Sobremesa: The Mesa Burger

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May 11, 2023

Mesa Provisions' Mesa Burger sits on a round black plate with string fries to the left of the burger.

I’m not one to sugarcoat things. Life can be tough, and sometimes we gotta deal with the hand we’re dealt. But when it comes to food, that’s a different story. This world is far from perfect. We try our best to make sense of it all, to find the good amidst the chaos, but sometimes it’s a losing battle. That’s why it’s so important to grab onto the things that bring us joy, even if only for a moment.

And for me, Mesa Provisions is one of those things. I’ve written about Mesa Provisions before, and I recently had the pleasure of dining there again with my beautiful wife. We sipped from their curated wine selection, nibbled on a radish salad, chatted up their lovely staff, and then went for the crown jewel: two Mesa Burgers.

Let me break it down for you: This burger is a work of site-specific art. It’s got all the usual suspects: beef, green chile, grilled onion, sharp white cheddar, and American cheese. But what really takes it to the next level is the marrownaise. Chef Steve Riley is a genius for coming up with this bone marrow spread – it’s as decadent and delicious as it sounds.

The Mesa Burger is a damn good green chile cheeseburger, and like many of Chef Riley’s creations, the Mesa Burger is an act of restraint where top ingredients meet adept skill and inspiration. What all food aspires to be.

Recipe by Gabe Gomez / Photography Courtesy of Elliot Archuleta PhotographySubscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.

Chicken Chaap

By

Gabe Gomez

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May 10, 2023

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A skillet of Chicken Chaap beside slices of bread from Asma.

Far from her native India, Asma Khan found herself biking through the biting cold of Cambridge, England, and missing home. As she passed by a house, a familiar scent captivated her: homemade parathas frying in ghee. She felt a sense of comfort that left her frozen in place despite the place being frozen. She no longer felt the cold. What she felt was homesickness.

The intensity of the emotions and aromas inspired a new quest. She needed to learn to cook the food of her home if she hoped to connect to this new place. She elaborates, “…food is a wonderful unifying force, providing a way for immigrants to make connections in a new country. Breaking bread with others leads to conversations about “home,” no matter how far away that place might be or how little knowledge of a country or culture people may have. I am always willing to share a plate of parathas with those who knock on my door.”

About Asma Khan

Asma’s quest to learn to cook her native dishes eventually led her to open her London restaurant, Darjeeling Express. In the process, she came to truly appreciate the power of feeding people. “… the first thing I noticed was the silence that descended when the guests started eating – as if everything stopped for that moment. I knew then what my mother meant when she said one should cook to nourish the soul. I felt it in that moment of silence. My guests had been transported back home, back to another world, miles away….”

I’ve long been intimidated by the layered flavors and processes involved in Indian cooking, but Asma’s Indian Kitchen empowered me to make the leap, and I’m hoping you’ll join me. I’m already craving a repeat of the saffron-hued Chicken Chaap, and looking forward to trying more recipes, so grab your cookbook club friends, or simply join me in spirit. Whether this book transports you to your home, or opens up a conversation, here’s hoping for a moment of nourishing silence.

Let’s dig in!

About Chicken Chaap

Asma describes this as a “unique dish from Bengal, a korma infused with mace and nutmeg that is quite different from the super-sweet raisin-and-nut-filled kormas served in many restaurants.” It’s creamy and comforting and not overly spicy, and I enjoyed finding a new way to use the Greek yogurt we always have in our fridge. Serve with extra pita or naan to soak up as much sauce as possible.

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Chicken Chaap

Author: Asma Khan
Yield: Serves 6

Print Recipe

Description

A creamy, satisfying Bengali dish.

Ingredients

Scale

For the garam masala:

2 tsp cloves
4 black cardamom pods
1 nutmeg
2 large pieces mace
6 Indian bay leaves

For the chicken:

¼ tsp good-quality saffron strands
⅔ cup (150 ml) sunflower oil or other neutral oil
5 onions, thinly sliced into half moons
5 cups (2 lbs 10 oz /1.2 kg) thick Greek yogurt
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp mild chili powder (preferably Kashmiri)
4 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp sliced almonds, to garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For the garam masala:

In a dry frying pan, roast all the ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The spices are ready when the cloves well, turn gray, and pop. Allow the spices to cool, then grind to a fine powder in a spice or coffee grinder. Any unused garam masala can be kept in an airtight container for a few weeks.

For the chicken:

If using saffron to color the dish, in a small bowl, infuse the saffron strands in ¼ cup (60 ml) tepid water.
In a frying pan, heat 6 Tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions to the pan and fry gently, occasionally stirring until golden brown and caramelized. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the oil, leaving as much of the oil in the pan as possible to use later, and place on a plate to drain. Spread the onions across the plate so they crisp as they cool.
In a large bowl, mix the yogurt with the garlic, ginger, 1 Tablespoon of the garam masala and the oil retained from the caramelized onions.
In a pan that has a lid, heat the remaining 4 Tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on all sides. Lower the heat to medium and pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken. Keep the heat at medium so the contents of the pan do not boil. Add the caramelized onions and ground coriander and cook, stirring continuously, for 10 minutes.
When the oil rises to the surface and the yogurt splits, add the chili powder and salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the infused saffron at this point. Cover and cook the chicken for a further 10 minutes. Add the sugar and stir to mix thoroughly.
Before serving, taste to check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
To serve, garnish with sliced almonds.

Story, Photography, and Styling by Quelcy Kogel

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Jamaican Style Ackee and Callaloo Patties

By

Gabe Gomez

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May 10, 2023

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Four Jamaican Style Ackee sit on a colorful floral tablecloth.

The foodways of British imperialism and 1960s diasporic migration brought the “patty” to New York. One of my grandmothers traveled similar routes, migrating from Jamaica to New York in 1967. Myself a migrant to New York, I was inspired to invent my own Jamaican patty, a vegan one with ackee and callaloo. Extra turmeric and curry powder give it the glow of the Golden Krust chain restaurant that sells patties across the boroughs. Few realize that the gold is turmeric, an Indian spice that arrived in Jamaica from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. And while a patty is not an Indian pastry, it bears a resemblance to a samosa, even though it is more closely related to the English pasty. Cornish pasties were designed for the masses, British miners who needed a contained lunch. The buttery pastry culture of Great Britain converged with Indian spices to make what is now arguably a Black food. I’ve been told its West African cousin can be found in Nigeria, the meat hand pie. To eat a patty is to consume a Black world to which Asian cookery was central.

Thinking of the high-fat content in pastry that served laboring people in the 19th century well, I tried a vegan remix. I substituted butter with coconut oil. Then I filled my patty with the best vegetarian West African–derived comfort foods of Jamaica: ackee and callaloo. Be careful if picking from a tree; like another West African transplant to the Americas — cassava — ackee can be a deadly poison if the skin and the seeds are consumed. Eating ackees before they are ripe leads to the Jamaican vomiting sickness, which has a storied record in the British colonial archive and was part of the arsenal of enslaved Africans. While ackee and callaloo are not always easy to find, replacing them with hardy greens such as kale, spinach, and tomatoes works, too.

Jamaican Style Ackee and Callaloo Patties Recipe

For the filling

1 tbsp coconut oil
1⁄2 cup diced yellow onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1⁄8 tsp cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp allspice
1⁄2 tsp cumin
1⁄2 tsp garam masala
1⁄2 tsp ground coriander
1⁄2 tsp turmeric
1⁄4 tsp curry powder
1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
1⁄8 tsp cayenne pepper
1⁄2 tsp pink Himalayan salt, plus more to taste
1⁄2 green chile or Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and minced, to taste
1⁄2 cup shredded callaloo (if using canned, use 1 cup), or 1 cup hardy greens like kale or spinach
1 (19-oz) can of ackee, or diced tomatoes
Black pepper, to taste

1 tbsp minced fresh thyme

For the pasty:

2 3⁄4 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp curry powder (Caribbean or British brands preferable)
1⁄2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
3⁄4 cup coconut oil, chilled
2 tsp white vinegar
1⁄2 cup cold water
Coconut or vegetable oil for brushing
West Indian hot pepper sauce for serving

To make the filling

In a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat, combine the oil, onion, and garlic and allow them to sweat and take on a little color, then add the spices, salt, and chile. (As they say in Trinidad, you should parch the spices, cooking them to activate the oils.) Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the onion and garlic are caramelized.
Stir in the callaloo, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes or 5-6 minutes for kale or canned callaloo. Add the ackee and cook for an additional 10 minutes; do not over stir. season with additional salt, pepper, and thyme and set aside to allow the flavors to marry.

To make the Pastry

In a large bowl, combine the flour with the turmeric, curry powder, and salt and mix well with your fingers like a rake. Add the oil and mix with your hands until it’s fully incorporated and the mixture feels like fine sand, about 10 minutes.
Combine the vinegar with ½ cup cold water and mix well. Hydration of the dough is important. Then, without overworking the dough, add the vinegar mixture by the tablespoon, while stirring, just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and begins to feel like wet sand on the shore of a beach. Add additional tablespoons of water as needed. Knead the dough and roll into a tight ball. It should look yellow and be hydrated.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

To make the patties

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and remove the dough from the refrigerator. Use the internal fan setting if your oven has one. Wait for the dough to soften at room temperature so that you can roll it with a rolling pin.
Lightly dust a clean surface with flour, roll out the dough until it is about ¹/₈ inch thick. This will require some elbow grease because the vegan crust is not as pliable as a traditional butter pastry crust. Cut 6-inch circles from the dough (you can use a bowl if you don’t have cookie cutters, running a sharp knife around the bowl). Spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the center of one side of each circle, leaving about a ¹/₈-inch border.
Caution: You will be tempted to overstuff; don’t. Fold the other half over to make a semicircle, press to seal, and if you do not have a crimper, a fork works well enough to close the parcel of pastry. Press hard to make an imprint and seal the pastry; you should notice the dough bounce back.
Transfer the patties to a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with oil, and bake until you see the golden turmeric-spiced crust begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Jamaican patty shops often feature signs warning that hot patties should be left to cool lest you burn your mouth with the delicious curry filling. Enjoy with hot pepper sauce.
DIASPORA TIP: If you do not have access to callaloo, you can try substituting with spinach or other hardy greens. While there is no substitute for ackee, tomatoes, another fruit miscategorized as a vegetable, work well with greens for the filling.

Story and Recipe by Tao Leigh Goffe, Ph.D. from Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora

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8 Recipes to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo at Home

By

Jordan Snowden

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May 4, 2023

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Three grilled flank steak tacos sit on brown paper, perfect recipe for Cinco De Mayo celebrations.

Sure, you could celebrate Mexico’s victory against the French at a restaurant or bar, but personally, there’s nothing more alluring than festivities held in the comfort of my home (especially if there’s drinking involved). So, if you’re like me, the following eight recipes will allow you to bring the Cinco De Mayo fun wherever your heart desires, whether that be at your house (yes, please!), a friend’s, or a family member’s.

Prickly Pear Margarita

For their clear and crisp finish, unaged agave or Blanco tequilas are ideal for margaritas, which present strong and citrusy flavor profiles. This classic prickly pear margarita recipe offers a refreshing cocktail with a touch of acidic sweetness.

Pork Belly Tacos

We challenge you to come up with a better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the year, than with this Pork Belly Taco recipe featuring Oyster Mushrooms and Pajeori.

Marigold Margarita

A reposado cocktail that pleases the palate and the eye. You won’t regret crafting this marigold margarita recipe.

Crispy Cauliflower Tacos

Meatless tacos for when you’re taking a break from your carnivorous habits.

Roasted Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl

A healthy and delicious burrito bowl full of the flavors you love.

Campo Lavender Margarita

Nothing is quite as relaxing as this campo lavender margarita. Combine the cocktail with a bath for an elevated experience.

Chicken Enfrijolada

Skip the tacos and opt for this delicious chicken enfrijolada recipe.

Grilled Flank Steak Tacos

Delicious steak tacos for the win! Pair flank steak with a fresh salsa verde and your choice of corn or flour tortilla.

Santa Fe International Literary: A Table Set for Stories

By

Keith Recker

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April 26, 2023

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For many in 2022, the Santa Fe Literary Festival was their first foray back into the warmth of in-person discussion and conversation. This year, redubbed The Santa Fe International Literary Festival, co-founders Clare Hertel and Carmella Padilla, chief curator Mark Bryant, and a crew of energetic associates and volunteers, will bring more magic of the written word to The City Different.

In case you missed it, thousands of lovers of the written and spoken word gathered last spring at the inaugural Santa Fe Literary Festival to bask in the power of story. Four stages hosted some of the world’s greatest authors, thinkers, and speakers from around the world––and from right here in Santa Fe. Excitement and anticipation filtered through the hallways and courtyard as festivalgoers lined up to see their favorite writers, and voracious shoppers left the pop-up bookstore in the lobby with bespoke tote bags overflowing with recent releases.

After each session, many were eager to turn to their friends or companions for a debrief on the talk they’d just attended. Others reached for their phones to snap a photo for Instagram or send a picture to their friends and families, letting them know they’d just seen their literary hero in the flesh. Quieter guests preferred to find a less crowded corner of the Convention Center or the courtyard to turn a few pages of a new book before heading into the next event.

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Zascha Fox and Mara Christian Harris. A note from 2022 SFILF participant Margaret Atwood. SFILF co-founder Clare Hertel and a canine friend.

Behind the scenes, SFLF co-founder Clare Hertel, chief curator Mark Bryant, and the rest of the event staff worked overtime to ensure everything ran according to plan.

When they’re not putting on a world-class international festival, Hertel and Bryant are accomplished hosts, always keen to set a beautiful table and bring friends together. Last fall, 14 guests gathered at the couple’s home, celebrating the success of the inaugural Festival and looking forward to a future event.

As golden-hour sun illuminated the living room of their John Gaw Meem home (nestled on Old Santa Fe Trail near the base of Sun Mountain), guests poured in through the oversized wooden front door. Maryanne, Goose, Mellie (the family’s three labs), and Suki, an English cream retriever on loan from a friend, served as an exceptionally inviting welcoming committee, with generous tail wags afforded to all. Also, among those in attendance? Journalist/historian Hampton Sides and his wife Anne, model/filmmaker and Festival co-MC Jill Momaday, a host of select volunteers and staff members, and myself.

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Zascha Fox. A table detail. Volunteers supporting the Santa Fe International Literary Festival.

Back to dinner: attendees helped themselves to champagne, wine, and sparkling water before grazing on hors d’oeuvres. Mini skewers of watermelon, feta, mint, and balsamic glaze accompanied chilled zucchini soup topped with crème fraîche and cilantro, all lovingly prepared in the house kitchen. A sumptuously simple green salad was sourced from the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. With margaritas or mocktails made from (painstakingly) hand-squeezed lime juice, everyone made their way to the outdoor table. Enchiladas from local staple El Parasol were a hit with the dinner guests as casual conversation wafted above the handmade candle holders serving as centerpieces and an eclectically curated selection of hand-blown drinking glasses from Mexico.

Over pie from Chocolate Maven––a choice between Colonial Apple or Strawberry Rhubarb (or both, of course!), small talk tapered off and the conversation shifted to the Festival, both a discussion of highlights of the inaugural event and ideas for the upcoming one.

Last May, the Reporter said that it “seemed so natural that a town crawling with literary talent should have a festival to celebrate that.” “Tales of resilience provided a poignant note to a festival that has served up a feast of ideas, and left those who attended merrily drunk on the power of stories,” added the Independent.

This year, the event lives on in a new iteration as the Santa Fe International Literary Festival. The lofty goal is to “reflect the vast diversity of the world’s literary community as we strive to create a global gathering of extraordinary writers, readers, and thinkers from near and far in Santa Fe.” Sessions in 2022 felt ever-pertinent. Margaret Atwood discussed The Handmaid’s Tale in the interim between the leaked draft decision and the official Roe v. Wade overturn. Sandra Cisneros and Joy Harjo shared stories of marginalization as minorities at the famed Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and Jon Krakauer spoke about the importance of democracy and freedom of speech within investigative journalism. The curatorial team felt strongly that during this time of extreme change and polarization, these and other speakers were able to show just how much words truly matter.

A gathering of Santa Fe International Literary Festival co-founders and volunteers.

Though it would be challenging to capture the total outward impact of an event like the Festival, one particularly gratifying outcome of SFLF was the collaboration that came about between Elena Gonzales, Santa Fe’s current Youth Poet Laureate, who read her poetry on the community stage, and the aptly awarded Genius Grant-recipient and SFLF speaker, Valeria Luiselli. The Literary Festival hosted the world premiere of Echoes from the Borderlands, Luiselli’s multimedia “sonic essay” documenting the history of violence against land and bodies along the US-Mexico border.

Luiselli and her sound production team met with Gonzales to record some of her poetry for inclusion in the essay, which has already been shown at universities and other venues across the US. “I’m really grateful to the Santa Fe Literary Festival for pulling us together, for giving us that opportunity because she’s definitely been an inspiration much more now that I’ve met her than I ever anticipated,” said Gonzales. “When I get the opportunity to connect with women who look like me and who understand me, I feel inspired to keep writing and to push my own creative limits.”

For many, the Festival was their foray back into the world of idea-sharing and community inspiration. What better way to dip one’s toe into the world of in-person idea-sharing and community inspiration than to bask in the warmth of discussion, conversation, and the magic of the written word? And what better city to host such an event? “That’s what Santa Fe is all about. It’s different, it’s unique, it’s enchanting, it’s inclusive, it’s organic, and it’s cool,” said Jill Momaday.

For a full schedule and to buy tickets visit sfinternationallitfest.org.

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ABOUT THE HOUSE

John Gaw Meem’s Dodge-Bailey House is home to Clare Hertel, Mark Bryant, and their daughter. Nancy Meem Wirth, daughter of the celebrated architect, owns the home and grew up on her family’s adjacent property, and remembers using the extensive walking trails behind the house to run between the homes as a child. Designed in 1940 for family friends, the Dodge-Bailey house is a prime example of both Meem’s Spanish Pueblo Revival and Territorial Revival Styles.

STORY BY ZASCHA FOX / PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIRA HOWARD

Cherry Galette

By

Gabe Gomez

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April 19, 2023

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Ah, cherries! Nothing says spring and summer quite like ’em. And while we may not be eager to fire up the oven in warmer weather, this Cherry Galette recipe is a sweet little number worth breaking a sweat for. Galettes are perfect for any day of the week; this one is no exception. Picture it: a flaky, buttery crust generously filled with fresh, juicy cherries. It’s a crowd-pleaser that’s as easy to make as it is impressive to serve. The sweet and tangy filling and its rustic appearance make this dessert the perfect addition to any summer gathering or a cozy night.

Cherry Galette

Ingredients:
12-inch pie dough (homemade)
4 cups fresh cherries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients & Instructions: Dough
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter, grated
1 beaten egg yolk

Grate cold butter with a cheese grater, add ingredients to a mixing bowl, and combine. Add two tablespoons of ice water for the dough to gather up.
Ball the dough, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The dough can be made a day or two in advance.
Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch round.

Cherry Filling Instructions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the cleaned and halved cherries, sugar, flour, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, salt. Mix gently. Set aside.
Transfer the rolled-out dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the cherry filling into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge.
Fold the edge of the dough up and over the filling, overlapping and creating pleats all the way around. Brush the dough with beaten egg yolk.
Bake the galette at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and done on the bottom. Transfer the galette to a wire rack and cool slightly before slicing.

Realigning Body and Mind at Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa

By

Justin Matase

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April 18, 2023

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A casitas with private hot springs tub at Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa. — Regional editor Alex Hanna enjoys a staycation at Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa. Shown here, one of their casitas with private hot springs tub.

I sprained my ankle playing in a tennis clinic. For quite some time, the lingering pain kept me from my main form of exercise, affecting me both physically and mentally. Add some work stress, and the need for a good staycation became obvious. Looking for a change of scenery, a mini-road trip, and a soak, I realized that Truth or Consequences (TrC), an easy three-hour trip down I25 from Santa Fe, would do the trick. The town was, after all, originally called “Hot Springs, NM” before they changed it for a radio-show contest.

King balcony room at Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa.

The place that looked the most appealing also had an environmental connection that made me even more intrigued. Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa is part of the Ted Turner Reserves and serves as a hub for surrounding properties that have their own lodges.

The waters of the hot springs around TrC have traces of iodide, gold, lithium, magnesium sulfates, potassium chlorate, potassium permanganate, silver, and sodium fluoride. The lure of silver and gold aside, it was the magnesium I was after to help treat this sports injury.

Spa treatment room at Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa. — Spa treatment room at Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa

Upon arrival at Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa, I managed to secure a massage in the resort’s beautiful facility adjacent to the tubs. The therapist quickly assessed that I might be thinking about a relaxing vacation massage when a medical-therapeutic massage would better address my healing needs. Her emphasis on stretches and pressure points helped realign my body, and subsequently, my mind.

After soaking and body work, I ventured out to the very lively and friendly Truth of Consequences Brewing Company just a few blocks away. They don’t serve food but, you can call across the street to the cute Grapevine Bistro and they’ll run some over to you. Since my version of self-care includes green chile cheeseburgers and beer, my healing process continued.

Birding with Ken Stinett at Ted Turner Reserves

Aware of the extent of the Ted Turner Reserves thanks to my work on the board of Audubon Southwest, I asked the Lodge for a tour. My guide, Ken Stinett, drove me all around the huge property––on and off road––in his oversized four-wheeler. He was incredibly knowledgeable of the area, the flora and fauna, and was an excellent birder to boot. As a novice birder testing out new binoculars, I was quite satisfied by the many hawks and quail we spotted.

Wildlife observed at Ted Turner Reserves during a staycation. — Wildlife observed at Ted Turner Reserves

Animas Creek winds its way through the huge and gorgeous Ladder Ranch, one of three major Ted Turner Reserves in New Mexico. Turner didn’t start out as a conservationist, but he quickly realized that to enjoy the lands he loved he’d have to become one. Ladder Ranch, in particular, is now central to restoring habitat for bison, elk, frogs, tortoises, and even wolves. All of which makes it also appealing to birds and to those like me needing a healing escape.

tedturnerreserves.com/sierra-grande

Flipping the Script on Mexican Cuisine

By

Staff Author

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March 30, 2023

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Paloma+Santa+Fe+TABLE+Magazine+Howard — Paloma’s Chef Nathan Mayes shares special dishes from his Winter 2022 menu, all of them made with layered flavors derived from exquisite ingredients, and plated with an artist’s eye. Here: Roasted Half Chicken with Local Root Vegetables & Mole Colorado. Photography by Tira Howard.

For many diners in the United States, Mexican food is no more than a repeating cycle of the usual over-sauced and under-seasoned suspects. Among a sea of strip-mall restaurants, frozen foods, and uninspired cooking shows, the complexity and beauty of Mexican cuisine may not be visible, or even available, to the casual weekday dinner crowd. With Chef Nathan Mayes at the helm, Paloma has been quietly flipping that script for eaters since its opening.

Left: There are house chips and salsa and then there are Paloma chips and salsa. Mark our words, these are a must-have aperitive with a mezcal cocktail. Reputations are built and lost on salsa, and you can bet the house with Paloma’s salsa morita, verde, roja, and pico de gallo.

Right: Blue Corn Tlayuda with Refritos, Roasted Mushrooms & Market Escabeche. Chef Nathan Maye’s take on the iconic Oaxacan dish starts with a lightly fried tortilla mounded with mouthwatering mushrooms and refritos and the vinegary spike of escabeche. A perfect choice to share over cocktails.

Mexico is comprised of 32 states, each with its variation and vocabulary of ingredients and traditional food preparation. The details of what’s available to us on this end of the border are often blurred at best under the broad strokes of fajita platters and Taco Tuesday specials. And so, it’s nice, refreshing, and important when chefs like Nathan dig into the valleys of lesser-known regional cuisines of Mexico and invest in detailed research and prep work for dishes that may have familiar names but are worlds apart from our experience.

Chef Nathan is not alone. Emiliano Marentes (El Paso), Rico Torres (San Antonio), and Marciela Vega (Atlanta) are just a few visionaries working to re-write the narrative of Mexican food, where provenance is central to understanding what we’ve been missing about Mexican food all along. Santa Fe’s Paloma Restaurant, consciously or not, is part of this cohort of food creatives disrupting definitions of what is and what is not Mexican food.

Left: Nixtamal Quesadillas with Field Greens, Quesillo & Almond Salsa. The vibrancy of fresh greens co-mingled with the enormous flavor profiles of the other ingredients of this dish makes for a playful and delicious vegetarian option.

Right: Roasted Half Chicken with Local Root Vegetables & Mole Colorado. Heartwarmingly perfect for a casual weeknight out or a special occasion. The textures, flavors, and slight heat make for a crowd favorite from Paloma’s Chef Nathan Mayes.

Originally from Austin, TX, Chef Nathan grew up in what he describes as a restaurant family, which is to say that he’s been around food his entire life. After stints around the culinary world, including matriculating into and dropping out of the Culinary Institute of America and spending time in various kitchens around Santa Fe, a call from a former colleague and fellow visionary, Marja Martin, pointed their sails to what would become Paloma. “It’s been and continues to be an incredible journey,” says Nathan. “We started with items that people were familiar with, but we wanted a fresher approach.”

That approach is founded on the heart and soul of Mexican food, corn, or, more specifically, masa, which Paloma prepares using the ancient technique of nixtamalization. The nixtamal process begins with imported heirloom corn from Mexico called Cónico Azul, which they steep with calcium hydroxide (food-grade lime) that breaks down the exterior of the kernel to unlock its nutritional values and expand its flavor profile. Once ground, the masa becomes tortillas, masa snacks, quesadillas, huaraches, sopes, and other delicious wonders such as a thickening agent for their Mole Amarillo served atop a roasted half chicken.

Left: Enfrijolada with Queso Fresco, Smoked Chicken & Grilled Green Onions. A classic Mexican dish similar to enchiladas but highlighting the deep affinities between pinto beans and corn tortillas––a fundamental flavor pairing. Chef Mayes shares the recipe with TABLE readers here!

Right: Guava Tart with Piñon Marzipan, White Chocolate, Guava Sorbet & Local Honey. Chef Jessica Brewer’s desserts cap off every meal at Paloma with flair. Chef Brewer shares her recipe for Guava Sorbet here!

“There’s something that’s simpler and cleaner about the corn,” says Nathan when I ask about the lack of flour in his menu. “It has its flavor, and even though the corn comes from central Mexico, it feels and tastes like Santa Fe.”

Paloma is as much a place to learn as it is about the pleasure of enjoying food and ruminating flavors with familiar names that offer new experiences. It doesn’t have to source its central ingredients from Mexico or purchase the best possible ingredients from local purveyors. Still, when you travel to Oaxaca and other culinary centers in Mexico as a staff if only to seek out experiences to emulate for guests in Santa Fe, there’s no easy way to explain any of its motivations. Take one bite and the food speaks what has been taking us so long to hear.

palomasantafe.com

STORY BY GABE GOMEZ / STYLING BY KEITH RECKER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIRA HOWARD

From Paloma’s mixologist Andrea Duran:

Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita

Prickly Pear Margarita

Marigold Margarita

Cranberry Pineapple Upside Down Cake

By

Staff Author

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March 30, 2023

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Pineapple+Cranberry+Upside+Down+Cake+TABLE+Magazine+Bryce — Perfect for a winter afternoon, this delicious cake recipe channels the sweetness of pineapple and the tartness of cranberries into something special.

Cranberry Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 – 20 oz can pineapple slices, juice reserved

1 box yellow cake mix

1 -3.4 oz box vanilla pudding mix

3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray

-Pour butter into pan along with brown sugar. Cut the pineapple rings in half and arrange in the bottom of the pan along with the cranberries.

-In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Add pineapple juice, milk, eggs, and vegetable oil and mix until fully blended.

-Pour batter into pan and bake for roughly 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when testing.

– Cool for about 10 minutes and then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Flip onto serving platter and enjoy.

RECIPE AND STYLING BY ANNA CALABRESE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE

Try these other delicious TABLE cake recipes:

Orange Olive Oil Plum Cake

Strawberry Cake

Triple lemon Poundcake

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Don’t Be Salty, It’s Margarita Time

By

Staff Author

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March 30, 2023

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Do we really need a national beverage holiday to tell us it’s time to mix up some margaritas? Is that a rhetorical question? The answer — of course we don’t. But we’ll take it as a gentle nudge to break away from a crazy week and celebrate. Whether it’s for National Margarita Day or any old day of the week, no amount of persuasion is really necessary. Now pass the shaker of salt and a lime!