eG Foodblog: Verjuice - Red, Green or Christmas?

[Verjuice]

The menu:

I had a cup of coffee:

And the chilaquiles, which came with a side of black beans and home fries.

The manager, Henry, moved to Santa Fe from Seattle not long ago, and is very interested in food. We talked for a while about restaurants here and in Seattle. Really, what is there to talk about other than food? Well, okay, we talked about politics in the Middle East, too. A digestif of sorts.

edited for a duplicate photo

Edited December 30, 2007 by Verjuice (log)

[Verjuice]

Especially like the potatoes that come with them at The Pantry.

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YES.

edited for emphasis

Edited December 30, 2007 by Verjuice (log)

[Verjuice]

Thanks for saying that! I own about forty old manual cameras and used to repair them when I was in college, but this is my first digital camera. I bought it last month so that I could do this blog, and pretty much learned to use it properly a day or two before starting. I had never even held one before I bought this one!   

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Well I am shocked! Mainly because I've been working in midtown Manhattan for years and "would you take our picture?" is as common as "how do I get to ___". So ages before I owned a digital I had to learn how to use one.

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You are a much nicer person than I am!

Last week, I was trying to relax at the end of a long day with a simple cocktail and a salad at an Italian place in town, and the obnoxious, drunk woman next to me asked if I would join her party in song and belt out 'Happy Birthday' to her husband. My response was a blank stare punctuated by a crisp 'no'.

[Chufi]

This has been a most wonderful blog. I don't think you've showed me a single plate of food that I did NOT want to eat and your photos are stunning! I also love all the pics of the menus, they really make me feel like we're right there with you.

I've added your part of the US to my wishlist of places I want to go to...

[racheld]

And the chilaquiles, which came with a side of black beans and home fries.

Right after YUM and whimper, I guess I'd have to say this particular combination calls for a "Mucho Gusto, Y'all!!"

[Verjuice]

New Year's Eve Dinner Announcement

I've invited four New Years Eve hoopla-phobic and kitchen-friendly Arab friends; a Saudi, a Palestinian and four Tunisians over to cook dinner tomorrow night, and it's ON. There will be a dish from each of our homelands.

I'll be making an Emirati dish, though I haven't decided on one yet.

Stay tuned for more car rides and calories between now and then, at which point I will bid you goodbye.

edited to adjust the number of guests.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Verjuice (log)

[Verjuice]

This has been a most wonderful blog. I don't think you've showed me a single plate of food that I did NOT want to eat and your photos are stunning! I also love all the pics of the menus, they really make me feel like we're right there with you.

I've added your part of the US to my wishlist of places I want to go to... 

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Awwww, shucks. Thanks, Chufi.

Love that you have an Umm Kulthum/Oum Kalsoum sig line, btw.

[Shelby]

New Year's Eve Dinner Announcement

I've invited four New Years Eve hoopla-phobic and kitchen-friendly Arab friends; a Saudi, a Palestinian and two Tunisians over to cook dinner tomorrow night, and it's ON.

I'll be making an Emirati dish, though I haven't decided on one yet.

Stay tuned for more car rides and calories between now and then.

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I have to say you're one of the most interesting people I've ever had the pleasure of "meeting"!

Am I prying to ask what illness caused you to be on that special diet? I hope all is well now.

[Verjuice]

New Year's Eve Dinner Announcement

I've invited four New Years Eve hoopla-phobic and kitchen-friendly Arab friends; a Saudi, a Palestinian and two Tunisians over to cook dinner tomorrow night, and it's ON.

I'll be making an Emirati dish, though I haven't decided on one yet.

Stay tuned for more car rides and calories between now and then.

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I have to say you're one of the most interesting people I've ever had the pleasure of "meeting"!

Am I prying to ask what illness caused you to be on that special diet? I hope all is well now.

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That is incredibly kind of you to say. And I've PM'd you the rest!

[Abra]

Holy crap, Coyote Cafe is expensive! Makes France look like a cheap date for dinner.

And I'm really looking forward to yor dinner tomorrow night.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Abra (log)

[Verjuice]

Holy crap, Coyote Cafe is expensive!  Makes France look like a cheap date for dinner.

And I'm really looking forward to your dinner tomorrow night.

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It's expensive, but it's still not as costly as a number of other places here.

[Jen Keenan]

You are a much nicer person than I am!

Last week, I was trying to relax at the end of a long day with a simple cocktail and a salad  at an Italian place in town, and the obnoxious, drunk woman next to me asked if I would join her party in song and belt out 'Happy Birthday' to her husband. My response was a blank stare punctuated by a crisp 'no'.

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There's probably some evolutionary significance to this, but now that I think about it, it is nearly always a woman who asks for directions or a photo. Which is a smart instinct, because thanks to the scammers and sleazeballs that populate New York, I immediately ice down any male who looks like he's about to approach me. Drunks of either sex are to be avoided! I don't blame you one bit. But regular tourists, they're cute, and they spend lots of money here. I will go back to liking them when these bloody holidays are over.

To bring it back to food ... FRITO PIE!!!! I had some great drive-in Frito pie in Taos, that's all I remember about it. That dime store sign in your photo - does that mean some kind soul has opened a restaurant where the old Woolworth's used to be? That gives me all kinds of hope.

[MarketStEl]

Holy crap, Coyote Cafe is expensive!  Makes France look like a cheap date for dinner.

And I'm really looking forward to your dinner tomorrow night.

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It's expensive, but it's still not as costly as a number of other places here.

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It's the folks from outside driving up the prices, isn't it?

My recollection is that New Mexico, while not poor, isn't particularly wealthy either.

[Verjuice]

My feet were killing me when I got home. I couldn't wait to lay down and give myself a little acupuncture treatment.

I definitely was not in the mood to go anywhere or dinner, but I didn't particularly feel like cooking either. I assembled something to eat using odds and ends from Christmas dinner and a loaf of sourdough bread from SAGE Bakehouse, the best bakery in town. I started tearing into the bread before I had a chance to photograph it, but I'm sure you won't hold it against me since this way you can see the crumb.

Look at that crust! High-altitude baking is harder, but not impossible:

With the bread, I had some olives, a chicken sausage with feta cheese and spinach, and a lovely wedge of cheese.

I felt like I needed something green, so I munched on raw broccoli (not pictured) while the pan for the sausage was getting hot.

I've also been on a prosecco kick lately, so I had a glass or two with dinner.

Stolen bite while the sausage was in the pan:

Sausage. How do you take a sexy picture of one of these? I could not get it right.

Supper.

[Verjuice]

I couldn't resist buying an almond-poppyseed muffin from Wild Oats when I was there earlier. I love muffins, and their bakery produces the best ones in town. Moist, buttery and not too sweet.

[Verjuice]

.

To bring it back to food ... FRITO PIE!!!!    I had some great drive-in Frito pie in Taos, that's all I remember about it. That dime store sign in your photo - does that mean some kind soul has opened a restaurant where the old Woolworth's used to be? That gives me all kinds of hope.

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You have an excellent memory! The old Woolworths has since become a Five and Dime, but the institution of Frito Pie has remained intact.

[Verjuice]

Holy crap, Coyote Cafe is expensive!  Makes France look like a cheap date for dinner.

And I'm really looking forward to your dinner tomorrow night.

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It's expensive, but it's still not as costly as a number of other places here.

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It's the folks from outside driving up the prices, isn't it?

My recollection is that New Mexico, while not poor, isn't particularly wealthy either.

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Santa Fe is extremely dichotomized as far as wealth, but one of the reasons that the downtown area is so expensive is the fact that, in addition to be the second most visited place in the U.S. after San Francisco, Santa Fe is a second-home city, and a major retirement hub for well-heeled folk from TX, CA, and NY.

[Pam R]

What a lovely blog! Your photography is fabulous, and I'd love to spend a week eating with you. Everything you've had this week looks delicious.

As far as red meat goes, because of Halal dietary restrictions it tends to be very, very bland and fibrous.

Can you tell us a little about halal meat? I'm afraid I don't know much about it, yet I'm very familiar with kosher meat. Are the processes similar or very different? What makes it bland and fibrous - the raising, the slaughtering, the processing or the cooking?

Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

[Verjuice]

What a lovely blog! Your photography is fabulous, and I'd love to spend a week eating with you.  Everything you've had this week looks delicious.

As far as red meat goes, because of Halal dietary restrictions it tends to be very, very bland and fibrous.

Can you tell us a little about halal meat? I'm afraid I don't know much about it, yet I'm very familiar with kosher meat. Are the processes similar or very different? What makes it bland and fibrous - the raising, the slaughtering, the processing or the cooking?

Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

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Aw, thanks Pam! You are welcome at my table any time.

I believe that the halal protocol for slaughter is quite similar to the kosher method. It requires the severing of the jugular veins, carotid arteries, esophagus and trachea with a quick single movement from right to left, but the spinal cord should be kept intact. The animal should not be stunned beforehand.

Immediately afterwards, the animal must drained of all blood, preferably within 24 hours. It should be eaten quickly thereafter.

Due to the fact that the meat is freshly killed, bloodless and unaged, it tends to be chewy and contain little flavor. It also browns almost immediately upon contact with heat. In my experience, anyway.

edited for typo

Edited December 31, 2007 by Verjuice (log)

[Jen Keenan]

To bring it back to food ... FRITO PIE!!!!    I had some great drive-in Frito pie in Taos, that's all I remember about it. That dime store sign in your photo - does that mean some kind soul has opened a restaurant where the old Woolworth's used to be? That gives me all kinds of hope.

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You have an excellent memory! The old Woolworths has since become a Five and Dime, but the institution of Frito Pie has remained intact.

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Memory, schmemory. It's FRITO PIE. One of those recipes I occasionally try to Google and fail. Why? Because everyone else makes with with red chili. Sorry, Texas, but Frito pie made with New Mexican green chiles is so much more delicious. To me, anyway.

What excellent news! I'll be sure to remember it the next time I move around America for a year and stop in New Mexico for four months...ummm...

[Verjuice]

What excellent news!  I'll be sure to remember it the next time I move around America for a year and stop in New Mexico for four months...ummm...

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Nonstop flights from Newark to Albuquerque, darlin'.

[snowangel]

This time of year, Minnesota is provides a stark landscape. Dark, leaf-less trees, lots of white, all punctuated by the occasional cardinal or blue jay. The colors you have shown are so inviting and warming, it inspired me to spend a few kid and hubby-less days painting the bathrooms warm, inviting colors.

Beautiful!

Edited: the trees are leafless, not the other way around!

[Verjuice]

This time of year, Minnesota is provides a stark landscape.  Dark, tree-less leaves, lots of white, all punctuated by the occasional cardinal or blue jay.  The colors you have shown are so inviting and warming, it inspired me to spend a few kid and hubby-less days painting the bathrooms warm, inviting colors. 

Beautiful!

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Susan,

That is equally complimentary as it is coincidental; I just redid my guest bathroom over the course of this blog:

[Flotch]

Hey Verjuice,

Nice to see that you'll be having a homey New Year's celebration.

As usual anything half-decent in Dubai is completely booked up and for ridiculously high prices (read Dhs8,888 per person at the new Raffles China Moon Champagne Bar).

Needless to say going out won't be possible unless you're ready to fork out a minimum of Dhs300 per head for a tasteless buffet - no alcohol included - and hope that someone decides to buy bubbly for the entire restaurant :-)

Happy New Year!

[Shelby]

OH MY GOSH, I LOVE THAT SINK!