Tuesday, Dec. 15, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM. Zoom Class: Tucson Cuisine with Cookbook Author Carolyn Niethammer. $40.00 per household.

When Tucson was named America’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy, author/blogger Carolyn Niethammer knew the story behind the story was hers to tell and she does so beautifully in her latest cookbook, “A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary Heritage.”

Her menu reflects why Tucson tastes like no other place – Chicken with Prickly Pear Citrus Marinade and Sauce, Sonora White Wheat Berry Salad and Mesquite Apple Crisp. It’s a meal fit for a casual weeknight dinner yet elegant and deliciously impressive for the holidays. Three heritage food ingredients – Sonora white wheat berries, prickly pear syrup and mesquite flour – can be purchased separately for $20 with contactless pickup at Gallery of Food, 2522 E. Ft. Lowell Rd. Click here to order.

Carolyn has been writing about food of the Southwest for more than four decades and this new book traces the influences of Native American, Mexican, mission-era Mediterranean and ranch-style cowboy traditions. It’s a food pilgrimage, full of stories and recipes stretching back to the earliest residents of the Santa Cruz Valley. You’ll read how the original farmers first learned to grow corn beginning in 2100 BC, where the Hohokam built their elaborate irrigation canals and how the arrival of the Spanish changed everything.

You can purchase the book at four locally owned locations: Native Seeds Search, 3584 E. River Rd., 520-622-0830; Antigone Books, 411 N. 4th Ave., 520-792-3715; Gallery of Food, 2522 E. Ft. Lowell Rd., 520-884-5033; the Presidio San Agustin Del Tucson Museum, 196 N. Court Ave., 520-622-0594; or online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

CLASS NOTES: This is a cook along class offered live via the Zoom app. You’ll receive an email with recipes, class details and pickup options 5 days in advance. Please submit an email address you frequently check. Some time-consuming steps may need to be prepared in advance. Virtual classes are nonrefundable and the Zoom link is not transferable or shareable.

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