Pumpkin Empanadas: Easy Baked Mini Hand Pies

These mini pumpkin empanadas are brushed with a buttery, warming aromatic coating are fun and super easy to bake (not fried) using pre-made sheets of pie dough and a spiced pumpkin filling.

Cranberry Brie Crostini with Sparkling Sugared Cranberries

Visually stunning sugared cranberries are a study in contrast. The tart, dark berries which appear to have been encrusted in tiny jewels, add a magical quality to these brie crostini.

Southwestern-Style Chipotle Deviled Eggs With Caviar

These spicy, chipotle deviled eggs topped with caviar and capers are fancy yet simple. The perfect party food or indulgent yet healthy snack.

Sonoran Mexican Chocolate Popcorn Treats

Sonoran-style no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn treats made with pretzels, cashews, Sriracha sesame seeds, cinnamon and red chile spiced chocolate marshmallow cream Chile powder and cinnamon add some kick to these sweet and spicy no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn and pretzel treats. Recipe developed for The Silicone Kitchen.

Sonoran Cowboy (Charro) Caviar

Super-lucky flavorful Sonoran Charro Caviar made with black-eyed peas, bell peppers, serrano chiles, and onions, served on tortilla chips.

Crispy Tortilla Star Bites with Guacamole and Pomegranate Seeds

Topped with chunky guacamole and jewel-like pomegranate seeds, these crispy tortilla bites from The Unofficial Elf Cookbook by Jackie Alpers exude holiday joy. Use Jackie Alpers’ Sonoran-Style Chunky Guacamole Recipe or your favorite store-bought version.

Arizona Cheese Crisp with Roasted Hatch Green Chiles and Ranch Drizzle

Tucson’s Sonoran-style Mexican Arizona cheese crisp made with flour tortillas, roasted Hatch green chile strips and a creamy green chile Ranch salsa. Thank you Fry’s Foods for sponsoring this recipe.

Salsa Verde Recipe: Spicy Sonoran Tomatillo Salsa from Penca

Recipe for Sonoran Style hot green tomatillo salsa developed by Patricia Schwabe for her restaurant Penca. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Bison Nachos

Bison are a seminal component of Western American history. The massive bison hunts of the 19th century resulted in their near extinction. With conservation efforts in place, the Yellowstone bison are considered the last truly wild herd of American plains bison in existence. Regenerative bison farms have reintroduced this healthy beef alternative into American food systems.

Tri-Colored Ranch Smashed Potatoes

These tri-colored smashed potatoes utilize heirloom varieties of produce, which help restore diversity to local agriculture. This recipe is an outtake, cut for space from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers

Sonoran Carne Asada Quesadillas

Sonoran carne asada, scallions, cheese and crunchy tortilla chips stuffed in quesadillas and re-grilled for more crunch. Many years ago, Ben Galaz owner of BK Tacos taught me how to make Sonoran carne and cebollas asada.

Tortilla Snowflakes

Sweet and sparkly tortilla snowflakes – an edible version of the popular Mexican folk art, papel picado which will brighten any winter holiday table.

Mexican Street Corn Cups (Elote en Vaso)

Recipe for Elote en Vaso, Mexican street corn in cups. Pan fried corn kernels tossed in a creamy sauce seasoned with chile and lime. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Parmesan and Pepperoni Crustless Pizza

If you bake a layer of Parmesan cheese in the oven it will crackle and pop after a while, turning into a crispy, cheese cracker that’s much tastier than any pizza crust I’ve encountered. I topped this baked cheese crisp with pizza spices and toppings before sliding it into the oven. The results: crustless pizza!

Pepperoni Parmesan Pizza Crisps

Bake a little sunshine into your life with these bright and happy two-ingredient pizza flavored cheese crisps.

Parmesan Crisps with Caviar and Crème Fraîche

Festive enough for New Year’s Eve, this pretty appetizer only takes about 5 minutes to make. Bacon infused caviar adds a unique smokiness that will intrigue your guests and is fairly inexpensive, but any decent quality caviar will do. The one-ingredient parmesan crisps are a savory, no-carb alternative to blini.

Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe: Nachos Supreme Style

Roasted bell peppers stuffed with creamy nacho cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeños, black beans and crunchy tortilla chips.

Chiltepin Salsa Recipe: Spicy Sonoran Hot Salsa

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.

Easy Chorizo, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Taco Recipe

Sonoran-style breakfast taco with a crispy egg fried in chorizo and folded with cheese into a tortilla.

Matzoh Molletes Rancheros

This crispy matzoh based breakfast is a cross between molletes and huevos rancheros. I used beans from a can and my homemade chiltepin salsa.

Buffalo Chicken Rumaki Bites

This modern Buffalo-style chicken rumaki recipe updates the Polynesian appetizer served at tiki parties in the 70s.

Spicy French Onion Ranch Dip

Spicy Ranch French Onion Dip. Two Dips That Live As One, Together At Last!

Sweet Corn Paletas Recipe: Sonoran Atole-Inspired Ice Pops

Why isn’t corn used in more desserts? It’s naturally sweet, and the kernels add a nice pop. These paletas are made with sweet corn, cinnamon and Tajin.

Sweet Pepper Poppers

MIni Sweet Mini Pepper Poppers stuffed with jalapeno cream cheese and topped with panko bread crumbs. Recipe development and food photography for the Food Network.

Dark Chocolate Chia Pudding With Frozen Berries

This healthy, dark chocolate chia pudding has Omega-3 packed chia seeds, antioxidant rich frozen berries, dark chocolate, and a 5-minute prep time. Fun fact: Chia seeds are native to the Sonoran Desert region of the Arizona-Mexico borderlands.

Cincinnati Chili-Cheese Nachos: Cincinnachos!

Ohio meets Arizona! Cincinnati chili cheese nachos. “Cincinnachos” are the best of everything for snacking season. Cincinnati Style Chili, tortilla chips, kidney beans, cheddar cheese, raw onions and jalapenos.

Chocolate Coffee Paletas: Mocha Pudding Pops

Looking to kick start a hot summer day? These chocolate and coffee frozen pudding pops are just the ticket.

Postmodern Art Popsicles

What is the nature of art? Can it exist in popsicle form? Is it still art after the popsicle has been eaten? How does the process of melting affect the piece? These are some of the questions that I pondered while creating, and then ingesting this popsicle. made it from diamond shaped sprinkles in primary colors and Sno-Caps candies.

Marinated Baby Artichokes: Italian Style with Lemon and Herbs

Recipe for boiled baby artichokes in an easy citrus marinade.

Fennel, Blue Cheese & Spanish Cured Meats Mini Pizzas

Mini pizzas made with a herb and cheese crust and a combination of both hot and cold classic Italian toppings.

Northern Style Southern Biscuits

Until recently, the only biscuits I ever made at home came from a Pop n’ Fresh can, so when friends from overseas asked me for a real American biscuit recipe, I scoured every book I could find, starting with the biscuit tome Southern Biscuits by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart, and ending with Alton Brown’s always insightful analysis in I’m Just Here for More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking.

Snacks, Appetizers & Small Bites