Be on the lookout for artisanal pop-tarts, small-batch pasta sauce and Arizona ghee.
by Marilyn Hawkes | Photography by Angelina Aragon
Arizona Ghee
After Ashish Iyer moved to the United States in 2013 from India to attend graduate school, he longed for his mom’s cooking – especially dishes she prepared with homemade ghee, a type of clarified butter used in Indian cuisine. Iyer tried commercial brands, but nothing stacked up. On a trip home several years ago, his mother taught him the art of making ghee. He nailed the formula and now makes and sells ghee (8 oz., $19; 16 oz., $35; 32 oz., $66) at Valley farmers markets. The secret to good ghee is using quality butter sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows, but technique is also important, he says. “You have to cook over a low flame with constant stirring, looking for when it starts to caramelize. If you’re late by a few seconds, you’ll burn the butter.” Iyer, who is a software engineer, says his international customers are grateful for his authentic ghee, many saying it reminds them of their childhood. “That’s very rewarding.”
Art of Ghee
@theartofghee
Small-Batch Pasta Sauce
After spending many years as a stay-at-home mom of seven kids (including PHOENIX magazine Top Dentist Isaac LaVant), Letitia LaVant took a couple of part-time catering and kitchen jobs to help contribute to her household’s finances. In 2012, fueled by her love of cooking, LaVant partnered with her mom and launched a pair of tomato-forward pasta sauces: Mamma Letizia’s Spicy Italian Marinara Gravy and Thick, Rich & Garlicky Pizzaiole Gravy ($10 for one; $18 for two; $48 for six). “The sauces are just so special because they’re my mom’s recipes and they’re authentic,” she says. “They have a fresh, homemade taste, just the way we make them on our stove at home.” Both sauces are gluten-free and vegan, and have no added sugar or artificial ingredients. In season, Mamma Letizia’s is available at Uptown and Arrowhead farmers markets, and all year at AJ’s Fine Foods, Natural Grocers and other Valley locations.
Mamma Letizia’s
mammaletizia.com
Artisanal Pop-Tarts
Pastry chef Jasmin Smith worked in multiple Valley kitchens – Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows, El Chorro and Chateau Luxe – before striking out on her own about six years ago, baking pastries in her apartment. In February 2025, she opened a Phoenix brick-and-mortar bakery called Süss Pastries, where she whips up cinnamon rolls, muffins, dessert bars, cookies and bressane (a brioche roll and Danish hybrid). All are great, but fruit pockets ($6.20 each) are her signature. Smith’s Pop-Tart-like pastry pockets are flaky and filled with delicious mash-ups of fruit and savory goodies. Her current line includes raspberry-prickly pear, blueberry-lime, strawberry-hibiscus and date-brown sugar, but she incorporates Sonoran flavors wherever possible and makes gluten-free versions. “The pockets hit a nostalgic note with customers,” Smith says. If you stop by the bakery, you might score a specialty pocket (e.g. date, bacon and goat cheese) or her popular bacon and egg iteration during breakfast. Worth the trip.
