Culture

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 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-...
2022 Tucson Taco Tournament
Culture, Food, Opinion, Reviews

2022 Tucson Taco Tournament

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post In 2015, Tucson became the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the United States, a distinction shared by only 36 cities in the world.  Tucson is famous for its unique multicultural food scene, particularly for its rich Mexican cuisine. In the very true and eloquent words of the late Anthony Bourdain: “I should remind you that Mexico is not homogenous. When you say ‘Mexican’ food to a Mexican, you haven’t really said anything at all. There are 32 distinct states, the food changes from region to region.” One universal staple, however, is the taco (seriously, there’s even a Netflix docuseries about it called “Taco Chronicles”). And the taco landscape in Tucson is one of the best in the country. Local chefs who specialize in tacos have app...
Preview: Gem & Jam
Arts & Entertainment, Culture, News

Preview: Gem & Jam

By JOSHUA BAILEY The Tucson 14th annual Gem & Jam show will be premiering Feb. 4 until the 6.  In addition to showcasing (and selling) a wide variety of minerals and gems and interactive art installations, Electronic Dance artists from a large range of backgrounds will be entertaining audiences in attendance at the Pima County Fairgrounds. The sonically diverse festival will feature a wide variety of musical acts ranging from jam, rock, indie, bluegrass, funk and soul bands, to bass, indie-dance, experimental, trip-hop and dubstep DJs.  Headliners will include STS9, Liquid Stranger, Shpongle (Simon Posford Live Set), Claude VonStroke and Lotus, with support from Goldfish, Opiou, Quantic, Rising Appalachia, Sunsquabi, TAUK, Random Rab, Daily Bread and Wreckno....
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with origami
Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with origami

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post The East Campus is hosting an origami folding event to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 1 in the East Campus Makerspace, Room 116. Origami is the art of folding paper into sculptures. It’s one of the oldest art forms, and it has evolved into forms of modern art and is practiced globally. Join and participate in the fun paper-folding projects including money (actual money not provided), zodiac animals, lanterns and Chinese fans.  For questions, email [email protected].
Festival of Books volunteers needed
Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events, Features

Festival of Books volunteers needed

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post Help celebrate literature this Spring at The Tucson Festival of Books on March 12-13 at The University of Arizona campus. Pima Community College is seeking volunteers to provide a Pima presence at its table. Volunteers can share and present information on their subject matter expertise, while partnering with Pima’s external relations staff during the festival. The event will run from  9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day — if you are interested in volunteering, complete this form by Feb. 25. 
Top 9 Mexican food and drinks you must have this fall
Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Features, News, Opinion, Pima News, Reviews

Top 9 Mexican food and drinks you must have this fall

Story and photos taken by CARLOS MIRANDAPima Post It's that time of the year again … the fall/winter season.  That means bring all the food, desserts and drinks our way. This season, these are the nine Mexican/Hispanic food, desserts and drinks you should try/enjoy at least one time. Posole Posole is a soup that has some type of shredded meat, pork or chicken. It also has lots of hominy, which are whole kernels of dried field corn. Sometimes people add pinto beans. Posole is best served with toasted buttered bread or tortilla. And you don't have to, but people like to garnish the soup with lime, cilantro, green onion or regular onion, cabbage, radishes and spicy chili flakes. This dish is best to eat on a nice cold day or even at family gatherings. Buñuelos B...
Dangerous Books series to debut Nov. 9
Culture, Events, Pima News

Dangerous Books series to debut Nov. 9

Photo courtesy Carl-Michael Krawczyk Author Carl-Michael Krawczyk will discuss "Mein Kampf" in the first Dangerous Books series Nov. 9 at West Campus. By ALEX JIMENEZPima Post Something dangerous will be at Pima Community College Nov. 9. A dangerous book, that is. Pima will be hosting the first Dangerous Books event from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Nov. 9 in the West Campus Library classroom.  Dangerous Books is an event meant to highlight popular banned books, books removed from public or school libraries. The first event will cover Adolf Hitler’s autobiography "Mein Kampf." “Each year, libraries across the country spotlight questions of intellectual freedom and censorship with events and displays for Banned Books Week,” stated the Dangerous Books announcement. “Many p...
Loft Film Fest returns with Oscar hopefuls
Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events

Loft Film Fest returns with Oscar hopefuls

By JAVIER DOSAMANTESPima Post After an “intermission” in 2020, The Loft Film Fest will be back in full force this year. The impressive lineup of national and international movies was collected from the most important festivals in the cinematic realm, including Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival. One heavy-hitter — “Parallel Mothers” — undoubtedly will be contending for Oscars in 2022. "Parallel Mothers" is the highly anticipated film by Oscar-winning Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, and will be opening the festival on Nov. 10. The Loft Cinema’s 11th annual international film festival will run through Nov. 18. Ticket prices and availability vary. This screening will be the Arizona premiere for the film but will be released in U.S. theaters on Dec. 24. Ev...