FEATURE
STORIES
What’s Cookin’ in New Mexico
By Rebecca Antioco
In New Mexico, residents like to tell visitors that theirs is the only state
with an official question: “Red or green?” The answer to that question is a matter
of taste. For those, like me, whose taste buds can’t stand the heat, the answer
is “Green.” Foodies who prefer a smoky, fiery flavor should respond, “Red.” Can’t
decide? Then the appropriate answer is, “Christmas,” a combination of the two.
The chile, red or green, is the staple of New Mexican cuisine. Along with the
“three sisters” — corn, beans and squash — it is one of only a few
foods indigenous to the Americas. And while restaurants in Arizona and elsewhere
use the chile in “Southwestern” dishes like enchiladas or rellenos, in New Mexico,
it is as ubiquitous as salt and pepper. Roast them, put them on eggs or a burger,
use them in a sauce or as a garnish. Why not? The flavor complements a meal,
adding to, rather than disguising the flavor of almost any dish.
But if you think a chile is a chile is a chile, think again.
Chimayó Chile Project
The flavor of a chile is affected by many factors: ripeness, size, how it’s prepared,
even the seed from which it grows. For evidence of this, look no further than
the Chimayó chile.
The small town of Chimayó, located 40 miles south of Taos and 24 miles northeast
of Santa Fe, is known for its chapel and the healing powers said to be found
within it. Thousands flock to El Santuario de Chimayó each holy week to pray,
make offerings and take away a bit of the sacred dirt from the small pit inside
the sanctuary. Not able to pass up the opportunity, we stopped for a visit. But
the main purpose of our pilgrimage to Chimayó was to learn about its famous chile
pepper.
Most chiles are hybrids of several different plants, grown in various parts of
New Mexico and elsewhere. The Chimayo is a native strain that became popular
in the 1800s, and is described as having “medium heat and a smooth robust flavor
with chocolate-like base tones.” Aficionados say that, unlike commodity chiles,
the heat of the Chimayo doesn’t overpower the flavor, and the Chimayo can be
aged under certain conditions to enhance and change the flavor.
Authentic Chimayo chile powder has a red-orange hue, as opposed to the bright
red of most commercial chiles. Specific to the region and produced in limited
quantities, the Chimayo is pricey, but worth the cost (at one local store, the
going price was $20 for five ounces). The problem was, the strain was on the
brink of extinction, and those with native seeds were reluctant to share for
fear that the Chimayo would be hybridized.
Some farmers have been raising the crop for generations, and are able to trace
their particular seeds back 100 years or more. Others received their first seeds
from the Chimayó Chile Project — started in 2005 with seeds donated by Jose
Alfonso and Victoria Martinez — in an effort to continue Chimayo’s farming
tradition. Applicants to the project must sign strict agreements prohibiting
hybridization and distribution to non-registered farmers in order to protect
the integrity of the project and the crop.
Santa Fe School of Cooking
So, now that you have your chile powder, what do you do with it? The Santa Fe
School of Cooking can point you in the right direction. Now in its 20th year
of operation, the school offers hands-on classes on tamales, salsa, chiles, traditional
and contemporary Mexican and southwestern cooking, and even a family cooking
class. Specialty courses also include Farm Fresh & Local, where students
are given a mystery box of fresh local produce and create a meal from it, Holiday
Foods of NM and culinary adventures that combine cooking classes with walking
tours to local restaurants.
I took The Culture Tour, conducted by chef Rocky Durham who is a graduate of
the Western Culinary Institute. After walking us through an enchiladas recipe,
Rocky led us on a tour to four local restaurants that give a glimpse into the
variety of culinary influences found in Santa Fe. One piece of advice before
embarking on this culinary adventure: come hungry.
Our first stop was Los Mayas Mexican restaurant, where we feasted on enchiladas,
plantains with mole and a sweet agave wine. Owner Fernando Trillo serenaded our
group on his guitar and explained the differences between Mexican and New Mexican
cuisine. New Mexican cuisine is heavily influenced by Mexico, but also relies
on foods native to the area and feels the influence of Native Americans and
other cultures who settled in the area.
Next, we made our way to the Institute of American Indian Arts, where we were
treated to a chili made from pinto and kidney beans with corn and bison. The
institute holds classes in ethno-botany and the origins of American Indian food,
as well as a culinary class. James Beard award-winning author Lois Ellen Frank
is an expert on the sociology of food and how it influences, and is influenced
by, migration, culture and region.
The last two stops were La Boca, a Mediterranean/Spanish tapas restaurant that
has been ranked number one on TripAdvisor and offers small plates like cured
tuna loin, crab and scallop cannelloni, and Coyote Café, a world-famous bistro
owned by chef Eric DiStefano, where you are guaranteed to experience a meal like
none other.
After all of the generous sampling, I was glad that the tour included some
walking between stops, but was still sufficiently stuffed at the end of the day,
and in no mood to think about dinner.
Raw Food
After a day of rich dishes filled with flavorful sauces, melted cheese, seafood,
chicken, beef, bison and all manner of chiles, you may want to opt for something
a little on the lighter side.
Body is a spa/boutique/café that focuses on sustainable living, wellness of the
body and mind, and a healthful diet. Owner and founder Lorrin Parish advocates
a raw food diet and has designed Body’s café to cater to a diverse spectrum of
dietary preferences. There are vegan, vegetarian, raw, sugar-free, dairy-free
and wheat-free selections and all of the café’s desserts are made with fresh
fruit instead of sugar.
The raw food philosophy is basically this: heating foods above 116 degrees destroys
enzymes that can assist in digestion and absorption. Advocates believe that cooking
foods diminishes the nutritional value and “life force” of the food. A raw food
diet is based on fresh fruit and vegetables, seeds, nuts, beans and grains.
Going into the raw food cooking class, I was an admitted skeptic. I am a meat-lover,
through and through, and enjoy the style of food found on the gluttonous culinary
tour conducted the day before. But, open-minded, I decided to see what it was
like to create a meal based solely on plants and seeds.
Starting with a meal at the Body café, I enjoyed the raw Thai Curry Soup and
Collard
Green Burrito (made with brown rice, nut cheese, red peppers, cashews,
flax seed, basil and salsa fresca. Other foods, like the Raw Sushi (no fish,
no cooked rice) didn’t exactly tickle my taste buds, but others in the group
seemed to disagree. The desserts, including the pumpkin-free Pumpkin Pie, were
excellent.
Body’s menu includes more than 100 items, including organic wine, sake and beer.
The cooking class combines a lesson on the philosophy behind adopting a raw food
diet as well as hands-on creation of a full meal, including “chocolate” ice cream
for dessert. I came away convinced that there are merits to adopting a diet that
includes organic choices, that the closer a food is to the way it is found in
nature, the better it is for you. But, for me, nut cheese is ultimately not a
sufficient substitute for the real thing.
However, instructors are enthusiastic about their way of “cooking,” and advocate
that adopting even a partial raw-food lifestyle has its benefits.
From fine dining
establishments to the raw food movement, the one common theme found in Santa
Fe is a focus on incorporating locally-grown
food into the menu. Even at Geronimo, an upscale
fine dining restaurant, owner Martin Rios stressed
the importance of buying local. Striking out
from the corporate restaurant world to open his
own space, he cites the freedom to buy from local
sources as one of the joys of being independent.
The menu there is reprinted daily, because items
on it vary depending on what ingredients are
available. His philosophy is to “Stay honest
and true to the flavors of the food,” not disguising
it with heavy sauces. And Rios, who took on Bobby
Flay on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America,
extols the virtues of simplicity in recipes,
of sharing his knowledge with others and just
making a good meal that can be enjoyed by all,
made with the freshest ingredients available.
That food philosophy is alive and well in Santa
Fe, and makes each meal out a culinary adventure
unto itself.
Photos: ©istockphoto.com/Johnson (top), courtesy of Nick Barrall (bottom)
Red Chile Sauce
¼ c vegetable oil
½ c finely diced onion
2 to 3 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ c pure, ground medium New Mexico red chile
powder
2 ½ c water
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
½ tsp freshly ground cumin seed
salt to taste
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté
the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir
in the flour and chile, and slowly add the water,
whisking to break up any lumps in the chile.
Add the oregano and cumin and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes,
or until the mixture has thickened slightly.
Season with salt to taste.
Makes about 2 ½ cups.
Green Chile Sauce
¼ c vegetable oil
½ c finely diced onion
2 to 3 tsp. minced garlic
1 to 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2/3 c mild, roasted peeled and chopped New Mexican
green chile
2/3 c hot, roasted, peeled and chopped New Mexican
green chile
Freshly ground coriander seed to taste (optional)
1 ½ c chicken stock
Salt to taste
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté
the onion until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir
in the flour. Add the green chile and coriander
and slowly stir in the chicken stock. Bring the
mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer
about 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Makes about 2 ½ cups.
Chicken or Cheese Enchiladas
3 c red or green chile sauce
16 corn tortillas, about 4 inches in diameter
4 c cooked, shredded chicken
1 ½ lbs Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated
1 ½ c diced onion, or sliced scallions with green
tops
2 c shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 ½ c diced tomato
1 ¼ c sour cream
Preheat the oven to 350. Oil a 9 x 12 inch baking
dish or pan
Spread about 1 cup of the chile sauce over the
bottom of the dish and layer half of the tortillas
evenly over the sauce. Top the tortillas with
half the chicken and 1/3 of the cheese and sprinkle
with half the onion (for a milder flavor, use
scallions). Repeat for the second layer and top
with the last cup of sauce and remaining cheese.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly
browned.
To serve, spoon portions onto dinner plates,
garnish with shredded lettuce and diced tomato,
and top with 2 tablespoons of sour cream.
Serves 10
Recipes courtesy of Santa Fe School of Cooking.
If you go:
Chimayó Chile Project
Chimayochile.org
505-983-2112
Santa Fe School of Cooking
116 W. San Francisco St., Santa Fe
505-983-4511
santafeschoolofcooking.com
Body
333 Cordova Rd., Santa Fe
505-986-0362
bodyofsantafe.com
Geronimo
724 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe
505-982-1500
Geronimorestaurant.com
Santa Fe Farmer’s Market
1607 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe
505-983-4098
santafefarmersmarket.com
