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A Treasure Trove at the Spanish Colonial Arts Society

By
Abdul Rafay
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0
Decorative silver wall hangings on an orange background, showcasing intricate designs and craftsmanship.

The Spanish Colonial Arts Society’s Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum is home to a staggering collection of art dating back to the 16th century, a voluminous library, and an archive. Almost half of their collection is comprised of pieces collected from Spanish Market artists from the 1920s to the present day. It’s the only John Gaw Meem-designed residential building that is open to the public in Santa Fe. They kindly opened their doors and guided us on a fascinating tour of their vaults. We’re eager to share with you some of their many treasures.

Dive Into a Treasure Trove of Historical Objects at the Spanish Colonial Arts Society 

Figurine of a man on a horse atop vintage books, representing history and culture.
M.A. Chavez Santiago 1974

A diminutive Santiago or St. James sits firmly astride his horse, reins clasped securely in his left hand. Victories in many seemingly unwinnable battles were attributed to the miraculous appearance of Santiago, patron saint of Spain and Galicia. “Artist M.A. Chavez was one of the original Spanish Market artists,” says curator Jana Gottshalk of this piece. “This tiny Santiago is uncharacteristic of his usual work which is usually unpainted bultos.”

Colorful wooden figurines depicting a female angel and a queen, showcasing traditional craftsmanship against a muted background.
From left to right: Luis Tapia San Rafael 1990 Anita Romero Jones Our Lady of the Rosary 1980s

The tradition of creating bultos— three dimensional religious sculptures—continues in the work of contemporary santeros who combine expert carving, and often bold colors, to depict Catholic saints. St. Rafael (on the left), one of the seven Archangels and the patron saint of travelers, the blind, medical workers, and happy meetings, is typically depicted holding a staff and a fish, as he is in this work by Luis Tapia. Next to him (on the right), is Anita Romero Jones’ Our Lady of the Rosary from the 1980s. Both draw on the rich history of early Hispano settlers, in ways that are thoroughly modern.

Decorative wooden crosses on a purple background showcasing intricate designs and craftsmanship.
From top (left to right) 1. Marcial Rodriguez, 1994 2. Star Tapia, 1977 3. Maker unknown, twentieth century 4. Flores, Marisa Aguilar Sjoberg, 2001 5. Maker unknown, twentieth century 6. Jimmy Trujillo, 1980s 7. Luisito Lujan, 1996 8. Maker unknown, twentieth century 9. Vicki Rodriguez, 2013 10. Rose of Life, Felice Ulibarri, 2002 11. Jimmy Trujillo, 1986 12. Eliseo Rodriguez, 1978 13. Krissa Lopez, 1996 14. Marcial Rodriguez, 1999 15. Estrellas de Dios, Vanessa Sanchez, 1998 16. Maker Unknown, twentieth century 17. Gabriela Romero, 2006

Artisanship in Every Object

Early Spanish artisans arriving to New Mexico were expert improvisers. Lacking the materials they needed— wood, ivory, and shell—to make traditional marquetry crosses, they looked locally for substitutes. Straw and cornhusk were readily available and in the hands of skilled craftspeople, provided the effect of shimmering gold, captured in the candlelight of churches and chapels.

Collection of ornate vintage hair combs and accessories on a purple background.
First Row, far left (from top to bottom) 1. Maker unknown, Engraved sterling peineta, nineteenth century 2. Maker unknown, Peineta, Early twentieth century Second Row, middle (from top to bottom) 3. Lawrence Baca, Peineta, 1995 4. Lawrence Baca & Arlene Cisneros Sena, Shell Peineta, 1999 Third Row, far right (from top to bottom) 5. Maker unknown, Mexico, c. Nineteenth century, Filigree eyeglasses case with glasses 6. Gabriel Duran, Peineta, 2018 7. Juan Lopez, Filigree dagger, c. 2000

Personal Objects

The collection at the Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Center encompasses not only religious objects, but also deeply personal ones, giving us a glimpse into the lives of their owners. Perfect examples are treasures like the silver filigree glasses case from Mexico (third row/far right, top) that held a gentleman’s pair of pince-nez, or the engraved sterling silver peineta (first row/far left, top)—an elaborate hair ornament—that would have been worn by a woman in the 1800s. Contemporary pieces—like the collaboration between Lawrence Baca and Arlene Cisneros Sena (middle row, bottom)—carry on the tradition of this timeless, wearable art.

Decorative silver wall hangings on an orange background, showcasing intricate designs and craftsmanship.

Poor Man’s Silver 

Throughout the colonial period, decorative tinwork made its way from Mexico to New Mexico. Sometimes called “poor man’s silver,” these pieces could be elaborate Rococo-esque confections with elaborate, hand-stamped patterns and intricate shapes. Contemporary artist Justin Gallegos Mayrant pays tribute to the artisans who worked in Rio Arriba County with these two ornate sconces, purchased by Spanish Colonial Arts Society in 2017.

Collection of vintage religious icons on a green background, featuring figures of saints and biblical scenes.
Top Row (from left to right) 1. Pedro Antonio Fresquís, Saint Inez, Late eighteenth century – early nineteenth century 2. José Rafael Aragón, Our Lady of Refuge, Nineteenth century 3. Maker unknown, Heart (metal), Twentieth century 4. Maker Unknown, Sagrado Corazon 5. José Benito Ortega, Guadalupe, Late nineteenth – early twentieth century 6. Pedro Antonio Fresquís, Saint Barbara, Late eighteenth – early nineteenth century Bottom Row (from left to right) 7. Maker unknown, Salvador Mundi Locket, Eighteenth century 8. José Benito Ortega, St. Ignatius of Loyola, Late nineteenth – early twentieth century 9. Antonio Molleno, San Miguel, Mid-nineteenth century 10. Pedro Antonio Fresquís, Flight to Egypt, Late eighteenth – early nineteenth century 11. Maker unknown, Sacred Heart, Early nineteenth century 12. Pedro Antonio Fresquís, St. Jerome, Late eighteenth – early nineteenth century.

Santeros and Retablos 

Retablos is two-dimensional art practiced by santeros, aka “saint makers”, which are usually small paintings or wooden altarpieces or other found materials that hold spiritual value for those who make them. The Spanish Colonial Arts Society is home to hundreds of these devotional objects made by artists including Pedro Antonio Fresquís, known as the Truchas Master. “One of the best tools for identifying the New Mexico retablo and bulto artists are how the artist executes the eyes and hands,” says curator Jana Gottshalk, “However, Fresquís is a bit of a rebel. His work is often unique looking, veering away from the traditional composition and adding more decorative elements and less of a single-figure focus.”

Story by Julia Platt Leonard / Photography by Tira Howard

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Seafood Mille-Feuille

By
Abdul Rafay
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0
Gourmet seafood mille-feuille on a red plate, featuring crispy shrimp and calamari, garnished with herbs and sauces.

Chef-owner Hue-Chan Karels calls this take on a classic mille-feuille, “the Napoleon-effect.” Instead of traditional puff pastry, Karels and Executive Chef Erica Tai spread shrimp paste between layers of Vietnamese artisan rice paper, fry them, add juicy sautéed scallops and calamari, and finish with a drizzle of Vietnamese beurre blanc and Asian herb oil. This recipe was part of the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Festival, and sommelier Marika Vida-Arnold chose to pair it with Hugel & Fils, Gentil, Alsace, France,

A Vietnamese Take on Mille-Feuille

The name “mille-fueille” translates to “a thousand sheets” in French, and it’s made of layered sheets of puff pastry. Because the French colonized Vietnam, many French culinary techniques have carried over to Southeast Asian cooking (banh mi comes from the introduction of baguette to Vietnam). So, Hue-Chan Karels and Erica Tai took inspiration from the fact that Southeast Asia has rice paper, which can easily be swapped in for puff pastry to make a usually sweet dessert into a savory meal.

Seafood Mille-Feuille Recipe

Seafood Mille-Feuille Ingredients

  • Shrimp Mousse (see below)
  • Mille-Feuille (see below)
  • Vietnamese Beurre Blanc (see below)
  • Vegetable oil
  • Freshly ground white pepper

To Assemble your Seafood Mille Feuille 

  1. Deep fry the shrimp paste sheet and sugar sheets in the fryer until golden brown.
  2. Sauté the scallops and calamari in vegetable oil over high heat, season with ground white pepper. Assemble the shrimp paste sheet at the bottom as the first layer, place scallops on next and then the sugar sheet. Top with the calamari and drizzle with the Vietnamese beurre blanc sauce.

Shrimp Mousse Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tsp salt, separate into 3/4 tsp and
  • 1/4 tsp
  • 4 tsp cornstarch
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tsp fish sauce
  • 4 tbsp garlic, minced and crushed into a paste
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 4 tbsp minced shallots

Instructions 

  1. Toss the shrimp with 3/4 tsp salt in a colander for 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and dry with a paper towel.
  2. Coarsely chop and place in a bowl. Add 1/4 tsp of salt, cornstarch, sugar, pepper, fish sauce, garlic, and shallot. Freeze for 30 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a food processor, add the canola oil, and process just until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 15-30 minutes.

Mille Feuille Recipe 

Ingredients 

  • Vietnamese spring roll rice paper, 16 sheets
  • (8 sheets for shrimp paste paper, 8 sheets for sugar crispy rice paper)
  • Simple syrup (sugar with water 1:1 ratio)
  • 12 oz scallop (or whole bay scallop)
  • 12 oz calamari, tubes and tentacles

Instructions 

  1. Place about 2-3 tbsp of shrimp mousse onto a sheet of spring roll rice paper, but only apply the paste onto half of the surface. Fold the sheet over and spread the mixture so it covers the entire spring roll rice paper. You can pat it with the back of your knife to spread. Set it aside. Repeat with the remaining shrimp paste.
  2. To make the middle layer (crispy spring roll rice paper): Place a sheet of spring roll rice paper on the table. Brush it with simple syrup front and back. Let sit for a couple seconds until the paper is soft enough to be folded into a square (folded twice). Set aside. Repeat with the remaining 8 sheets of rice paper.
  3. Prep seafood: scallops in two, horizontally, set aside. Cut the calamari tubes into rings. Cut the tentacles into 3 inches length.

Vietnamese Beurre Blanc Recipe 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, unsalted
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onion
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce

Instructions

  1. Place the butter in a skillet over low medium heat. Do not overheat the butter. Add in the green onion and stir until aromatic.
  2. Deglaze with the white wine and add in fish sauce. Turn the heat off and stir until well-combined.

Story and Styling by Julia Platt Leonard / Photography by Daniel Quat / Dinnerware Courtesy of Wild Life Santa Fe

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Grilled Tomahawk Steak with Sweet Potato Gratin, Carrots & Chile Gastrique

By
Abdul Rafay
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0
A mouthwatering grilled bone-in tomahawk steak, perfectly charred and served with sweet potato gratin, vibrant heirloom baby carrots, and drizzled with both green and red chile gastrique.

Jose Montalvo — aka Chef Ziggy—knows a thing or two about wood-fire grilling. At El Nido, the beloved Tesuque restaurant, cooking on the custom wood-fire grill and in the Italian brick oven form the backbone of the menu. Their tomahawk steak is a customer favorite and at 40 oz. is a hearty meal for two. Montalvo created this recipe for the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Festival, and for a wine pairing, sommelier Joseph Spellman recommends Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021.

About Tomahawk Steak

What makes tomahawk steak special is that it is at least five inches of rib bone is left intact. The bone is “French trimmed,” a culinary technique also used to give a rack of lamb its unique shape. The shape is where it gets its name from, because it resembles an axe or tomahawk. These stages are huge in size and make for a decadent meal that serves a whole group of people.

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A mouthwatering grilled bone-in tomahawk steak, perfectly charred and served with sweet potato gratin, vibrant heirloom baby carrots, and drizzled with both green and red chile gastrique.

Grilled Tomahawk Steak with Sweet Potato Gratin, Carrots & Chile Gastrique

  • Author: Jose Montalvo (aka Chef Ziggy)
Print Recipe

Description

One of the best cuts of steak you can devour.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 40 oz bone-in Tomahawk steak
  • Sweet potato gratin (see below)
  • Heirloom baby carrots (see below)
  • Green chile gastrique (see below)
  • Red chile gastrique (see below)

For the sweet potato gratin:

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes
  • 16 oz heavy cream
  • 8 oz parmesan cheese, grated
  • 4 oz unsalted butter, melted

For the heirloom baby carrots:

  • 16 oz heirloom baby carrots
  • 2 oz unsalted butter

For the green chile gastrique:

  • 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 8 oz chopped green chile
  • Pinch of dried oregano
  • 16 oz vegetable stock
  • 2 oz granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 oz white wine vinegar

For the red chile gastrique:

  • 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 12 dried guajillo chiles
  • Pinch of dried oregano
  • 16 oz vegetable stock
  • 2 oz granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 oz red wine vinegar

Instructions

  1. Pat steak dry. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Next, over a medium to high heat grill steak for about 7-10 minutes on each side, until desired doneness.
  3. Let steak rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve family style alongside other dishes.

For the sweet potato gratin:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.
  3. Next, in a bowl, combine the heavy cream, Parmesan, and melted butter.
  4. In a deep baking dish layer the sweet potato, heavy cream mixture, salt and pepper.
  5. Wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  6. Then, raise oven to 400 degrees and cook uncovered until crisps.
  7. Remove from oven and let cool.
  8. Cut into 4 servings and serve.

For the heirloom baby carrots:

  1. Peel and wash baby carrots.
  2. Blanche the carrots and set aside.
  3. Right before serving, place in a skillet and add the butter.
  4. Sauté carrots and add salt and pepper to taste.

For the green chile gastrique:

  1. In a saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic.
  2. Once translucent, add green chile and oregano.
  3. Afterward, cook for about 5 minutes and add stock.
  4. Bring to a boil and add the sugar and white wine vinegar. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and cool.
  6. Blend and then pour through a fine strainer.

For the red chile gastrique:

  1. First, in a saucepan sauté the onion and garlic.
  2. Once translucent add 12 dried guajillo chiles, the oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Cook for about 5 minutes and add stock.
  4. Once boiling, then add the sugar and the red wine vinegar. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  6. Finally, blend and then pour through a fine strainer.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Recipe by Jose Montalvo — aka Chef Ziggy
Story and Styling by Julia Platt Leonard
Photography by Daniel Quat
Dinnerware Courtesy of Wild Life Santa Fe

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Your Guide to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

By
Abdul Rafay
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0
Two friends smiling at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta with colorful hot air balloons in the background.

For nine days in early October, thousands come from near and far to watch the breathtaking sight of hot air balloons ascending into skies for an extravagant air show at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Heather Hunter shares her bird’s eye view of this marvelous event.

Participants preparing colorful hot air balloons at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Up, Up, and Away at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta!

Now in its 52nd year, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta holds the title for the nation’s largest balloon event, making Duke City the ballooning capital. With more than 500 balloons and pilots, and nearly one million attendees in 2023, Balloon Fiesta is far larger than it was in 1972, when it began life as an intimate gathering of thirteen balloons. Considered to be the most photographed event in the world, Balloon Fiesta attracts an international crowd of experienced balloonists and a sea of spectators who come for awe, and a skyful of wonder.

Balloonists preparing a hot air balloon for lift-off at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

October is the ideal time for the annual event because the winds are more pronounced and predictable. Known as the “Albuquerque Box,” the winds make it easier for balloon pilots to navigate in the Rio Grande Valley. The cool morning temperatures also help the balloons rise faster and manage better.

Hot air balloons ascending at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, showcasing the vibrant colors and mass ascension of the largest balloon event in the U.S.

Best Tips for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

If you are going to Balloon Fiesta Park—a full square mile—be prepared to arrive early. “Balloons begin to take off at the first sign of sunrise, so you want to be at the park to catch the mass ascension—a breathtaking scene,” says Patrick Slater, a crew chief for the last thirty years. He is the liaison between the pilot and the crew, helping the balloons with lift-off and landing. He also has two balloons he flies during the event.

 

“You need to be on the field to see the balloons come up,” says Slater. “This is one of the few balloon rallies in the country that allow you to walk amongst the balloons.” Slater says a typical flight lasts about an hour, depending on the prevailing weather conditions, including wind and temperature.

Two women joyfully celebrating at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta with colorful hot air balloons in the background.

The pros highly recommend taking Park & Ride, which makes life easier for everyone as the ingress can be daunting. Just be sure to purchase online tickets in advance to secure your spot on the bus.

Greatest Views of the Balloons

If you would rather watch from a distance, local Jessica Moose offers these suggestions, “Just south of the Balloon Fiesta Park is Vista del Norte Park. That is the place to be for a great view, as is Vic’s Daily Café, where you can watch the balloons while enjoying their famous Vaqueros breakfast— chicken fried steak Christmas-style with two fried eggs.” The City Park on Osuna is also a designated viewing area.

Illuminated hot air balloon at sunset with 'BUILDING SUPPLIES' branding

For the more adventuresome, Moose suggests renting a kayak or paddle board to witness the balloons as they cross the Rio Grande.

The balloon glow event, held at night, is another opportunity to experience the enormity of the balloons up close and personal. About 200 balloons fill with air, light up, and stay on the field. The pilots let visitors get inside the gondola to check them out.

Hot air balloon glowing with flame at night during a festive event, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd.

Frankie Martinez, a commercial balloon pilot who has been chasing balloons since he was in elementary school, says, “Glow is a fun crowdpleaser. It’s fun for the crowds to get close to the balloons and ask questions.”

High Flying Facts About The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Last year there were 546 registered balloons and 629 pilots at Balloon Fiesta.
  • In 2023, close to one million people attended the event.
  • The typical balloon is the size of an eight-story building.
  • The inside of a balloon is about 100,000 cubic feet.
  • The fabric of a balloon is called the envelope, and the basket you fly in, the gondola, can carry up to three passengers.

Story by Heather Hunter / Photography by Alfred Grey and Susie Elliott

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The Mystic Santa Fe Marries Food and Art

By
Kylie Thomas
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A corn dessert shell holds ice cream with rose petals and caramel drizzling down from a spoon above it at The Mystic Santa Fe.

It’s a night like no other – a two-and-a-half hour immersive evening of Native American food, dance, and storytelling that takes place every Thursday, through the end of October at The Mystic Santa Fe. It’s the brainchild of husband and wife Mystic owners Rick Goldberg and Amanda Tucker who welcome guests to the hidden garden at their boutique hotel for Mystic Echoes: A Sacred Feast of Flavors & Dance.   

A native dancer in a headdress stands during a performance at The Mystic Santa Fe.

A Sacred Feast of Flavors and Dance at The Mystic Santa Fe

Nicole Appels, formerly of the Compound, serves up an incredible five course meal with recipes created by James Beard award-winning Sean Sherman, chef, educator, author and activist. In keeping with the evening, all of the dishes feature pre-colonial ingredients, starting with Bison Sliders and then finishing with a Smoked tobacco ice cream with a corn cookie and puffed rice.  

In between each course, there is also storytelling and dance that explores the rich traditions of Native Americans, all under starry Santa Fe skies.  

A woman holds shop ball up with her hand as she stands in neon green clothes.

About The Mystic Santa Fe

Renovated from The Silver Saddle Motel, an original motor lodge on original Route 66, The Mystic Santa has become a place of refuge for all. Get a look at the beautiful deserts and stars of New Mexico in their backyard and then head inside for a special indulgence in the arts and culture. Besides the regular accommodations you can look forward to the High Desert bar, High Desert Cafe, and Curios Shop full of handmade jewelry, art, and decor.

Story by Julia Platt Leonard / Photography Courtesy of The Mystic Santa Fe

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The Walduck, A Duck Salad

By
Abdul Rafay
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Close-up of a plated Waldorf salad with duck confit, featuring crisp duck skin, apples, grapes, walnuts, frisee, and a creamy cider and duck fat vinaigrette.

Chef-owner Erin Wade vowed she’d never mess with a Waldorf salad till the images of duck and grapes kept coming into her head. Suddenly, the Walduck was born. Each ingredient plays a starring role: earthy duck, crisp duck skin, sweet and tart apples and grapes, crunchy walnuts, slightly bitter frisee, and then a duck fat dressing to counter the bitter. Perfection on a plate. For a wine pairing, Missy Auge recommends Domaine Dutron et Fils Mâcon Vinzelles ‘En Paradis’, Burgundy, France 2022.

History of a Waldorf Salad 

The Waldorf salad gets its name from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, where it was served at the hotel’s opening supper in 1893. You can see why Erin Wade said she didn’t want to mess with it. It’s been a classic for a long time, from the mind of maître-d’hotel Oscar Tchirsky. One of its charms is that while it is high-class and elevated, the ingredients going into it are relatively simple. This duck salad. take on it adds extra protein and proves that even classics can evolve.

The Walduck, A Duck Salad Recipe

Duck Salad Ingredients

  • Creamy cider and duck fat vinaigrette (see below)
  • 4-6 oz duck confit (see below)
  • Reserved duck fat from the confit
  • Duck skin from the duck confit
  • 1 cup Yukon potatoes, skin-on, 1/4 inch dice or if small, quartered
  • 3 handfuls (about 3-4 cups) frisee, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup red grapes, halved or quartered lengthwise
  • 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • Chopped chives, for garnish

Hibiscus-Cured Duck Confit Ingredients

  • 6 duck legs
  • Duck fat to cover
  • Roughly chopped yellow onions, carrots, and celery, about 2 cups in total
  • 1 oz Hibiscus flowers, ground
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

Creamy Cider & Duck Fat Vinaigrette Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup horseradish
  • 1/8 cup grainy Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s)
    1/4 cup fat reserved from the duck
  • 1-11/2 tsp salt, more to taste
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 3/4 tsp celery seed
  • 2 tsp chopped parsley

The Walduck, A Duck Salad Instructions

Hibiscus-Cured Duck Confit Instructions:

  1. Place duck and mirepoix in a dutch oven. Add the powdered hibiscus. Cover with duck fat.
  2. Cook at 350 degrees for four hours.
  3. Remove from the oven, let cool, remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat. Set aside until ready to assemble the salad.
  4. Reserve the duck fat for the potatoes and salad dressing and the duck skin for the cracklings.

Sautéed Duck Fat Potatoes Instructions:

  1. Heat 2 tablespoon duck confit cooking fat in a large sauté pan until simmering, add potatoes and cook until golden brown and cooked through—about ten minutes total.
  2. Season with salt.

Duck Cracklings Instructions:

  1. Flatten the reserved duck leg skins on sheet trays and crisp in oven at 350 degrees, being careful not to burn.

Creamy Cider & Duck Fat Vinaigrette Instructions:

  1. In a blender, puree everything but the parsley and celery seed.
  2. Add parsley and celery seed and pulse to chop up and combine, but don’t over blend.

Duck Salad Instructions:

  1. Heat a tablespoon of the reserved duck fat in a sauté pan.
  2. Crumble the large crackling pieces into pan and heat.
  3. When fat is hot and sizzling, add potatoes which are already cooked to re-crisp them.
  4. When potatoes are crispy and warmed through, add the duck and heat quickly, flipping the pan a couple times. Turn off heat.
  5. Add 1/3 cup of the dressing to the pan, swirl once and place everything into a stainless bowl.
  6. Add the frisee and remaining cold ingredients to the stainless bowl, toss and plate, then garnish with remaining crackling and chopped chives and more dressing.

Recipe by Erin Wade, Vinaigrette / Story and Styling by Julia Platt Leonard / Photography by Daniel Quat / Dinnerware Courtesy of Wild Life Santa Fe

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Baking Up a Storm at Los Poblanos

By
Abdul Rafay
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A woman in a green apron standing in front of a table with various baked goods on display, including bread and pastries.

Violet Jones from Los Poblanos in New Mexico has baking in her DNA, thanks to her Grandma Linda. Diners at Campo, and the restaurant at in Los Poblanos, are the beneficiaries of the savoir-faire she expresses in a broad and colorful spectrum of desserts and baked goods—many of them featuring local heritage grains. Regional Editor Julia Leonard and Contributing Editor Tira Howard spent some quality time with Violet, tasting, talking, and enjoying.

Baking Up a Storm at Los Poblanos

We should all be so lucky to have a Grandma Linda— the kind of grandmother who bakes pies like there’s no tomorrow, preserves fruit—filling basement shelves with jars ready to be cracked open on a cold, winter’s day—and always seems to be sliding something into the oven, or taking something out. The kind of person who would gladly allow you to peel an apple, stir the batter, lick the bowl, or just watch, absorb, and learn.

Violet Jones is that lucky person, so it’s not surprising that baking is in her DNA. Today, the Los Poblanos bakery is her home and test kitchen where she works with heritage grains, crafting recipes that use every bit of the grain with ingenious results.

New Inventions in the Los Poblanos Kitchen

Take Los Poblanos’ croissants. They use discard from their sourdough starter and put it back into the croissant dough, along with some of the middlings— the bits of wheat bran, germ, and flour that are left over after the milling process—from heritage Sonora wheat, a drought-tolerant variety that is grown and milled in New Mexico. “If you look at our croissants, especially the dough before they’re baked, it has little speckles, almost like freckles on the dough, which is so cool,” Violet Jones says.

 

Middlings find their way into other goodies too— from the Farm Shop Sonora wheat cookie, to loaves of bread, as well as butter, lavash, and seeded shortbread crackers. Using all of the grain is an important part of the ethos of Los Poblanos and one Jones embraces, “We want to use all aspects of the fruits and vegetables that we grow here, but we also want to use all aspects of the grains. Where people might discard that (the middlings), we’re utilizing absolutely the whole grain,” says Jones.

A variety of baked goods, including bagels and muffins, are displayed in a baking tray.

Jones Utilizes Underrated New Mexico Ingredients

There is a joyful geekiness about Jones when she talks about her work—someone who delights in the science, math, and precision of baking—balancing that exactness is a sense of play as she creates a new dessert, literally from scratch.

Take her Atole Panna Cotta, a dish she recently introduced at Campo when we met. She starts with fresh, nixtamalized, yellow corn masa and cinnamon for the base. Then she adds blue corn chiffon cake crumb, a whey-caramel reduction with sifted, blue corn kernels, and a blue corn brittle, made from blue corn kernels. It’s a masterful blend of flavors and textures that uses every bit of the corn for stunning results.

Speaking with Jones, you get the clear sense that she is where she belongs. She graduated from high school early, already knowing that she wanted to be a pastry chef. She went to culinary school, and lived and worked in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When the pandemic hit, she and her then boyfriend, now husband, sold everything and hit the road. Arriving in New Mexico, she searched the internet for the best places to eat and read about Los Poblanos and Campo, which had just reopened.

A variety of delicious baked goods displayed on a wooden surface with bowls nearby.

“It was the most amazing dinner I’ve ever had, truly,” she says. Not only did they have a great meal, but Los Poblanos also kindly let them park their van in the parking lot and spend the night. “I said to my husband, ‘If they are ever hiring in the pastry department, I will move to New Mexico for this job,’” she says. Good to her word, she and her husband jumped at the chance to move when a job opened up at Los Poblanos.

Beginning and Ending with Jones’ Baking

Jones delights in the idea that diners can begin their meal with bread from the Los Poblanos bakery and end with a dessert—a perfect culinary journey. And she knows that dessert not only satisfies hunger, but nourishes the soul. “I think there’s something special about a dessert that can kind of make people feel a certain way,” says Jones. It’s joy and nostalgia and memories all wrapped up in a single plate. “I think my favorite part about dessert is that we are the final thing that they’re going to have. Dessert should be its own course. It shouldn’t be an afterthought. It shouldn’t be a last-minute decision.”

And what does Grandma Linda think about her granddaughter? Jones beams, “I think she could not be prouder.”

Story by Julia Platt Leonard / Photography by Tira Howard

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8 Best Restaurants in Nob Hill, Albuquerque 

By
Kylie Thomas
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On a white plate sits a yellow recipe from Nob Hill restaurant, Scalo. A fork sits nearby on the plate and it's all against a brown background.

Albuquerque’s Nob Hill is where culinary tradition and innovation intertwine, with each restaurant narrating its own story through distinctive flavors. This vibrant neighborhood is a mosaic of eateries. Each restaurant provides a unique dining experience that mirrors the area’s rich cultural diversity. From the rustic allure of farm-to-table establishments to the refined elegance of international cuisine, Nob Hill offers a gastronomic journey ready to be discovered. 

8 Best Restaurants in Nob Hill, Albuquerque 

Scalo Northern Italian Grill 

For those who crave the authenticity of Italian cuisine, Scalo Northern Italian Grill stands as a testament to tradition and taste. Under the expert guidance of Chef David Ruiz, this fixture in Nob Hill offers dishes crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients that transport you straight to Italy. The ambiance is elegant, and the service is impeccable, making it ideal for any special occasion. The extensive wine list always promises the perfect pairing. 

Mesa Provisions 

Mesa Provisions, a champion of the farm-to-table movement, offers a menu that dances with the seasons, all orchestrated by the talented Chef Steve Riley. Every dish here is a celebration of sustainability and local sourcing, served in a warm, inviting setting that beckons leisurely meals with loved ones. Menu highlights include the succulent Achiote Pork Belly, the flavorful Mesa Burger, and the half chicken served with a side of tortillas made with duck fat.  

Central Bodega 

Central Bodega is the kind of restaurant that can be part of a dress-up celebratory experience or a casual drop-in at the bar for a quick bite and a fabulous cocktail. From the whipped feta starter to mussels and clams prepared three ways, its casual vibe, fantastic food, and attentive staff also make it a true neighborhood gem.  

Frenchish 

Frenchish is a charming restaurant with an equally delightful menu doted by Chef Jennifer James. The atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between relaxed and chic, making it an excellent choice for a romantic dinner or a casual night out. Save room for their decadent desserts and explore their curated wine selection.  

Gather 

Gather embodies the spirit of community dining with its warm, welcoming ambiance. Add on a menu that celebrates locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and you’re set for dinner. Whether you’re in for an occasional brunch offering or dinner, the creativity and freshness of each dish shine through. Highlights include vegan agua chile ceviche and signature cocktails that encapsulate the essence of this beloved Nob Hill spot. 

The Farmacy 

If you’re looking for a great brunch spot, The Farmacy has what you need. From the Pork Belly Grit Bowl to Breakfast Poutine, this place serves the perfect cure for a night of revelry. Paired with a nicely appointed drink selection, the menu will likely have something special to enjoy. 

Naruto 

Naruto transports you to Japan with its authentic ramen and sushi offerings. This cozy spot is a local favorite for its rich, flavorful broths and fresh, high-quality ingredients. Whether you’re after a steaming bowl of ramen or a meticulously crafted sushi roll, Naruto promises a satisfying and authentic dining experience.  

Hurricane’s Cafe 

Hurricane’s Cafe is where nostalgia and hearty portions meet. This classic diner has served the Nob Hill community on Lomas Ave. for years. They dish out comfort food favorites from hearty breakfasts to juicy burgers. It’s an ideal spot for a casual meal with family or friends. Plus, their milkshakes are simply a must-try, blending tradition with delicious indulgence.

Story by Gabe Gomez / Photography by Tira Howard / Food by Scalo Northern Italian Grill 

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Shop Locally for Your Kitchen in Santa Fe

By
Abdul Rafay
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Beautifully arranged table setting in the kitchen featuring fine bone china, cutlery and a variety of fresh fruit presented in an elegant and sophisticated ambiance, ready for a formal dining experience.

Shop locally in Santa Fe to spruce up your cocina (aka kitchen), dress up your dinner table, and add some style to your entertaining arsenal.

Shop Locally for Your Kitchen in Santa Fe

High Noon General Store

Various colorful and unique home decor accessories artfully arranged at an outdoor market stall. Items include carved wooden spoons, pottery mugs and planters, woven baskets and more, inviting browsing and creativity.

We’re all for something that improves with age, whether it’s a bottle of red or these tanned leather coasters from California-based Olive N’ Suede, friends of High Noon General Store. Sold as a set of six, they come stamped with palms or their own High Noon horseshoe logo. Naturally darkening with each use, they’ll develop a rich, warm patina that only gets better with age.

Wild Life

Beautifully arranged table setting in the kitchen featuring fine bone china, cutlery and a variety of fresh fruit presented in an elegant and sophisticated ambiance, ready for a formal dining experience.

Hand-thrown and hand-glazed, Bertozzi porcelain dinnerware is a thing of beauty. Turn a plate over and you might even find a fingerprint or two—a sign of the maker who lovingly created something that might appear delicate but is up for day-to-day use (and dishwasher safe too). Plates and bowls come in rich ochres, russets and other earth tones with a clear glaze finish on the interior and an unglazed bottom base. Pair with Wild Life’s traditional Italian block-printed linen for a table that serenades. Perfect for seasonal dining, whatever the occasion.

Santa Fe School of Cooking

Arranged set of vibrantly patterned kitchen cloth potholders, oven mitts and dish towels displayed against a natural wooden surface, invoking themes of Southwestern cuisine, seasonal flavors and cultural heritage through their colorful designs.

Yes, these brightly patterned potholders are just the thing for Día de los Muertos baking or cooking. We wager they’ll be your new best kitchen companion all year round. Go for one with bright mango yellow edging or mandarina orange, or do as we do and nab one of each.

Modern Folk Ware

A set of handcrafted cutlery featuring elegantly shaped wooden handled knives, forks and spoons displayed together on a natural wood block, showcasing high quality artisanal kitchen tools.

Inspired by the tail of a whale, these ebonized ash and walnut ‘whale bone cutting boards’ are perfectly balanced and just the thing for dramatically bringing food from the kitchen to the table. Pair them with hand-forged, stainless steel knives with handles in either black walnut, cherry, or maple. All from Modern Folk Ware, purveyors of exquisite handmade pottery and artisan pieces lovingly made by local and national craftspeople.

Kitchenality

Shelving displays inside a vibrant vintage kitchenware store showing an assortment of cookware, dishware, appliances and culinary accessories from different eras organized by category.

Don’t bother going with a shopping list, just be open to the experience that is Kitchenality. Everything from gently used whole sets of china and crystal to retro jello and dessert molds. Shop with a clear conscience knowing proceeds go to Kitchen Angels. These saintly folk who provide meals to those in need in Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico.

Story by Julia Platt Leonard / Photography by Tira Howard

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Beck and Bulow Serves Up a Different Kind of Dinner

By
Kylie Thomas
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A group of people sit at a Beck and Bulow dinner at a white table as tree branches obstruct a clear view.

Sometimes everything comes together to create the perfect dinner party—the kind of gathering you can’t forget, such as this one from Beck and Bulow. Gabriella Marks heads north of Santa Fe to the bison ranch of Beck and Bulow, a local purveyor of mouth-watering meat and fish. Hosted by Jean Paul Bulow and Tony Beck, the setting, the food, and some very relaxed bison, made for a magical moment.

A group of people at a white table smile for a photo with wine bottles amongst the table.

A group of dinners spark conversations over bottles of wine curated by Mary Hallahan, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta. 

A Dinner Party at Beck and Bulow for the Ages

Guests, friends, and family dined yards away from bison who have lived and grazed in this Northern New Mexico valley for centuries.

A chef speaks to a group of dinners outside at Beck and Bulow.

Chef Tony Smith introduces Beck and Bulow’s guests to their dinner.

“There will never be another ranch dinner like this again,” says Jean Paul Bulow, co-host and half of the founding team of Beck and Bulow.

Four people walk down over a hill with trees on both sides of them.

A family attending the party travels through the lands of the Beck and Bulow bison ranch.

There will be others, to be sure, but none quite like the first. A chance bid at a Beck and Bulow charity fundraiser auction brought families together for a ranch dinner in an arroyo that cuts through the high valley. It doesn’t get more “local” than this.

Or more New Mexican. “We call it rustic elegance,” explains Tony Beck, the other half of Beck and Bulow. Forget LED fairy lights strung over hand-cut flowers in mason jars. Welcome to the real frontier, a wilding of the family meal—a cut of meat, handsomely plated in a pasture.

The landscape at Beck and Bulow shows mountains and trees with a small creek.

The historic land at Beck and Bulow. 

A History Within Beck and Bulow

The terroir and history of the land is palpable here. The spectacle of massive beasts that appeared astonishingly serene in the twilight, or beholding the scent of the same late-summer grasses that early indigenous people—later pioneers—encountered. It’s a meal that is as much a moment of traveling back in time as it is a culinary experience.

A plate holds a cute of meat and vegetables in a sauce on top of a dining table.

A dish of bison short rib with seared scallops and farm-grown vegetables. 

Diverse and Mouthwatering Menu Offerings

We are always trying new ways to get to the same place,” says Chef Tony Smith, now head chef of Sassella, and the person responsible for the cuisine at dinner. A sated smile and a full belly is Smith’s ideal dining effect. With a nod towards showcasing the diversity of the Beck and Bulow offerings, Smith went for high desert surf and turf, by pairing large, seared scallops with an entrée of rich bison short rib, (a more unctuous cut than the standard filet.) “Buffalo bison short ribs are my favorite thing in the world,” Smith reveals. “I love short ribs to begin with. [They’re] so rich with an awesome flavor, but you have to work for that flavor—braising slow and low. You need to put the time in to make the flavor.”

Charcuterie meats sit on white plates in pinkish red circles.

Bison carpaccio was on Chef Smith’s menu. 

Smith also served wafer-thin slices of bison carpaccio. Other chefs might opt for beef tenderloin, but Smith finds that the bison, as lean as it is, works perfectly here. “Let the meat shine for itself,” says Smith, “The grass-fed flavor really comes through.”

A woman holds up an orange cocktail with an orange slice in it.

A special cocktail served to guests especially for the occasion. 

Sipping Through Beck and Bulow

Great wine pours were also inevitable with Mary Hallahan, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta, on the guest list. Bison and Bordeaux, new world meets (and meats!) old world with Château Blaignan Grand Vin de Bordeaux. Though, for those who prefer a lighter glass, there was a rare white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A choice as unique as the setting, (since white wines are generally not paired with red meat), but an inspired one: the southeastern vines of France paired the meat perfectly.

A man sips from a wine glass in a striped shirt.

A guest sips wine selections by Mary Hallahan of the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta.

One Small Step of a Bigger Journey

The ease with which Tony Beck and Jean Paul Bulow could host a fantastical, larger-than-life family and friends feast miles from Santa Fe, was hard-earned. However, both Beck and Bulow revel in the grace of a challenging landscape, be it topographical or economical. Having spent years putting one foot in front of the other to keep opening doors, Beck and Bulow both represent the next generation of culinary exploration and excellence.

A little girl bites into a piece of food in a side profile pose.

One of the younger diners takes a bite while the adults converse. 

“It was a hard sell at first. No one knew us, and there was only bison burger on the menu,” Beck recalls, “I used to say the doors didn’t open. We literally had to kick them in.” Before they were a household name they would pound the pavement for hours after the farmers’ market, reaching out relentlessly to tentative restaurateurs. One of their favorite customers would say of the pair, “No one will outwork Beck and Bulow.” An adage they clearly wear with pride.

A group of dinners raise their glasses over a white dining table.

All the guests raise their glasses to a beautifully delicious dinner. 

Near the lavish dinner, two-thousand-pound bison mums snorted softly at their growing calves in the golden sundown. Caviar and carpaccio, fondue and dry ice, molecular gastronomy coupled with flames from the growing fire as children delighted in s’mores. There will be other ranch dinners, each equally unique, given all the eccentric variables needed to create a truly wild plate of rustic refinement, but none will be like this one.

Story and Photography by Gabriella Marks

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