Events
Events and tours from outside organizations.
“A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary Heritage” with Carolyn Niethammer
Join us for the monthly Borderlands Literature and Film Circle (BLFC) on Zoom. This is a free online event, $10 suggested donation.
Carolyn Neithammer is a celebrated Tucson-based author who has spent decades documenting the intersection of food, culture, and nature in the Southwest. Her work is deeply rooted in the Sonoran Desert, earning her a reputation as a leading voice in regional culinary history.
In A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary Heritage, Niethammer takes readers on a 4,000 year journey through the Santa Cruz Valley, exploring why Tucson became the first U.S. city to be designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. This award-winning book is a vibrant “food pilgrimage” that traces the lineage of desert agriculture, from the early irrigation canals of the Hohokam and the ancient cultivation of maize to the transofrmative arrival of Spanish missionaries and the rugged traditions of ranch-style cowboy cooking.
More than just a history book, it is a celebration of the people who keep these traditions alive today. Through rich storytelling and over 100 photographs, Niethammer introduces the local farmers, indigenous growers, and innovative chefs who utilize heritage ingredients like prickly pear, mesquite, and tepary beans. It is an essential guide for anyone looking to understand the deep, multicultural roots that make the borderlands’ food scene truly unique.
