Cookbooks
Taste of Tucson Resource Guide
Where to find the ingredients and tools used in the making of the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers […]
Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes
breakfast
Cheese and Dairy
Sonoran Style Vegetarian Nachos Supreme Stuffed Bell Peppers
Nachos supreme stuffed bell peppers! Outtake from the Taste of Tucson cookbook. Recipe and food photography by Jackie Alpers. […]
Cookbooks
Taste of Tucson: Meet the Chefs
The Taste of Tucson cookbook features recipes from 16 local restaurant chefs in addition to my own recipes. These chefs have contributed to the culinary flavor of this town, winning awards and accolades in the […]
Cookbooks
Recipe for The Parish’s Strawberry Habanero Infused Tequila
This infused tequila makes a mean margarita or straight-up sipper. […]
documentary food photography
Tequila Vs Mezcal: What’s the difference?
Wondering what the difference is between different types of tequila and mezcal? Jackie Alpers has answers! Includes recipes for Tequila Citrus Sipper and Paloma cocktails […]
Appetizers
Chiltepin Hot Salsa Recipe From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook
Chiltepin salsa is an all-purpose salsa that can be used for dipping, for seasoning, and as a taco sauce. A little goes a long way, so if you prefer a milder salsa, cut the amount of chiles down by a half or a third. This recipe is from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers. […]
Atkins Friendly
Recipe for Chorizo, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Taco
I ate this as a makeshift breakfast every day for weeks while writing Taste of Tucson.
The fat from the tablespoon of chorizo makes the egg really crispy and adds a lot of flavor without too many extra calories. I fry up a batch of chorizo in advance and store it in the fridge, where it becomes solid until I scoop it out and heat it up. […]
breakfast
Matzoh Molletes
This quick vegetarian breakfast is a cross between matzo molletes and huevos rancheros. I used beans from a can and my homemade chiltepin salsa. […]
Comfort Food
Beef Patty Tacos
A plant-based, high-moisture ground beef alternative such as Beyond Beef also works well in this recipe. […]
Chicken
Chicken Molé Amarillo Recipe from Cafe Poca Cosa
Chicken Molé Amarillo | Recipe by Jackie Alpers from the cookbook Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona. […]
Chicken
Sonoran Style Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
There are Southwestern regional influences that vary from New Mexico to Arizona, Texas, and Southern California. Here in Tucson, our regional cuisine is defined by fresh veggies, grilled meats and all of the delicacies that a mid-sized, sunshine filled desert city/college town, 60 miles from Mexico, has to offer. It’s summertime eating all year round. This recipe was There are Southwestern regional influences that vary from New Mexico to Arizona, Texas, and Southern California. Here in Tucson, our regional cuisine is defined by fresh veggies, grilled meats and all of the delicacies that a mid-sized, sunshine filled desert city/college town, 60 miles from Mexico, has to offer. It’s summertime eating all year round. This recipe was originally developed for Today.com. […]
Celebrations
Drinks & Cocktails
Drinks & Cocktails
Pomegranate & Earl Grey Whisky Smash
This recipe was originally developed for Lipton tea in conjunction with the FoodNetwork.com […]
Atkins Friendly
Atkins Friendly
My mom’s Marinated Flank Steak, “Sonoranized”
Recipe for marinated flank steak using my mom’s recipe from the 80s, adding in some Mexican oregano and extra citus so now it’s an Ohio meets Tucson recipe. […]
Celebrations
The Mexican Street Corn Hot Dog
Inspired by Mexican Style Street Corn, this whole beef jumbo hot dog is topped with roasted corn, mayo, lime and spices and served in a top-cut, whole grain bolillo roll. Food photo and recipe by Jackie Alpers. […]
Appetizers
Spicy Ranch French Onion Dip
Two Dips That Live As One, Together At Last […]
Appetizers
The Cheesiest Cheese Crisp with Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce
Serves 2 to 4 A cross between a Mexican pizza an an open-faced quesadilla, the cheese crisp is the perfect comfort food. Southern Arizona restaurants started selling the dish more than 50 years ago and […]
Comfort Food
Quinoa Burrito Bowl With Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette
This recipe originally was written for and published on Refinery29 as part of an article on easy and affordable grain bowls. Check out the rest of the recipes on their site. The Greek yogurt adds a little […]
Baked Goods
Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti with Sprinkles
This triple-chocolate double-baked treat is dipped in a dark chocolate coating with sprinkles on top. Arizona is one of only three states in the US where pistachios are grown and chocolate and sugar are two of the most revered ingredients in Sonoran cuisine. […]
Comfort Food
Recipe: Sweet Corn Paletas
Sweet Corn Paletas Mexican ice pops often incorporate more exotic ingredients than their northern counterparts and my Sweet Corn Paletas are no different. Makes 12-16 servings Ingredients 1 cup milk, I used almond milk but any kind […]
Baked Goods
Recipe: Three Sisters Pizza With Corn Masa Crust
Corn, beans and squash are three of the earliest domesticated crops grown by Native Americans in the Sonoran region. For this recipe, prepared corn masa, which is usually used to make tortillas or gorditas, is […]
breakfast
Recipe: Grain Bowl With Green Quinoa, Tepary Beans and Egg
Grain Bowl With Green Quinoa, Tepary Beans, Avocado and Egg Start your day with this Sonoran style power breakfast. It’s high in protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Serves 1. Ingredients 1/2 cup dry quinoa […]
Appetizers
Sweet Pepper Poppers
How To Make Sweet Mini Pepper Poppers Lay peppers on preparation surface. Slice off the front of each one, leaving a deep well and the stems intact. Fill the remaining hole with jalapeño cream cheese […]
breakfast
Breakfast Taco Cups
Tacos for breakfast? Of course! Pinto beans add a healthy dose of fiber and low-carb tortillas erase any remaining guilt factor. Make these as mild or spicy as you like with your favorite taco sauce […]
Appetizers
Snack of the Day: Cincinnachos! – Cincinnati-Style Chili Cheese Nachos
Ohio meets Arizona! Cincinnati style chili cheese nachos – Cincinnachos as they will henceforth be known. The best of everything for snacking season. Start with My Recipe for Cincinnati Style Turkey Chili, substituting ground grass-fed beef […]
breakfast
Spicy Southwestern Style Mashed Potatoes With Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
There was a time in history when an all white meal consisting mostly of flour and milk was the most depressing idea imaginable. In Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol”, Ebenezer Scrooge famously sat down to a […]
Appetizers
Sonoran Style Chipotle Chicken Salad
Like all regional cuisines, Sonoran style Mexican food is evolving. My spicy Sonoran style chicken salad could easily be served in tortas (sandwiches) alongside the pork or beef varieties, or in tacos, which are now available served on lettuce leaves at local restaurants as well as on traditional corn or flour tortillas. I used store-bought rotisserie chicken which has become a staple in Mexican home cooking. […]
Atkins Friendly
Baked Goods
Haunted Halloween Gingerbread Houses
I created these Halloween themed haunted gingerbread houses for iVillage. For instructions and easy tips on how to make these houses, visit their website. You may have seen those amazing haunted Halloween gingerbread houses on […]
Chicken
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: New Grilled Chicken Recipes for TodayFood
Apparently, in the olden days, every casino in Las Vegas offered a $1.79 chicken dinner. If you won a $2.00 bet, you’d have enough money to buy one, so the dealer would shout, “Winner, winner […]
Baked Goods
Low-carb Bacon-Wrapped Mexican Hot Dogs on Cheesy Cloud Buns
I made this low-carb bread replacement (often called “Oopsie Bread”) out of eggs and cream cheese from a recipe I’ve seen all over the internet. It turned out great. It smells like cheesy-bread while it’s […]
Chicken
Buffalo Chicken: Tenders & Tacos Recipes
I have an on-going, and pretty much constant craving for buffalo wings. I’d alway thought that buffalo wing sauce was one of those fast food enigmas (like the McRib) that could never be replicated by average people. It’s […]
Baked Goods
Chocolate & Coffee Figgy Pudding Recipe
I want some figgy pudding! How could I not after hearing that song year after year. So, I came up with this recipe for Chocolate & Coffee Figgy Pudding for my latest article in Broadway+Thresher […]
Appetizers
Chicharrones, Cornichons & Chicken Liver Pate Bites
My choice for snack of the day is… Chopped liver paté smeared onto pork rinds and topped with cornichons! This may seem like an unlikely, (and un-kosher) combination at first, but the pork rinds add […]
Dinner
Carne Asada Tacos
Yay! It’s National Taco Day! Here’s a recipe of one of my favorite kinds – Carne Asada, from the book Knack Mexican Cooking by Chelsie Kenyon. October 4, 2012 by Jackie Alpers Ingredients Ingredients 1⁄2 cup chile […]
breakfast
Mexican Shakshuka: Eggs Simmered in Tomato Crema
Breakfast I think it’s interesting how similar variations of dishes develop in different parts of the world. I’d never heard of Shakshuka until recently, but it’s very popular in the Middle East and Israel and […]
Atkins Friendly
Scrambled Eggs With Gorgonzola & Salsa
This recipe is the result of an early morning haze wherein I emptied random things from the refrigerator into a pan in a blurry attempt to make breakfast. It came out better than I expected, […]
Appetizers
Coctel De Camaron: Mexican Style Shrimp Cocktail
The shrimp cocktail I grew up with in Ohio was reserved for special occasions. It was served in a chilled martini glass filled with crushed ice topped with a dollop of horseradish and lemon juice […]
Atkins Friendly
Salsa Chicken Lettuce Tacos
I was very surprised to find that one of my favorite Mexican restaurants now offers their famous tacos nestled in a large lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla. I was even more amazed at how […]
Celebrations
Lavender Limeade
Here’s another idea for an easy summer beverage. Lavender Limeade is super easy and you don’t need to add a bunch of sugar. The lavender flowers add their own sweetness. For one glass, boil 2 […]
Celebrations
The Muddler
I’m a bit muddled thanks to the help of my friends, and it smells a little bit like tequila in here. Lately, people have been sending me wonderful presents and coincidentally two of them were […]
ethnic cuisine
Recipe for Spicy Citrus Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas
When life gives me lemons (and well, shrimp) I make ceviche. Sometimes life, (or a really cool sponsor), gives me something really awesome. This time it was O Clementine Olive Oil… and “O” my gosh […]
Easy
Arizona Lentil Caviar
I have a long-standing distrust of any food that contains lentils. Lentil soup has always been my go-to answer when asked about my most hated food. I first experienced the suspicious discs floating aimlessly among […]
Comfort Food
Sonoran Style Potato Salad with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette and Red Onion
Here in Southern Arizona, our famous Sonoran style Mexican food is often garnished with pickled red onions and Mexican limes. I’ve incorporated those flavors into this spicy potato salad tossed with a chili-lime vinaigrette. […]
Appetizers
Grilled Chipotle-Lime Mexican Style Corn
Every year on the 4th of July I make a different version Mexican grilled corn, which along with the Sonoran style hot dog is a popular street food around here. This year I modified a […]
Appetizers
Sonoran Style Chunky Guacamole Recipe
Chunky Guacamole for the win! I swear the recipe from my cookbook Taste of Tucson is the best ever… it’s spicy, salty and creamy yet crisp and bright with lots of citrus and just a […]
breakfast
Rolled & Baked Breakfast Tacos
Rolled & Baked Breakfast Tacos Wake, roll and bake for breakfast. Mexi-breakfast is always the best. May 15, 2011 by Jackie Alpers Ingredients 2 eggs 1 T. Greek yogurt 2 frozen sausage or veggie sausage patties […]
Cheese and Dairy
Black & White Nachos
This recipe makes a white nacho cheese sauce instead of the traditional yellow. Black beans add contrast, fiber and a bit more protein. There are more colors here than just black and white. but you […]
contains whole grains
The Chayote Challenge
Spicy Spanish Rice with Chayote and Black Beans I got a note posted to my wall on Facebook from Kristen who works with my husband saying, “I’m sending this home with Jason tonight. Create something […]
Easy
Chipotle Deviled Eggs With or Without Caviar
Thanks to the lovely people working behind the scenes at the Food Network (whose tweets reveal that they are apparently having some kind of office-wide deviled egg challenge), I’ve been having an unyielding urge for […]
Atkins Friendly
The Week of Gazpacho
My husband woke up, looked at me in from his side of the bed and declared this the “Week of Gazpacho”. And so, it is. I got a handy little device called Vegetable Chop and […]
Comfort Food
Classic Caesar Salad Recipe and Photo by Jackie Alpers
CAESAR SALAD DAYS This is a story about choices, creativity, personal power, and a salad. Specifically, the Caesar salad from the 1967 Joy of Cooking. My mother made it table side at a dinner party […]
Celebrations
Who Needs Green Beer When There Are Margaritas?
In Arizona we tend to forgo the green beer in favor of a lovely pale green margarita on St. Patrick’s Day. You can make them easily at home without the high-sugar mix. If you use […]