Roasting chilis
We spent last weekend in northern New Mexico, where we took a cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. I could have been spared the marginally relevant introductory monologue, which included an exposition on Columbus's non-discovery of America and other historical trivia (e.g. the Italians didn't really invent pasta, etc., etc.). But the lecture on peppers and their qualities was interesting, and I enjoyed the hands-on participation in chili sauce and tortilla making. It was worth the $40 per person.
Our best meal in Santa Fe was at SantacaFe. Their chili mashed potatoes are to die for, and surprisingly simple: they add fire-roasted green and red chilis into the mix with a generous helping of butter. Farther north, at Ojo Caliente, the Artesian Restaurant prepares divine, but heavy, Southwestern-Mexican cuisine.
