Taste of Tucson: Sonoran-Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona

More than simply creating a cookbook devoted to Tucson, food photographer and blogger Alpers, a contributor to foodnetwork.com, has produced a laid-back, approachable entry to Sonoran cuisine. Alpers, who previously worked at Tucson’s El Charro Café, the oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant in the United States, begins with a culinary history of the Mexican state of Sonora, which Tucson was originally part of, and its influence on the United States. From there, Alpers notes the influence of Native cultures on Sonoran-style Mexican cuisine and its staples, such as tortillas and hominy. Home cooks will be enticed by chapters such as Beans, Rice, and Calabacitas and Street Snacks at Home, along with varied recipes throughout the book, including huevos rancheros, red pozole, adobe pulled pork, mini chimichangas, and desert dessert nachos. A chapter on various spice blends and salsas is a highlight. The collection is enhanced with contributions from local chefs, along with Alpers’s own photography, allowing readers to visualize each dish.