Tucson, Arizona. This is a favorite hotspot for Chinese cuisine in Tucson. They do feature a menu with dishes that are slightly American-ized, but ask for the “secret menu” if you want more authentic Szechwan cooking. I love the ginger chicken, and I recently flipped over the eggplant in garlic sauce. I have looked up a few recipes for the eggplant, and it’s not as complex as I thought it would be. I hope to re-create it sometime soon. Hopefully, it will be even half as good.
Art, wine, and food. Three of my favorite things. I love the concept of having a wine tasting with an artist’s showing. This night, we happened to also be instructed by the artist, Charles Albanese, on watercolors. Charles also specializes in oil and multimedia work. It’s fascinating to watch an artist at work! The wine features were Chilean and Argentinian (nothing too, too grand, but still lovely) and paired quite nicely with our small plates. We had a fabulous time at this beautiful local Tucson restaurant, and I have posted a few pics of the interior for you to see.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/mesa/article_50b9879a-0962-11e4-8a9b-001a4bcf887a.html
“Locally centered spending has surged over the past few years due in part to organizations that promote local economies.”
I have written several posts on the topic of “Keeping it Local.” My last post included a list of the top 10 local business headlines from the month of July, 2014. The article quoted above was one of those headlines. I found one of its statements quite surprising:
“Local First Arizona also reports for every two jobs a national retailer creates, three jobs are lost as a result of local closures and that the tax revenue subsidies granted to chains by local government depletes tax revenue.”
Local First Arizona is a fabulous organization and has done much to keep me abreast of our local businesses and economy. As I will continue to state, many people are unable to solely choose local shops & stores, restaurants, etc., to frequent. Factors such as location, family budget, and accessibility of products can come into play. But, as this article points out, even a 10% percent shift to local merchants can have a positive impact on your local economy.
For more information on how spending your dollars locally can make a difference, visit the Local First Arizona website, and see my previous posts: The Top 10 Local Business Headlines from July, Shift the Way You Shop: Local Impact Calculator, Economic Studies, and Independents Week.
I have been posting a lot about food recently, but I can’t help it — it’s one of my favorite things! I need to decide what type of pasta sauce to prepare for a special occasion. I am trying to step away from my ever-beloved&favored red sauce. So, I thought I would create a reference post with some of my other faves (and some I hope to try) for anyone interested. And, I am posting a few Tucson restaurant pics, in case you stop by our fair town. Really, I could eat spaghetti with red sauce every day and not get tired of it. Just look at how yummy it is (even without the cheese):
From Caffe Milano, Tucson, Arizona.
I have jarred up the season’s juicy reds in preparation for the Tucson “winter,” but I need to forge ahead!
I could always do a traditional pesto, which I love.
Caffe Milano, Tucson, Arizona
I also like switching up the herbs/greens, nuts, cheese, and oil for it, too. And, sometimes I leave out the cheese or oil.
Mac and cheese can be a bit too casual unless I really spruce it up. I like this presentation of oozing, gooey cheese.
Bacon Mac and Cheese from Union Pub House, Tucson, Arizona
I am also partial to bleus like gorgonzola for a different spin.
This one was new to me: Buffalo wing sauce. I haven’t tried to re-create this yet. Perhaps it doesn’t scream of formality, but it still might be a contender. Many of us born in NY try to create as many dishes as we can around Buffalo wings. Can’t be bad.
From Elliot’s on Congress, Tucson, Arizona
I have to admit when I started thinking about ‘special occasion’ sauces, cream and butter came to mind an awful lot. I think I need to realize you can have delicious, fresh-tasting sauces that are ‘special’ without them, lol. But, C&B are so, SO good. Also, anything with wine, mushrooms, or olives puts it over the top for me.
Lamb Ravioli from Wildflower, Tucson, Arizona
Pappardelle ai Funghi, Tavolino Ristorante, Tucson, AZ
My new favorite this past couple of years has been a cilantro-lime cream sauce:
I saw a recipe for this a while back, and I absolutely love it. This pic I made a little differently than normal. I used actual cream vs. my usual lower fat milk and added chile for spiciness. I always add garlic, but I can’t remember if the original recipe called for it or not. I just infused the cream, then strained it. Normally, I leave all the herbs and bits in there. I thought it would be super rich, but the lime kind of cuts the heaviness. It was also the first time I used my own homemade pasta. *As a sidenote: I’ve started making a double batch of dough for dual usage. I used a whole/heirloom wheat blend for this pasta with beetroot powder & juice. After mixing, I use half for pasta and save the other half for tortillas. I just add salt and oil to the tortilla dough.*
Other sauces I’ve been enjoying recently are the spicy tahini I’ve previously posted about, and a soy-balsamic. Less frequently, but still high on my list are meat, root veggie, green veggie, any veggie, buerre noisette, and tomatillo based sauces. And, though I do not care for egg noodles, I love to make a stroganoff-type sauce with various others pastas. Back in the day, warm pasta salad with Italian salad dressing-type sauce was common for me. I haven’t had that in quite a while now, though.
Finally, here are a few interesting-looking recipes I would like to try. See what you think:
Creamy Avocado Pasta Same type of flavor base as the cilantro-lime with less sat fat.
Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Spicy Pumpkin Pasta I have made dishes similar to this one and the previous link, only with butternut squash (and without the meat). It looks interesting!
Kale Pasta Cream Sauce
Fusilli with Spinach Sauce (just added this site to my blogroll! Check it out for updates.)
Pasta with Kale in Lemon-Cashew Sauce
Herbal Pasta (very simple, but I think you could jazz it up)
Pasta with Purple Sprouting Broccoli (mmm…anchovies)
Tucson Urban League | Empowering Communities Changing Lives.
Continuing in my posts about charitable organizations, I wanted to highlight the Tucson Urban League:
“The Tucson Urban League is an empowerment center. Our programs identify people in need and connect them to services to eliminate opportunity disparities and increase economic and social outcomes. For over 43 years, our programs have been critical to making our region’s economy grow and meet today’s workforce needs. Our programs address the needs of Southern Arizonans of all ages and ethnicities and move people out of poverty and into a livable wage to support their families and community…
The mission of the Tucson Urban League is to advance economic and social prosperity for African Americans and other under served Tucson area residents by creating access to opportunity through advocacy, community partnerships, and programs and services.”
The Urban League here in Tucson, Arizona serves the community in areas such as affordable housing, childcare centers, employment and training help, K-8 tutoring and mentoring, breakfast and lunch programs for seniors, utility assistance, and weatherization services. If you reside in Tucson, you might consider giving your time or charitable donations to this worthy resource center. If you live elsewhere, I hope you will still check out the link and let it inspire you. These types of services are much needed in the area, and I am truly blessed by the dedication of this organization’s team.
Part 2, more pics!
Pics from Heirloom Farmers’ Market @ Rillito Park in Tucson, Arizona. See a few more pics from my previous post: To Market to Market. As I said in that post, this is a very large market (for Tucson). My last trip, I had the best apples — sweet, tangy, bright, and crisp! Having grown up in New York State, I often miss the ‘apple culture’ we had (picking days, fresh juice, cider, cider donuts, etc.)…so these brought back sweet memories. Arizona is obviously a big state for citrus, though, and we have a wonderful selection. There are so many awesome vendors and farmers who attend this market, so please stop by if you’re in Tucson. I especially love the local produce, but you can find fab local tortillas, tamales, soaps, tea, honey, garden plants, and more.
Even more pics on post, part 2.
Interfaith Community Services – Tucson, AZ – Social Services
On my blog menu, I have a category for charities. I will include charities across the US in my posts, but they will probably predominantly be those located in Arizona. My hope is that even if you are not an Arizona resident, you may seek out similar charities in your area.
Some people may not be able to give much monetarily to charitable organizations, but don’t forget you can always give your time. Volunteer work is much needed for non-profit organizations and can be crucial to their success. Volunteering is one way to give to your community and may also be beneficial for your career. I read an article many moons ago about volunteering being a “Career Secret Weapon.” It could be an avenue to get your foot in the door of an organization that you may have never even been able to get a job interview for. If the management team sees that you are dedicated, willing to learn, show up on time, etc., you might be in the right place at the right time when they decide to hire new employees. And, even if you do not gain employment with an organization you are volunteering for, it can still go on your resume for future job searching.
Interfaith Community Services in Tucson, Arizona is such a stellar organization. They offer a broad range of help to those in need. With two locations in Southern Arizona, they house a food bank, provide emergency financial assistance, have a job resource center, provide support to seniors (including mobile meals), they host a “Back to School” supplies drive, and more. Check out their page for more info on their amazing community work.
La Cashionista 
You must be logged in to post a comment.