Photo Shoots: Fletcher & Co
TG Eats: Roasted Squash with Agave Pantry
“I recall truly enjoying delicious food since my childhood. I would eat with my eyes, savoring the beautifully presented food before biting into it. My father owned a catering company briefly and his hors d’oeuvres were fabulous; I marveled at how the tiniest of morsels held so much flavor, texture, and beauty!
Fast forward to my time in college: I opted to live in a co-op house where we all participated in buying our groceries, preparing meals from scratch, cooking mindfully, shopping locally, and sharing a common love for food, community, and nourishment. Walking through the door late at night, fresh roasted maple spiced nuts would waft through the house; early mornings were greeted with blueberry muffins lined up in a row. It was divine and the beginning of my appreciation for food, desserts, exquisite ingredients, the handmade and the notion that it needn’t be a rarity. One could, in fact, indulge more often and make time to nourish oneself and others.”
“After biting into the saffron and cardamom rose amaretti, I immediately sat back in my chair and savored the beautiful flavors as I chewed. They were rich, yet subtle and exotic. Have small cookies ever put you in such a state where you have not a care in the world? Well, these did; and Shazieh Gorji is, pardon my language, a fucking genius.
Shazieh is the sole owner behind the Tucson-based cottage industry brand- Agave Pantry. I had recently heard of the brand on social media, but then had the pleasure of meeting her during this past Cultivate Tucson market. Earlier in June, we met up and she shared some insights into her world of small batch and handcrafted pastries, infused salts, spirit pots, and an AirBnB.”
"My drive is a revolving door that circulates and feeds others and in turn, itself. I get juiced experimenting and trying new flavor profiles. I taste, taste, taste and love the process of blending spices and herbs until the right balance is struck. The process itself fuels my drive and keeps it exciting."