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Arizona is known as The Grand Canyon State. As I was driving down an Arizona highway I noticed cactus everywhere, and learned that one of them was called a prickly pear cactus. It’s leaves are shaped like the child’s toy, the paddle-and-ball,or the tail of a beaver, and their blossoms / fruit are in various colors like yellow, purple or red.The prickly pear cactus is edible and there are many uses for it in recipes like jams, jellies, candies, wine, chopped up in a salad or fried. There are many tasty items in Arizona that are made from the prickly pear cactus, like Prickly Pear Salsa and Prickly Pear Nectar Steak Sauce.

If you’ve never used the fruit of the prickly pear cactus in a recipe, it is important to note that it needs to be thoroughly peeled to remove the hairlike spines before eating. According to Wikipedia, “If the outer layer is not properly removed,glochids,(hairlike spines),can be ingested which can cause discomfort of the lips, throat and tongue because the small spines easily lodge in the skin.” The fruit of the prickly pear cactus has many seeds inside, but seedless ones are now available in markets that carry edible cactus.

Another Arizona sauce is the Roasted Pineapple Chipotle Sauce. The roasted pineapple part is pretty self-explanatory, but not everyone knows what chipotle is. This should clear that up for you. The simple explanation is that it’s a jalapeno pepper. However, not all jalapenos are created equal. The peppers start out green and as they near the end of the growing season, they turn red. But wait, they are not ready for a chipotle recipe yet. They turn a deep red color and lose most of their moisture, then the jalapenos are dried even more, either in a smoker, or gas dryer until they resemble dried prunes. Now they are ready to be used in a chipotle recipe. Cipotle can also be found in powder form. When added to the roasted pineapple sauce, it generally has a mild jalapeno pepper flavor that is slightly smoky and delicious.

Arizona red limes look more like a reddish-orange tangerine than a lime, but have an unmistakeable tart flavor of a lime. They are delicious when used to make Arizona’s Red Lime Marmalade. A spoonful on freshly baked bread or rolls gives you a tangy taste sensation.

Have you been to an olive bar lately ? Or ever ? I never knew there were so many different kinds of olives available : Gaeta, Kalamata, Liguria, Lugano,Manzanilla, Nicoise,Picholine, Ponentine and Sevillano to name a few. Arizona offers Habanero Stuffed Olives, Garlic Stuffed Olives and more. Some people like to stuff the olives with nuts to add a little extra crunch.

Arizona’s Cardinals were in the 2009 Super Bowl and nearly pulled out a win. When you’re having a tailgate party, show your support for the team by wearing your team apron, whether it’s the Cardinals, AZ State, Diamondbacks, AZ University or Sun Devils. Slather some Arizona Hot Honey Mustard on your hot dogs and hamburgers and have a bowl of Smokin Hot Pistachios nearby. Let the party begin!