My recent trip to south central Colorado placed me within sniffing distance of my absolute favorite regional cooking, which I was reminded of on a trip along Colorado 160. A very small café in Fort Garland advertised home cooking and it was way past lunch time. Naturally being this close to my food Mecca, I scanned the menu and found hamburgers smothered in green pork chili and had to try some; this seemed like a location that would not disappoint. It didn’t and I asked the owner if she made her own and the answer was akin to “naturally.” The burgers were good, but I attacked the green pork chili with a spoon leaving the French fries mostly untouched.

Some might prefer the smell of fresh baked apple pie or burning leaves over that of jalapeños roasting over the coals, but not me. Parking lots and roadside markets throughout Colorado and New Mexico tempt people like me with these smells of freshly harvested peppers roasting in the fresh air. Such an ambrosia and treat for my nose! Anyway, as fond as I am of New Mexico cooking, it’s easy to see why this old favorite has remained my long-term kitchen standby. Nothing else in my bookshelves matches it for authenticity and flavor—absolutely nothing else. Huntley Dent’s Feast of Santa Fe, Cooking of the American Southwest, has been a favorite source for recipes in my house since the mid 1980’s.

Green chili stew, posole, red chili enchiladas, green chili enchiladas, grated zucchini with green chili, huevos rancheros, white tamales with cheese filling, New Mexico pralines, bread pudding, and flan are all examples of the culinary treasures that await visitors to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico, as well as anyone using this cookbook. You don’t have to travel to Santa Fe or Taos for these selections, as many of the recipes originate in the surrounding lands of New Mexico and Colorado. However a trip to these two northern New Mexico towns is a delightful treat, particularly in September and October. The foods found in the region and this book represent “a melding of Aztec, Spanish, Mexican, ranch house and tourist styles.” Huntley Dent explored all aspects of Santa Fe cooking and what links this culinary identity to the region.

Beginning With…

…Traditions, A Santa Fe Larder, and a Modern Approach. Some background explains how he interprets southwest cooking: Spanish cooking found here is only slightly modified from recipes brought over from Spain. Mexican cooking, modified or not, as it came to New Mexico; Anglo cooking, primarily the food of the wagon trains and the American settlers; ranch-house and Tex-Mex hybrids of Mexican food; Santa Fe restaurant cooking in the modern tourist era; and modern home cooking using Southwestern inspirations. A little of each of these finds its way into the cooking of this region an in my opinion blends to become this region.

What’s in the larder? Check my pantry and spice cabinet, or you can check with Huntley. A list includes dried red chilies, chili powder and green chilies, whole pequín pods, dried hominy, blue cornmeal and corn flour, white cornmeal, cumin, coriander, saffron, Mexican chocolate, posole, dried corn, pinto beans, corn husks, and piñon nuts. It should also have aniseed, coriander, cinnamon, bay leaf, oregano and black pepper. He continues to list vegetables, cheeses, cooking oils and meats frequently kept in a Santa Fe kitchen. Regardless of where you live you can find most of these ingredients. We know what we cook with the most and if it’s unavailable in our little east central Illinois town, we pick it up on trips to larger towns. However, a local international grocery is generally well stocked on necessities.

How you prepare the food, what you prepare it in, may or may not contribute to the authenticity. It may be more pleasing to prepare it the traditional way but schedules might not allow that luxury. He recommends some convenience foods. (Making your own tortillas would be fabulous, but honestly, who has that much time?) So the first 56 pages introduce us to his reasons for writing this book, background facts on the foods, and valuable cooking tips. The remaining 341 pages demonstrate WHY I’ve kept this rather worn and splattered book.

The Meat of the Book, and the Sauces, Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Breakfast Dishes, Traditional Meals, Beans, Desserts, and Beverages of the Book

“Corn is the earth in Santa Fe cooking, and chilies are the fire” or as the author states, Chilies—the soul of the sauce. Each chapter begins with a thorough discussion on ingredients and processes employed by each recipe. The first recipes involve cooking with chilies of all types and temperatures: poblanos, pasillas, tepíns, anchos, and jalapeños. A two page “poster” provides illustrations of common fresh chilies sold in markets. He provides a hotness scale and tips for handling these spicy peppers. Adding extra chilies in your food may or may not be desirable and it can also depend upon the form used such as chopped green chilies (are they anchos, jalapeños or serranos), whole dried red chilies, cayenne and hot red chili powders, tabasco and other red hot sauces, uncooked salsas, and chili paste.

Every year we plant too many jalapeños and serranos and end up needing to string some. He offers instructions for making ristras, long chains of red chilies, that provide access of your own chilies throughout the year.

And yes, in this first chapter of recipes the sauces include an everyday red chili sauce (with variations), basic green chili sauce (also with variations), ranch-style pan sauce, avocado and zucchini sauce, uncooked salsas, sour green chili salsa, scorpion chili paste, and a variety of relishes (but don’t confuse these with sweet pickle relishes). Included with the salsas are the very important fillings such as spiced ground beef with raisins and almonds (also known as picadillo). There are a variety of fillings used throughout the book and at the end of this chapter he lists them with pages where you can find each recipes.

My Favorites
While the enchiladas and desserts are incredible, my absolute favorites are Green Chili Stew (GCS) with Vegetables and Posole. They are easy to cook, easy to prepare, but they take a while to simmer. Traditionally, though, New Mexican cooks like to simmer their stews for quite a long time—long enough so that the meat is spoon-tender and separated into strands. When Mr. Pestyside is leaving town for a few days, or when I’m leaving and he’s left at home to cook (He’s an excellent cook, but when alone doesn’t want to cook for one and can you blame him?), he frequently requests that I cook some GCS or Posole to hold him over, either spiritually or physically.

About the Book
This is as informative to read as it is pleasurable to use. IF you are a fan of southwestern style foods, particularly the flavors (not just the heat) of northern New Mexico, this book is a must. The only other author I would recommend would be Diana Kennedy, who has an excellent selection of books on Mexican cuisines. My copy was printed in 1985; a newer version was released in 1993. Many other books address this style of food, and some have delicious recipes, but few provide as much background information. This is comprehensive. I strongly recommend getting a copy while they remain available. I might need to locate a second to replace this one when it finally crumbles from use. With these thoughts, and in closing, it’s time to make some green chili stew to smother my husband’s burritos.


This is a contribution to MsMorvay's 5th Annual Resurrecting the Oldies Book Write Off





Recommended: Yes