edible
MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES
NEW MEXICO THE STORY OF LOCAL FOOD, SEASON BY SEASON IN NEW MEXICO
Artisan
ISSUE 60 · LATE WINTER • FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019
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NEW LOCATION: 505 CERRILLOS, SANTA FE AT THE LUNA CENTER
radi sh an dr ye.c o m 5 05 .9 3 0 .5 3 25
photos: doug merriam
FA RM I N SPI RED CUISINE
Seasonal
Sustainable
510 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque 505-243-0130 • farinapizzeria.com
424 Central SE, Albuquerque 505-243-0200 • artichokecafe.com
Organic
10721 Montgomery NE, Albuquerque 505-298-0035 • farinaalto.com
Reservations available at Artichoke Cafe with ARTISAN: FEBRUARY / MARCH DEPARTMENTS 2
GRIST FOR THE MILL By Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook
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CONTRIBUTORS
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LOCAL HEROES 2019 Announcement, Cacao Santa Fe, The Copper Lounge, and Sill Spirits
ON THE COVER 54 EDIBLE COMMUNITY
Making Their Mark, with Love by Nora Hickey
58 TOOLS OF THE TRADE
A Tool of Tradition by Willy Carleton
The New Mores of “Less” by Gabriella Marks
76 SOURCE GUIDE / EAT LOCAL GUIDE
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COOKING FRESH
FEATURES
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BEHIND THE BOTTLE
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FORAGED
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BACK OF HOUSE
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Canaigre by Ellen Zachos Pressing Matters by Candolin Cook
THE PLATE A Los Lunas Café with a Foreign Accent by Joanna Manganaro Toto
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THE STORY OF LOCAL FOOD, SEASON BY SEASON IN NEW MEXICO
80 LAST BITE
AT THE CHEF'S TABLE
Nurturing the Wine Industry by Stephanie Cameron
NEW MEXICO
Handmade Pottery and the Locavore Movement by Jen DePaolo
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A Bowl for Everything by Stephanie Cameron
edible
MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES
62 THE BUTCHER’S ART Restoring a Path from Pasture to Plate by Briana Olson
66 CRAFTED IN STEEL
Shehan Prull's Long Journey Back to Santa Fe by Michael Dax
Artisan
ISSUE 60 · LATE WINTER • FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019
Beans with marigolds in micaceous bowl by Yolanda Rawlings and spoon carved by Kent Young Spoons. Photo by Stephanie Cameron.
70 THE TASTE OF CLAY
Micaceous Pots of Northern New Mexico by Marjory Sweet
WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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GRIST FOR THE MILL PUBLISHERS Bite Size Media, LLC
Historically, the word “artisan” has been reserved for craftspeople dedicated to a high level of quality and artfulness in their work. Over the last decade, however, the term has become so ubiquitous and ill-defined that it has lost almost all meaning. The craze for all things artisan has led to corporations attempting to pass off mass-produced products as craft goods by using “artisanal” in their branding, from Starbucks breakfast sandwiches to Tostitos chips to Weight Watchers frozen pizza. This issue of edible is an attempt to rein in the use of the word before it loses relevance altogether. In these pages, we celebrate an assortment of true artisans—talented, local craftspeople who, through their specialized knowledge, hard work, and artistry, help shape the soul of our food culture. To truly appreciate artisanal food we must first understand the time, thought, and skill that goes into creating it. We visit a local chef who shows us that making a superior tortilla means taking no shortcuts. At a butchery workshop, we learn how utilizing every part of an animal is both more ethical and more delectable. And we discover how chefs in Albuquerque and Santa Fe are redefining the art and flavor of vegan and gluten-free baking, one beautiful pastry at a time. The ideals of slow food do not stop at food. When we consider the benefits of slow food, we often consider how using local ingredients helps support a local land-based ethic, helps promote a strong and vibrant local economy and community, and helps enrich our lives with unique, and at times sublime, levels of quality in our meals. Yet perhaps less often do we consider the apparatuses around our food. As the stories in this issue make clear, ordinary kitchenware, ranging from the pots and knives we cook with to the plates we eat from and even the washcloths we clean with, can all similarly add value to our meals, communities, and landscape. We hope these stories demonstrate that the artisan economy in our state is robust, diverse, and plays an integral part in creating our local food culture and sense of place.
Stephanie and Walt Cameron
EDITORS Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook
COPY EDITORS Margaret Marti and Briana Olson
DESIGN AND LAYOUT Stephanie Cameron
PHOTO EDITOR Stephanie Cameron
EVENT COORDINATORS Natalie Donnelly and Gina Riccobono
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Joshua Hinte
VIDEO PRODUCER Walt Cameron
SALES AND MARKETING Kate Collins, Melinda Esquibel, and Gina Riccobono
CONTACT US Mailing Address: 3301-R Coors Boulevard NW #152 Albuquerque, NM 87120 info@ediblenm.com www.ediblenm.com Phone: 505-375-1329
SUBSCRIBE ∙ BUY AN AD ∙ LETTERS 505-375-1329 WWW.EDIBLENM.COM We welcome your letters. Write to us at the
Willy Carleton and Candolin Cook, Editors
address above, or email us at INFO@EDIBLENM.COM Bite Size Media, LLC publishes edible New Mexico six times a year. We distribute throughout New Mexico and nationally by subscription. Subscriptions are $32 annually. Printed at Courier Graphics Corporation Phoenix, Arizona No part of this publication may be used with-
Winner of James Beard Foundation Award 2011 Publication of the Year
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out the written permission of the publisher. © 2019 All rights reserved.
FOOD. FARM. FESTIVAL.
PASSION IN FOOD FOOD. Coffeehouse, farm-to-table restaurant, caterering, market.
FARM. Vegetables, herbs, meat and poultry, fruit, and flowers.
FESTIVAL. Event venue up to 200 guests with our farm as the backdrop.
LOS LUNAS ∙ FOODFARMFESTIVAL.COM • FIND US ON
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERS This issue marks the beginning of our eigth year publishing edible Santa Fe since purchasing in 2012. It has been a truly amazing ride. We are blessed to be a part of the local food community in New Mexico. The people we have met on this journey inspire us and make a difference in the world we live in. We relish every story that we tell in the pages of edible and we look forward to bringing you many more in the years to come. As we begin 2019, we are excited to announce our name change to edible New Mexico. As storytellers, we have always represented greater New Mexico because so much of our food production happens in our rural communities and so many of our cities and towns contribute to our collective, eclectic regional cuisine. The Santa Fe trademark was never meant to restrict our focus to a specific location. Our new name will eliminate confusion in our marketplace about what territory we cover and reinforce edible’s commitment to telling the stories of local food throughout New Mexico, while expanding our scope and readership. Edible New Mexico is a social enterprise. Our mission is multifaceted: to support our local economy; to foster camaraderie and celebrate our vibrant regional cultures; and to educate and entertain. We believe understanding where our food comes from empowers all of us to make informed decisions about what we eat, what we stand for, and how to better support our communities. As always, we are grateful to the amazing advertisers who support edible. Quite simply, these businesses make it possible for us to bring you this magazine every eight weeks. Please let them know how much you appreciate their contribution to the local food economy. Thank you, and we will see you around the table.
Stephanie and Walt Cameron, Publishers
OWL PEAK FARM
Dolina chefscollaborative.org
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#EDIBLENM EdibleNewMexico TAG us or use #edibleNM and your pics could be featured here. We always pick a favorite and send them a gift certificate to one of our favorite local joints.
WINNER
ilovetogrowstuf_and_cook Starting out the New Year with my first batch of brown rice #miso - ready in 2020. . . #fermentation #handmade #japaneseculture #edibleNM
albukirkybbq One of two sourdough loaves baked yesterday. Decided to go with a Roses and Leaves score. I’m ready for this cold weather to take a hike. #edibleNM
t4rdis.travels No trip to Nob Hill is complete without a stop by @rudeboycookies! Peanut butter bar with white chocolate chips topped with chocolate buttercream. #edibleNM
thegrovecafe Snow is still on the ground! Warm up with our Brussel’s & Kimchi Hash today! #edibleNM WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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CONTRIBUTORS
STEPHANIE CAMERON Stephanie Cameron was raised in Albuquerque and earned a degree in fine arts at the University of New Mexico. After photographing, testing, and designing a cookbook in 2011, she and her husband Walt began pursuing Edible Communities and they found edible in their backyard. Today Cameron is the art director, head photographer, marketing guru, publisher, and owner of edible New Mexico. WILLY CARLETON Willy Carleton is editor of edible New Mexico. He recently completed his PhD in history at the University of New Mexico, with a dissertation examining the cultural history of twentieth-century agriculture in the Southwest. He owns and manages Leafwater Farm, a small vegetable farm in northern New Mexico. CANDOLIN COOK Candolin Cook is a history doctoral candidate at the University of New Mexico, an associate editor for the New Mexico Historical Review, and editor of edible New Mexico. On Saturdays, you can find her selling Vida Verde Farm produce at Albuquerque's Downtown Growers' Market. Follow her farm life on Instagram @vidaverdefarmabq and @candolin MICHAEL J. DAX Michael J. Dax lives in Santa Fe and writes about environment and culture in the American West. He is the author of Grizzly West: A Failed Attempt to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears in the Mountain West (2015). JEN DEPAOLO Jen DePaolo earned a BA in art and writing from Houghton College before moving to Albuquerque to pursue her MFA at the University of New Mexico. In 2008, she held her MFA exhibition, Home Economics, at the Harwood Art Center, where she now serves as associate director of community outreach. She has participated in national invitational and juried exhibitions including Evocative Garden, NCECA Biennial, and Beyond the Brickyard at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana.
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NORA HICKEY Nora Hickey is a writer and teacher living in Albuquerque. Her work has appeared in Narrative, Guernica, DIAGRAM, and other journals. She podcasts with City on the Edge and teaches at the University of New Mexico. JOANNA MANGANARO TOTO Joanna Manganaro Toto is a freelance writer and designer of the jewelry line, Sonámbulo. Before returning to her home state of New Mexico in 2014, she worked in fashion in New York City for many years. She is thrilled to be back! In her spare time, Joanna loves scouring estate sales and thrift stores with her husband, uncovering exciting vintage finds. Follow her on Instagram via @ howdycimarron. GABRIELLA MARKS Gabriella Marks is a Santa Fe based shooter, writer, and eater of food with passionate loyalty and gratitude for her local farmers, chefs, and eating companions. BRIANA OLSON Briana Olson is a freelance writer and copy editor, and lead editor for the New Farmer’s Almanac, a miscellany of writings and art by farmers, ecologists, and other land-loving types. She enjoys long mountain walks, taking risks in the kitchen, and seeking out new and interesting things to eat, from Bangkok to Albuquerque. MARJORY SWEET Marjory Sweet is a farmer, cook, writer, and highly opinionated omnivore based in Albuquerque. ELLEN ZACHOS Ellen Zachos is the author of seven books, including The Wildcrafted Cocktail and Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat. She also works with RemyUSA, teaching foraged mixology workshops across the US for The Botanist gin. Zachos shares recipes and tips about foraging at backyardforager.com.
February 23, 2019 – September 30, 2019
The protest at Standing Rock Indian Reservation demonstrated one of many instances where corporate and/or government actions were viewed as violations of Native American Treaties, a threat to Native American well-being, and disrespect for the sacredness of Native land. Our exhibit focuses on the events leading up to the Dakota Access Pipeline construction and the experiences and artistic observations of the many who were there to bear witness.
On Museum Hill in Santa Fe · (505) 476-1269 · IndianArtsAndCulture.org Youth 16 and under and MNMF members always free. www.museumfoundation.org/join Enjoy bistro dining with a view at Museum Hill Café.
Zoe Urness, Photographer December 5, 2016: No Spiritual Surrender On December 5th, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota at Oceti Sakowin Camp on the edge of Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, military veterans march in support of the water protectors.
LOCAL HEROES An edible Local Hero is an exceptional individual, business, or organization making a positive impact on New Mexico's food systems. These honorees nurture our communities through food, service, and socially and environmentally sustainable business practices. Edible New Mexico readers nominate and vote for their favorite local chefs, growers, artisans, advocates, and other food professionals in two dozen categories—including this year's new Innovator award. In each issue of edible, we feature interviews with a handful of the winners, allowing us to get better acquainted with them and the important work they do. Please join us in thanking these Local Heroes for being at the forefront of New Mexico's local food movement.
Congratulations to our 2019 Local Heroes
RESTAURANT, SANTA FE • COYOTE CAFE
RESTAURANT, ALBUQUERQUE • CAMPO AT LOS POBLANOS 8
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RESTAURANT, GREATER NEW MEXICO • BLACK BIRD SALOON, CERRILLOS
WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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LOCAL HEROES
GASTROPUB • DR. FIELDGOODS
CHEF, SANTA FE • MARK KIFFIN, THE COMPOUND
CAFE, SANTA FE • DOLINA BAKERY & CAFE
CAFE, ALBUQUERQUE • DURAN CENTRAL PHARMACY 10
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CHEF, ALBUQUERQUE • MARC QUINONES, MAS
FOOD TRUCK • MALAGUEÑA'S LATIN TAPAS BEVERAGE ARTISAN, BEER • BOSQUE BREWING
SPECIALTY RETAILER • TALIN MARKET FOOD ARTISAN • CACAO SANTA FE (page 14)
BEVERAGE ARTISAN, WINE • CASA RONDEÑA WINERY BEVERAGE ARTISAN, SPIRITS • STILL SPIRITS (page 18) MIXOLOGIST / COCKTAIL PROGRAM • THE COPPER LOUNGE (page 22)
BEVERAGE ARTISAN, NON-ALCOHOLIC • HUMBLE COFFEE
FARM, SANTA FE • URBAN REBEL FARMS WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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LOCAL HEROES
FARM, ALBUQUERQUE • SILVER LEAF FARMS
ORGANIZATION/NON-PROFIT • THREE SISTERS KITCHEN
FARM, GREATER NEW MEXICO • PECULIAR FARMS INNOVATOR • RANCHO GALLINA EDIBLE WRITER • BRIANA OLSON (page 62)
FOOD EVENT • GREEN CHILE CHEESEBURGER SMACKDOWN 12
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OLLA AWARD (LOCAL HERO AWARD) • DAVID SELLERS, STREET FOOD INSTITUTE
MODERN SOUTHWESTERN CUISINE Your local chocolate experience store. Small batch, craft chocolate from the bean to the bar. Taste the difference.
8114 Edith Blvd NE, Albuquerque 505 433 4076 • eldorachocolate.com
LUNCH | DINNER | SUNDAY BRUNCH
STREET TACOS
by Chef John Rivera Sedlar
Agua es Vida café es amor
thai shrimp tacos, blt tacos, pocho fried tacos, barbacoa brisket tacos, crab cake tacos, and more...
Street Taco Lunch Menu: Monday-Friday, 11:30am-2:30pm
The Chefs of the ELOISA kitchen wanted the best possible tortillas to wrap their tacos, so they journeyed to Santo Domingo Pueblo to join the Percy Reano family in planting and harvesting the tastiest corn. A selection of ELOISA Street Tacos are made with vintage 2018 Santo Domingo Maize or Oaxacan organic corn.
ROASTERY | TASTING ROOM | COFFEE BAR 1208 RIO GRANDE BLVD NW, ALBUQUERQUE CUTBOWCOFFEE.COM | TUESDAY–SUNDAY UNTIL 3PM
505.982.0883 ELOISASANTAFE.COM 228 E. PALACE AVE
LOCAL HEROES
Cacao Santa Fe/Art of Chocolate AN INTERVIEW WITH DEREK LANTER AND MELANIE BOUDAR, CO-OWNERS BEST FOOD ARTISAN Photos by Douglas Merriam
Left: Melanie Boudar and Derek Lanter, co-owners of Cacao Santa Fe/Art of Chocolate. Right: Assorted truffles.
Cacao Santa Fe/Art of Chocolate is a collaboration between chocolate maker Derek Lanter and chocolatier Melanie Boudar. Boudar first fell in love with fine chocolate in Belgium, where she often travelled for her previous career as a diamond buyer. After receiving professional training for several years, she opened her first chocolate retail shop in Hawaii in 2007, which served her award-winning truffles, and she became a founding member of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund. Lanter and his family owned a coffee roastery, Uncommon Grounds Coffee in Berkeley, California, before he accepted a job in Hawaii for Dole’s new specialty coffee and cacao division. Although he was a master coffee roaster, chocolate was something new for him and the company. Under Lanter’s guidance, Dole’s Waialua Estate won the coveted Award of Cocoa Excellence, an international award for excel14
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lence in growing fine flavor cacao. He has also won several awards for the bean-to-bar chocolates that he produced in Hawaii. After relocating to New Mexico, Lanter and Boudar combined their talents and experience to open Cacao Santa Fe/Art of Chocolate in 2016. How did you get to where you are now? What’s the backstory, and what was the moment that brought you to your current work? Both of us were living and involved in the chocolate industry in Hawaii since about 2007, but on separate islands. Derek managed the Waialua Estate, Hawaii’s largest cacao farm along with a couple hundred acres of coffee trees owned by Dole. He built their factory and brought that chocolate to national recognition in the industry. Melanie had her own independent shop in Maui and also a few acres of cacao trees where she developed an educational farm tour about chocolate
(mauichocolatetour.com). We were founding members of the Hawaii Chocolate and Cacao Association, established in 2012, to help educate growers and encourage more chocolate industry in Hawaii. Frustrated with how expensive it is to operate a business in Hawaii— rents are extremely high, as are costs from 24/7 air conditioning and importing sugar and milk—we decided to relocate to where Melanie is originally from, New Mexico. (Derek hails from Colorado.) Do you consider yourself an artisan and how do you define it? We do consider ourselves artisans. We define an artisan as someone who has a deep commitment to their craft. They have the knowledge and experience, as well as personal style, to make something truly distinct and of high quality. Our knowledge and experience does not come just from our technical chocolate training, but from many years of personally farming cacao and coffee and understanding the quality of a crop from the beginning. In addition, we’ve developed relationships with farmers in other countries, which gives us a unique understanding of the attention to detail that growing quality cacao requires, including the all-important post-harvest practices needed to create an outstanding tasting raw material. There is a deep personal reward in being able to share all that with our customers. Where do you find the inspiration for your chocolates, both in flavors and designs?
DISCOVER SWEETWATER SUPPER Tuesday through Saturday · 5 - 9pm 1512 Pacheco Street · Santa Fe sweetwatersf.com · 505.795.7383
We find inspiration from getting out in nature and from travelling to the various countries where we grow or source our cacao beans. This leads to cultural exchanges and the ability to taste new cuisines, beverages, and flavors. We also get inspiration and learn from other chocolate makers we admire. Where do you source your chocolate? Our beans are sourced from numerous places—Peru, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Belize, and Hawaii. We are actually the largest company with Hawaiian grown beans outside of Hawaii, due to our farming connections there over the last twenty years. In Belize we have an interest in a fifty-acre farm that just started producing. We are often sent beans to evaluate, so we have some limited edition runs from those origins—Solomon Islands, Jamaica, and Uganda are a few. In our truffle collection we supplement what we don’t typically make (such as white chocolate) from a Swiss company. What is something most people don’t know about the chocolate industry? Most people don’t realize that the chocolate they buy in the grocery store is industrially farmed, commodity chocolate (think tasteless grocery store tomato vs. heirloom tomato). Small batch chocolate made fresh from the bean is very different. Because of the care that goes into each step, from choosing genetics with flavor over productivity to the fermentation to roasting and controlled grinding, the chocolate is much more flavorful. Yes, it’s more expensive, but we know that the communities we source from are thriving, have clean water, and their kids are getting an education—important values for us.
We specialize in cured meat and cheese boards, gourmet toasts, pressed sandwiches and salads. We also feature an approachable wine list and craft beers you won’t find everywhere else. Join us for Happy Hour Mon-Fri 3-6pm, $3 beer & wine.
115 Harvard SE, Albuquerque · 505-219-2001 · saltandboard.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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LOCAL HEROES
Left: Chocolate elixir flight. Right: Raw cacao beans.
What is your favorite food/drink to pair with chocolate? We love to pair chocolate with goat cheese. A satisfying (alcoholic) drink is good, rich dark hot chocolate with spiced rum or Chambord, or a Mesoamerican elixir with mezcal. What is a local food issue that is important to you? Why? Water is an ongoing concern in producing any food. In New Mexico, access to water is often precarious due to the fickleness of nature, contaminated water, and land/water rights issues. A lot of farmland has been converted to other uses. We support the Santa Fe watershed and try to buy locally produced crops, especially those preserving heirloom varieties of apples, corn, and chiles. But none of this is possible without an ongoing source of clean, accessible water. What is the best piece of advice you have received about building your business? Probably not to get discouraged by people’s lack of knowledge about fine quality chocolate and why it’s worth paying more for it. [We have to] keep educating and developing people’s palates. There was 16
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a time when craft beer, small batch liquors, and fine cheeses faced the same problem. Who is another local food artisan you admire? We really have a lot of admiration for Mark Scisenti (chocolate historian and artisan chocolatier) and his creative chocolate elixirs. He brought a very unique concept to Santa Fe in 2000, well in advance of the nationwide craft chocolate curve. His extensive knowledge of chocolate in all cultures plus his dedication to authentic high-quality ingredients (herbs, spices, chiles) and his willingness to educate and share that with others is truly admirable. We are pleased to support his drinks, which are served with our bean-to-bar chocolate in the café. Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers? We want readers to know how special edible magazine is for connecting people to the growers and producers of fine food. It is real important work. We are proud to be a part of the edible community and honored for this award in recognition of the chocolate we produce. 3201 Richards, Santa Fe, 505-471-0891, cacaosantafe.com
LOCAL HEROES
The Copper Lounge BEST COCKTAIL PROGRAM
Photos by Stephanie Cameron
Left to right: Beverage director Giovanni Martinez and owners Cindy Chalamidas and Tom Kight at The Copper Lounge.
Focusing on well-done classics and creative new libations made with only the best ingredients and served in a sophisticated atmosphere, The Copper Lounge aims to provide its guests with a truly sublime experience. The re-envisioned Copper Lounge opened in October 2017 with the mission of offering Albuquerque a unique, new drinking experience. It is owned by Cindy Chalamidas and Tom Kight, and Giovanni Martinez serves as beverage director.
strong obligation to honor him and take over ownership of The Copper Lounge. I had a vision to redesign the lounge in a way that would promote cocktail culture to Albuquerque. Now, a year after its opening, I am happy with the environment that we’ve created, and believe it to be a place that my dad would have enjoyed.
How did you get to where you are now? What’s the backstory, and what was the moment that brought you to your current work?
Our drink program is rooted in balance and creativity. We change our menu seasonally, and on every menu we try to give our guests an eclectic list composed of both well-executed classics and inspired new compositions. We play with both familiar and new flavors, hoping to provide to our guests drinks that both comfort and engage.
I [Cindy Chalamidas] was fortunate enough to grow up in family that owned and operated several prominent bars in Albuquerque, dating back to the early 1950s, such as The Townhouse, The Triangle, The Valencia, and Mori’s Lounge. My inspiration came from my parents, Tom and Georgia Chalamidas, who strived to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for their patrons and which I distinctly remember as a young child. Twenty years ago, I was given the opportunity to create and open my own business, which is Louie’s Pub & Grill, a favorite neighborhood bar in Albuquerque which I still own and operate. After my father passed away and my mother was close to retiring in 2016, I felt a 18
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Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind The Copper Lounge’s drink program and aesthetic.
Our drink program is inspired more by the Golden Age of Cocktails (1880–1908) and the Modern Renaissance (2000–present) than any other time period. During the Golden Age, exciting new ingredients were imported from all over the world, and bartending in America became an art form. During the Modern Renaissance, innovative new techniques from the culinary world have entered the scene to inspire a rebirth of the Golden Age of cocktails and bartending. We strive to make drinks that strike a perfect balance between the classic and the new.
Introducing the Los Poblanos Spring Dining Event:
SaVoR De LeGuMbReS. Using fresh, Rio Grande River Valley harvested ingredients, this vegetable-forward menu invites you to experience a dinner that creatively explores flavors in a refreshing new way. Included are offerings such as the fresh Cavatelli with Mushroom. This beautiful noodle is crafted in-house and is the foundation for this complex and richly comforting take on a classic dish. In the third course, roasted leeks are deconstructed and reassimilated with carrots and chimichurri into a stunning and tasty presentation. The beet, from root to leaf, is celebrated in the fifth course and is a striking dish that will intrigue the palate and satisfy the soul. Executive Chef Jonathan Perno’s passion radiates from these studiously developed dishes that celebrate the pure and flavorful characteristics the vegetables bring to the plate.
1st BRAISED CABBAGE CREPINETTE mirepoix, fresh herbs, citrus nage and virgin olive oil pairing: Milagro Grüner Veltliner 2nd HOUSE-MADE CAVATELLI WITH MUSHROOM chile flake, garlic, rosemary, lemon and pecorino pairing: Heitz Vineyards Grignolino Rosé 3rd BRAISED STUFFED LEEKS carrot, chimichurri sauce pairing: Domaine a Deux Sauvignon Blanc 4th ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH achiote and lime pairing: Dehesa la Granja 5th GLAZED BEETS soft boiled egg, horseradish cream, chives and fried capers pairing: Lulu Vigneron, Côtes du Jura Poulsard fin PARSNIP CAKE WITH CARROT SORBET rum raisin sauce and candied pistachios pairing: Bodegas Yuste Amontillado
MaRcH 30, 2019 6:00 Pm Visit our website for tickets and information. lospoblanos.com/ events-calendar
LOCAL HEROES
Left: The Copper Cocktail with Earl Grey tea, gin, bitters, apricot liqueur, lemon, and egg white. Right: Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail.
What is your favorite throwback cocktail at The Copper Lounge and what is your favorite innovation?
also great mixologists, and I believe that we are very fortunate to have such a team.
We have featured a sling on every menu we have made so far, which is about as throwback-y as a mixed drink can get, as the sling predates the time of “cocktails.” Our current featured sling is the Mint T. Todee, which is composed of Mastiha, a Mediterranean liqueur made from the resin of the Mastiha tree, honey, bergamot bitters, mint, and hot water.
For those of us wanting to make a tasty cocktail at home, what are three staples we should always have on hand? Top tips?
At Copper, we love to combine our knowledge of the basics of elemental mixology and classics with an interest in unique, creative, and exciting new flavors and ingredients. Our current menu features the tasty Saturday Morning, which brings together Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk, brown sugar, and Alabama whiskey. What is the difference between a bartender and a mixologist? Mixology is one particular set of skills that a great bartender may or may not have in their repertoire. Great bartenders come from all different professional backgrounds. Some may not know all of the nerdy details behind the history of every drink or even know very many recipes, but will possess such charm, provide such great service, and have such wonderful rapport with their guests that they make for amazing bartenders. On the contrary, some bartenders know every origin and have every recipe memorized but have the barside manner of a gorilla. At Copper, it is our goal to have great bartenders who are 20
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Ninety-nine percent of mixed drinks fall into three categories: grogs (Jack & Coke, scotch & soda, etc.); sours (margaritas, daiquiris, etc.); and cocktails (martinis, manhattans, etc.). So, we recommend stocking your favorite items from the elements that these three categories share: strong (spirits); weak (sodas, juices, etc.); sweet (sugars, liqueurs, syrups, fortified wines); sour (lemons, limes); and bitter (amari, bitters). What’s the most fun or rewarding part about working at The Copper Lounge? Our guests. We have amazing guests. We are lucky to have wonderful regulars, and we love meeting many new people from all backgrounds and from all over the world. Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers? We would like to invite everyone to visit us and enjoy a beverage or two. Also, keep your eyes open for our new project opening in the coming months. 1504 Central SE, Albuquerque, 505-242-7490 copperloungeabq.com
PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE FOLLOWING March 2019 FUNDRAISING EVENTS: Come in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Creative American classics with Latin and creole influences, made from local and organic ingredients.
Annual Dinner & Auction
NOW SERVING BEER & WINE!
SATURDAY NIGHT, MARCH 2, 2019
“Shaping the Future” LA FONDA ON THE PLAZA
Art of Home Tour
featured by: Keller
Williams Santa Fe
SAT & SUN, MARCH 2 & 3, 2019
DETAILS AND TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE: ARTsmartNM.org
VENTANA FINE ART BREAKFAST ‧ LUNCH ‧ WEEKEND DINNER ‧ CATERING 2933 Monte Vista NE, Albuquerque, 505-433-2795 @theshopbrealfastandlunch/nightshift on Instagram and Facebook
www.heidisraspberryfarm.com • 505.898.1784
400 Canyon Road • Santa Fe, NM 87501 www.ventanafineart.com
LOCAL HEROES
Still Spirits AN INTERVIEW WITH ZAC HULME AND PETER ARATHOON, CO-OWNERS BEST BEVERAGE ARTISAN, SPIRITS Photos by Stephanie Cameron
From left to right: Hiram Camp, Peter Arathoon, Averi Hansen, Zac Hulme, Henry Hutchinson, and Eli Wilson.
Still Spirits is a distillery and cocktail bar in downtown Albuquerque. Co-owners Peter Arathoon and Zac Hulme opened the business in 2017, quickly attracting a loyal following to their quaint, minimal space across from Marble Brewery. Both have international roots. Arathoon, a designer and photographer, is originally from Guatemala and came to New Mexico in 2003. Hulme moved from Australia to the United States at age ten and grew up in Vermont. He relocated to Albuquerque for grad school at UNM and works in the architectural field. He says he loves New Mexico for its culture and landscape. How did you get to where you are now? What’s the backstory, and what was the moment that brought you to your current work? We started as hobbyists almost ten years ago, doing a lot of reading and experimenting with every aspect of the distillation process. It's exciting to try out recipes, techniques, and equipment. Spirits are made out of almost anything, so there is fascinating variety, and that makes it a lot of fun. The idea to turn it into a business came about slowly, but now we really enjoy the day-to-day operations. Still Spirits is more or less just the evolution of a hobby. We have been careful 22
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about taking on more than we could handle and that has pushed us into a small but high-quality operation. The business is manageable and we can afford to be fastidious in what we do. Tell us a bit about your distilling process. What spirits are you currently making? We make vodka in a column still and it's then carbon filtered for thirtysix hours before bottling. Gin is produced in a smaller pot still and we bottle it at forty-five percent abv (alcohol by volume). The gin is a London dry style featuring ten different herbs and spices. These include juniper, coriander, angelica, hibiscus, black pepper, licorice as well as fresh lemon and lime peel. We are developing the recipe for a triticale whiskey, and we sell a bourbon we don't make, but like a lot in the tasting room, in addition to a few other New Mexico–produced spirits. We've recently introduced an amaro (Italian for “bitter”), which includes angelica root, wormwood, green cardamom, hibiscus, gentian, and cinchona as well as dried fruits and citrus peels. It is tricky to develop but used in so many great drinks.
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LOCAL HEROES
Left: Amaro Sour with bourbon. Right: Kon-Tiki with pinapple-infused vodka.
What obstacles did you face opening Still Spirits? Real estate was the most challenging component. We looked at a lot of a spaces that seemed like a good fit but that ultimately would have required much more than we were willing to put into them. Our current location immediately felt right. Of course the budget meant we did almost all the actual build-out ourselves. We are really happy with how it turned out, even if it took four times longer than we thought it would! How does Still Spirits stand out from other local distilleries? A lot of time is spent getting the spirits (and the drinks) right. With a pretty low expectation of growth rate and revenue, it's OK to be slow and careful. Our product range is deliberately small and we work on making great examples of the things we like, as opposed to wide variety of spirits. Both of us having spent a lot of time in places other than Albuquerque has really informed the design and culture of our tasting room; the response from such a broad swath of the community continues to delight us. You'll find people here from every demographic, and that we have created an experience that welcomes such a diverse crowd is absolutely the most rewarding aspect. We got lucky with a talented and hard working staff. They make Still Spirits what it is. How would you describe the cocktail menu? The New Mexico craft distilling license means we can't serve any liquor made outside the state and this has inspired a lot of creativity; we currently have almost twenty unique drinks. Infused spirits are a great way to keep our menu diverse despite the limited product range. We have several infused vodkas as well as an infused bourbon. Fresh ingredients are very important. We use none of the typical mixes or preserved juices—everything is made or squeezed on the premises. We source as 24
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much as we can locally and work with a couple of Albuquerque farms. The principal grain [triticale] in our whiskey is a very successful crop in this state and that means business for New Mexico agriculture. What is a trend in the spirits world you’re into right now? What’s one you can’t stand? Tiki drinks are certainly making a comeback. Recognition of the craft and creativity of bartending and a new take using fresh ingredients on these complicated drinks has brought them to a new generation. Japanese single malt whiskies have become popular after being forgotten about for thirty years. We are great devotees, and it's fair to say that a bottle inspired us to try making some of our own. Silly, over-the-top bloody marys brimming with things that don't belong are something we could do without. Nothing is as sublime and satisfying as a simple, carefully made mixed drink. There is a reason classics exist. What advice would you give to new distillers? Take your time. Spirits are about patience—just ask any twelve-yearold whiskey! Is there anything else you'd like to share with edible readers? The support from the other distilleries in the state has been a critical part of our growth. It is exciting to be part of this small but expanding community. The Distillers Guild is making New Mexico a place where great spirits come from. Being part of the social fabric of Albuquerque and our district north of downtown has been so much fun. We've got awesome neighbors and colleagues nearby, and we are humbled by the response to what we've built. 120 Marble NW, Albuquerque, facebook.com/stillspiritsabq
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AT THE CHEF'S TABLE
The New Mores of “Less” HOW TWO LOCAL PLANT-BASED, GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCERS ARE REIMAGINING THE ART OF THE TREAT Story and Photos by Gabriella Marks
Left: Planty Sweet cheesecake. Right: Karina Cake of Planty Sweet decorating one of her textured asymmetrical cakes.
It’s funny, how language so determines our perception of a food. Take, for example, the vernacular around vegan cooking or, perhaps even more, gluten-free baking. From the very phrase “gluten-free” to the spectrum of vegan “meatless” options, for many this verbiage connotes a sense of absence and, at worst, of imitation. This is precisely why new producers like Albuquerque’s Planty Sweet and Santa Fe’s Drift and Porter are such innovators: they are the vanguard of the next generation of chefs offering delicious savory and sweet treats that transcend diminutive labels and charm your senses while doing so. At both of these bakeries, the chefs use gluten-free, plant-based ingredients to create dessert landscapes as diverse—even as epic—as the high deserts of northern New Mexico. Simply put, these aren’t the stale carob chips from the bulk bin at the co-op of your childhood. No well-intentioned but inedible wheatgerm birthday cakes here. Think picture-perfect flower petal designs—nearly too gorgeous to eat—and extravagant winged cake sculptures with joyously generous slices. Add to that an expressive penchant for tattoos and a visual aesthetic influenced by fashion design. Welcome to the new horizon of plant-based delights. Petite and put together in a unique style that evokes both a delicate femininity and a retro/vintage, almost rockabilly sensibility, chef Karina Cake of Planty Sweet shows equal panache adorning one of her textured asymmetrical cakes or demonstrating with a swift blow and sharp knife how to cut open a coconut. Her floral flourishes and creative use of 26
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delicate vegetable design elements are a photographer’s delight. Almost to a fault, in fact. She sometimes needs to encourage her clientele to indulge and consume because of how precious each item looks. Cake’s visual innovation is heavily influenced by her childhood fascination with European pâtisseries in her native Hong Kong, where jewel-like gâteaux beckoned from window displays. She credits her mother with teaching her, “Don’t waste your time eating bad food,” along with the merits of cooking from scratch and giving attention to detail. But it was really through her travels as a purser with Cathay Pacific airlines, where she was exposed to food culture on a global scale from Morocco to Korea, Iceland to Thailand, that she began to plot her own future in the culinary arts. Over a period of time, she transitioned from flying to cooking through attending, and then teaching at, Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy, the world's first classically structured, plant-based living culinary center, based in Los Angeles. Vegetarian since her teen years, Cake transitioned to a vegan diet while in culinary school, intrigued and inspired by the challenges and resulting invention of creating food without traditional ingredients. When her husband was diagnosed with celiac disease, her personal imperative to master gluten-free cooking further drove her curiosity and experimentation. Understanding the properties of each ingredient—essentially reverse-engineering familiar dishes by experimenting with the foundational components—sweetness, salt, fat, a touch of acid—she has
Top left: Floral flourishes adorn a Planty Sweet cake. Top right: Karina Cake. Bottom: Matthew Spano and John Partazana of Drift and Porter.
AT THE CHEF'S TABLE
Left: Drift and Porter pastries on display at the Artisan Market in Santa Fe. Right: Matthew Spano in the kitchen.
developed her own constantly evolving approach to tarts, cheesecake, “donuts” (tiny bundt cakes), sticky rice cakes, and more. Up the road a ways, in Santa Fe, the dynamic duo of Drift and Porter have in the span of just a year become something of a sensation among both vegans and those who simply can’t resist a delicious cookie, regardless of its plant-based bona fides. Matthew Spano and John Partazana both hail from the Jersey Shore, where a chance encounter on the dance floor led to a partnership in life, love, and gluten-free vegan baking. If there is one constant true to all great cooking, it may well lie in the pursuit of recreating—through one’s own culinary vision and voice—the comfort foods of home. The specialties from Drift and Porter echo influences from their shared Italian heritage (think savory Italian Wedding Soup with vegan “meat” balls) as well as the substantive pastries of New York borough street vendors, inspiration for their bodacious vegetable “sausage” street pie. The sheer variety in their weekly booth at the Sunday Railyard Artisan Market (located in the iconic Farmers Market Pavilion) makes for hard decisions: how to choose between three kinds of scones— apricot and pistachio, carob and fig, pumpkin and raisin—or perhaps the deep umami of black bean peanut butter brownies. And yet, what about the pesto pinwheels, lemon curry samosa, or raspberry mint bar? The booth itself reflects a respect for and celebration of the artifacts of design, with an emphasis on rustic wooden textures and complementary accents, like a rusted vintage can or an Amish doily. The presentation is a perfect vehicle for the pastry, infusing the overall experience with a design sense that is carefully curated and subtly subversive. How else to describe vegan, plant-based moon pies artfully arranged and presented within crates formerly used to store ammunition? Like the iconic sixties image of a flower placed in the barrel of a gun, there is a playful poetry at work here. And it’s delicious to boot. 28
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But of course the heart of the culinary experience that animates Drift and Porter is the duo themselves—their inexhaustible enthusiasm and breathless exuberance is as irresistible as their pastry. Every transaction either begins or ends (often both) in a hug. Their patrons aren’t simply customers; they’re friends, bonded over shared values and meals. “Getting to speak and express and connect—that’s the whole reason we’re doing this.” There’s an adage that constraints are conducive to creativity. Judging by the sheer bounty and variety in color, texture, and flavor created between these two plant-based, gluten-free producers, Planty Sweet and Drift and Porter give proof to that proverb. Accidental alchemists all, they are continually experimenting with the building blocks of baking to bring forward new inventions. Through the slow process of trial and error (and a lot of enjoyable edible “mistakes” along the way), they are not only formulating new ways to make old favorites, but creating entirely new food that on top of being healthier is environmentally more tenable. Sipping on a steaming hot cup of Drift and Porter’s chicory latte with whipped coconut cream on a snowy Sunday morning can make a person philosophical. If you were given that mug without being told what it is, you might first think chai. And then, after a second sip, maybe hot chocolate. Because we have a habit of naming things to understand them. But I’d urge you to step back from that temptation. Simply close your eyes, and taste and smell and experience. Let these new creations come into their own, and begin to coin their own language, to be their own point of reference. Let the taste do the talking. Find Planty Sweet at Zendo, Roastology, and Dig and Serve events. Find Drift and Porter every Sunday at the Railyard Artisan Market in Santa Fe, and at surprise pop-ups. Stay up to date with both via their Instagram feeds: @plantysweet and @driftandportersantafe
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COOKING FRESH
A Bowl for Everything By Stephanie Cameron
CHOOSE YOUR BASE Whether it’s a grain, greens, spiralized vegetables, or broth, there are endless options for how you can begin to build your perfect bowl.
Handmade ottery by Jen DePaolo.
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In recent decades in the United States, it has become increasingly popular to serve food in bowls, some of which has traditionally been served on a plate. Grain bowls, poke bowls, paleo bowls, burrito bowls, and more have taken center stage at restaurants and at home. Bowls are versatile vessels that can be beautiful to compose and provide an opportunity to be creative with seasonal ingredients, pantry staples, and refrigerator scraps. Our tableware influences our experience with the food we eat. With a bowl in your hand as you eat—feeling its
warmth, bringing its smells closer to your face, or even walking across a room with it—you might feel an intimacy with your food you wouldn’t if you had a plate instead. Using a hand-crafted bowl from a local artisan with ingredients sourced from local producers brings the experience of the food full circle. Investing in “a bowl for everything” will help make every meal special. Be creative, be nourished, and eat well this season with an abundance of winter ingredients.
CHORIZO AND GRITS BRUNCH BOWL Serves 4
2 1/2 cups water 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste) 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon red chile powder 1 cup of quick grits (not instant) 1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded In a large saucepan, combine water, milk, salt, paprika, and chile. Bring to a boil, making sure not to burn the milk. Turn down heat and whisk in the grits. Cover and cook for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and cheese and remove from heat. Hearty Components, Toppings, Fat, and Finish 4 eggs, cooked over easy 1 pound ground chorizo, cooked and crumbled 1 avocado, diced 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped 1 lime, quartered Favorite hot sauce Fill one half of bowl with grits and other half with chorizo. Place the over-easy egg on top. Add avocado and sprinkle with cilantro. Garnish with a wedge of lime and amp up with hot sauce.
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TOPPINGS Fixings such as hard or soft-boiled eggs can be prepared well ahead of time, as can fresh toppings like sliced carrot, radish, and other crispy vegetables. No matter what you choose to throw into your bowl, the trick is selecting toppings with different textures, colors, and flavors to help everything come together.
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BOWL OF SUNSHINE Serves 4
Base 1 large butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 cups vegetable stock 1 large yellow onion, diced 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric, grated 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground pepper 2 tablespoons dried calendula petals 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon lemon juice Toppings and Finish Crispy chickpeas (recipe below) 1/4 head of purple cabbage, thinly sliced 1/2 cup of microgreens of choice Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub each of the butternut squash halves with olive oil and place on a large baking sheet, flesh side up. Roast 50 to 60 minutes, until flesh is fork-tender. Let cool, then scrape out the flesh into a blender. Blend on high speed with 1 cup of the vegetable stock. While the squash is roasting, sauté the onion in the butter until translucent (6–8 minutes) in a dutch oven or large stock pot. Add the thyme, turmeric, pepper, and salt; cook for 1 minute longer. Add the calendula petals last, with another cup of stock. Let everything simmer for 5 minutes. Blend onion mixture with the squash mixture and then return everything back to the pot. Add in garlic and lemon juice and heat back up. Place soup in bowl and garnish with crispy chickpeas, purple cabbage, and handful of microgreens.
CRISPY CHICKPEAS Makes 2 cups
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and dried 2 teaspoons avocado oil 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the chickpeas on top and spread flat. Add the oil and spices and use your hands to mix and coat the chickpeas evenly. Make sure the chickpeas are in a single layer before putting into the oven. Bake for 50 minutes. Halfway through baking time, carefully shake the pan or use a wooden spoon to stir the chickpeas, and then continue cooking until crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container.
TAHINI KALE SALAD Serves 4
8 large kale leaves, stemmed and cut into small pieces 1 lemon, juiced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Tahini Dressing 4 tablespoons tahini 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 lemon, juiced 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1 tablespoon olive oil Add kale to a large bowl and top with lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Massage liquid into kale until it has completely wilted, about 3 minutes. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for tahini dressing. Top salad with tahini dressing, reserving 1 tablespoon for plating Sweet Potato Falafel Bowl.
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SWEET POTATO FALAFEL BOWL Makes 12 falafel
1 medium sweet potato, roasted and skin removed 1 15-ounce can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Toppings, Fat, and Finish Tahini kale salad (recipe on page 33) Crispy chickpeas (recipe on page 33) Tahini dressing (recipe on page 33) Hummus Pita bread, quartered
FAT AND FINISH Avocado, seeds, nuts, Greek yogurt, and crumbly feta cheese are great healthy-fat options. Sprinkle with fresh garnishes such as green onions, edible flowers, herbs, and finish with a sauce to tie it all together. 34
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor, and pulse until the ingredients are combined, being careful not to over-blend or puree. The ingredients should hold together, but maintain their texture. Use a cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) to form falafel balls or patties, and place directly onto a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes. Falafel should be crispy on the outside and softer on the inside. Place falafel in a row down the middle of the bowl. Serve with Tahini Kale Salad on one side, topped with crispy chickpeas, and place your favorite hummus and pita slices on the other side. Drizzle the reserved tahini dressing over the falafel.
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ASIAN BISON BOWL Serves 4
1 pound ground bison Freshly ground black pepper to taste 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce combined with 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons Sriracha 2 teaspoons red chile flakes Base, Toppings, Fat, and Finish 1 package vermicelli rice noodles, cooked 2 green onions, chopped 4 radishes, sliced 1 cucumber, julienned 2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, crushed Chile oil
HEARTY COMPONENTS Making your bowl well-balanced will leave you feeling satisfied, so adding a protein such as organic eggs, chicken, grassfed beef, tofu, or legumes is always a great idea. Roasted squash, charred Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes are high protein vegan options. 36
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Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bison and season with pepper. Cook, stirring and crumbling into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned. Drain excess fat. Add remaining ingredients and cook for a few minutes, allowing the flavors to absorb into the meat. Serve bison with vermicelli rice noodles and garnish with green onion, radishes, and cucumbers. Garnish with crushed peanuts and drizzle with your favorite hot chile oil.
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BEHIND THE BOTTLE
Nurturing the Wine Industry NEW MEXICO VINE AND WINE SOCIETY By Stephanie Cameron
Grapes going into crusher-destemmer. Photo by Federico Rostagno.
The New Mexico Vine and Wine Society (NMVWS) takes amatuer winemaking seriously. When NMVWS was founded in 1974, information about grape growing and winemaking was scarce, so wine lovers formed the society to share information, allowing backyard hobbyists to take the leap to being commercial winemakers and growers. Today, many of New Mexico’s commercial winemakers are former NMVWS members. The NMVWS not only encourages the notion that amatuer winemakers can craft as subtle and unique a product as professionals, it has has helped grow the local industry by providing support to those interested in refining their skills and someday, perhaps, going pro. I recently met up with Jeremiah Baumgartel, vintner at Corrales Winery and president of NMVWS, to chat about amateur winemaking. 38
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Baumgartel explains that the difference between the final products of an amateur and a commercial winemaker might not be as drastic as you'd think. Regardless of whether a winemaker sells or not, most are dedicated to perfecting their craft. Every winemaker must balance flavoring, sugar, acid, tannin, and yeast to nurture a wine to perfection. Baumgartel explains that federal law allows up to two hundred gallons of wine to be produced for personal consumption—you can’t sell, but you can give it away. If the amateur decides to start selling wine, they will have to have a winemaking facility and get licensed by the federal and state governments. Amateur winemaking isn’t as onerous as it might seem. “Winemaking is actually more approachable and forgiving than beer making because the higher alcohol content in wine prevents most spoilage from
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BEHIND THE BOTTLE
Grapes being pressed. Photo by Radu Cadar.
organisms, and with a little sulfite management, your wine is safe,” Baumgartel says. Thanks to a growing number of helpful neighborhood stores renting and selling improved equipment for do‐it‐yourselfers, and even sourcing grapes for production, many of the homemade wines range from the “not bad” to the “excellent” category. Victor’s Home Brew in Albuquerque sources grapes from New Mexico Vineyards in Deming every harvest season in thousand pound increments that an amateur can buy into—approximately eighty pounds will make five gallons of wine. Victor’s will also set up their crusher-destemmer on the day grapes are delivered, so you can take them home ready to ferment, or you can rent a crusher-destemmer and bladder press from them. Several of the home brew supply companies in New Mexico offer wine making classes, and there is an annual New Mexico Wine Education Conference held every spring in Albuquerque. NMVWS is an accessible resource for education with four chapters in New Mexico, dividing the state into regions. “The NMVWS is for people who like to get together and drink wine and maybe learn about making it or growing grapes,” Baumgartel says. “It is dedicated to the exchange of information among amateur and commercial grape grow40
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ers, wine makers, wine enthusiasts, and connoisseurs.” Each chapter has its own education offerings and events. For thirty dollars a year, members have access to local chapter events for free or at a discounted price. Anyone can join—you don’t have to be a winemaker.” Once you get your feet wet and start making wine, you can enter the New Mexico State Fair Wine Competition produced by the NMVWS. Amateurs and commercial winemakers compete side by side in blind varietal categories. Entries are made in June and winners are announced at the State Fair. Or you can simply sit back and enjoy the wine your neighbor is making. The New Mexico Wine Education Conference will be held at Hotel Albuquerque March 18–20 and has tracks for amateur winemakers, commercial winemakers, and wine enthusiasts. This year's conference will feature a new education program focusing on craft cider production led by experts from around the country. New Mexico's craft cider industry is on the cusp of significant growth and this program will be of interest to both brewers and vintners. For more information visit nmwine.com. vineandwine.org
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FORAGED
Canaigre DESSERT FROM THE DESERT Story and Photos by Ellen Zachos
Left: Canaigre at Chaco Canyon. Right: Foraged canaigre.
I first saw canaigre at Chaco Canyon, but since the Park Service frowns on foraging in national historical parks, I refrained from harvesting. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find more of this plant, a common wild edible in most of New Mexico. This is a lovely plant, the most ornamental dock I’ve seen. The leaves are succulent, with an attractive blue-gray color. In full bloom, its pinkish flowers and red flower stalks make it worthy of a spot in the garden. Rumex hymenosepalus (aka red dock, aka wild rhubarb) is found in full sun and sandy soils, at altitudes up to six thousand feet. Historically, canaigre has had many uses in New Mexico. Its thick, tuberous roots store water efficiently, making this a very drought 42
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tolerant plant. You’ll often find it growing where nothing else can survive. These same roots contain high amounts of tannins, and have been used to tan leather, dye textiles, and as a medicinal herb. Boiled or sautéed leaves are a tart, tasty green, and the bright red flower stems and leaf midribs make an excellent rhubarb substitute. Canaigre is native to the southwestern United States, and, with its aggressive growth habit, is not generally considered endangered. Still, it’s always a good idea to harvest sustainably, leaving some behind for animals, fellow foragers, and the propagation of the species. To gather canaigre, cut the flower stem at its base, just above the rosette of foliage, and take no more than one-third of the flower
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stems growing in a single area. This is a perennial plant, and while removing the flower stalk means the seeds won’t ripen and germinate this year, the plant will live on and re-flower the following year. The juice of canaigre stems has traditionally been used to make a refreshing tea in the Southwest. To juice your canaigre, remove the leaves, wash the stems, and chop them into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer these to a sauté pan and add just enough water to cover the stem pieces. Cook over medium heat until the water begins to simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook until the stems are soft enough to mash with a potato masher, then transfer the mixture to a jelly bag and let the juice drip into a bowl. I toyed with the idea of making a syrup from the juice, but for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about canaigre jello. It’s simple, it’s pretty, and its flavor is both sweet and tart. A little whipped cream on top makes for a visually striking and very tasty dessert. This recipe is scalable, so you can work with whatever amount of juice you have. A tablespoon of powdered gelatin will solidify up to 2 cups of liquid.
CANAIGRE JELLO Serves 3–4 1 1/2 cups canaigre juice (divided into 1 cup and 1/2 cup portions) 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin Combine 1 cup of canaigre juice with the sugar in a saucepan, and whisk to dissolve the sugar over medium heat. When the syrup begins to bubble around the edges, remove it from the heat and set it aside. While the juice is heating, pour the remaining 1/2 cup of canaigre juice into a bowl, and sprinkle the gelatin on top to dissolve. Let it sit for 1–2 minutes, then whisk it into the heated syrup. Continue to whisk to completely dissolve the gelatin. You can test for this by rubbing a bit of liquid between your fingers. If it feels smooth, the gelatin has fully dissolved. Pour the mixture into serving dishes and refrigerate. For an extra fancy touch, serve with fresh whipped cream.
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BACK OF THE HOUSE
Pressing Matters PALOMA’S NATHAN MAYES MAKES THE MASA By Candolin Cook · Photos by Stephanie Cameron
Left: Nathan Mayes of Paloma. Right: Nixtamalized blue corn kernels.
“What’s the dumbest idea you’ve ever had?” I ask Chef Nathan Mayes inside Paloma’s brightly sunlit galley kitchen. “Installing a gigantic tortilla machine I brought from Mexico in this tiny kitchen,” he replies. “And what’s the best?” I follow up. “Taking it out,” he says with a laugh. Though the behemoth is gone, there is no shortage of fresh corn tortillas at this Santa Fe restaurant. Thanks to some smaller equipment and, especially to, prep cook Angeles “The Masa Master” Guzman, Paloma makes and serves anywhere from 200 to 400 individually pressed, organic corn tortillas a night. “We make everything from scratch here,” says Mayes. “Being an artisan, to me, 46
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means you’re creating with your hands. And if you’re creating with your hands, you’re creating with your brain and with your heart.” Whether stuffed with crispy sea bass and folded into a taco, or hand-torn and fried into chips for pico de gallo and guacamole, tortillas are the cornerstone of Paloma’s Mexican-inspired menu. Today, Mayes is giving me a lesson on how to make corn tortillas at home— something commonplace for some New Mexicans, but daunting to those of us who have always relied on the convenience of the subpar, store-bought variety.
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BACK OF THE HOUSE
Left: Grinding the nixtamalized corn kernels. Right: Pressing tortillas.
The chef begins by rinsing four cups of dried New Mexico grown blue corn. Paloma sources its corn through Masienda, a company that partners with small-scale farmers in Oaxaca and the United States to cultivate and import sustainable landrace and heirloom corn. In 2017, Masienda began the New Mexico Blue Corn Project, which contracts New Mexico farmers to grow locally adapted blue corn. Mayes says, to his knowledge, Paloma is the only restaurant currently buying the project’s corn for their tortillas. “Corn has a long history in New Mexico of being a life source. There used to be corn mills all over the state from Taos to Las Cruces. Cooking with local blue corn is a very New Mexican thing to do, and it supports [our local farmers] at the same time.” Mayes adds the rinsed kernels to a large pot and covers them with water, about two inches above the corn. He skims off any floating hulls, and stirs in about a tablespoon or so of calcium hydroxide also known as pickling lime or cal. He then heats the pot to a very low simmer. Soaking and steeping maize in an alkaline agent is called nixtamalization—a process that strips off the kernel’s outer layer, making it easier to grind, increasing its nutritional quality, and improving its aroma and flavor. First developed in Mesoamerica, this ancient technique is an integral step, says Mayes, for achieving a chewy and delicious corn tortilla. It took Mayes a while to master the art of making corn tortillas, he says, because “all corn is different. The cook times, the moisture levels, it all varies from batch to batch.” Growing up in Texas, he mostly cooked and ate flour tortillas—the preferred tortilla of Tex-Mex cuisine. We discuss how, in recent years, the once trendy 48
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cuisine has fallen out of favor among foodies for being too unhealthy and “inauthentic.” “It’s not supposed to be ‘authentic’ Mexican food,” argues Mayes, “because it’s not from Mexico, it’s from Texas. And, I actually think it’s due for a renaissance.” The chef readily admits that the dishes on Paloma’s menu are “Mexican-inspired” but “authentically inauthentic.” He explains, “We like to take traditional or familiar Mexican dishes and put our own creative spin on them.” Offerings such as local bison lengua with corn dumplings and guajillo chile broth and the cauliflower rostizado with mole amarillo, piñon, and toasted raisin salsa macha exemplify Mayes’ talent for integrating Mexican flavors with local ingredients in unexpected ways. “I’m not [one of those American] chefs trying to educate other Americans on what ‘real’ Mexican food is. I just want to do my own interpretations with the food and ingredients that inspire me.” As our blue corn continues to simmer, Mayes reminiscences about childhood road trips to Mexico with his father, a well-known chef and restaurateur in Austin. “We’d cross the border at Laredo to eat and stock up on [restaurant] essentials—knives, spices, cigarettes.” Many years later, Mayes and his business partner Marja Martin would travel to Oaxaca, Tulum, and Mexico City to eat and shop in preparation for opening their own restaurant. But Mayes is quick to explain that his love for Mexico and Mexican culture extends far beyond food and goods. “More than anything I [respect] the Mexican people. They [possess] a real appreciation for their natural resources and push through so many obstacles with happiness and purpose. There is so much strength and resilience in Mexico.” Mayes and Martin also make a point to pa-
BACK OF THE HOUSE
Left: Tortillas cooking on the griddle, and (right) ready to serve.
tronize socially and environmentally conscious companies operating in Mexico that provide local food producers with equitable economic opportunities, such as Masienda and Pacifico Aquaculture in Ensenada, the only true ocean-raised striped bass farm in the world. “We should support the people who are doing things the right way,” he says. After about two hours on the stovetop, the corn has cooked to the desired al dente. Mayes dumps the pot into a colander and rinses the kernels thoroughly, using his hands to carefully slough off much—but not all—of the bran. He scoops up a handful of seeds and presents them to me as if they’re tiny jewels. “See how they’ve changed from a deep blue to aqua? The cal lightens the color, but for some reason blue corn grown in New Mexico tends to be on the greener side. This variety also isn’t blue all the way through—sort of like purple skinned potatoes that are white on the inside.” The treated corn or nixtamal is now ready to be ground, which, for the purposes of this demonstration, Mayes does with a simple Victoria hand grinder that home cooks can purchase online. As Mayes cranks the nixtamal through the grinder (on the tightest setting for a fine ground), a greyish, blue-green masa (dough) emerges. He sprinkles in a teaspoon of salt while kneading the masa, and adds water a little at a time, until the consistency feels like Play-doh—smooth and springy but not sticky or gummy. Mayes rolls the dough into golf balls in his hands and places one in the center of a cast iron tortilla press lined with a sheet of plastic. “Plastic grocery bags or a Ziploc bag cut in half work great for this,”
he says. Mayes then covers the top of the ball with another sheet of plastic and brings the top of the press down over the dough and presses with the handle until a beautiful flat tortilla forms. The chef carefully removes the plastic and lays the raw tortilla onto a hot dry griddle. After only a few seconds, the tortilla starts to puff and smell of popcorn. Once Mayes can move the tortilla around freely with his fingertips, he flips it to toast the other side, a step he repeats every thirty seconds or so for about two minutes until each side is dry and just beginning to show some brown, toasted spots. At last, Mayes hands me the piping hot tortilla. I blow on it feverishly while taking in its sweet scent. With my first bite I know I won’t be able to go back to rubbery factory-made disks. The flavor is a perfect balance of sweet and earthy, the texture luxuriously soft and chewy. I want another. The process of making corn tortillas from scratch has turned out to be completely worth it from a flavor standpoint, but it was time consuming. I leave with a deeper appreciation for all the grandmothers, home cooks, and chefs taking the time to keep this art alive. To echo Chef Mayes: we should support the people who are doing things the right way. For the detailed recipe, please visit ediblenm.com. Paloma 401 South Guadalupe, Santa Fe, 505-467-8624 palomasantafe.com
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THE PLATE
A Los Lunas Café with a Foreign Accent EUROPA COFFEE.TEA.BAKERY MIXES FARM-RAISED FARE WITH FINDS FROM ABROAD By Joanna Manganaro Toto · Photos by Stephanie Cameron
Left: House-made savory quiche. Right: Soup of the day.
Thomas Dollahite, proprietor of Los Lunas’ Peculiar Farms and Europa Coffee.Tea.Bakery, speaks in paragraphs, not sentences. He peppers his lively conversation with improbable questions (“Have you ever been to Latvia?”), surprising tidbits about his life (“I've probably done twenty-something archeological digs in Israel”), and obscure trivia (“The honey quality in Bulgaria is amazing because they have the best-preserved forests left in Europe!”). A person so well-traveled, culturally astute, and keen on talking about it can easily come off as condescending or pompous, but Dollahite does not. Instead, his genuine enthusiasm for learning about other cultures and sharing their artisanal goods is contagious, and it is palpable for anyone who enters Europa Coffee.Tea.Bakery. The structure in which the café is located was once used as a milking barn for the cattle Dollahite and his family have raised for generations. Exposed beams on the ceiling give it an airy feel, as do huge south-facing windows that look out onto the fields of Peculiar Farms, where cows languidly graze. Robin's-egg blue walls are stylishly accented with fresh, white subway tiles and dark-stained wood. The center of the café’s main room houses a small market, with shelves full of items Dollahite has discovered through his travels: intricately cro50
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cheted necklaces from Cappadocia, Turkey; date spread from Israel; stuffed animals from Bulgaria; currant jam from the U.K. At the café’s counter, one can order espresso drinks as well as charcuterie plates, sandwiches, quiches, and soups made with seasonal ingredients, most of which come from the adjacent farm. The menu is small and satisfying now, but a new, much larger kitchen, scheduled to be in place in early 2019, will allow the ambitious Dollahite more space to expand his offerings. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, a carload of chattering middle-aged folks walked into the café. They were a local couple taking visiting friends out to lunch. One's accent revealed she was French. Another's hard consonants suggested German origins. They excitedly discussed the menu, questioning the friendly young man behind the counter about the lox dish and the house-made soup. Dollahite notes that cosmopolitan guests are not out of the norm at Europa, despite its rural setting. He says, “There’s a lot of people—I think because of the cost of living—who have moved down and settled here, who are from all over the place.” Illustrating his point, several minutes later, a stylish sixty-something woman from New Zealand popped her head into the back seating area to say hello to Dollahite.
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THE PLATE
Left: Amanda and Thomas Dollahite with their three children. Right: Salmon lox with tomato, cucumber, capers, and labneh cheese.
She went on to station herself at the counter facing the fields of cattle, pulling out a skein of yarn to work on a knitting project. Dollahite has made a concerted effort to create a welcoming space for his knitting friend and all of his other customers. His travels inform this aspect of the restaurant, as well. He says, “There’s a chain in Israel called Café Café, and their slogan is ‘take your time.’ At the average coffeehouse, there’s a point where you can kinda tell you shouldn’t be there anymore, and sometimes you’re treated like you’re a fool if you ask a question. [At Europa] I wanted staff that was overthe-top hospitable. I wanted people to feel like they’re at home and to settle in and feel like they can stay here for a long time.” Europa Coffee.Tea.Bakery is less than thirty minutes from downtown Albuquerque, and Dollahite says that many customers enjoy making the scenic drive down. However, Europa’s most fervent fans seem to be from Los Lunas. “In our community—nothing at all disparaging about New Mexican food—but that’s mainly the offering, so you have a lot of New Mexican restaurants, and that’s it. So to offer something in Los Lunas with a little more variety and 52
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a little more of an international flair, it gives people options, and that’s wonderful,” Dollahite says. He adds, “The one thing I’ve been surprised by is how many people have approached me to say ‘Thank you for giving us the opportunity to have this specific type of place.’ That’s been neat to see.” In addition to expanding Europa’s kitchen and menu, Dollahite, father of three children under the age of five, has a head-spinning number of plans for his property and beyond. He hopes to build a 12,000 square-foot greenhouse that will allow him to grow more vegetables, add an Airbnb space to the two he currently runs, launch a floral service to add to the amenities he offers for weddings and events, lead biannual culinary/archeological tours of the Holy Land, and cultivate relationships with the artisans he has met near the properties he and his wife, Amanda, own in Bulgaria. Though a list like that would give the average person an anxiety attack, Dollahite might just have the energy and drive to pull it all off. Europa Coffee.Tea.Bakery 2105 Highway 314 NW, Los Lunas, 505-328-3874, foodfarmfestival.com
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EDIBLE COMMUNITY
Making Their Mark, with Love INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT WORKSHOP CREATES OPPORTUNITIES AND TEXTILE PRODUCTS By Nora Hickey · Photos by Stacey M. Adams
Liberata Norora from the Democratic Republic of Congo printing dish towels at Kei & Molly Textiles.
You may have noticed something appearing in kitchens across New Mexico—leisurely, at first, the uniquely patterned white linens hanging on an oven door, shrouding a bowl of rising dough, wiping away the crumbs of a fine meal. And then suddenly, there was an explosion. Flour sack dish towels, sponge cloths, potholders, and more are now in kitchens nationwide and in the glossy pages of Epicurious and Martha Stewart Living. Kei & Molly Textiles, an Albuquerque original, is soaring. From their workshop and storefront in the International District, the same neighborhood where they dreamed up their business idea nine years ago, Kei Tsuzuki and Molly Luethi take stock of how far they’ve come. “We were mixing inks at my house on the kitchen table,” Tsuzuki remembers with a laugh. From that humble table, Tsuzuki and Luethi cooked up a widely beloved business that produces charming 54
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and functional products, all the while empowering their employees. For these friends and business partners, starting a company that would help their community was tantamount to making high-quality goods. Being familiar with the immigrant experience themselves, Tsuzuki (originally from Japan and Montreal) and Luethi (who grew up in Switzerland) hoped to provide jobs and skills to refugee women. “We’re very comfortable being in a studio where different languages are spoken and everyone is teaching each other,” Luethi says. This desire, you could say, is woven in the very fabrics that display a range of striking images. One day in 2010, Tsuzuki and Luethi first began exploring their business idea. At the time, both worked in the nonprofit sector and yearned to branch out, while keeping the philanthropic ethos of the nonprofit world. “We wanted to do something—a social enterprise to help create
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Molly Luethi and Kei Tsuzuki, creators of Kei & Molly Textiles.
Olga Sida from the Ukraine taking notes from Luethi.
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Custom, nontoxic inks are mixed for screen printing all the textiles.
jobs in our neighborhood,” Tsuzuki explains. “We wanted to create a business that creates jobs, that is sustainable,” Luethi adds. And build one they did. Currently, they employ ten women, many of whom are refugees resettled in the Albuquerque area. They work with Lutheran Family Services to staff their store, and their employees hail from the States to the Philippines to Cuba to the Democratic Republic of Congo. For all employees, Tsuzuki and Luethi provide training and an opportunity to learn new skills—no matter the level of expertise. “Everyone is learning and teaching each other how to do this work—we do all the training in-house,” Luethi says. One of the best parts of working together is learning about each person’s culture and personality. “No one is scared of language issues—we figure out how to show each other and people start learning each other’s languages,” Luethi explains. To create the sundry textiles, Tsuzuki and Luethi start with an image. “Kei and I both do the designs,” Luethi explains. After close to ten years of working together, Tsuzuki notes, “Our aesthetics are kind of melding together.” And these united visuals are a delight—they run the gamut from New Mexico landscapes and symbols to flora and fauna of all kinds. The custom-mixed inks render the pictures bold and soft, the colors a joyful rainbow. The women they hire, who learn many steps of the process including mixing inks and overseeing orders and shipping, do the printing in the studio. “From the very beginning, we wanted to come to a place of work where people are supported and happy,” Tsuzuki says. “Work doesn’t have to be a grind every day.”
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, the work at Kei & Molly’s Textiles does not, indeed, appear to be drudgery. A group of women in the workshop can be seen through a large plate glass window, folding towels and talking. The front store is filled with sunlight and the subtle scent of lavender—from Bluefly Farms in Peralta—lingers in the air. Along with the growing line of textiles, the shop stocks a variety of products from around New Mexico: apricot jam from Red Tractor Farm, raw honey from the Taos Honey Co. These additional items in the store are further evidence that Tsuzuki and Luethi are well aware of who uses their products. “People who like being in their kitchens!” Luethi exclaims. “We love hearing from bakers who like our towels for proofing bread, caterers who give them away as gifts, people who wrap their tortillas in them,” Luethi says. These same customers are undoubtedly also attracted to the ecofriendly practices at the business. Here, water-friendly, nontoxic inks, and solar energy are used to make the products. “We didn’t want a studio that would cause people to get sick because they were using chemicals all day,” says Tsuzuki. But what really sets Kei & Molly Textiles apart is the group that gathers each day to coax colorful landscapes from a blank canvas. “It’s really fun to be good bosses,” Tsuzuki says with a smile. “We’re all like a family now.” Kei & Molly Textiles 4400 Silver SE, Albuquerque, 505-268-4400, keiandmolly.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Handmade Pottery and the Locavore Movement By Jen DePaolo
Pottery from various Gathered pop-up dinners. Photos courtesy of Gathered.
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I’m on a mission to build my life around my place. As the locavore movement has led many of us to ask where our food comes from and how it was grown, my work over the past decade has invited me to extend that inquiry to our collected objects. Making things by hand is fundamental to being human, but across the world, artists struggle to earn a living in this era of object saturation and cheap goods. Community support for locally made objects supports the creation of high-quality objects and builds our cultural wealth. It can also help bring us closer to the food we eat and land we rely upon.
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As we learn about how industrial production can be toxic for people and landscapes—from sweatshops and pollution to carcinogenic materials in clothing and furniture—we grow dismayed, but perhaps fail to consider that our consumer dollars are the votes that prop up these systems. We have more power than we think we do. We can practice sales resistance, being careful to avoid the purchase of objects that don’t actually improve our lives. Farmer, writer, and activist Wendell Berry implores us in his recent “A Poem on Hope” when he writes, “Hope then, to belong to your place by your own knowledge of what it is that no other place is, and by your caring for it as you care for no other place.” We have an opportunity to support our place and its people through our purchasing power. Local growers and makers care about the quality of their land, the safety of their factories and workshops, and their customers’ satisfaction. My experiences as an artist and cook have shaped the way I care for my place. I carefully craft my pottery in small batches for regular use with all types of food. I use a porcelain clay body that fires into a strong and chip resistant surface. I make my own “liner” materials: slips and glazes line the inside of my pots. These whiteon-white materials are stain resistant, complement the colors and textures of food, and are free of trace metals and toxins that might leach into food. Each of my pots is a unique art object designed to encourage contemplation of our membership in our local ecosystem. My pots are layered with imagery that connects body and landscape. Intricate drawings on the interiors of my pots evoke organ and plant life synonymously. While I make my pottery, I envision the people who will gather around their use. I am lucky that my place is Albuquerque, a city rich with growers, producers, and artists. Albuquerque’s collaborative spirit has allowed me to build socially engaged art projects that bring people together to explore and celebrate our local art, food, and culture. Between You and Me is a project that brings people face-to-face for conversation over a shared meal on handmade pottery. Guests address conversation prompts that encourage us to find commonalities and appreciate differences between us. In 2016, I partnered with Stephanie Cameron of edible to run Gathered, a series of pop-up dinners that celebrates local food, art, and culture. Each year we assemble a team of diverse chefs and artists to host unique events at venues that have included Valle Encantado Farm, Sanitary Tortilla Factory, Heidi’s Jam Factory, Savory Spice Shop, and Osuna Nursery. I collaborate with a team
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TOOLS OF THE TRADE
From top left, clockwise: Pottery by Jen DePaolo, Sarah Newberry, Lauren Karle, and Maggie Beyeler. Photos courtesy of the artists.
of talented local potters, which has included H. P. Bloomer, Maggie Beyeler, Sarah Newberry, and Lauren Karle, to create enough pottery to serve six courses for fifty diners. Gathered has grown from the many cultures and ecosystems that shape New Mexico. Our work is paralleled by place-based collaborations happening across the country, such as chef Dan Barber’s collaboration with potter Julie Hadley for Blue Hill restaurant in New York. Critical inquiry might prompt sacrifice and boycotting, but in a state as rich with creativity as ours, this practice will lead you home. Most of my collectors are people who know me in some capacity, and I am increasingly getting to know the farmers who grow my food and the cooks who prepare it. Gathered events manifest a commitment to living locally as a way to know and care for our place 60
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and its people. We invite you to join the celebrations. Let’s open a conversation about your role in your place, and the ways you’ve found to care for it.
Join us for two Gathered events this spring! On April 6, we will host Gathered: Common Ground at Kei and Molly’s Textiles in the International District. In May, we welcome you to Gathered: Earth Mother Love at Rancho Gallina to explore community-driven sustainability practices over brunch in a pastoral setting. Ticket prices include a salad plate from one of our potters. Learn more and purchase tickets at gatherednm.com.
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The Butcher’s Art RESTORING A PATH FROM PASTURE TO PLATE By Briana Olson · Photos by Stephanie Cameron
Preparing blind tasting at butchery demo.
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I
t’s Sunday morning when we gather at Polk’s Folly Farm, but if there’s reverence in the air—and there is—it’s not flowing from a shared religious tradition. Though it’s cool, early November, any dawn frost has melted off, and birds chatter in the juniper as we circle, introducing ourselves and our reasons for coming. “Mortality is all around us,” says butcher and educator Adam Danforth, but we obscure it—and not just with the animals we eat. Danforth is here to guide us through the first and most elemental cut of Meat Matters, a two-day workshop hosted by edible New Mexico, Good Meat Project, and Chefs Collaborative, and his observation is made palpable by our surroundings. Some hundred feet away, Big Ben lounges with a dozen other pigs, piled atop one another for warmth, while pigs in neighboring pens root and till, slowly turning wood mulch to fertilizer. Nearer, in the barn, stand the lambs who arrived a couple weeks earlier. And, of course, we are there, breathing in the crisp mountain air. Many of those present are chefs, come to learn what’s not taught in culinary school and is rarely passed along by mentors. Some are farmers, and one neighbor’s interest in butchery is of the most essential kind: he has a family to feed. This is where meat begins: with life. Regardless of the hard skills we each hope to take away, we are also here to honor the lives of the animals we butcher and eat. As Danforth outlines the slaughter we’re about to witness and participate in, he encourages us to be nervous, to be open, and not to overthink our potential reactions. He’s asking us, above all, to be present. I have never witnessed the killing of an animal for food, but I feel unexpectedly calm as we stand out of sight, waiting for a lamb to be carried to the large, soft bales of hay where it will be restrained while Danforth stuns it with a captive bolt—a tool he recommends for its precision in rendering an animal insensible to pain before it is bled. Following the bleeding, he holds the lamb for a few minutes, both to control any throes and to take the time to experience, acknowledge, and confirm its transition from life to death. The process is quick and peaceful. Tears spring to the eyes of the woman next to me, and I know that she’s offering a silent prayer. “That’s the most important thing as a farmer,” I overhear Ethan Withers, of Polk’s Folly Farm, say afterward to one of the chefs. “Actually,” he corrects himself, “the most important thing is the raising, taking care of [the animals]—and then, making sure their
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passing is as good as their living.” What is well known among farmers, and perhaps less commonly understood by urban consumers, is that animal farmers, especially small-scale farmers like the Withers family, who live close to their animals and work outside the industrial model, care deeply how their animals are treated during slaughter. Most have at one time or another experienced the pain of seeing their animals stressed or mistreated at a slaughter facility. And as Danforth reminds us, just as the life of an animal influences the integrity of its meat, so does the quality of its death. Skinning the animal is an intimate act, requiring a balance of delicacy and force. The lamb hoisted into the air, its hide cut down the center, I push my fist between the hide and the fell, and feel the animal’s lingering warmth. At every step, from this moment to the removal of organs to trimming connective tissue from the tenderloin on the butcher table, we are educated in the beauty of anatomy—and scarcity. There is enough tongue for just one taco. The single burgundy spleen, the rich brown liver, the antifreeze-green fluid of the gallbladder, which Danforth tells us is used in Asian cooking for bitterness. The caul fat, removed from outside the animal’s intestines, resembles a lacy shawl. Wrapped around a roast, Danforth says, it is delectable. “So many people revere tenderness,” he tells us that afternoon, when we’ve reconvened in the airy classroom at Three Sisters Kitchen in downtown Albuquerque, “but they don’t realize there’s an inverse relationship between flavor and tenderness. . . . ‘Melt in your mouth’ is to me an absurdity for something I actually enjoy chewing.” At first, we sit in rows, studying labeled cuts of mutton while Danforth explains the anatomical facts that underpin his approach to butchery: Meat is muscle, and fibers—elongated cells stacked together—are the basis for a muscle. Connective tissue, collagen, which gives structure to muscles, is the most defining factor in tenderness. A fat cell is like a piece of Tupperware filled with oil, and is most responsible for the characteristic differences in flavor between different species. The depth and complexity of flavor in a steak or chop, Danforth insists, is the result not of fat, but of work. Here, as at the farm, Danforth is unafraid of drawing our attention to the life of the animals. Short ribs, he tells us, are delicious because they do work every time the animal breathes. The nearby serratus ven-
What is well known among farmers, and perhaps less commonly understood by urban consumers, is that animal farmers, especially small-scale farmers like the Withers family, who live close to their animals and work outside the industrial model, care deeply how their animals are treated during slaughter. WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Left to right: Jason Greene from the Grove Cafe, Derek Wagner from Nick's on Broadway, Briana Olson from edible New Mexico.
tralis, known as the Denver steak and used for Korean kalbi, turns out to be a favorite during the blind tasting that follows his demo. Seared and lightly salted, the sirloin earns fewer votes than the skirt, whose earthiness Danforth attributes to its work as the diaphragm. Compared to the tenderloin, the less familiar flatiron elicits more praise. What stands out most, though, is that every bite of this meat—mutton, from a three-year-old sheep—is savory and satisfying. Danforth’s message is not just that working muscles become more flavorful meat than lesser-used ones, but that fetishizing certain cuts is a disservice to ourselves and to the animals. From a six hundred fifty-pound cow, a butcher might process four hundred fifty pounds of boneless beef— just ten pounds of which will be beef tenderloin. At a single pound, the hangar steak is even scarcer. “It’s not about speed,” Derek Wagner, co-chair of Chefs Collaborative and chef/owner of Nick’s on Broadway in Providence, Rhode Island, tells us the next day. “It’s about accuracy.” Wagner, who introduces himself as an accidental butcher because his restaurant’s whole animal program grew from his difficulty sourcing local meat any other way, is coaching us on the importance of keeping the muscles in good shape so they’ll last. For Wagner, and any chef who decides to transform their kitchen with whole animal butchery, the practice of using everything is economic as well as ethical. He instructs us to press the knife against the bone to cut away the greatest amount of meat, and to have a mise en place with separate containers for trim and fat. Observing his customers’ behavior has also changed the way he serves. Why waste nutrientrich bones simply to present a customer with a Frenched rack of lamb? Yes, it’s pretty, but Wagner has noticed that customers often struggle 64
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with bones, and ultimately get less meat when served bone-in cuts. He now serves most cuts boneless, saving bones for stocks, and reserves fat for tallow, which he uses for accents and sauces. Artichoke Café and Oni Noodles chef David Gaspar de Alba, who since the workshop has made tallow a regular component in more of his dishes, points out that Wagner’s advice is contrary to what cooks are usually taught—to save time, not product. “Stand up straight,” says Camas Davis, executive director of Portland, Oregon’s Good Meat Project. “Butcher’s grip,” she says, reminding me to wrap my fingers and thumb around the handle for stability and leverage. We’ve moved to our own tables, set up where yesterday sat rows of chairs, to put the butcher’s art to practice. She tells me to move around the table, hold the knife’s tip to bone, draw it all the way through in a clean line. Just as yesterday I wondered if I’d be troubled by eating mutton after witnessing an animal’s death, I wondered if today I’d find it disconcerting to break down recognizable parts of an animal with the life of the animal in mind. But as I struggle to cut meat away from the spine—“you’re doing great,” Davis insists—my respect grows, not just for artisanal butchers, but for everyone who works to bring animals to the table, from underpaid meat cutters at industrial slaughterhouses to supermarket butchers and meat counter staff. I find myself becoming more connected, and more comfortable, with the reality of meat, and more open to the different ways a leg of lamb can be cut and prepared. At the Good Meat Project, Davis brings butchery to home cooks and consumers, and I’m not surprised when she reports that when people “take part in the basic processes of getting meat to the table, they completely reevaluate their relationship to meat.”
Left: Adam Danforth with Marjory Sweet of Otter Farm and Rosebar. Right: Renée Fox and Dave Readyhough from Loyal Hound with Danforth.
“Chefs can enact change simply by featuring ingredients on their menu,” Wagner says, and over lunch Danforth talks about powerful food memories, explosive flavors tied to place, like “the first olive you ate in Spain.” Sometimes those memories are tied to experience of a new landscape—the citrus notes of the olive intertwined with the memory of riding through hills woven with olive groves—but we can also experience place through food. After the workshop, Jason Greene of The Grove tells me how much easier it’s gotten to source locally than when they opened thirteen years ago. “I love educating consumers on local product,” he says, excitement rising in his voice as he talks about letting Albuquerque diners in on vegetable varietals they may not have known were being grown locally. Still, connecting with local producers can be a challenge for chefs as for consumers, and Greene notes that one perk of attending a workshop like this is learning that, for instance, Victor Perez Cravens Ranch delivers whole, pastureraised lamb and sheep to the Albuquerque area. The movement from slaughter to demo to blind tasting to hands-on butchering is a movement toward the pragmatic, what is needed to bring whole animal butchery into a kitchen. But the line moves backward, as well, because without these programs in restaurants, without chefs who connect to the process of bringing meat to their tables, or diners who broaden their palates, there’s less demand for sustainable animal farming. “Just as a chef looks for appreciation from their patrons,” Farina’s Eliza Esparza tells me, “we as chefs need to appreciate the hardworking farmers who raise animals and grow food for our restaurants.” Gaspar de Alba also expresses a reinforced sense of responsibility—to diners, and to animals—for consciously sourcing ingredients
while eliminating waste. For Danforth, instilling pride in the trade is key. As a member of the international Butcher’s Manifesto, he hopes to capture the knowledge of elders before it’s lost. “Just as languages are dying,” he says, “food practices are dying out.” At a holiday party a few weeks later, the table behind us brimming with pork, someone asks me, “Why do you think so many people are comfortable eating factory farmed meat?” The short answer is that I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m involved in the life of an animal every time I eat meat, but in some cases I, like many others, am so detached from the animals and the process that I may as well be eating a byproduct of fossil fuel. I know that when I arrive home with a box of butcher-paper-wrapped fat, trim, bones, belly, chops, rounds, and loins from the mutton Danforth broke down and the lamb we butchered ourselves, I’m conscious that this meat is precious. And in all the preparations through which we will experience these animals—Derek Wagner’s simple, stunning tartare; Jason Greene’s lamb stew; Eliza Esparza’s meatballs tossed with tomato saffron sauce, English peas, and linguine; the shank and shoulder marinating in chile paste in my refrigerator—there’s joy in knowing they were raised by New Mexicans on high plains blue grama grass, and a unique respect derived from our personal connection. At home, too, we can extend our gratitude beyond the family and friends who cook for us, to the farmers and butchers and animals producing our food. threesisterskitchen.org, polksfolly.com, goodmeatproject.org, victorperezcravensranch.com, chefscollaborative.org For an in-depth photo essay visit ediblenm.com/meatmatters WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Crafted in Steel SHEHAN PRULL'S LONG JOURNEY BACK TO SANTA FE By Michael Dax · Photos by Stephanie Cameron
Knife being forged with hydraulic hammer.
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@TravelNewMexico
ars whiz by the nondescript storefront guarded by chainlink fence on Rufina Street as Shehan Prull creates his mixture of pine charcoal and coke, a refined derivative of coal. He shovels a few small loads into the Japanesestyle brick forge he constructed himself, and with a handful of paper and some kindling, he lights a fire. Within minutes it is blazing. After the fire has had a chance to reach temperature, Prull, a Santa Fe native, stokes it a couple more times. He casually pushes additional amounts of charcoal and coke onto the fire with his hands, which sport a seemingly permanent gray hue—something blacksmiths have likely endured for millennia. With the fire fully glowing, Prull places a long, rectangular blade of bar stock made from stainless and high-carbon steel into the flaming hot coals.Within a few minutes, the long, shiny bar has been transformed into a glowing red. He removes it and places it on the anvil adjacent to the forge. Holding the blade in his right hand, Prull hammers with his left, lifting the rectangular head high above his own before swinging down, smoothly but forcefully, and beating a rough point into the previously rigid piece of metal. After a couple strong blows, he returns the blade to the forge to get it up to temperature again. Upon removing the blade for the second time, Prull places it underneath a hydraulic hammer controlled with his foot. With each stroke, he moves the blade across the platform so that it strikes every inch of the glowing bar to ensure it flattens evenly. He reheats the blade and hammers another round before returning it to the anvil to cut it to size. Reheating it once again, he places the blade back on the anvil using a set of heavy metal tongs. Prull makes a small cut towards the back of the blade to set the shoulder and create the tang, which will eventually serve as the basis for a handle. When he is finished, the formerly smooth, shiny piece of bar stock has been transformed. It is black and rough, but it has assumed a shape, resembling the knife it will eventually become. Prull began working with metal when he was eleven years old. Growing up next to world-renowned blacksmith, Tom Joyce, whose ornamental designs are featured across the country, Prull was invited into his studio, and through high school, worked each summer
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and during holiday breaks as an apprentice to Joyce. Rather than knives, however, Joyce’s training focused on traditional, westernstyle blacksmithing techniques with a focus on contemporary design, sculpture, and architectural detail. Prull was ready to forgo college and jump directly into a career in blacksmithing following high school but had doubts about choosing such a definitive and potentially risky career path at such a young age. After spending a year away from his craft at St. Andrews College in Scotland, however, he was more convinced than ever that blacksmithing was his calling. “This offered me a greater combination of things I care about and find interesting,” says Prull. “From the physical aspect, the artistic, the scientific, it had so many components that were stimulating to me, I started to think this is as interesting as anything could be.” So he returned to Santa Fe and resumed his internship under Joyce, making intricate gates, ornamental handrails, chandeliers, and other such high-end design items. But living in his hometown, Prull grew restless. Inspired by an interest in Japanese language and culture, Prull moved to the Land of the Rising Sun, and eventually secured an apprenticeship outside Osaka under Hiroshi Ashi, a well-known master knife-maker. Before then, Prull had not worked with knives and didn’t have much interest either. He wanted to do work that required complicated forging, and as he acknowledges, “The forging on knives is pretty repetitive.” But knife-making apprenticeships were the only ones that paid, and after seeing Ashi’s work, he was hooked. “The subtle beauty of the finished work was just spellbinding,” he recalls. During his two years of working under Ashi, Prull learned techniques like honyaki, which uses a differential heat treatment to produce a ghost line on the knife blade. “When I saw it, I didn’t really understand it,” he remembers. “I thought I had been doing this long enough to have a sense of how pretty much every traditional piece of metal craft is made, and yet I had no idea how they did it.” This sense of wonder and curiosity drove Prull to learn as much as possible, so that when he returned to Santa Fe in 2009, he was ready to break out on his own. For a few months, he worked under another local blacksmith, Peter Joseph, and when Joseph decided to build a
With the fire fully glowing, Shehan Prull places a long, rectangular blade of bar stock made from stainless and high-carbon steel into the flaming hot coals. Within a few minutes, the long, shiny bar has been transformed into a glowing red. WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Prull hammering and shapening knives.
new studio for himself, he offered Prull the opportunity to take over his old workshop and set out on his own. At first, Prull did some of the same custom ornamental work he had been doing under Joyce and Joseph, but as soon as he could, he turned his focus solely to knives. Since then, he has developed a style that strikes a balance between the light, thinner, and harder Japanese knives and the heavier, thicker, and softer German-style knives. Most of his retail business has depended on distributing to highend kitchen stores in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New Orleans, but he has also been able to make inroads into Santa Fe’s local restaurant scene, and his work has reached a number of prominent local chefs. “They’re spectacular,” says Rocky Durham, executive chef at the Blue Heron Restaurant at Sunrise Springs. “It’s the smartest purchase I’ve ever made with my professional kit.” “The knives I get from Shehan have quickly become some of my favorite knives,” says Joel Coleman, co-owner and head chef at Fire and Hops. “The quality craftsmanship and attention to detail are pretty impressive.” As a way of further embedding himself in Santa Fe’s cooking community, Prull occasionally conducts sharpening seminars and has provided same-day sharpening services for the staff of local restaurants. These are opportunities he hopes to expand upon. He already offers sharpening services out of his showroom on Rufina Street, open to any well-crafted set of knives, and he is considering hosting seminars for the general public. 68
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Prull has a number of knives for retail sale in the showroom, along with hand-crafted blade covers, imported Japanese whetstones, and wall-mounted magnetic knife holders. A couple times a year, he also makes small runs of hunting knives and garden trowels, only available in the showroom. He is excited to share his craft with more of Santa Fe, but recognizes people may balk not only at the price, but also at the care his knives require. The carbon steel can be susceptible to corrosion, so it’s important that the knives are cleaned and dried frequently. “I try to walk the line between not scaring people off because I think it’s really worth it and really rewarding and a bit of patina can be embraced and loved and appreciated.” This is something Durham acknowledges as well. “You have to maintain them,” he says. “But it’s made me a better cook because it keeps me focused. I have to pay attention to things like what are you going to cut first, did you clean your knife afterwards, let’s maintain that edge really well. It’s become a real discipline and reminder of looking after the details.” Naturally, Prull has become a bit of a stickler for valuing good knives. “Sharpening and maintaining the knife is so critical to getting all that it has to offer,” says Prull. At the same time, he tries not to take himself too seriously. “I like to think I have a good sense of humor, but definitely think to myself ‘how do [people] live with a dull knife?’” After the forged blade has had a chance to cool, Prull heats it again in a muffle furnace, where it is held at temperature and cooled slowly
Shehan Prull and the 52100 steel blade knife.
so that it remains malleable even once it has returned to room temperature. Using a small, Japanese-style shear, Prull then cuts and shapes the blade so that it fully resembles the finished knife it is inching closer to being. But because it is so soft, the metal blade must go through one last round of heating and cooling. One of the newest items in Prull’s studio is a salt bath heater, which reaches temperatures as high as 900°C. Compared to air, the molten salt transfers heat to the blade much faster, saving time, and when Prull cools it, he does so quickly, so that the molecules of the steel set in a pattern that will produce the rigidity and strength required of any good knife. After the knife is cooled for the last time, it is ready to be sharpened. For this, Prull relies on two water wheel stone sharpeners that cycle through a large water bath, which helps mitigate the amount of unpleasant grinding, a task that initially dissuaded Prull from knife making. Against a fast-moving wheel that throws off small droplets of water, Prull carefully holds each unsharpened blade to the grindstone, letting speed and friction do the work. A large knife will take as long as twenty-five minutes between the coarse and fine grained wheels to develop the desired edge, but within minutes, much of the blackened roughness has been smoothed away to reveal the glossy sheen that suggests a finished product. Even so, for many of his knives, Prull
leaves the top of the blade untouched. “It’s nice to visually show that process—the fact that it was forged,” he says. Finally, he stamps his logo and engraves his initials by hand into each knife, then adds a handle. Until now, most of his handles have been imported from Japan and are of the same magnolia wood with a water buffalo horn collar that his mentor, Ashi, uses. But he has begun to make his own handles using ash or honey mesquite, complemented with a nickel-silver accent piece. Prull occasionally experiments with other woods, and in the next year is planning to make all of his handles in-house. It is this complete dedication to craft and attention to detail that initially drew him to this work and has kept him engaged for so long. For him, it’s as much about process as it is the final product. “It’s an arbitrary distinction between craft and art,” he notes. “I may be more of a craftsperson because I care so much about how it was done, not just what it looks like.” Labels aside, Prull continues to push himself—perfecting techniques, employing new materials, and literally putting his work under a microscope to ensure it is of the highest quality possible. And now that he is firmly settled into his new shop and showroom, Prull is ready to bring fine knives to as many people as possible. Shi.han 2923 Rufina, Santa Fe, shihanfineknives.com WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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The Taste of Clay MICACEOUS POTS OF NORTHERN NEW MEXICO By Marjory Sweet
Felipe Ortega micaceous pot. Photo by Douglas Merriam.
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t’s just after 6pm but it feels like midnight in La Madera. It is completely dark outside, except for the stars and a few strings of holiday lights. It is dim inside Johnny Ortiz’s farmhouse, too. A selection of bowls and cooking pots are laid out, and at first glance, they appear as dark as the winter night. I pick up one bowl, shockingly thin and lightweight for a ceramic piece, and turn it toward the glow of the fire. “Even tap water tastes better in one of these,” I’ve been told. A glittery surface shines in the light. Tiny flecks of what appears to be gold and silver are scattered throughout the matte black exterior. The glitter comes from local mica and the ashen surface from smoke. The optical effect is magical; just a hint of the extraordinary story these pots hold. Ortiz is the creator and chef of Shed, an ongoing dinner series based in La Madera that celebrates foraged and farmed ingredients native to northern New Mexico. The wild plums, honey mesquite, and heirloom white corn are not the only hand-crafted elements of the meal. “When I started Shed, I wanted to make my own ceramics,” Ortiz explains. Initially, this meant porcelain ware, which he learned how to create while living in California. When the dinners found a home in New Mexico, however, he wanted something that resonated with the place. “I’m from Taos Pueblo and we have a tradition of micaceous, pit-fired pottery, so it felt right.” Not only would it be economical for Ortiz to create his own plates and bowls from local materials, it would be an opportunity for him to honor this personally significant cultural practice. Micaceous clay runs through all aspects of Ortiz’s life and work. His cooking pots are micaceous, as are all of his serving dishes. (If you’ve attended a Shed dinner, you’ve eaten on one.) He soaks film in a watery solution of the clay and uses it to photograph his cooking, his animals, and the natural world around him. In the hallway hang gauzy, pinkish window curtains that get their color from a micaceous dye. His brother, Brandon, also works in micaceous. Even the most unlikely elements of the micaceous practice find purpose in Ortiz’s world. He prepares us a cocktail: mezcal, tonic, and a native three-leaf sumac berry. Instead of ice cubes, frozen rocks of rose quartz chill the drink. “I sifted them out of the clay,” he says of the stones. We later taste the mezcal, Del Maguey Chichicapa, on its own, in a small micaceous sipping cup. It tastes exceptionally floral. I can’t tell if it’s the quality of the mezcal or the clay itself. “It does change flavor pretty considerably,” Ortiz says of the mica-rich pottery. Food has
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“more depth” and is “more dynamic,” he says. “Acidic things become sweeter,” he adds, which could account for the highly palatable drink. The relationship between the clay and the food or beverage it contains is fundamental to understanding these special pots. It is what makes micaceous equally soulful and practical. “These are living, breathing things. If you pour liquid into it, you can see the water line from the outside,” says Sunshine Lawley, of Pasqual’s gallery in Santa Fe, where they feature micaceous pottery. “It’s not vitrified and it’s not glazed, so all of the flavors are literally traveling throughout the clay,” explains Yolanda Rawlings, who has been working in micaceous for more than ten years and currently teaches it at Santa Fe Community College. Rawlings studied closely with Felipe Ortega, who is widely considered a master of the micaceous tradition. You can’t talk about the legacy of micaceous in New Mexico without mentioning Ortega, a Jicarilla Apache potter, who is widely credited for reviving and popularizing the tradition. When he was a kid, he told his mother he didn’t like the taste of beans. “You will like beans if you eat them from your grandmother’s pot,” she insisted. Unfortunately, this pot was the only one of its kind, and the last remaining village resident who knew how to make these valuable vessels was ninety years old and blind. Ortega went to her immediately, determined to learn the craft. His first five pots broke in the fire, but the sixth one survived. This small success defined the trajectory of his life. Ortega devoted himself to the micaceous tradition and shared that knowledge with locals and the world. He became a kind of micaceous missionary. “He shipped five hundred pounds of clay to Switzerland for a workshop,” says Katherine Kagel, the owner of Pasqual’s and an early, enthusiastic champion of Ortega’s work. She still recalls the taste of her first meal cooked in micaceous. It was local lamb, stewed in one of Ortega’s own pots, and the experience was life-changing. Her kitchen is now fully stocked in micaceous, as is her gallery. Ortega, who passed away last year, was an artist and a teacher, but above all he was a cook. Eating and gathering were central to his teaching career and he was constantly hosting groups at his studio in La Madera. “It wouldn’t be out of place for him to feed one hundred people . . . enchiladas, beans, rice, posole,” recalls Rawlings. “Turkey baked in a huge micaceous pots, in the horno. My favorite were his handmade corn tortillas.” She says, “The reason I was most drawn to micaceous was for the community. And I’ve tried to keep up Felipe’s legacy of building community around micaceous.”
The relationship between the clay and the food or beverage it contains is fundamental to understanding these special pots. It is what makes micaceous equally soulful and practical. WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Micaceous plate created and photographed by Johnny Ortiz.
Evidence of micaceous clay pottery dates back to at least AD 1300 in New Mexico. Mica-rich deposits are commonly found in volcanic, high-elevation regions such as the northern Rio Grande area. The tradition is most closely associated with the Taos and Picuris pueblos, but it was also used by the Jicarilla Apaches and other Native communities. Though in recent decades it has gained recognition as an art object, and contemporary Native artists are now working in micaceous, it is still predominantly considered a utilitarian craft. Technically, all micaceous pots are cooking pots, so you could use that ten thousand dollar gallery piece for making beans. Clay cooking is an ancient custom worldwide, but the mica-rich earth is uniquely well-suited to the task. Mica is extremely durable, conducts heat very evenly, and holds heat long after it’s been removed from the flame. It acts more like a little clay oven than a sauce pot. You can cook your beans or adovada over an open flame and then serve them at the table from the same, still-warm pot. For many home cooks in New Mexico, micaceous pots are synonymous with beloved, regional dishes. “Green chile stew, pinto beans,” says Rawlings. “Anything that relies on a slow cooking process.” Now, many pots even come with a lid that conveniently doubles as a tortilla warmer at the table. (Traditionally, the curve of the pot was designed to control liquid in a way that made a lid unnecessary.) They work just as well, though, for a Thai curry or Bolognese ragù. Ortiz hands me a shallow, heavy micaceous casserole that he likes for slow-roasting chickens. The micaceous bean pot, in the style of Felipe Ortega, remains the quintessential example: wide, open neck, curving into a rounded set of “shoulders,” then taper72
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ing to a base. Typically, they are a glittery burnt orange color with a few smoky marks, “fire clouds” as they are called. “It’s not that you can’t find micaceous other places,” Rawlings says, “but it’s prevalent here and it has a history.” She hands me a pot from her shelf, saying, “I mean, it’s literally from the Land of Enchantment!” Unlike a lot of traditional Pueblo pottery, micaceous pots are not decorated with painted designs. Even the most elaborate pieces find their beauty solely in form, smoke marks, and the texture and appearance of the mica-abundant clay. These utilitarian pieces become imprinted with the marks of life in a home kitchen. Oil stains, fire scorch, and the small chips along a paper thin edge all become part of each pot’s story. Most modern kitchen tools are designed to be used, dirtied, and then thoroughly cleaned to look new again, but you couldn’t put a micaceous pot in the dishwasher even if you wanted to. Perhaps because they are so rigorously hand-made (the clay is hand harvested and the pots are hand built, never wheel thrown) and culturally symbolic, micaceous pots seem to inspire the kind of appreciation and intimacy one might feel toward a family heirloom. Rawlings seems to know each of her micaceous pieces intimately and points out that her chai pot, for example, “was originally my first bean pot.” She says, “I always say if you can afford it, you should have one for sweet and one for savory. Certain pots I gravitate to because I’ve had success cooking in them before. Do they have a memory? Some people believe they do. I’m not sure it can be proven . . . but it’s nice to think that way, right?”
Yolanda Rawlings micaceous pot. Photo by Stephanie Cameron.
Ortiz describes his micaceous process the same way a farmer might describe a season in the field. “In the spring, I dig the clay. In the winter, I process it and build as much as I can when I can’t farm or forage. I fire in the spring when it’s warm and the pit is dry.” There is a strong kinship between micaceous pottery and the natural world. Rawlings also resonates with the agricultural-like spirit of the work. “I really believe in all the ceremony around it because I have that connection to nature.” Her cycle of work echoes Ortiz’s. “We harvest clay in the warmer months, once the earth has thawed. We only take what we need, maybe one truck-bed’s load.” Then begins the laborious process of mixing, sifting, and kneading the clay. Each artist approaches these steps somewhat differently, but the end result is a pliable clay, free of impurities, tempered by some quantity of mica. “The clay is eighty percent clay and twenty percent mica, and the slip [a slurry of clay that takes the place of a glaze in micaceous work] is the reverse, eighty percent mica and twenty percent clay,” Rawlings explains. She begins each pot by patting out a flat even circle of clay, handling it like dough. “We start with a ‘tortilla,’” she says affectionately. She builds the pot from the base up with coils of clay that are stacked and then smoothed. “Whenever I’m coiling I give thanks to the four directions, the spirit of the clay, and whatever my intentions are on that particular day,” she says. “That’s my commitment to Felipe. He was very concerned that the craft was going to go away, because it almost did.” Traditionally, micaceous work is always pit-fired, but for consistency and ease, some artists choose to fire in a kiln. Different firing techniques produce a different appearance on the exterior. “You develop a relationship with Clay Mother. And that’s
really what Felipe taught us. She was going to teach us about ourselves more than he ever could. And more than we ever could.” Micaceous pottery is always fired at a low temperature, so the clay remains porous and intermingles with its contents in a way that just isn’t possible in most cookware. It’s like the clay itself becomes another ingredient in whatever dish you’re preparing. “When you’re using metal to cook, the transfer of heat is rapid and it’s shocking to your food, whereas when you’re cooking with micaceous clay, it’s more of a slow, even heat. It lasts longer and it retains more flavor,” says Rawlings. Ask anyone who is familiar with micaceous cooking and the first thing they will tell you is that everything tastes better cooked in mica. The clay itself is alkaline and much of our food is acidic, so when the two combine, it’s possible that we experience a perfectly balanced flavor note. Another theory claims the alkalinity of the clay, mixed with the acidity of the mica itself, is what creates the enhanced flavor. Whatever the exact science may be, there is little doubt about its effect on food. “Many people believe that there is a sweeter taste from the clay. I just think it draws out flavor . . . and yes, the vessels are going to acquire a taste. Sometimes I will make cups without the slip, just so [the drink] can travel faster into the earthen clay,” Rawlings tells me. “Felipe used to have one pot just for beans and another for the tomato sauce—the clay really evened out the acidity.” Then again, the flavor might simply be a byproduct of the emotional experience of eating from a micaceous pot. “It just makes sense,” says Rawlings. “Your food comes from this earth, you should eat it out of something that also comes from the earth. It completes that cycle.” WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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Y O U R LO C A L S O URCE G UID E FOOD ARTISANS / RETAILER AlbuKirky Seasonings
AlbuKirky Seasonings specializes in finely crafted rubs, sauces, and jellies featuring red and green chile and other Southwest flavors. Albuquerque, albukirkyseasonings.com
Barrio Brinery
Bringing fine fermented foods to Santa Fe. We make our products by handcrafting small batches of flavorful goodness using only the finest ingredients.1413-B W Alameda, Santa Fe, 505-699-9812, barriobrinery.com
Bountiful Cow Cheese Company Purveyors of fine cheese, meats, and provisions from around the world. 505-473-7911, B-cow.com
Eldora Chocolate
Eldora crafts chocolate using natural, organic, and fair trade ingredients. 8114 Edith NE, Albuquerque, 505-433-4076, eldorachocolate.com
Heidi's Raspberry Farm
Sumptuous, organic raspberry jams available throughout New Mexico and online! 600 Andrews, Corrales, 505-898-1784, heidisraspberryfarm.com
La Montañita Coop
La Montañita Co-op is New Mexico's largest community-owned natural and organic food market. Locations in Albuquerque, Gallup, and Santa Fe, lamontanita.coop
New Mexico Ferments
Local, fresh, probiotic kombucha. Find us on tap at Albuquerque farmers markets as well as breweries and distilleries in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos. More info at newmexicoferments.com
Santa Fe Olive Oil & Balsamic Company
Balsamic Company offers the finest quality extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegar, gourmet salts, and delicious specialty foods. Locations in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Taos. santafeoliveoil.com
Savory Spice Shop
Spice specialist with a variety of blends as well as extracts, sauces, and specialty foods. 225 Galisteo, Santa Fe, 505-819-5659, savoryspiceshop.com/santafe
Skarsgard Farms
20 Buffalo Thunder Trail, Santa Fe, 505-455-5555, buffalothunderresort.com
El Morro RV Park and Cabin Rental
1 mile east of El Morro National Monument in Ramah, 505-783-4612, elmorro-nm.com
El Paradero
Our 200-year-old farmhouse, Santa Fe's oldest inn, is located in historic downtown Santa Fe. 220 West Manhattan, Santa Fe, 505-988-1177, elparadero.com
Heritage Hotels & Resorts
Providing guests with an authentic cultural experience in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, and Las Cruces. hhandr.com
Inn of the Anasazi
Featuring 58 rooms which reflect a sophisticated modern aesthetic celebrating the hotel’s southwestern spirit. 113 Washington, Santa Fe, 505-988-3030, rosewoodhotels. com/en/inn-of-the-anasazi-santa-fe
Inn on the Alameda
Relax and refresh—just two blocks from the historic Santa Fe plaza. 303 E Alameda, Santa Fe, 888-984-2121, innonthealameda.com
Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
4803 Rio Grande NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, 505-344-9297, lospoblanos.com
Rancho Gallina
Rancho Gallina is the greenest place to stay in Santa Fe. 31 Bonanza Creek, 505-438-1871, ranchogallina.com
Sarabande B & B
Comfort, elegance, and simplicity. 5637 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque, 505-348-5593, sarabandebnb.com
The Historic Taos Inn
125 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos, 575-758-2233, taosinn.com
NURSERIES & SERVICES deerBrooke
Irrigation and backflow prevention specialists. Repairs, installations, and consulting. 505-319-5730, NMLawnsprinklerexperts.com
Osuna Nursery
Delivering fresh, local, and organically grown produce and natural groceries to doorsteps across New Mexico. 505-681-4060, skarsgardfarms.com
A family-owned and operated nursery, gardening center, and landscaping company. 501 Osuna NE, Albuquerque, 505345-6644, osunanursery.com
88 Louisiana SE, Albuquerque, 505-268-0206, talinmarket.com
ORGANIZATIONS, EVENTS, & EDUCATION
Talin Market
LODGING
Buffalo Thunder, Hilton Santa Fe
Relaxing ambiance and luxurious amenities.
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ArtSmart
ARTsmart’s mission is to provide educational opportunities in the arts for children. artsmartnm.org
Chocolate and Coffee Fest
Expo NM State Fairgrounds, March 16–17 chocolateandcoffeefest.com
Mountain West Seed Summit
The Institute of the American Indian Arts, February 22–23 rockymountainseeds.org
New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
505-827-6364, newmexicoculture.org
New Mexico Museum Foundation
116 Lincoln, Santa Fe, 505-982-6366 ext.100, museumfoundation.org
New Mexico Wine
winecountrynm.com
OTHER SERVICES Garcia Auto Group
8449 Lomas NE, Albuquerque, garciacars.com
Kure
We pride ourselves on providing a unique, friendly, and welcoming environment. 220 North Guadalupe, 505-930-5339, kureforlife.com
RETAILERS
Next Best Thing to Being There
An eclectic shop for handmade products. 1315 Mountain NW, Albuquerque, 505-433-3204, beingthereabq.com
Sarabande Home
We have a passion for finding the perfect gift. 4022 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque,.505-344-1253, sarabandehome.com
The Golden Eye
Located in Santa Fe, we offer 18 karat and 22 karat gold jewelry handmade by local artisans. 115 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, 505-984-0040, goldeneyesantafe.com
WINE STORES Arroyo Vino
Nearly 1,000 hand-selected wines, beers, and spirits available to choose from, and the staff to help you decide. 218 Camino La Tierra, Santa Fe, 505-983-2100, arroyovino.com
Parcht
We are a wine and beer retail shop specializing in unique finds and local favorites. 103 East Plaza, Taos, 575-758-1994, parcht.com
Susan's Fine Wine and Spirits
Offering the selection you desire, and the service you deserve. 1005 S St. Francis, Santa Fe, 505-984-1582, sfwineandspirits.com
E A T & DRI N K LOCAL G UID E EATGRASSBURGER.COM
218 Gold Ave SW, ABQ 505-265-4933 hartfordsq.com
505 Central Ave NW | 4200 Lomas Blvd NE
Albuquerque • @humblecoffee
ALBUQUERQUE Ajiaco Colombian Bistro
Ajiaco’s varied Colombian cuisine is influenced by the diverse flora and fauna found around Colombia. 3216 Silver SE, 505-2662305, ajiacobistro.com
Artichoke Café
Fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, classic French techniques, extensive wine list, private dining, catering, and great atmosphere. 424 Central SE, 505-243-0200, artichokecafe.com
Campo at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
Rio Grande Valley cuisine rooted in seasonal organic ingredients from our own farm. 4803 Rio Grande NW, 505-344-9297, lospoblanos.com
Cutbow Coffee
Roastery, tasting room, coffee bar. The culmination of more than 25 years experience by one of the nation's most accomplished artisan coffee roasters, Paul Gallegos. 1208 Rio Grande, 505-355-5563, cutbowcoffee.com
Farina
Starting with the finest organic flour, our pizza crusts are made by hand and topped with the freshest ingredients, including artisan cured meats. 510 Central SE, 505243-0130, farinapizzeria.com
Farina Alto
Grassburger
The feel-good, award-winning burger— 100% grassfed beef, vegan, or poultry! 11225 Montgomery, 505-200-0571, eatgrassburger.com
Hartford Square
We roast coffee and brew it in unique ways utilizing some of the best methods available. All of our baked goods are made in house. 413 Montano NE, 505-803-7579, trifectacoffeecompany.com
Cozy, downtown eatery; local, organic, and seasonal menu. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, & dinner-to-go. Local beers, wines, coffees & teas. 218 Gold SW, 505-265-4933, hartfordsq.com
Zinc Restaurant & Wine Bar
A craft coffee shop specializing in single-origin espresso and brews. 505 Central SE and 4200 Lomas, humblecoffeeco.com
SANTA FE
Humble Coffee
Kosmos Restaurant
Great food, great beer, great vibe! 1715 Fifth Street NW, factoryon5.com
Salt and Board
A three-level bistro featuring contemporary cuisine and late night bar bites. 3009 Central NE, 505-254-9462, zincabq.com
Anasazi Restaurant & Bar
Contemporary American cuisine inspired by locally sourced seasonal ingredients. 113 Washington, 505-988-3030, innoftheanasazi.com
Salt and Board, a charcuterie-based cork and tap room in the heart of the Brick Light District. 115 Harvard SE, 505-219-2001, saltandboard.com
Arable
California wine country in the Northeast Heights. Farm-to-table dining and a casual patio. 10601 Montgomery NE, 505-294-9463, savoyabq.com
Arroyo Vino
Oak-fired grill, local and seasonal ingredients, and the best patio dining in Old Town. 2031 Mountain NW, 505-766-5100, seasonsabq.com
Dolina
Savoy Bar & Grill
Inspired by the bounty of New Mexico, and the small community of Eldorado, Arable was born. 7 Avenida Vista Grande, 505-303-3816, arablesantafe.com
Seasons Rotisserie & Grill
We serve progressive American fare inspired by our on-premise garden and local purveyors. 218 Camino La Tierra, 505-983-2100, arroyovino.com
Farina Alto offers fresh, creative fare. Gather over a glass of wine, a good story, and a phenomenal plate of food. 10721 Montgomery NE, 505-298-0035, farinaalto.com
The Grove Cafe & Market
Farm & Table
The Shop Breakfast & Lunch
A wonderful dining experience! Enjoy delectable seasonal dishes created from scratch, sourced from local farmers and our beautiful on-site farm. 8917 Fourth Street NW, 505-503-7124, farmandtablenm.com
Trifecta Coffee Company
The Grove features a bustling café experience serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch. 600 Central SE, 505-248-9800, thegrovecafemarket.com Latin and creole influenced spin on American classics. Serving breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday and dinner during the Nightshift Friday and Saturday nights. 2933 Monte Vista NE, 505-433-2795
We serve modern American brunch with Eastern European influences. Open 7 days a week. 402 N Guadalupe, 505-982-9394, dolinasantafe.com
Eloisa
Creative, elevated takes on traditional New Mexican fare plus tasting menus and craft cocktails. 228 E Palace, 505-982-0883, eloisasantafe.com
El Nido
Come and engage all your senses and be a part of the experience. 1577 Bishops Lodge, 505-954-1272, elnidosantafe.com
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colombian bistro
now open
tuesday-saturday 11am-8pm
3216 Silver SE, Albuquerque 505-266-2305, www.ajiacobistro.com Ajiaco’s varied Colombian cuisine is influenced by a diverse flora and fauna found around Colombia. Cultural traditions of different Colombian ethnic groups play a role in our choice of ingredients.
South Indian cuisine
TAOS DINER I & II
908 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-2374 216 B Paseo del Pueblo Sur, 575-751-1989 www.taosdinner.com Home to New Mexican and American homemade, homegrown, and organic breakfast, lunch, and dinners. Gluten-free choices. Beer and wine.
Genuine Food & Drink Enchanting, Dusty... Wild West Style 28 MAIN STREET LOS CERRILLOS 505.438.1821 Thursday - Sunday blackbirdsaloon.com
Creative Casual Cuisine 221 Highway 165, Placitas 505-771-0695, www.bladesbistro.com Chef and owner Kevin Bladergroen brings together fine and fresh ingredients, artistic vision, and European flair in every dish. Sunday brunch, fabulous cocktails, and an award-winning wine list.
2933 Monte Vista NE, Albuquerque 505-433-2795
NOW IN CANS!
www.secondstreetbrewery.com
The Shop is now serving dinner as the Nightshift on Friday and Saturday nights from 5pm-10pm . Serving local ,organic, and seasonal dishes—rotating weekly menus to bring you something creative and fresh!
E A T & DRI N K LOCAL G UID E SANTA FE CONTINUED. . . Il Piatto
An authentic italian farmhouse experience, sourcing its ingredients directly from local farms and ranches. Extensive wine list. 95 West Marcy, 505-984-1091, ilpiattosantafe.com
Luminaria Restaurant & Patio
Inventive Southwestern fare served amid rustic-sleek decor inside the Inn and Spa at Loretto. 211 Old Santa Fe Trail, 505-984-7915, hotelloretto.com
Loyal Hound
TerraCotta
Seasonally changing, globally inspired cuisine and an extensive, value-priced wine list. 304 Johnson, 505-989-1166, terracottawinebistro.com
The Compound Restaurant
TAOS
Doc Martin’s
30+ year Wine Spectator Award Winner. Patio dining, fresh local foods, and live entertainment. 125 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-1977, taosinn.com
Where refined dining meets fun dining. 210 Don Gaspar in the Hotel St. Francis, 505-992-6354, marketsteersteakhouse.com
Parcht
Milad Persian Bistro
Milad Bistro brings authentic middle eastern cuisine to the American Southwest. Traditional Persian dishes are counterbalanced by modern interpretations. 802 Canyon Road, 505-303-3581, miladbistro.com
Ohori's Coffee Roasters
The original source for locally roasted coffee beans, gifts, and gathering. 505 Cerrillos and 1098 St. Francis, 505-982-9692, 507 Old Santa Fe Trail, ohoriscoffee.com
Paper Dosa
Bringing fresh, authentic homestyle South Indian dishes to your table. These bright and exciting flavors will leave you wanting more. 551 W Cordova, 505-930-5521, paper-dosa.com
Radish & Rye
Farm-inspired cuisine: simple yet innovative food and drinks sourced locally whenever possible. We work closely with local farmers and ranchers to build our menu. 548 Agua Fria, 505-930-5325, radishandrye.com
/pärCHt/= the physical condition resulting from the need to drink wine, eat good food, and shop…in Taos. 103 E Plaza, 575-758-1994, parcht.com
Taos Diner I & II
Home to New Mexican and American homemade, homegrown, and organic breakfast, lunch, and dinners. Gluten-free choices. Beer and wine. 908 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, 575-758-2374; 216 B Paseo del Pueblo Sur, 575-751-1989, taosdinner.com
The Gorge: Bar and Grill
Our menu is straightforward, yet eclectic, and chock-full of favorites made from scratch using as many fresh and local ingredients as possible. 103 E Plaza, 575-758-8866, thegorgebarandgrill.com
A unique outpost offering great meals from scratch and fresh baked goods. Located 1 mile east of El Morro National Monument in Ramah, 505-783-4612, elmorro-nm.com
Second Street Brewery
Blades’ Bistro
Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen
Discover Sweetwater Dinner—Tuesday through Saturday. 1512 Pacheco, 505-795-7383, sweetwatersf.com
Supporting and promoting grassfed production and consumption across the Southwest.
Ancient Way Cafe
Black Bird Saloon
Over sixty handcrafted beers, food, music, and events. Three locations in Santa Fe. secondstreetbrewery.com
Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance
GREATER NEW MEXICO
Red Sage
Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder is perfect for your next romantic night out. Fare rotates seasonally. Enjoy the extensive wine list. 20 Buffalo Thunder Trail, 505-819-2056, buffalothunderresort.com
Open for lunch Tuesday–Sunday. Open for dinner every day. Happy hour Tuesday– Sunday 2–5pm. 30 craft beers on tap. 614 Trinity, Los Alamos, 505-662-8877, pajaritobrewpubandgrill.com
Chef Mark Kiffin preserves a landmark tradition of elegant food and service at his Canyon Road institution. 653 Canyon Road, 505-982-4353, compoundrestaurant.com
Locally sourced modern comfort food paired with craft beer, cider, and wine. 730 St. Michaels, 505-471-0440, loyalhoundpub.com
Market Steer Steakhouse
Pajarito Brewpub & Grill
Indulge yourself in the grub, Wild West style, perhaps a juicy and flavorful El Chivato Burger or a Black Jack Ketchum. 28 Main Street, Los Cerrillos, 505-438-1821, blackbirdsaloon.com Chef and owner Kevin Bladergroen brings together fine and fresh ingredients, artistic vision, and European flair in every dish. Sunday brunch, fabulous cocktails, and an award-winning wine list. 221 Highway 165, Placitas, 505-771-0695, bladesbistro.com
Europa
A new concept by Peculiar Farms. 2105 Highway 314 NW, Los Lunas, 505-261-3605, facebook.com/europacafeandmarket
Learn more about your local ranchers at grassfedlivestock.org WWW.EDIBLENM.COM
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LAST BITE
A Tool of Tradition By Willy Carleton
Cesar Reyes (left) and Pancho Arredondo (right) of Pancho’s Chile Konnection, photos by Willy Carleton.
On a bitterly cold day in Albuquerque, after most local chile roasters have closed up shop for the year, I watch two men load up a large black metal roaster at Pancho’s Chile Konnection with some of the last sacks of the season. The older of the two, Pancho Arredondo, leans against an adjacent roaster and lights a cigarette. His nephew, Cesar Reyes, turns on the gas. At the sound of the lighter’s flame hitting the burners, several pigeons fly over in anticipation of freshly toasted seeds hitting the asphalt below. Clouds of breath rise from our mouths as we watch the nearly fluorescent green chiles begin to tumble and turn, wafting smoke from the metal grates and filling the corner of Broadway and Mountain with the iconic, warm smell of New Mexico. The frigid Albuquerque street corner has suddenly spun to life. Arredondo keeps an eye on the peppers slowly roasting and, after a puff on his cigarette, explains that as a younger man, living in Mexico, he would toast green chiles by turning the peppers with a stick in a large, hand-dug pit filled with coals. Creases at the edge of his eyes deepen as he smiles at the memory. He then points across the street to the building where in 1980 his former neighbor, Albert Baca, made him a large hand-powered, black-iron roaster capable of handling two sacks of chile in a single batch. The machine was tiring to use but allowed the operator to ensure the chiles turned at the optimal speed. “It was hectic,” Reyes explains, “doing it all by hand.” Emblematic metal roasters such as Arredondo’s, it turns out, may not trace their earliest origins to New Mexico. In Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, Gustavo Arellano reports that the first chile roaster was developed in California by Emilio Ortega for his emergent canning business. Despite their California roots, 80
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however, there is little doubt that much of the fine-tuning of these now common machines has taken place in New Mexican welding shops, backyards, and the type of parking lots and chile stores where Arredondo has been spinning chiles for decades. There is little doubt, too, that as the annual fall practice of roasting green chile spreads to supermarket parking lots and farmers markets around the country, this tool, like the chile itself, remains a clear source of pride at Pancho’s Chile Konnection and other chile vendors statewide. Green chile lovers across the nation owe a debt not only to the chiles of New Mexico, but also to the manner of preparing and consuming them. Custom roasting “started in places like this,” Reyes says matter of factly, pointing to the small parking lot where his uncle’s thirty-eight-year-old roaster stands. Custom-roasted chile remains unique to New Mexico, Reyes explains, because “it’s a tradition”—he pauses with a wry smile—“and an addiction.” Around ten years ago, Reyes says, Pancho’s Chile Konnection added motors to all their roasters, which saved human energy but required experimentation to make sure the chiles roasted as well as they did by hand. “If you run it too fast,” he explains, “you destroy the chile.” Still, Reyes does not wax too nostalgic about the days of handcranked roasters. “Without these,” Reyes says pointing to the motorized roasters and offering a look of exasperation, “imagine. Turning these things all day.” With that, he switches off the burners and loads the smoking chiles into a plastic bag to sweat. As the pigeons fly off, and the steaming bag is sealed, I hear a truck pull up. A man steps out as I walk past, and asks Arredondo, “Any more chile?”
Photos by Carissa & Ben Photography
Food by Chefs Mayaneli Brown and Karina
Join us for GATHERED this Spring April 6 | Kei & Molly’s • May 18 | Rancho Gallina Custom pottery included in the ticket price.
Learn more at gatherednm.com
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ARROYOVINO.COM 505.983.2100 7 Y E A R S I N S A N TA F E
