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Chocolate Miracles and Other Sweet Temptations in TucsonBy Madelyn Miller
On a recent trip to Tucson, I stopped into the Tucson Art Museum. There was only time to dash into the gift shop where I saw some wonderful jewelry and was drooling over it (I like jewelry almost as much as chocolate). I read the bio and discovered the artist; Donna Nordin was also a chef. A chocolate chef. I read that she had been chosen a James Beard chef and her chocolate mousse pie had been on the cover of Bon Appetit. Wow, I thought to myself, I would really like to meet her. Three hours later, I was in her home eating dinner, having the famous chocolate pie for a most memorable dessert. How did this chocolate miracle happen? Well, Donna is part of the first family of food in Tucson. Her husband Don Luria is surely the Don of the foodies in town. He is on the board of everything and in fact, started many of the boards. Don and Donna own a popular restaurant, Terra Cotta, that was temporarily closed because of a fire. So they invited the group of travel journalists I was traveling with into their home for dinner. It was one of those lucky moments when I knew that travel and food writing is the perfect career for me. More Chocolate Mousse and a Taste of the Dessert
This is the most educational restaurant I ever ate at. Many people are familiar with the sweet, red fruits of the saguaro or prickly pear-- but have you tasted the carob-like flavor of a ripe mesquite pod, put a zing in your mouth by biting into the “mother of chiles” (chiltepin) or held the “drugstore of the desert” (creosote) in your hands and inhaled its distinctive aroma? Take a class in the Taste of the Desert at Tohono Chul Park (3 hours for $30). To sign up call 520-742-6455 ext 228 or jofallas@tohonochulpark.org Eat Your Chocolate and Learn How To Make More, TooOne of the most wonderful cooking classes I have ever experienced is at Westward Look Resort. Chef Chris Pedersen takes so much pride in his organic Chef's Garden, that he starts the class there. After a garden walk followed by a three-course class, you get to taste the wonderful flavors of the garden and take home the recipes.
Chef Pedersen introduced his pastry chef Rohan Wirasina and my class learned to make the Tres Leche Chocolate Torte with Guajillo Chili Hibiscus Chocolate Filling.
Honestly, I know I will never make this dessert at home. I do not grow hibiscus. I do not have any guajillo chili. But I will come back to Tucson just to eat more of Chef Chris Pedersen's wonderful food and Rohan's chocolate wonders Westward Look Resort Chocolate InspirationAs I write this article, I am nibbling on Jonathan’s Tucson Cork. Kind of like a chunky, fat Heath Bar, only much much better. One of them gives you a full day’s sugar high. Jonathan’s A crepe with chocolate anglais sauce? This is just one good reason to visit Livorno. I will let you discover the many others. There are five other savory crepes on the menu which offers a little touch of France and Italy. Livorno I will travel almost anywhere for chocolate. But I can hardly wait to get back to Tucson.
Gary was chosen for this
assignment because of his great respect and understanding for chocolate. He
even has a chocolate camera. Another nice thing about Gary is that he
shares. Here is his source for chocolate cameras. Should
you want details about my camera, I got it at Bissinger’s French
Confections, at their EMAIL anytime at orders@bissingers.com
or TEL 1-800-325-8881 Monday through Saturday from
8:30am to 5:00pm CST. For more information on Tucson: Great Guidebooks: The Insiders' Guide to Tucson WHERE TO STAY Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa WHERE TO EAT Gold Room Pastiche Modern Eatery Livorno BEST SHOPPING EXPERIENCES 2. How Sweet It Was 3. Old Town Artisans Galleries & La Cocina 4. Gift shops at Tohono Chul Park |
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TM
I
have chocolate karma. (Sorry, that is not a dessert. It is not for sale)
Chocolate things just seem to come to me, and chocolate experiences call to
me. 
The small little restaurant in Tohono Chul Park is
really mostly known to residents. Tohono Chul—translated as “desert corner”
in the language of the Tohono O'odhAM—was founded in 1985 to protect a piece
of the desert in the midst of a rapidly developing urban area, and serve as
a model for visitors of all ages to learn to be participant stewards of this
fragile environment.
Their restaurant serves a dual purpose—to raise money
for this worthy cause and to make sure that you come back frequently, if
only to get a bite of the chocolate mousse pie. Other must-try items are the
prickly pear lemonade (and if you take a tour you will learn why it is good
for your cholesterol) and the terrific salads. 
IMAGES COMPLIMENTS OF Gary Cralle