Finding KeeperS
New Mexico, to go
Whether it’s red chile honey, pistachios, piñon coffee, or green chile corn bread, local food producers have whipped up a taste-tempting menu of unique treats.
Desert Gardens Green Chile Corn Bread, $5.95. Santa Fe Olé Red Chile Honey, $5.95. Fiesta Dinnerware pitcher from Mindy & Clyde Cupboard Co., $12. Desert Gardens Chile & Spice Company 9900 Montgomery Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM, 800/460-5803, comfortfoods.com. Santa Fe Olé Food Company Santa Fe, NM, 505/473-0724.
Bite-Size Bakery Anise Seed Bizcochitos Cookies, 6.5 oz. from $4.25. New Mexico Piñon Coffee, 12 oz. from $9.99. Bite-Size Bakery Albuquerque, NM, 505/342-1119, bite-size.com. New Mexico Piñon Coffee Company 4431A Anaheim Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM, 800/572-0624, nmpinoncoffee.com.
Clockwise from front: White Chocolate Pistachio Clusters, 10 oz., $6.99. Pistachios salted and roasted in the shell, 8 oz., $3.50. Pistachio Brittle, 10 oz., $6.99. McGinn’s Country Store and Pistachio Tree Ranch 7320 U.S. Highway 54/70, Alamogordo, NM, 505/437-0602 or 800/368-3081, pistachiotreeranch.com.
Left to right: Santa Fe School of Cooking Chipotle en Adobo, 12 oz. jar, $7.95. Glass pitcher, $3.75. Prairie Thyme Original Raspberry Jalapeño Ambrosia, 10 oz., $7.25. Glass gravy boat, $9.95. Santa Fe School of Cooking 116 West San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM, 505/983-4511 or 800/982-4688, santafeschoolofcooking.com. Prairie Thyme 866/972-6879, prairiethyme.com. The glass pitcher and gravy boat are sold at Mindy & Clyde Cupboard Co. 407 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM, 505/982-0901, mindyclyde.com.
Santa Fe Culinaria Blue Corn Piñon Pancake Mix, $6.25. Santa Fe Culinaria Santa Fe, NM, 505/471-2962, santafeculinaria.com.
Anne’s Country Cupboard “Light-as-a-Feather” Jalapeño- Cheddar Biscuits, from $7.30. Fiesta Dinnerware bowl, $8.95. Anne’s Country Cupboard Placitas, NM, 505/867-4484 or 800/314-9639, annescountrycupboard.com. Fiesta Dinnerware is sold at Mindy & Clyde Cupboard Co.
Red Chile Honey, Anise Seed Bizcochitos Cookies, New Mexico Piñon Coffee, Chipotle en Adobo, Blue Corn Piñon Pancake Mix, and “Light-as-a-Feather” Jalapeño-Cheddar Biscuits are also sold at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Green Chile Corn Bread, Original Raspberry Jalapeño Ambrosia, and Blue Corn Piñon Pancake Mix are also sold at Jackalope. Visit jackalope.com for store locations.
This article first appeared in Spring 2008 Su Casa
Regional food ranks as one of New Mexico’s greatest offerings. If you live here, you can stop in at your favorite restaurant, but if your source for blue corn enchiladas is a few states away, it makes life difficult. Sure, cookbooks abound. But finding ingredients can turn into a real scavenger hunt.
As always, New Mexicans have filled this need in a creative way. Not only have culinary masters made your favorites available, but they’ve also created new favorites. Who knew that you needed piñon in your coffee and hot cocoa or red chile in your honey? Chipotle with adobo flies off the shelves because it complements so many dishes. When you taste these delights, you’ll realize that they are part of your “must-have” pantry staples.
You might not know that southern New Mexico produces delicious pistachios. Pistachio Tree Ranch offers traditional roasted and salted nuts, pistachio brittle, and chocolate-covered pistachios, as well as all of the above with the addition of red or green chile. The business also features a wide variety of sugar-free items.
New Mexico produces enough packaged foods to fill 50 Finding Keepers columns, but here is a smattering to get you started. Many of these delicious foods’ makers have websites that sell directly. Even so, you might stop by a local grocery or Jackalope next time you’re in town to stock up on supplies. Santa Fe School of Cooking offers not only cooking classes that include a meal prepared by an outstanding local chef, but also a fully stocked store featuring the school’s products and many locally produced foods. The helpful staff can guide you through your selections and suggest ways of using the products.
Bright, primary colors make Fiesta Dinnerware an excellent choice for serving New Mexican dishes. Mindy & Clyde’s Cupboard Co. has a large selection of Fiestaware, or choose from new and vintage restaurant-style plates, mugs, and linens.
Now you can enjoy a taste of New Mexico wherever you live.