”

“So what are you calling this masterpiece, Dr. Goebbels?”

“The 57.”

“I live with this,” Dan said to no one in particular.

“I’ll bite,” said Chipper. “Why?”

“It’s an homage to the Heinz pickle. The garni is a cornichon or two. Dill? Pickle? Dill? Pickle? Get it? Heinz 57?”

“We’re so lucky to have you in our lives,” I wish somebody had said. But they all turned and went their separate ways. I downed the tiny 57 and felt just fine.

The 57

1 fifth Absolut premium vodka

1 bunch dill, washed and dried

dry vermouth to taste

cornichon for garnish

Make the infusion: stick the dill in the vodka, leave it alone for two days, then remove it; this is easy to do if you leave the stems sticking out the top of the bottle and cover it all with plastic wrap. Put the cap back on and stick the bottle in the freezer.

Make the 57s: Just make a vodka martini according to your own taste using the dill infusion and dry vermouth; I like a 4-1 ratio. Rinse a few cornichons under water and dry them on paper towels; drop a few into your finished drinks and serve.

Health and Wellness: Quick, Easy & Delicious Zucchini Boats

By Thom Seehafer

Looking for something quick and easy but still flavorful and delicious? Even the most inexperienced cooks will still be able to make this simple and tasty dish. And feel free to change it up by adding some of your favorite protein like tofu, grilled chicken or ground turkey.


Zucchini Boats (Serves Two)

• Take three good-sized zucchini (green or yellow). Cut zucchini in half and remove all of the seeds but only scoop out some of the pulp from the middle (that's your boat!).

• Dice one small red onion.
• Mince three cloves of fresh garlic.
• Cook one cup quinoa.
• Roughly chop eight ounces of mushrooms.
• Get out one tablespoon of cooking oil, one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/4 of a cup of Panko bread crumbs, and two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese for later.

Now, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place zucchini on sheet pan (Protip: trim the bottom of the zucchini flat).  Saute your garlic and onions in the oil until translucent. Then add your mushrooms (cook for ten minutes to get rid of excess moisture). If you want to add protein, now's the time. Once that's all done cooking, turn off the heat and add in your cooked quinoa, bread crumbs, vinegar and cheese. Fill up your zucchini boats and bake for about 20 minutes or until the boats are nice and soft. 

Another variation on vegetarian zucchini boats can be found here at MeatlessMondays.com.

Thom Seehafer is a martial artist, body-builder and part-owner of Body Solutions Rx. 

Health and Fitness: Yummy Greek Yogurt

Phoenix Phacts 
By Thom Seefhauer

Before you push away from the table or wrinkle your nose at the idea of the awesome taste sensation that is Greek Yogurt, let me ask you one thing. Have you tried it?

Perhaps you don’t even know what it is, hmm? Let me tell you, then. It is a traditional yogurt that is made from sheep’s milk. It is also a strained yogurt, (not a strain of yogurt) and the straining process is what accounts for its creaminess and higher protein content.

What can you do with it? You can use it in place of many dairy products - heavy cream, sour cream -and it is wonderful to use as a substitute for cream cheese in your dips, spreads or cheesecakes. But steer clear of the ones with fruit added, because if you read the label you will notice the sugar content is rather high and we know that certain types of sugars are bad. So buy the plain or vanilla and (hint, hint) add your own fruit or blue agave sweetener to it. (In the future , I will also discuss the different types of sweeteners out there: agave, xylitol, stevia, aspartame - BOO! - but for right now, let us focus on the yogurt in question.)

Here are some suggestions on how to use Greek Yogurt:

1. Use it in dips to replace about ½ the suggested amount of sour cream - it's smoother and creamier but not quite as tangy.

2. Use it any place you'd normally use sour cream - the possibilities are endless. Imagine a nice dollop on top of your nachos, chili or tacos. Fewer calories and more protein!

3. Don't forget to give your protein smoothie a boost with a heaping spoonful.

4. Combine with either feta or bleu cheese and lower your fat intake. Throw in some fresh herbs, and maybe a hit of tobacco, and voila, a low cal chicken wing sauce.

5. A bowl full of granola, a handful of fresh fruit and a nice dollop of plain or vanilla yogurt really gets the day going!

6. Instead of using oils or butters in your baked goods, try a little yogurt instead. Replace half of the butter with one-half that amount in yogurt. For example, if you have a total of 1/2 cup of butter required in a recipe you would use 1/4 cup of butter and 1/8 cup of yogurt.

7. How about throwing some in with the brown rice to get it just a little more flavor and moistness? Not that the crunchiness and nuttiness of the rice isn’t good by itself, but how about experimenting a little and give your taste buds a kick?

8. It’s a yummy base on which to build a red potato salad.

9. Add chopped apple and cinnamon for a delicious apple pie flavored yogurt. Or, bake some apples in the oven with walnuts and raisins and top off with some yogurt.

10. How about pulling out your food processor and pureeing up some fruit, adding some yogurt, a bit of milk and popping it in the freezer for a delicious dessert? 

Thom Seehafer is part-owner of Body Solutions Rx, a company which he says helps people release excess weight in a short amount of time, but in a healthy, safe way with the use of Hcg.

Recipe: Vegan holiday fudge

Check out this recipe for vegan holiday fudge from Serena at Queercents.com. Looks yummy!

Cookies!

I'm more of an eater than a baker but BHG's list of All-Time Favorite Christmas Cookies has me wanting to try my hand at some good old-fashioned cookie making.

How good do these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies look?

Recipe: White chili with sausage

In the fall I love to make big pots of chili to bring over to my parents' or sisters' houses. My nieces and nephews say they love it even though my traditional recipe is really nothing special. I'm definitely gonna have to give this white chili a try and see what they think of it.

White Chili with Sausage

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 19-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can white or yellow whole kernel corn, drained
1 fresh poblano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (see tip, page 74)
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Crushed white corn tortilla chips

Directions:

In a 4-quart Dutch oven cook and stir sausage, onion, and garlic over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in beans, broth, corn, chile pepper, lime juice, and white pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Serve with crushed chips. - via www.BHG.com

Best recipes for Labor Day

Stumped for ideas on what to serve for Labor Day weekend?

BHG.com has a slideshow of 34 delicious-looking recipe ideas for dazzling cookout cuisine and that's about 33 more recipes than I know so I need all the help I can get.

Recipe: Thai Cucumber Salad

Here's a light and delicious recipe I got from a Facebook pal of mine.

It seems pretty foolproof so I'm gonna make it to bring to a dinner party I'm going to tonight.

Wish me luck.

I am no kind of a cook at all.

Thai Cucumber Salad

2 Medium Cucumbers - sliced thin with skin
1/2 C Red Onion - very finely minced
1/2 t salt or 1 t Thai Fish Sauce
2 t Sugar
1/4 C Cider Vinegar
1/4 C Cilantro - minced
Crushed Red Pepper - to taste

Farmer's Market recipes: Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Pizza

There’s a good reason that the “eat local” movement is gaining steam. More and more of us are discovering that the freshest foods are the best-tasting. Enjoy the best of summer with regular visits to your area farmer’s markets and pick up all the ingredients you need for a delicious and healthy roasted pepper and artichoke pizza.


Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Pizza:

1 6- to 6-1/2-ounce package pizza crust mix
1 teaspoon dried oregano or basil, crushed
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped or shredded cooked chicken (about 5 ounces)
1 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup roasted red and/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into strips
1/4 cup sliced green onions or chopped red onion
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
4 ounces semisoft goat cheese (chèvre), crumbled
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet; set aside. Prepare pizza crust according to package directions, except stir oregano into dry mix. With floured hands, pat dough into a 15x10-inch rectangle on prepared baking sheet, building up edges slightly (crust will be thin). Bake for 7 minutes.
2. Spread pizza sauce evenly over crust. Top with chicken, artichokes, roasted peppers, and green onion. Top with mozzarella cheese and goat cheese.
3. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes more or until edges of crust are golden brown. Makes 8 servings.

- via Better Homes and Gardens

And one of Denver's best farmer's markets is Fresh Market at The Landmark. Be sure to check it out.



* click to embiggen and read

Grilled Dessert: Gorgonzola and walnut stuffed apples

Yum! How tasty does this look? And you make it on the grill so it's perfect for all the outdoor entertaining you've got planned for summer.

Ingredients:
4 medium cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Jonathan
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Roquefort cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4 teaspoons honey

Directions:
1. Core apples almost to the bottom, leaving approximately 1/2 inch. Remove 1 inch of peel from the top of each apple.

2. In a small bowl stir together Gorgonzola, walnuts, and melted butter. Fill each cored apple three-fourths full. Drizzle 1 teaspoon honey into each. Add remaining filling to apples. Place apples in a disposable foil pan.

3. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around edge of grill. Test for medium heat over center of grill. Place apples on rack in the center of the grill. Cover; grill for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust grill for indirect grilling. Place apples on grill rack. Grill as above.)

4. Drizzle each serving with additional honey; serve warm.

- via BHG

More fun with Ramen: Depression Cooking with Clara

Here's Clara's recipe for egg drop soup with ramen noodles.

Save money on groceries: Fun with ramen

Want to save money on groceries?

Need to save money on groceries?

Queercents.com's got some tips on how to live on $10 of groceries a week.

Ramen noodles figure heavily.

Bonus three-minute instant ramen egg drop soup recipe clip below:

This weekend I ate everything

I ate everything that wasn't nailed down this weekend and haven't been to the gym since last Thursday. I really want to get in shape for PrideFest so I need to eat more stuff like this and less stuff like this.








I'm hitting the gym hard tonight.

I've been holding steady at about 195 lbs. and would like to drop about another 10 lbs. this month.

Meatloaf!

If you're cutting corners on dinner, try meatloaf. Hamburger is relatively inexpensive, and you can still impress friends or a date with this classy recipe and these secrets for the perfect meatloaf.

Or you could just throw some hamburger and Heinz 57 sauce together, stick them in the oven, and call yourself making dinner.