I’m just going to have to deal with it: Michael Thomas Coffee is no longer my neighborhood’s sweet little secret. For years, the shop has been housed in a tiny converted garage on a mostly residential stretch of Carlisle between Central and Gibson. The way I heard the story, the business wasn’t meant to be…
The Crispy Chicken Chronicles: Double-Fried Chicken Wings
Lately, there has been a particular type of recipe that keeps catching my eye: Fried chicken. But not typical Church’s or KFC (unless, of course, by KFC you mean “Korean Fried Chicken”). I find myself daydreaming over pictures of crisp, Asian-inspired chicken, most often doused in bright, sticky, spicy sauce. Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, or…
Eating ABQ: Tia B’s La Waffleria
A new eatery opened recently in our neighborhood – Tia B’s La Waffleria. An offshoot of Tia Betty Blue’s – a very popular spot despite its out-of-the-way location – La Waffleria has taken the yummy basis of Betty Blue’s Blue Corn Waffle Boats and spun it into a whole restaurant. A whole restaurant of waffles? We headed there…
Creamy Japanese Carrot-Ginger Salad Dressing
Not long ago we visited Arne’s parents in Woodland Park, Colorado, where they took us to a bustling restaurant called Fusion Japan. The place was jam-packed, and I have rarely seen servers hustling the way our waitress did! For some reason we each ordered a different chicken dish. (We didn’t try the sushi – a…
Homemade Napa Cabbage Kimchi
I love Korean food. I only know of two places to get it in Albuquerque: Korean BBQ House and Soo Bak Foods, the local Korean food truck. Both are very tasty. But of course, if I love a food I need to be able to make it myself. And if you want to make Korean…
What Is American Food?
On this patriotic holiday – as on pretty much every other holiday – I have one deep philosophical concern: “What shall we eat?” In today’s case, I wonder what foods are patriotic? How do things like that get decided, anyway? A simple answer is that classically seasonal summer foods – grilled hamburgers and hot dogs,…
Tangy Thai Salad with Canned Tuna? It’s Delicious!
I adore Pok Pok, the Thai street food restaurant in Portland that has now expanded to NYC. When I saw that its chef Andy Ricker was putting out a cookbook, I was excited, but cautious. I was concerned that it might be excessively “chefy” – that is, full of brilliant ideas, but terribly complicated…
Salted Honey and Olive Oil Granola
I’ve been refining my granola technique for several years now, starting with the revelation that was my first taste of Alta Lodge Granola, which I posted about four years ago. That granola is still incredible, better than (dare I say it?) any other artisan or packaged granola I’ve tasted (though Udi’s will do in a pinch)….
Braised and Grilled Beef Short Ribs with Sticky, Spicy Beer BBQ Sauce
Last week, I was suddenly possessed by the need to make the Sticky, Spicy Beer BBQ Sauce I blogged about almost exactly one year ago. I grabbed a can of Santa Fe Brewing Company Imperial Java Stout (which we always have on hand because of its long standing as one of Arne’s very favorite beers) and…
Celebrating Life at Joseph’s Culinary Pub in Santa Fe
It is time. Finally. To celebrate. My achalasia ordeal is over. Or, at least, as over as it will ever be. I have recovered from the surgery and the results are better than I dared hope. I can eat most things without concern. Fluffy breadstuffs are still a challenge, but even they go down okay…