I have been self-employed one year as of today. Woot woot! May 1, 2015 kicked off what my therapist called “May Play,” a whole month devoted to all play and no work. April 30th was my last day at the “day job” and I was planning to pursue some form of self-employment (though what I would
I don’t know what got into me! Well, I take that back. I published a ton of Mexican-ish recipes over the past two weeks because I adore the culture and cuisine of our neighbors to the south. Despite the fact that Cinco de Mayo isn’t a huge deal in Mexico (no, it’s not their Independence
I have spent the past few days retracing the steps that led to making March 23, 2015 the day I stepped out of addiction and into recovery. There had been plenty of mornings prior, filled with regret, swearing, “I’ll never drink again.” But, those momentary secret declarations preceded predictable backsliding, where I’d find myself stashing yet
Looking for food photography classes? The first place I announce them is via e-mail to my food photography subscriber list. Get on the LIST and stay tuned for upcoming dates. My Photo Story I didn’t plan to be a photographer, despite receiving a BFA in Art History. I thought I needed a “real” job. I
Devoured Phoenix is, in my opinion, the premiere culinary event in Arizona. What sets it apart from the multitude of other culinary opportunities? Maybe it’s the modern setting within the Phoenix Art Museum that makes it extra special, or the talented folks from Local First Arizona who are behind it. What I do know, this event fuels
The folks from Hickman’s Eggs challenged a bunch of local chefs to create the best Game Day Deviled Egg. I had tacos on the brain when I made this recipe, and for some reason it makes me think of Texas. So, consider these my tribute to the Dallas Cowboys, though my allegiance is to the
The last few years we have cooked two birds in our house for Thanksgiving. I do a traditional roast turkey in the oven and Ryan goes with spatchcocked in his smoker. The problem has been that we both believe in the power of brining and I go berserk with sides, so fridge space becomes a major
This recipe is epic and you have to try it. It’s sponsored by Traina Foods, but that doesn’t mean I’m lying when I say I love their ketchup. I’ve written about it before, so I’ll spare you the gush-fest, but do take note that this ketchup is more like tomato paste. Do not sub in
This weekend I shared my story in front of a live audience at the AZ Central Food & Wine Experience and the Arizona Storytellers Project session. Other storytellers included AZ Central Food Critic, Dominic Armato, owner and rum expert, Dwayne Allen, editor, Robert Leger, and St. Francis Chef and owner, Aaron Chamberlin. We did experience
We officially have a Halloween tradition in the Simon house. For three years now, I’ve made a big pot of spaghetti with meat sauce (Bolognese if we’re bein’ fancy) and opened up the doors to friends and family before Trick-or-Treating. After a third round of rave reviews and inquiries for a recipe, I spent today
This recipe serves as the kick-off to my videos on YouTube! Get the story behind the dish and watch the play by play! The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post. *Original Recipe by Joanie Simon (joaniesimon.com)
I have made some version of these tarts a bazillion times in the past month. For the Test Kitchen, they were served a la mode. At the Cheese 101 Class they had cheddar in the crust. On Sonoran Living, they were drizzled with caramel. After that many renditions, I can confidently say, we’ve got a
