Tucson Lifestyle’s Home & Garden Magazine asked me to develop and photograph recipes featuring corn, beans and squash (AKA The Three Sisters), which are companion plants and staples of Sonoran cuisine.
You can check out the full article online starting on page 30: http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=321779

The recipes featured are: Three Sisters Pizza with Corn Masa Crust, Grain Bowl with Tepary Beans, Mexican Green Rice, Zoodles and a Fried Egg, Sweet Corn Paletas with Pico de Gallo Seasoning

I’m happy to have written and photographed my first feature article for Edible Baja Arizona Magazine that includes a bunch of my super easy summer recipes inspired by Sonoran food classics, including these baked Carne Asada Tostadas with guacamole and pickled red onions. Here’s the link:   http://ediblebajaarizona.com/sonoran-101

It’s getting hot out there folks! Get my super easy summertime frozen fruit recipes  and see my latest food photographs for Refinery29, including the World’s Easiest One Ingredient Frozen Watermelon Pops. This recipe is also featured on Good Morning America’s website as part of their Take Back the Beach segment.

My latest article for Food Network was sponsored by the folks at Lipton Tea, who asked me to come up with some new ways to flavor ice tea. Bold flavors and unique flavor combinations are the new wave of iced teas creations this summer. Here’s how to dress up pitchers of plain tea with a myriad of fresh add-ins like sweet berries, fragrant herbs, tart citrus and more including cocktails, shrubs and sweet tea options.

Learn how to eat a cactus. Kathy Gunst was on NPR‘s Here & Now on May 19th talking about prickly pear cactus and my recipe for Nopalitos Salad. Listen to the broadcast on the Here & Now website, and get the recipe.

 Several of my photographs are included in, “Great American Eating Experiences: Local Specialties, Favorite Restaurants, Food Festivals, Diners, Roadside Stands, and More is a guide to favorite local food across the U.S.”, a new book from National Geographic.  The images are also featured in an online regional guide dishes at NatGeo.com. 

Above, is a photo of fry sauce, and below is gooey butter cake. 

I talked with the fine folks at Natural Awakenings Magazine about food photography, creativity in the kitchen, and healthy eating – Sonoran style. Read all about it here: http://www.naturaltucson.com/TUCS/March-2016/Jackies-Happy-Plate

My cookbook, Sprinkles!: Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts has been translated to French!

The awesome new French title is, “Desserts multicolores – Recettes et idées pour des desserts colorés et délicieux” (Yeah, I know the photo above is a little too blurry to read.)

Get your copy in French today.

Here’s the synopsis, in French, obviously.

Voici un guide pour cuisiner de délicieux desserts multicolores avec des nonpareilles (petites perles de sucre). Vous pouvez évidemment les parsemer sur des gâteaux et des tartes, mais saviez-vous que vous pouvez les incorporer aux gaufres, les «broder» sur des biscuits et les congeler en délicieux bâtonnets glacés ? Vous trouverez dans ce livre des dizaines de recettes créatives, colorées et super amusantes, en plus de projets rapides et faciles à réaliser (idéal pour les jeunes enfants), et des cadeaux comestibles parfaitement festifs. Apprenez comment colorer votre propre sucre scintillant, mélanger des nonpareilles pour givrer les cocktails, et même faire vos propres nonpareilles maison. “Desserts multicolores” offre des recettes étape par étape pour rendre le monde plus doux et plus scintillant. Vous découvrirez des sections telles que : Vous aurez aussi accès à un guide d’identification des nonpareilles (pour connaître la différence entre les confettis et les perles), des recettes de nonpareilles maison et des trucs et conseils pour décorer comme un pro.

Nothing says, “It’s party time” like beverages with fancy looking decorated rims! Dip, dunk and swirl your way to a festive holiday celebration with my 10 ideas for decking out your glassware for the holidays.  The melting hard candy drink rim pictured uses the same technique as candy apples. It pairs well with whisky, bourbon or tequila cocktails. You can see more of my ideas and photographs at FoodNetwork.com.

A salty, spicy spice blend made with Vegetarian bacon bits line the rims of a Bloody Mary.

Toasted Marshmallow fluff rimming a mug of hot chocolate and topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Refinery29 asked me to develop and photograph 10 recipes for comfort foods made with just two ingredients. Pictured above are crispy little appetizers made with only Parmesan cheese and pepperoni. You can see the rest here.

My two-ingredient beer and cheddar dip for quick and easy snacking. Serve it with pretzels.

The only ingredients you need to make pancakes.

My marvelous microwave mug meals in mere minutes. For Refinery29. Pictured above is my photo of a bacon cheeseburger made in a mug in less than 5 minutes! It’s a miracle!

Easy microwave chicken pot pie you can make in a mug in minutes.

black pasta carbonara with exotic beech mushrooms.

To help us carbo-load for the long trek through the neighborhood every Halloween, my mother would prepare her standard pre-trick-or-treating meal of Kraft’s boxed spaghetti dinner. We loved it.

These days, I’ve upgraded the tradition with a homemade pasta recipe. This spaghetti carbonara recipe is almost as easy to throw together as a boxed mix. And while the black pasta is much spookier looking, it’s still elegant enough to serve at a Halloween-themed adult dinner party.

Get the recipe at Random House’s Tastebook Blog.

black on black food photography of a stack of black bean pasta.

Exotic beech mushrooms

This non-alcoholic version of sangria incorporates grilled fruit for a smoky/spicy summer quencher. The contrast of the grill marks on the colorful fruit make for a stunning visual display, so be sure to serve this in a large glass pitchers or several smaller glass carafes. 

Get My Recipe at Random House’s Tastebook: Sparkling Nongria with Grilled Fruit

Sprinkles elevate an everyday dessert like this simple chocolate mousse into something special. Glittery red cinnamon sugar and vanilla mini marshmallow bits add a kick of flavor, while the subtle color of these pretty blue jimmies comes from natural dyes. So sprinkle without abandon and make even everyday celebrations sparkle like it’s the 4th of July.

Get My Recipe at FoodNetwork.com

Store bought pound-cake was a weeknight dessert staple when I was growing up, and it’s still got a strong presence in the grocery store’s freezer section. What I like best about it is that it’s sturdy, but not too sweet, making it a good base for creative elaboration. I came up with 10 ways to fancy-up store bought pound cake for my latest FoodNetwork.com article. I ate a couple of slices plain along the way, for old time’s sake. 

S’more multiple, manageable microwave mug meals in mere minutes!

Mug Desserts 

Mug Breakfasts 

Boozy Doughnuts & Coffee Chocolate Bread Pudding
It’s breakfast for dessert — or maybe it’s booze for breakfast. You decide.

Are you standing in the middle of a convent store in the middle of the night, or are you perhaps gazing at the leftover remnants of a box of Krispy Creams from your latest work-related breakfast meeting and wondering to yourself, “What else can I do with these donuts other than just stuff them into my gaping pie-hole?”  Well, I came up with three super easy ideas for you. Take those donuts home and get cooking. Get the recipes At Refinery29.

“The most creative and inventive snacks are the result of mastering the art of improv” – me quoting me! Read the article I wrote for The Kitchn. The improv snack pictured is a bagel sundae topped with hot fudge, caramel sauce, popcorn, Raisinettes, whipped cream, cherries and of course sprinkles. There are also links to two original recipes I developed for The Kitchn’s Snack Week.

I am thrilled to be a part of First Lady Michelle Obama‘s ‪#‎GimmeFive‬ challenge to explore healthy living and lifestyle choices. Refinery29 asked me to create 5 easy avocado recipes with 5 ingredients each. Here they are: http://www.refinery29.com/easy-avocado-recipes

Celebrate Spring with one of my creative pizza ideas, or use them as inspiration for your own unique pie. Read more at the FoodNetwork.com. The pizza above is a chocolate and blueberry breakfast or dessert pizza with lemon mascarpone, sage and edible flowers.

Below is a slice of seafood pizza with fresh peas and basil:

This one is goat cheese, roasted corn, heirloom cherry tomatoes, parsley and chives.

There’s a Peeps extravaganza going on over at the Food Network just in time for Easter. I came up with 8 party ready ideas featuring everyone’s favorite sugar coated marshmallow candy.  The Peeps Bunny King cake is shown above.

Below are the Peeps brownie bottomed terrariums:

Eventually these Peeps will become Peeps infused Vodka. Click on the photos to learn more.

Listen to me talk about food photography and my cookbook, Sprinkles! Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts on NPR! I also make this Lucky Charms Cake on-air to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s the link to the audio and the recipe.

Listen to me talk about food photography and my cookbook, Sprinkles! Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts on NPR! I also make this Lucky Charms Cake on-air to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s the link to the audio and the recipe.

How to make candy strawberries out of Red Hots, and 10 other treats to make with the cinnamon candy for Valentine’s Day, or any time you’re in the mood to spice things up a bit. My latest article and food photography for the Food Network.

How to make candy strawberries out of Red Hots, and 10 other treats to make with the cinnamon candy for Valentine’s Day, or any time you’re in the mood to spice things up a bit. My latest article and food photography for the Food Network.