Cooking with Carl
Recipes, shortcuts, and the occasional desert miracle — honest notes from my kitchen, heavy on tall tales and light on measuring cups.
For road-trip food stories, see Travel and Food.
Carl's Home Cookin'
Fictional favorites from the arroyo edge — prickly pears, mesquite, and whatever the roadrunner ignored. Not for actual foraging; this is the fun kind of cookbook.
- Ironwood-Smoked Date & Pecan Cowboy CookiesJuly 1, 2025
- Yucca Blossom Trail Fritters (Dust-Devil Dusting Optional)June 8, 2025
- Agave-Lime Canyon Cooler GranitaMay 20, 2025
- Cholla-Bud & Tepary Bean Honesty SkilletApril 12, 2025
- Prickly-Pear Sunrise Flapjacks with Mesquite WhisperMarch 3, 2025
Inspired by Adventure
Carl chases a flavor he ate on the road, then reassembles it at home with pantry science and desert substitutions. Read the trip, cook the homage.
- Mission Breakfast Tacos (After the NASA Dome Stand)January 15, 2026
- Mesa Paloma Skirt Steak After the Tequila TrailJanuary 12, 2026
- Canyon Horiatiki — Greek Islands via the ArroyoDecember 18, 2025
- Dust-Devil Okonomiyaki (Bullet Train to Osaka, Sort Of)December 1, 2025
- Bangkok Coconut Sundae with Mesquite Palm-CaramelNovember 14, 2025
- Dune Chicken Tagine After the Marrakech SouksOctober 28, 2025
- Tepary Street Bowl — Mexico City Safari HomageOctober 12, 2025
- Prickly Shrub Hand Pies — Amalfi Lemons, Desert EditionSeptember 25, 2025
- Skillet Pizza with Mesquite Char — Naples in a Frying PanSeptember 8, 2025
- Arroyo Semifreddo — Roman Gelato, Prickly ImpostorAugust 22, 2025
Recipe from the Readers
Neighbors send index cards, Carl ties an apron. Names you’ve seen in the Desert Gazette — ratings are sincere; smoke alarms are not included.
- Ms. Ibis’s Bookmobile Cheddar StrawsFebruary 10, 2026
- Ms. Terrance Tarantula’s Welcome-Wagon Tamale PieFebruary 3, 2026
- Head Librarian Shrew’s “Renewal” Banana BreadJanuary 28, 2026
- Band Director Quail’s Booster Lemon BarsJanuary 20, 2026
- Chairwoman Porcupine’s Patchwork LasagnaJanuary 12, 2026
- Stevie Scorpion’s Sort-Route Morning MuffinsJanuary 5, 2026
- Rita Roadrunner’s Depot Pozole (Crown Optional)December 20, 2025
- Mayor Tortoise’s Pergola Pot RoastDecember 8, 2025