Then again, It makes sense if you think about it: Arid, desert climates produce similar plants and animals, and these similarities in landscape ecology can lead to similarities in ethnogeography, agriculture and, naturally, cuisines.
You can explore these ideas further at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York Street, at 7 p.m. tonight when writer, lecturer and conservation scientist Gary Paul Nabhan kicks off the Gardens' new lecture series, Feast in the Garden: Edible Landscapes and Regional Food Traditions, with his talk titled "Arab/American: Landscape, Culture and Cuisine in Two Great Deserts."
Get to the Gardens early for a Slow Food Denver tasting that starts at 6 p.m.; there will also be tours of the Sacred Earth Garden at 4 and 5:15 p.m.
The lecture is $20 for members, $25 for non-members, and the Sacred Earth Garden tours are an additional $5, with separate registration required. Read Susan Froyd's Night & Day piece on the event here; visit www.botanicgardens.org or call 720-865-3580 for more information.
For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit our online Food & Drink listings.