This year, it’s Mardi Gras from afar. I’ll be joining some friends at an Asian bistro to celebrate, and I suspect I’ll be doing without any étouffée.
From étouffée to King Cakes, Mardi Gras is a celebration for the senses. For weeks, parades, street fests, music, food and camaraderie reign.
Many things bind people with this holiday and one of them is the King Cake. The history is a bit foggy (too many hurricanes?) but the origins are decidedly French. The cake is believed to have come from France in 1870. And from there, the rest is history.
The history of the King Cake meanders a bit, rather like the Mississippi itself, and over the years it’s taken a variety of forms. But at heart, it is a rich cake/pastry concoction decorated with the royal colors of purple (Justice), green (Faith) and gold (Power). Buried somewhere in the cake is a small plastic baby. He/she who gets the piece with the baby becomes King for the day and must host then next party and provide the King Cake.
A traditional King Cake decorated in green, gold and purple
Some cakes are more pastry like, like this one.
So it goes, and the good times roll.
Over the years the cakes have gotten more elaborate and creative. But my personal favorite is brioche based. I can still taste the rich brioche from my favorite New Orleans bakery uptown, where butter and bliss meet in cake form.
Beyond King Cake, New Orleans offers all its usual foods. And it’s the incredible combination of foods and food sources, ethnicities and flavors that I find endlessly fascinating.
Consider gumbo. It starts with the careful development of a dark roux (butter/oil and flour cooked to mahogany perfection, and never burned).
After the roux comes a vegetable base with any combination of foods.
Traditional Creole cajun court bouillon with fish and seafood gumbo
African okra might be cooked into the gumbo to lend its stickiness to thicken the stew. Or Indian file may provide a thickening agent to pull the dish together.
Okra lends body and substance to gumbo
Then there may be some Cajun sausage, Spanish peppers, oysters, shrimp and whatever other seafood strikes ones fancy. Crawfish. Chicken. Duck. What’s your pleasure?
And then it’s all served over Chinese white rice, with hot French bread.
It’s a world tour de culinary force in a simple bowl.
The history of food is always fascinating and some of my favorite cuisines are an amalgam of different cultures, times and ingredients. One of the things I admire about New Orleans cooking is how they’ve kept alive the classics, while continuing to evolve the food for more modern tastes. History hasn’t stifled innovation. To the contrary, the melting pot history has encouraged ever new takes on the regional culinary dialect.
Dinner at Sobu, New Orleans
So on this day, Fat Tuesday, when all of New Orleans, eats, drinks and rocks and rolls, I will (in such typical American fashion) raise my glass and nod to this noble tradition. As I enjoy the pan-Asian flavors (think a combination of Chinese, Thai and whatnot) at Jinja here in Santa Fe.
More Reading on New Orleans
These posts are from the YOLO (You Only Live Once) section of the blog. They are some old excerpts from a not yet finished book (Adventures By Sailplane) and trace the curious set of events that led to my becoming a pilot. And it all started, in its own strange way, in New Orleans.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
The NATJA Awards (North American Travel Journalists Association) for travel writing were held on February 15th in L.A. this year. And I am immensely grateful to be one of this year’s award winners.
CancerRoadTrip: An Award Winning Website
It was a short but fun trip. Here’s the itinerary:
New Mexico to L.A.
I departed from Albuquerque.
The New Mexico landscape from the air, looking south from Albuquerque
It is always a bit jarring to see the vast, seemingly endless New Mexican desert from the air. The expanse of sand and dust seems interminable. Were this to be my only view of the state, I would be rapidly on my way. Yet I know that just an hour to the north, nestled at the base of the mountains at 7,200 feet is the magic of Santa Fe. And to the south are the majestic landscapes of Bosque del Apache and White Sands.
But today all eyes are on L.A. I’m looking forward to a quick visit for the NATJA Awards and anything else I can conjure up.
The forecast is for rain.
Nearly constant rain.
I check the weather app, looking for windows without precipitation and plan my wanderings accordingly.
Downtown LA peaks out from the rainy skies as we approach LAX
And, with a late afternoon arrival, I naturally focus on where to eat.
Little Tokyo
The dark skies have parted and the lights of Little Tokyo beckon. Living in the fabulous but land locked Santa Fe, I am on a quest for fish. For sushi. Or perhaps ramen. I walk, open to what I may find.
I have the name of several places jotted down and I pass Komasa. There is already a line, so I add my name to the list.
Peering through the blinds at Komasa, I watch the sushi being made.
With a 45 minute wait, it’s time to wander a bit.
The crowds are young and lively. Pleasant and polite. But then it is Valentine’s Day and many a couple are out for an evening meal. And I cannot think of a better place to go! My only regret is that I won’t have more time here, to explore not only sushi, but some highly acclaimed ramen dishes as well.
Numerous small restaurants, most of them fairly plain, offer all sorts of luscious looking food. The entry to one of the main arcades in Little Tokyo is decorated with lanterns that sway gently in the breeze.
The entry to Japanese Village Plaza
I’ve opted this evening for sushi over ramen. Most of the sushi I have known has been characterized by much rice, packed too tightly. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was about to be pleasantly surprised.
A bowl of warm miso broth with clams wards off the dampness of the evening, and the sushi is superb. Fresh fish, not too chilled, over a small, perfectly cooked and formed mound of rice. Not too much rice; the fish dominates the dish.
Miso soup with clams in Little Tokyo
Sushi!
Unagj, perfectly grilled and utterly yummy.
The pickled ginger is spicy, sweet and a little hot. It pops with a small explosion of flavor in my mouth. The tuna, salmon and unagi are simply sublime, as is a small eel and avocado roll.
Satiated and satisfied, it was one of those “life is good” moments.
So it was that my arrival evening included a wonderful culinary welcome to Downtown LA and the NATJA Awards.
Downtown LA: Grand Central Market and The Broad
The NATJA Awards are scheduled for this evening, Friday evening, so I have the day to myself. As an early riser, I decide to check out some of the market areas. The museums won’t open for hours, and the forecast calls for rain by early afternoon. So, enjoying a brief respite from the storm that is blanketing the entire west coast, I head out for the Flower Market.
Flowers are always, pretty, right?
But the Uber drops me in what seems to be a pretty marginal neighborhood. I slip my camera bag over my head and shoulders for security and I walk.
The Flower Market is more of a district than a location. It’s a working market, in a wholesale area and it doesn’t have the visual appeal of some of the more touristy oriented markets I’ve seen elsewhere.
So I continue to walk.
And walk.
And eventually, some miles later, even for this person who doesn’t eat breakfast, it was time for some breakfast.
The Grand Central Market was on my radar scope, so I headed in that direction.
And I’m grateful I did. Because I encountered EggSlut.
EggSlut opens to the sidewalk, where people take their luscious egg preparations to sidewalk tables, where they eat, chat and watch the world go by.
And this is why it’s called EggSlut. Really.
EggSlut started off as a food truck and has evolved into a series of popular L.A. eateries. Founded in 2011, it’s a “chef driven, gourmet food concept” focused on the egg. This EggSlut location, at the Grand Central Market, already had a line forming. I queued up and regarded the menu.
What to order?
The Fairfax, a ” cage-free soft scrambled eggs and chives, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sriracha mayo in a warm brioche bun”? (Which can be extra slutted up with avocado and bacon.)
Or perhaps a Gaucho: “seared wagyu tri-tip steak, cage-free over medium egg, chimichurri, red onions and dressed arugula in a warm brioche bun”
Or something else?
I opted for my buttery, gently cooked eggs on a warm brioche bun topped with a bit of a mayo mixture, cheddar cheese and turkey sausage. The yolk oozed into the brioche, dripping slightly into the waxed wrapper.
With food like this, I could eat breakfast all day long.
If you’re in L.A. search out an EggSlut. You’ll be glad you did.
The Grand Central Market is best described as an upscale, cheap eats place, with some good food. Some of the food that wasn’t so good was (so sadly!) at The Oyster Gourmet which I later visited for lunch. The Oyster Gourmet was highly touted in any number of articles, but my experience was decidedly sub-standard.
The sign points to oysters…but my experience wasn’t great
The oyster specials of the day were Sunset Beach (Washington); Paradise Cove (B.C.Canada); and Grey Pearl (Baja). Quite frankly one was more disappointing than the next. The Grey Pearls were too salty to be pleasant, apart from their nice, almost crisp texture. The Paradise Cove were also salty and lacked the wow of a great oyster. The Sunsets were billed as similar to a Kumamoto, but none of that lovely mineralogy was present.
I don’t know if it was an off day for The Oyster Gourmet, but these were honestly some of the most disappointing oysters I’ve ever encountered. Anywhere.
So, with the storm clouds gathering overhead threatening an ongoing deluge of rain for the remainder of the day, it was onto the Broad Museum.
The Broad, DTLA (Downtown L.A.)
Angels Flight offers a lift versus a steep and long set of stairs.
Angels Flight is a 298 foot long, 117-year-old funicular that runs between Hill Street and Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill. Originally opened in 1901, it was billed as the world’s shortest railway. From the Grand Central Market, it offered something of a shortcut and an L.A. tourist experience, en route to my next stop at The Broad. (Pronounced BRODE).
The Broad is a contemporary art museum not far from Grand Central Market. It was still too early for the museum to open, but a standing line starts to form well before the museum opens. I spent a bit of time sitting, watching the people pass on the street, before I too joined the stand-by line. Should you visit L.A., you might want to consider ordering your tickets in advance to avoid the queue and guarantee access to certain exhibits.
The trees provided a great frame for watching people walk by, as I waited for the museum to open
The standing line awaiting entry at The Broad. A view from the inside, out.
A young man silhouetted against the entry at The Broad
The exhibit that most intrigued me was Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms, of which The Souls Of Millions Of Light Years Away was available with a bit of a wait:
My taking a photo in Yayoi Kusama’s The Souls Of Millions Of Light Years Away
A rare picture of the person behind the camera, yours truly!
And then the rain recommenced.
I indulged in a late afternoon nap, then headed over the The City Club Los Angeles for the NATJA Awards Ceremony.
The City Club is located on the top floor of 555 Flower Street with a sweeping night time view of Los Angeles. And we were lucky enough to enjoy the panorama, as the clouds lifted and the skies cleared.
The room was filled with writers from all facets of life. And of course the Keith Bellows Award winner, Jayme Moye, whose adventuresome forays were a worthy winner of this prestigious award named after the long time editor-in-chief of the National Geographic Traveler. Jayme is the first woman to win this award. Former recipients of the award were travel writers Andrew McCarthy and David Noyes.
I was honored to be among this fun loving, traveling and talented crew of travel writers. Thank you NATJA for such a great experience!
CancerRoadTrip NATJA Awards
Over one thousand entries were received. CancerRoadTrip won the following awards:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
I am not naturally drawn to the beach. Like my semi-indifference to chocolate, some might consider this a character flaw.
But it’s just that the beach bores me after a day or two.
This indifference to surf and sand most likely has its roots in my youth. Many summers were spent along the Mediterranean, where culture, food, history and seaside met. My beach was never boring. There were languages to learn (or at least navigate); ruins to explore; new foods to sample and try.
People were different too, in their dress and their ways. From the ubiquitous black garb of Greek widows, to the topless beaches of the south of France, every new beach meant new experiences. Rocky beaches; sandy beaches; port towns made of ancient stones withstanding the sea.
The constant in all this is of course the water. The magnificent water. The water that lured travelers, then and now, to their beaches, to new adventures. That quest is universal.
So it was I found myself in Cayucos, CA for a few days.
Cayucos is well north of Santa Barbara, just above Morro Bay. It’s a quiet, sleepy town. Some blogger has no doubt chronicaled the top five things to do in Cayucos, but the town is really just an excuse to unwind. There’s not much here, other than miles of beautiful beach just made for winter walking.
But after a few days and a few miles, I was ready for some more adventure. And part of it came through a bit of travel serendipity in the form of a canceled flight.
My return flight was for early Sunday morning, which meant driving through fog to the airport at o-dark-o’clock. Only to find that the entire flight was canceled. No reason was given. Hundreds of travelers simply found themselves stranded. (Thank you United).
And being stranded turned out to be the most wonderful adventure of all.
After reclaiming my rental car, I decided to head to Edna Valley. I’d spent a part of a day earlier in the week wine tasting in the Arroyo Grande AVA and in Avila Beach. With a full day on my hands, it was time to explore a bit and perhaps check out some other wineries in the area.
Pinot in the Central Coast
The central coast of California is characterized by hills, bathed in cooling ocean breezes during the night and hot sunshine during the day.
In short, perfect Pinot weather.
And I just love Pinot.
I love Pinot for its flavor.
I love Pinot for its persnickety nature and the fact that it’s a single varietal. (That means that Pinots are not blended with other grapes, to produce a more commercially palatable wine).
With Pinot, it’s careful cultivation of the grape and the ability of the wine maker that makes or breaks the wine.
And, of course, Mother Nature in the form of the weather.
I’ve given up drinking by and large, to lose some weight and to hopefully give every chance possible to my cancer remission, but I still have room for a bit of wine here and there, now and then. Particularly when it comes to Pinot. And a canceled flight seemed like just the right cause for a bit of celebration.
While most people think of Paso Robles for central coast wines, San Luis Obispo–or SLO to the locals–is perfectly located to visit some of the more off the beaten path AVAs. Edna Valley, located just south of SLO, is one such destination.
The Edna Valley AVA is just a few miles outside of San Luis Obispo
A Central Coast Pinot Quest
The combination of mountains, sea and vineyard is breathtaking.
Fall in wine country is simply stunning. The grapes have ripened and been picked, and all the hoopla of harvest is past. But in their wake are uncrowded tasting rooms, stunning landscapes and some excellent wine.
Casks stacked roadside off Tiffany Ranch Rd. in Edna Valley.
San Luis Obispo is perfectly located for a bit of Pinot exploration. It’s a town with everything you need from Trader Joe’s to $20 tacos (it is, after all, California), and it’s just a few miles from the Edna Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). AVAs, much like the French regional appellations, define the geographic bounds of a wine producing area.
Chardonnay, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc and other grapes grace the hills, but I am on a Pinot quest. And one of the most interesting Pinot tastings was at Sinor-LaVallee where the winemaker grows his grapes on a hillside vineyard near the Avila Beach tasting room.
Just 1.2 miles from the coast, these vineyards lie outside any of the established AVAs. Five blocks each of Pinot and Syrah; a block each of Chardonnay, Albarino and Grenache; and 2 blocks of Pinot Gris grace these hills. And in the tasting room, a most interesting and unusual pinot tasting intrigued me.
Three Pinots are presented.
The first was a 2015 Pinot Noir White Label. This Pinot is on the light and bright side and totally enjoyable. It was followed by the 2015 Pinot Noir SLO/Estate and the 2015 Black Label. The latter two are progressively richer, fuller Pinots. But what made the tasting so interesting was the fact that the grapes for the White label are picked early. The Estate label is picked during the general harvest, and the Black Label is picked late.
The same grapes; the same vineyard; same year; different pick times.
Which results in three totally different wines.
And all are single varietals (Pinot Noir), fully subject to the will of Mother Nature.
Sinor-Lavallee is a fun and most interesting tasting, with an excellent, slightly quirky wine selection. Be sure to stop in.
***
A lunch dockside in Avila included some local scenes:
Sea lion basking on a floating dock in Avila harbor
Avila is a working harbor, and these buoys are part of the scene.
Fishing boat, Avila harbor
And a bowl of steamed clams with garlic bread for lunch:
Steamed clams on the dock for lunch.
On this day I was traveling with two friends and their quest directed our foray. First it was to Peacock Winery where a wine pick up for a party was part of our itinerary.
Even in late November, it’s still fall in the Central Coast. The grapevines are bare, but golden leaves linger on the vine.
Old trucks are a must have for any winery!
One stunning view after another.
From there, it was to Kynsi, which means talon in Finnish. An odd name for a winery?
Perhaps.
The winery started in an old dairy that had a serious gopher problem. To deal with the gophers, barn owls were introduced to the property. A nesting pair of owls can deal with up to 40 gophers a night! Needless to say, the gopher problem was managed and Kynsi, in a nod to Owner/Winemakers Don and Gwen Othman’s Finnish heritage, became the name of the winery.
The Finish roots of the winery owners inspired the name of Kynsi.
Kynsi is well known for their Pinots, and for good reason. Located in the heart of the Edna Valley, their vineyards benefit from the cool coastal weather and the expertise of their winemakers.
Among the Pinots in the tasting room were a 2017 Pinot Rose; a 2015 Pinot Bien Nacido Vineyard (94 Points Wine Enthusiast); a 2015 Stone Corral Vineyard (92 Points Wine Enthusiast); and a Hutash Harvest Cuvee which was a blend of Syrah and Pinot.
The Pinots were truly exceptional.
The Stone Corral Vineyard is a property shared with Talley and Steven Ross Vineyards. An annual dinner celebrating the vineyard and winemakers features the grapes, produced and bottled by each winemaker. Naturally, in spite of identical grapes, each wine is different, representing the unique take and talent of each winemaker.
This, I think, has to be on the annual must do list. I love the endless skill, judgement and artistry of creating a wonderful Pinot and a chance to consider three very different styles, side by side, is simply irresistible.
An old barn at Kynsi Winery, with Edna Valley hills in the background.
The Edna Valley really is Pinot Heaven. The entire area is just a few miles south of San Luis Obispo. Highway 227 and Orcutt Road offer an easy way to navigate the area. The most difficult decision is which wineries to choose.
With an extra and unexpected day to explore (thanks to my canceled flight) I set out, not quite sure what the day would hold. And lo and behold, it turned into an adventure. A CancerRoadTrip adventure.
After a hearty breakfast, my first stop of the day was at Claiborne & Churchill, a small vineyard that produces a variety of wines. Naturally, I gravitated to the Pinots.
The vineyards and countryside of Claiborne & Churchill
Founded in 1983, Claiborne & Churchill is a premium Edna Valley winery.
The winery was founded in 1983 by Claiborne (Clay) Thompson and Fredericka Churchill Thompson, two University of Michigan teachers who decided that the wine life beckoned. And over the years they’ve built a solid reputation for excellent wine.
The tasting started off with a 2016 Chardonnay Greengate Ranch & Vineyard which was well balanced and lovely. It was followed by a 2017 Dry Riesling from the Edna Valley. I have a soft spot for Dry Rieslings and if I still had a wine cellar, this would be in it.
The whites were followed by, you guessed it, Pinots and a Syrah/Grenache combination. The 2016 Classic Estate Pinot Noir and the 2016 Runestone Pinot Noir both scored 91 points with Wine Enthusiast. While I’m not into the nuances of rankings, I have found that most wines over 90 points are worthwhile and these were no exception. Both were European style pinots (my preference) that allowed the grape to shine through in a young, very drinkable, but complex wine. Lovely.
Wines always taste sooo good at the winery. It’s part experience and part ambiance, and in this case, part Pinot. The day was off to a good start!
I’ve always been a fan of cooler weather wines. Upon arriving in Tahoe back in the late 90’s, visits to Napa, Sonoma and eventually further north into the Russian River Valley and beyond, were part of life. The cooler the vineyard, the more I tended towards the wine and varietals.
And now, in Edna Valley, well south of my former haunts, I find myself in a still cooler region that produces some of my favorite Pinots. I didn’t have time to get down to the Sta. Rita Hills and the vineyards just north of Santa Barbara (which hosts 59 vineyards, with 2,700 hundred acres of Pinot Noir), but another trip, another time. Life is short and I have decided that for the remainder of mine, a bit of pinot now and then is tres necessaire.
In addition to Pinot, the region produces numerous other cool weather wines including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Albarino, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and other varietals. But today, I am on a Pinot quest.
Located off Orcutt Road in a yellow schoolhouse, the tasting room is charming. A bocce ball court outside provides a place to sip and play in this vineyard founded by Catharine Niven back in 1973. The winery, Baileyana, is named after the town where she met her husband, Jack.
Catharine was something of a trailblazer, a woman in a man’s world, starting a vineyard in an untraditional location to make wines in the European style. But Catharine’s foresight panned out, as shown by the wonderful selection of wines available at the tasting room.
The old schoolhouse looks out over acres of stunning vineyards and hills.
Including, of course, some terrific Pinot. (Is a theme emerging here?)
The vineyards at Talley.
And so it was, up and down the valley until I found myself at Talley Vineyards.
And that is where the real adventure began. Because at Talley I met some fellow Pinot seekers and a stem cell transplant survivor (leukemia). We talked of the outdoors, of life and about the beautiful Edna Valley. Conversation eventually led to our mutual cancer tales and the story of CancerRoadTrip, my evolving adventures and the next phase of growth with the retreats for others.
And what followed was a most unexpected and amazing introduction. The introduction is taking a few days to unfold as emails cross paths over the holidays. But thanks to Craig and Patty–my new Pinot friends– I have a very warm introduction to a highly acclaimed film producer who has (thanks to Craig’s introduction) indicated at least an initial interest in learning more about CancerRoadTrip.
This is my Christmas present this year.
Along with fond memories and a few bottles of good Pinot!
No, this is not the result of too much wine, but of a very low shutter speed.
If there was a lesson from this foray, it is that sometimes a bit of travel serendipity takes you to the most interesting places, where one meets the most interesting people. It requires being able to see the opportunity in a bit of chaos, revamping one’s plans, and moving on. Sometimes a change of plans may just be meant to be.
“Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together?
Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.”
― Emery Allen
I want to thank United Airlines for leaving us all stranded, with no explanation, at six in the morning. Because thanks to you, I had a most interesting day.
A day of total travel serendipity accompanied by some most excellent Pinot.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
I must confess that I did not take a single picture during this week of Santa Fe’s Wine and Chile Fiesta.
Not of food, that is.
View from the Santa Fe Opera
And that’s because I attended Saturday’s Wine and Chile festivities, enjoying offerings ranging from oysters to lamb chops, and wines from sauvignon blanc to some excellent pinot noirs. Two hands were needed to manage both food and wine; no room for a camera on this foodie foray!
But on an upcoming trip to the Paso Robles area, pictures will be taken. Paso Robles is one of my favorite pinot regions. The cool sea breezes and warm days produce remarkable pinot noirs; but more on that later.
The Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta
The Wine and Chile Fiesta in Santa Fe is a gathering celebrating the food of Santa Fe, matched with many of California’s best wines. Dinners at various restaurants throughout the week offer food and wine pairings, with most meals in the $150/head range. So many restaurants, so little time! But I passed on the individual dinners, lunches and various culinary events to attend the Grand Tasting at the Santa Fe Opera.
Santa Fe Chile Rista Photo Credit: Unsplash
Peaked white tents set up in the upper parking area at the Opera provide shade and seating, while thousands of people meander among Santa Fe’s favorite restaurants. Accompanying them are wine producers, many of whom were from California. And they brought some wonderful wines for tastings, ranging from a Silver Oak Cab to a Paso Robles Justin series of reds.
Takes on local food, like stunning grilled shrimp tacos were scattered among the offerings. But most of the food choices transcended geography, and were simply delicious. Wagu Beef; fried oysters; raw oysters with a green chile salsa; paella; honey pork on arugula salad; the list goes on.
I obviously decided that this event was not for the diet conscious, although much of the food, served in beautiful, artfully arranged, small portions, was actually fairly healthy. Well prepared crustaceans, fish, meat and vegetables met with some excellent wine offerings to create a fun and memorable afternoon.
90 wineries poured samples of every varietal imaginable Photo Credit: Unsplash
Not to leave out the art community, this year’s Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta poster artist was Ed Sandoval, who currently hails from Taos.
The history of this event goes back to 1991 when Mark Miller, Al Lucero, and Gordon Heiss got together to organize a one day food event that would grow into the world class, one week celebration that the fiesta is today. Over three bottles of Joseph Phelps 1985 Insignia at Cafe Sena, the first Wine and Chile Fiesta was launched. The full story behind all this on the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Festival site, www.santafewineandchile.org.
Seventy restaurants and ninety wineries made this year’s Wine and Chile Fiesta a total success. Sommeliers, guest chefs and local chefs all provided food and demonstrations throughout the week. If you’re a serious foodie, this week in Santa Fe is one to put on your calendar for next year. Proceeds from the event go back into restaurant and culinary education in Santa Fe.
Downtown Santa Fe
More Foodie Forays With CancerRoadTrip
Life is short. Good food nourishes one’s body and soul. Here are a few other (among many!) foodie posts on my travels.
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Everyone can’t necessarily make Restaurant Week, but one can take a tour with Food Tour New Mexico anytime.
I signed up with Food Tour New Mexico for a day on the culinary trail to get a different perspective of Santa Fe cuisine. The tour included three restaurants (all of which were new to me) , a stop at an olive oil store, and the perfect end to a perfect day– a sampling of Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican, Mayan and Aztec drinking chocolate elixirs.
I seldom take tours; I prefer to wander, but the prospect of food and stories lured me in. And Carlos Zozaya, our culinary guide for the day with Food Tour New Mexico, was the perfect person to combine both.
Native Americans sell jewelry at the Palace of the Governors
Food Tour New Mexico
The day for the restaurant tour arrived and a northerly wind swept the Plaza. Indians with their hand crafted jewelry lined up beneath the portico at the Palace of the Governors. Every day spots are allocated by a lottery system. Some artists travel hours to claim a place, but today many were empty. It’s not tourist season; it is winter and it is cold.
A curly haired, friendly fellow smiled and approached me. It was Carlos. Carlos is a big man, his size outweighed only by his friendliness. He puts everyone immediately at ease as he starts telling the tales of New Mexico’s food scene. He’s apprenticed in various restaurants; left New Mexico; returned to New Mexico; and is now firmly entrenched in the New Mexico culinary world.
Carlos discussing the merits of New Mexican Chile at the San Francisco Bar and Grill
As the group assembled, Carlos asked if we could handle margaritas before noon. Had he hinted that this would be the most perfect margarita, with the most perfect balance of slightly sweet, lime and tequila, no one could have said no.
And no one did.
The San Francisco Bar and Grill overlooks the Plaza
San Francisco Bar and Grill
Food Tour New Mexico started with a bit of traditional New Mexican food at San Francisco Bar and Grill on the corner of Don Gaspar Avenue and East San Francisco Street.
Carlos’ enthusiasm is boundless and his culinary knowledge deep.
Cooking has always been his passion. As a child, he helped his grandmother in the kitchen. But as a young man, the world of New Mexico seemed too small and he left.
Carlos’ good nature and expertise made each stop an experience.
Now he laughs at his attempts to leave. “New Mexico is the Land of Entrapment!” he proclaims, echoing a local theme that mocks the state motto “Land of Enchantment”.
Because once New Mexico is in your blood, it is always so. When you try to leave, the indescribable pull of this remarkable place quietly, subtly, persistently pulls you back.
Carlos came back because leaving New Mexico made him realize just how special the local history, culture and food really are.
A mingling of Spanish, Mexican and Indian cultures has produced a place like no other. The Mexican traditions brought traditional foods and salsas (not red or green chile). The Indians brought native foods. A typical food might be Indian tacos fried like naan bread, topped with beans, according to Carlos.
The Spanish brought spices–paprika, cumin, cilantro–and smaller portions in tapas, and perhaps most importantly, in the 1600’s, the papilla pepper arrived. The climate in the Rio Grande Valleys was perfect: Hot days, warm nights mixed with the mineral content of the water and land gave the New Mexican chile a unique flavor profile that can’t be transported.
Chile preferences are a topic of passionate discussion in New Mexico.
How hot. How to prepare, store them and cook them. Ultimately the discussion comes to a pivotal question:
Red or Green?
Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash
This is a serious topic of debate.
Some say green chile is for chicken and pork. Some prefer red. Or red chile with meat, but certainly not green.
The difficulty of deciding has led to a compromise solution that everyone seems to accept:
Both Red and Green
AKA, Christmas style. That way everyday is a holiday in your mouth.
Why all the brouhaha? What’s the difference? Is it just heat? Flavor? Preference? Or perhaps a combination of all the above?
Let me see if I can summarize the dissertation of red versus green chile.
There are several cultivars of chile including New Mexico 6-4′, ‘Big Jim’, ‘Sandia’, and ‘No. 6’ and ‘No. 9’ . All chile start off green. When they’re allowed to ripen further they become red.
Same pepper, but two different products.
The Green Chile
The green chile is often eaten as a pepper. They may be layered with eggs, on burgers and made into sauces. Some say that the green chile tends to be a bit hotter, although I am inclined to believe it really depends on the preparation. I can’t eat anything too hot, but I adore green chile.
The skin of either the red or green chile isn’t digestible, so the pepper has to be roasted then peeled.
In Carlos’ house, his mother would purchase fifty pound bags of fresh green chile. They were roasted and sweated in large plastic bags. The sweating helps the skins slide off easily.
There are several methods to preparing chile. They can be roasted, peeled and frozen. They can be frozen with the skin in place. (The skins then pull off easily when defrosted.) One cook claims this leads to superior flavor.
Green chile can also be freeze dried, made into a powder, packaged and shipped. Green chile is often associated with chicken or pork, although there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to chile preferences.
The Red Chile
Red chile is a slightly different animal. Here is where the techniques start to differ. It is usually dried for storage. It then needs to be reconstituted.
The Santa Fe chile hangs outside at the Farmers Market
Carlos explained that his mother would buy an edible (not lacquered) chile rista. The individual chile would be boiled in water, the water and stems discarded. Then she would fill the blender with garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano; blend it; strain it to catch seeds and skin; and pour the mixture into a pot and let it simmer. It would then be reduced or thickened with a cornstarch roux and served as a gravy. Some people sauté onions or garlic separately. There would appear to be as many variations as there are cooks.
The flavor of the New Mexican red chile can also be found in powder form, but to bring out the flavor, it needs to be bloomed, much like curry powder, by sautéing it first in oil.
Hatch chile have gained renown largely through a marketing program sponsored by the State of New Mexico. Why Hatch, New Mexico when chile are grown all along the Rio Grande? Hatch simply had a lot of land available!
The fame of the Hatch chile is what most people are most familiar with. The success of the New Mexican pepper has led to wannabe competitors. One town, Hatch, Colorado has tried to cash in on the growing popularity of Hatch chile by (legally) marketing peppers grown in Colorado as “Hatch Chile”. But only chile grown in New Mexico, and particularly the Rio Grande Valley, have the authentic flavor profile so prized.
The food at San Francisco Bar and Grill was simple New Mexican food: Chicken Enchiladas served with yellow rice and beans. And red chile sauce. And, of course, a most perfect margarita, made with good tequila, a nice squeeze of lime and lemon, and house made lemonade as a sweetener rather than triple sec.
Traditional New Mexican food
As we ate, Carlos continued with his tale.
Leaving New Mexico, he explained, was kind of a blessing in disguise because it took leaving to appreciate that the rich history, the culture and the food simply doesn’t exist elsewhere. And sure enough, the Enchanted Land of Entrapment worked its magic, and thankfully for us, Carlos returned to his roots.
***
Santacafe
Santacafe has indoor and outdoor courtyard dining during the warmer months
The Santa Fe restaurant scene is diverse, with everything from pan-Asian to traditional New Mexican.
Santacafe started with famed chef Ming Tsai overseeing the kitchen and is a Santa Fe favorite for good reason. It’s low key elegance with little decor, the historic building and the farm fresh, creative food will bring you back again and again. Located at 231 Washington Avenue, just a few blocks from the Plaza, the house was built between 1857 and 1862 by Jose Manuel Gallegos, a controversial defrocked priest cum politician. The property has been used as a church, a brothel, government offices, and now a beloved local restaurant.
A sampling at Santacafe with Food Tour New Mexico
The restored property has a patio for summer dining as well as two deep wells, one in the outdoor courtyard and one in the bar. And naturally, there is a story behind this.
The original outdoor well was publicly accessible and given Jose Gallegos’ sometimes controversial activities, there was concern over the safety of the drinking water. So an interior well was also built. It was rediscovered after a fire in the property, and is now (with a plexiglass top to prevent any patrons from taking a spill down the forty foot drop) part of the bar area, as well as the lore of the historic property .
Inside the decor is intentionally minimalistic, so that the food takes center stage. Crisp white table cloths and glistening glasses await the diner. We started with a New Zealand Savignon Blanc which paired perfectly with a butternut squash soup, followed by Shiitake Mushroom & Cactus Spring Rolls w/ Southwestern Ponzu (a dipping sauce of soy, cilantro and red pepper flakes) and some Greek Salad, The ingredients are locally and carefully sourced and the attention to detail shows in every dish.
Bobby Morean, the owner since 1982, busily moves through the restaurant, making sure everything was perfect, from the homemade green chile bread and crackers, to the wine selection. His sense of fun and passion are intoxicating, as is the food. When in Santa Fe, this is a place to put on your dining list, either through the restaurant tour or on your own.
Owner Bobby Morean busily moving about at Santacafe
***
Eloisa
I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying this Santa Fe restaurant tour with Food Tour New Mexico. The food is fabulous, the stories told by Carlos are too much fun, and the breadth and scope of places offers a wonderful sampling of the culinary range in “The City Different”.
Next up is Eloisa, located on the ground floor of the Drury Plaza Hotel. The hotel has been recently renovated. In previous incarnations, it has been a hospital, a nursing home, government offices, and the basement was used to store Indian artifacts for a while.
The entrance to Eloisa
It is also rumored to be haunted. Apparitions, voices and noises are said to inhabit the property.
But we experienced no such events. At least not on this day.
One enters through a foyer lined with from floor to ceiling with pictures of indigenous foods. The “Hall of History” is a fascinating photo homage to the indigenous food of several hundred years ago.
The “Hall of History” chronicles many of the indigenous foods of the New Mexican people
Some of the foods were familiar: fish, chicken, tamales. Others were more exotic: cactus, chile, prickly pears. And one was truly unique: Ants filled with honey nectar. The bloated ant pouches were allowed to harden and given to children as a sweet treat.
Ants filled with honey nectar
At this point after two previous stops, I have to admit that I’m slowing down a bit. But the food at Eloisa is not to be missed.
Blue corn muffins made without sugar have a natural sweetness from the flour. And accompanying them on our tasting menu is a Chile Relleno, stuffed with guyere cheese, mushroom, chorizo garbanzo and puree frise salad tossed in a vinagraitte. And the creative piece de resistance: Pastrami Tacos, made with spicy smoked beef, sauerkraut, pickled chiles, and ballpark mustard. Both served with a Spanish White wine.
Sugarless but sweet, blue corn muffins with chile butter
Pastrami taco and a cheese and mushroom stuffed enchilada
As if this weren’t enough, we were treated to a taste of the mole the kitchen was preparing to serve with a deconstructed salmon pot pie for dinner. And perhaps the mole would find its way into a chocolate ice cream desert as well.
The sauce was wonderful. And there were two bowls for the table, which meant leftovers. Dianne, another woman on the tour, looked at me. I looked back. We both smiled, and divided up the left over mole to take home.
***
Santa Fe Olive Oil and Balsamic Company
Balsamic vinegars as far as the eye can see at Santa Fe Olive Oil and Balsamic Company
Next stop on Food Tour New Mexico: Santa Fe Olive Oil and Balsamic Company where oil and balsamic vinegar come to dance. The selection is second to none and the range of vinegars will satisfy anyone’s palate, including locally inspired flavors such as prickly pear balsamic vinegar. It’s the prefect respite before desert.
Kakawa Chocolate House is just a bit off the beaten tourist path
Now I am not a big chocolate person. Some would consider this a character defect. But Kakawa has moved me closer to becoming a chocolate aficionado.
This is not your typical chocolatier. From their website:
“Our passion is authentic and historic drinking chocolates elixirs. Historic drinking chocolate elixirs include traditional Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican, Mayan and Aztec drinking chocolate elixirs; 1600’s European drinking chocolate elixirs, Colonial American and Colonial Mexican drinking chocolate elixirs. Kakawa Chocolate House drinking chocolate elixirs are representative of these historic recipes and span the time period 1000 BC to the mid-1900s AD.”
Choose your chocolate!
The ultimate chocolate drink. Seriously.
Chocolate elixirs are listed on the board as you enter. We sampled several to choose a favorite. But equally amazing are the chocolate truffles. Dark chocolate and goat cheese rocked my boat. And there are dozens of combinations to choose from.
A goat cheese truffle at Kakawa Chocolate House. #Foodgasm
Kakawa is located on the Paseo de Peralta (the road that rings old Santa Fe) in a small house, just a bit off the tourist track. Make it a point to seek this place out. You’ll be glad you did.
***
Remember what I said about touristy things in Seattle? If sampling some great food in Santa Fe is of interest, Food Tour New Mexico is a must do.
Dinner restaurant tours in Santa Fe and Alburquerque are also available. More information on Food Tour New Mexico is available at www.FoodTourNewMexico.com.
It is my finale of Restaurant Week and art, flavor and elegance combine for a wonderful dining experience at Restaurant Martin.
Each dish is a still life. One almost hesitates to dive in.
Almost.
From the description of the dish on the menu, to the presentation at the table, Restaurant Martin dazzles.
If there is one word that captures the dining experience at Restaurant Martin it is passion. Passion for cooking, passion for the integrity of ingredients and passion for life. For life and food are inextricably intertwined in this adobe restaurant on the corner of Galisteo and Paseo de Peralta.
Art and a simple, clean decor welcome the diner at Restaurant Martin
Chef Martin attended the Culinary Institute of America and spent time in France. His quest for knowledge and inspiration is global and it’s reflected in his food.
Restaurant Martin opened in 2009 after the chef did stints in Europe and then in some of the best known restaurants in town: Geronimo’s, Inn of The Anasazi, and The Old House Restaurant. His work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious James Beard Award.
Restaurant Martin resides in an old adobe house, updated, with simple white walls hung with art. There is also a bar should you have to wait a bit or should you be traveling solo. They even offer blonde Lillet, one of my all time favorite aperitifs from Podensac. Eighty five percent of the wines that make Lillet are from Bordeaux (Semillon for the Lillet Blanc and Merlot and rose for the red version of the wine). The remainder are citrus liqueurs (sweet orange peels from Spain and Morocco) and bitter green orange peels from Haiti. The combination is aged like a Bordeaux wine, in oak vats. With a bit of lemon peel, it is a perfect way to start a meal. This attention to quality and detail are everywhere.
Restaurant Martin’s clean lines beckon from the Paseo de Peralta
For Restaurant Week, here is Restaurant Martin’s menu:
Dinner Menu
$45 per person
Appetizer
Caesar Salad — Hearts of Romaine, Lemon-Anchovy Dressing Shaved Pecorino Cheese, Sourdough Crisp
Carmelized Apple Mille Feuille is a feast for the eyes as well as gastronomic soul
Molten Bittersweet Chocolate Cake steals the show
Of all the restaurants I was fortunate enough to visit this week, this was the standout.
Outside of Restaurant Week, if dinner seems a bit pricey, consider brunch or lunch. During good weather, patio dining offers the perfect opportunity to sample some of this amazing food en pleine air. Bring your iPhone, if not your paint brushes, because you will be inspired.
From Restaurant Martin’s website, meet the owners and get a behind the scenes glimpse of this much loved Santa Fe restaurant:
So it is that Restaurant Week comes to a close for another year.
Winter in Santa Fe is not crowded, and it can be cold and snowy. In my mind, it’s the perfect time to visit, to experience the magic of this adobe town nestled between two mountain ranges.
Good food knows no season, and I know no reason not to travel in winter.
Do put Restaurant Week in Santa Fe on your bucket list. I think you’ll be pleased you did.
(Restaurant week in Santa Fe is now past; but keep it in mind for your future travels. It’s a blast!)
Inspiration, joy & discovery through travel. Oh, did I mention with supposedly incurable cancer?
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