robirdstx

We all loved them! They were cold water tails, from Sam's Club, taken out of their shells, sliced length-wise and cooked on a gas grill at my mom's home. While the tails were cooking, they were basted with a softened butter and granulated garlic mix. Along with the lobster, we had a boneless prime rib that was roasted in the oven, a salad of chopped romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with bottled Caesar dressing, and homemade rolls made by a friend in my mom's bridge club. We dined on the patio under the stars, again! We could not have asked for better weather for this family gathering.

My bags are packed and I'll be heading back to El Paso to catch my flight back home to Houston later today. I've had a great Spring Break and will wrap up this week when I am back at home this evening.

Please don't feel stupid. Thank you for asking. I am just a home cook that likes to photograph food! I am a wife (35 years and counting) and became a grandmother in late 2008. I quit working outside of the house about ten years ago, which has given me the time to learn and "play" with cooking. I found eGullet several years ago when I was looking for information on knife skills. After lurking for a couple of years, I wanted to start making the occasional contribution and became a participating member. Most of my posts are on the Dinner thread. I come to New Mexico because my mother and her husband have had their home here for the last five years. I wish I had done the naughty plate, too. But I had had a full breakfast and we were going to be having grilled lobster tails for dinner and I didn't want to risk spoiling my appetite.

Today the "ladies" went to the Plaza in Old Mesilla to shop and lunch. Every Friday and Sunday there is an Arts, Crafts and Seasonal Market on the Plaza. Today I met Don Rogelio Cornelio Villegas and talked with him about his salsas. The salsas are made with peppers grown on his family farm in Hatch, NM from family recipes. I am bringing four jars home in my luggage - one each of his Flame Roasted Green Chile, Salsa de Jalapeno (El Macho Hot), Sun Dried Red Chile Sauce, and Salsa de Piquin (this one is his personal favorite for tacos). We took a break from shopping to rest our feet and have an early lunch at Peppers Cafe. The view from our table. We had a pleasant experience (great wait staff) and totally enjoyed our meal. I had the Spinach House Salad (spinach leaves, onion rings, sliced mushrooms, and bacon crumbles.) The vinaigrette was served on the side, so I added a drizzle for the photo. Mom had the Seafood Avocado Salad (white fish, shrimp, scallops in mayonnaise dressing served over mixed greens with avocado slices, tomato wedges, cucumber slices and black olives.) And my sister had one of the Big Jim Chile Rellenos, a House Specialty with a side of black beans (a Big Jim Hatch Green Chile with three Cheeses, lightly crisped and dressed with their Mesilla Valley Hatch Green Chile sauce.)

Rosie baked up fresh bread for us this morning. This loaf was a sourdough. So good and tangy! And she baked shirred eggs, that were great with the bread.

Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying the ride. My Dad lives just north of Tucson, so I get over that way when I can.

We had a lot of fun at the party last night. Dinner was corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. My mom brought everything over from her house and we cooked the food in her electric roaster out in the courtyard. And of course, we had birthday cake. A store bought German chocolate bundt.

If I have to reheat them I usually wrap them in a damp cloth and put them in the micro on medium for a few seconds. This time I added the meat and sauce to the tortillas and just covered them with a paper towel and nuked them for about 30 seconds on medium, then added the garnish.

We had lots of leftovers from dinner last night and they all got brought over to the casita. Lunch today!

After visiting The Potteries, I walked over to Andeles to get these photos for you. I couldn't get a photo of the tortilla mixing and production itself but I could see a big Hobart mixer and a conveyor belt with lots of tortillas moving along.

They were delicious! They describe them as a spicy bean soup on their menu. There were chunks of pork and serranos (I think) in with the beans.

After breakfast I took a walk over to The Potteries. They are less than half a mile from Rosie's. The potter wasn't in but when I told one of the other artists that I was doing this foodblog, I was invited into their studio to photograph some of the pieces in progress. These have all been fired once and are awaiting the addition of the final details and firing. Back to the showroom to shop. And I selected this bowl to bring home.

Hi Heidi, Rosie had a smile a mile wide when I told her your comments. She sends her thanks!

Here's my kitchen in the casita at Rosie's. We will be having our birthday party out here in the courtyard this evening. The door in the background leads to the casita. Let's go see Rosie's kitchen in the main house And here's whats for breakfast today. Rosie makes her own bread and fruit jams.

We have family coming to Mesilla, New Mexico to celebrate two birthdays that just happen to be on St. Patrick's Day. One birthday is a 75th and the other is a 27th. We will be having our birthday party at a little bed and breakfast named Casa de Rosie in Old Mesilla. Rosie's has two bedrooms and a casita. Other family members will have the two bedrooms but the casita is mine! Dinner last night was carry out from a local favorite, Andele Restaurante, eaten under the stars on the patio at my Mother's home. Chicken Quesadilla and Guacamole, Pork and Chicken Tacos Al Carbon, and I almost forgot to take a photo, Frijoles Charros.

Thanks! Made it!

This, then your citrus plants -- do you grow a lot of the produce you use? Your fish then fishcakes look so good to me -- I'd like a plate of each, please. Hi Pam, I've had some luck with herbs in my yard; not so much with tomatoes or peppers. We have a lot of big trees that shade most of the yard (and drop a lot of leaves in the pool) but I had a meyer lemon several years ago (can't remember why it did not thrive) and thought I'd try with another one. Fingers crossed!

Two centre blog?? Yep, two for one special!

Thank you so much for this tip!

Yes, that steel turned out to be pretty cool. Can't wait to try it out with naan or other flatbreads. I think they are both dwarf. I was really, really happy to find them so big. Interestingly, their root balls were pretty small (maybe recently repotted) and the new pots should take care of them for a while. The meyer lemon has lots of flower buds already. And, yes, I think they are lovely to look at, too.

Hi emilyr, thank you so much for sharing your memory of your visit to Galveston.

I am safely across Texas, thanks to Southwest Airlines, and into New Mexico! I took these pics of some of the dining options at Houston's Hobby Airport on the way to my departure gate.

DH made some Pillsbury biscuits for us this morning. I had mine with a pork sausage patty and a few of those strawberries we bought on Sunday at Froberg's. Do you remember this from my teaser photos? I bought this plate at a small pottery in Mesilla, New Mexico a couple of years ago. And today I'm flying out of Houston to El Paso to make my way through the pass and into New Mexico for the second half of this week.

Thanks! I like that!

Time to make the pizza! But first we have to make the dough. After resting for about an hour, I cut the dough into four equal pieces. Two pieces for dinner tonight and two pieces to go in the freezer in ziplock baggies, with a little bit of olive oil, for next time. Here's the first crust. I need to work on my stretching skills. The dough is on a circle of parchment that is dusted with corn meal. And the cookie sheet will be used as a paddle to get the dough onto the very hot steel. The oven had been turned on to 500F about an hour before and then switched to broil. The steel is on a rack set at the highest level, just beneath the broiler. The sauce goes on the first pie for DH. Then some diced onions. A bit of shredded cheese and then lots of pepperoni, hot Italian sausage and chopped pickled jalapenos. Out of the oven after 4 minutes and 45 seconds. And the underside. The second pie is for me, with mushrooms and black olives. This pie was in the oven for 4 minutes and 15 seconds. And the underside. I'd say the steel did a pretty good job. Previously, we would have to par-bake the crust, add the toppings and finish the pie when using our stone. So we saved a step; and DH really liked the way the pepperoni crisped up and the flavor of the jalapenos!