Month: March 2022

Tucson Taco Madness: fish food fight
Culture, Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: fish food fight

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Making a fish or shrimp taco sounds like a simple task, right? You grab a tortilla, pack it with fish, pour some “powers” (veggie toppings and salsas) on it and you’re good to go. Well, actually … no. No, I tell you, no. What is known as a fish taco or a shrimp taco, isn’t made willy nilly with any kind of fish or shrimp. Nor with random powers and any kind of tortilla. It is not a simple taco. It is one of the most layered, colorful and loudest tacos. Jazz music is just random sounds and noises, struggling to find a flow and rhythm without structure to the unfamiliar ear. When in fact, it’s a beautiful collection of melodies within a structure. And that from time to time, it steps out of that structure in search of more adventurous soun...
Tucson Taco Madness: A fiery battle of taco powerhouses
Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: A fiery battle of taco powerhouses

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Mexico City is the Washington, D.C., of Mexico. It is also a standalone district outside of the other states, and it’s the capital of the country.  Perhaps equally important, it is arguably the home of the best al pastor tacos.  It is a taco rooted in history and cultural heritage. Its original conception was introduced by Lebanese immigrants who arrived in Mexico. It was a remix of a homeland dish — with the traditional anatomy substituted with ingredients found in the region. Pita bread was switched for a corn tortilla and lamb for pork. The meat was seasoned with chiles and spices from the region, and voila … the al pastor taco, as we know it today, was born. An al pastor taco is made with cuts of layered and seasoned pork m...
Pima College hosts NJCAA soccer tournament
News, Pima News, Sports

Pima College hosts NJCAA soccer tournament

By NATE MARTINEZPima Post Pima Community College Athletic Director Jim Monaco, Chancellor Lee Lambert and VisitTucson Sports Sales Manager Nick Pazzi recently announced that they have partnered with the NJCAA to bring the Division-II junior college soccer tournament to the Kino North complex. “We are so pleased to announce that we have become the host site for the NJCAA Division II men’s and women’s soccer championship, the week of Nov. 12-19 of this year,” Lambert said. “This is a tremendous achievement for Pima Community College and the city of Tucson.  “Additionally, I’d like to say this would not have happened without the tremendous soccer community here in Tucson and the success we’re having with athletics in general and soccer specifically.” The move to bring the to...
Tucson Taco Madness: The battle between goats and porks
Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: The battle between goats and porks

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post The state of Jalisco has given the world tequila and mariachi, but equally as artful of a cultural contribution — is birria. Birria has a rustic origin, has a rich tradition and is known for its versatility.  You can enjoy it as a broth with a birria taco on the side. As a taco with broth on the side for dipping … or as a straight up taco. People eat birria for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And with beers, the day after some beers or in family gatherings. Nearby states of Jalisco are known to have mastered the craft of making birria, but one of them is the state known for their carnitas. Michoacan gave birth to this beautiful incarnation of pork — it is tender on the inside and crisped to golden perfection on the outside.  Car...
Track athletes given the runaround
News, Pima News, Sports

Track athletes given the runaround

Story and photos by LANISSA PATTERSON While the Pima Community College track team finished competing in the NJCAA Indoor National Championship March 4 and 5, it has been two years since the Pima Community College West Campus track was closed to the general public.  The track’s surface is blemished with cracks, some of which span over three lanes. There are mounds where the track does not lie flat. Walking on the track is comparable to walking on bricks. In addition, the West side of the track is torn and unusable. PCC West Athletic Director Jim Monaco is well aware of the condition of the track, calling it “very dangerous.” While the final cost of the installation is still being assessed, Monaco states the lowest estimates start at $200,000. Despite the obvious risks of...
Let’s put the worst behind us, and prepare for whatever comes next on COVID-19
Opinion

Let’s put the worst behind us, and prepare for whatever comes next on COVID-19

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. (CDC) By Diane E. BrownArizona PIRG Education Fund With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rapidly declining, we’ve got a real shot at putting the worst of this pandemic behind us, but only if more people get vaccinated.   Health experts agree, this virus isn’t done with us yet. It will continue to spread and mutate, and there’s no guarantee that the next variant won’t be more deadly. Vaccination continues to be the best tool we have to protect ourselves, our community, and to get back to seeing friends and family safely. If you’re young and healthy, the odds that you’ll get severely sick or even die from COVID-19 are low, but ...
Tucson Taco Madness: A grilling duel in the Sonoran desert
Food, Opinion, Reviews

Tucson Taco Madness: A grilling duel in the Sonoran desert

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Carne asada is not just another menu item in the Mexican state of Sonora. It is a tradition and a symbol of cultural pride. Sonora is mainly a livestock farming and agricultural state. It's a state known for its top-quality beef — and consequently — its carne asada. People have their grilling technique and taco construction philosophy that's passed from generation to generation or friendship to friendship. Although, two cardinal rules are followed by every Sonoran and perfected by some to become oracle-level “taqueros.” The meat (diezmillo or arrachera) should only be salted and not marinated. Marinating is frowned upon and is the mark of a lack of carne asada expertise.Carne asada tacos are to be made with flour tortillas, full stop. ...
A strawberry that’s not as good as it looks
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

A strawberry that’s not as good as it looks

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post “Strawberry Mansion”Directed by: Kentucker Audley and Albert BirneyRating: RRun time: 1 hour, 31 minutes “Strawberry Mansion” is a sci-fi romantic comedy set in 2035. It’s a future where our dreams are taxed and recorded on iPad-like devices hooked to beds. The movie isn’t as dystopian as it seems, though. It is a hazy and whimsical story about a tax auditor that is tasked with going over the dreams of an eccentric older woman for dream auditing. Upon finding out that she didn’t switch over to the new technology, and all her dreams are in VHS tapes, our protagonist has to stay longer than he anticipated to complete the job.  Of course, hijinks and a time-traveling romance ensue. When I saw the trailer, I was excited to see this movi...
Results: NJCAA indoor track finals— Gardner a champion
News, Pima News, Sports

Results: NJCAA indoor track finals— Gardner a champion

By LANISSA PATTERSONPima Post The Pima Track and Field competed March 4 and 5 in Pittsburgh, Kansas, for the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. "Coming home with a national champion and 80 percent of our teams being All-Americans was awesome."Chad Harrison, Pima Coach According to the Aztec Athletics website, the men's team placed 14th overall and earned 17 points at the indoor championships. Sophomore Reece Gardner took home the NJCAA National title in the Heptathlon and earned All-American status. Gardner also set a new Pima pole vaulting record with a mark of 15 feet 5 inches. Freshman Joel Gardner received NJCAA All American honors by placing eighth in the 5,000-meter race, with a time of 14 minutes, 43.36 seconds. In the female division, the women’s tr...
Pima club to help homeless— and you can, too
Culture, Events, News, Pima News

Pima club to help homeless— and you can, too

By EMILY GASTELUMPima Post Volunteers are needed as Pima Honors Club is hosting RISE 2022 March 17 and 18 to help the homeless. The Honors Club is looking for volunteers to make care packages as well as to be a community resource and to provide food for the needy.  The club will host a meeting from 3 to 4 p.m. March 15 to discuss the planning of future meetings for RISE. Those who are interested can check out the Pima Engage link to join via Zoom. Volunteers can report at noon until 3 p.m. March 17 at the Amethyst Room in Downtown Campus for the set-up of the event, which will include making the care packages. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18, help is needed in distributing the packages. These care packages will include backpacks, masks, toothbrushes, menstrual products, non-...