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This Week in Books 12/27/15
I did get a bloc of time to read The Conquerors - How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire. It is another good read by Roger Crowley. I also had a four hour bloc reading assembly instructions which required two cans of Putogether Fluid. So you get food.

The Food of Santa Fe
Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach
Periplus, copyright 1998

This is a nice 136+ page book with excellent color photographs. It is divided into three sections: Food in Santa Fe, Cooking in Santa Fe, and The Recipes. Food in Santa Fe is a bit of history of the area. Cooking in Santa Fe covers kitchen items, tortillas, chiles, and so forth. The Recipes begins with some basics like chile sauces and includes the reason I bought the book: Carne Adovada (page 78, Al Lucero, Maria's New Mexican Kitchen). What is nice is there is an appendix which provides the background accompanying foods in the photographs, which is where I found today's recipe. There are other recipes as well, such as the classic Pueblo dish Lobster Ceviche with Plantain Chips (page 58, Elizabeth Warren Mark Kiffin, Coyote Cafe).

As you see, they have the chef's credit and restaurant which is good, as well as a description, ingredients needed, steps taken, and a prep/cook time estimate. Everything reads well, though I have not made very many recipes; I'm the only spicy food lover in the house. But this recipe jumped out at me for its ease, adaptability, and low cost per serving:

Mexican Corn Chowder
Rosalea Murphy, Pink Adobe Restaurant
Page 132

1/4 lb butter
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, diced
1 tsp cumin seed
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 quart chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 (17oz) can whole-kernel corn
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp diced pimiento
Salt

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, saute the mushrooms until they're browned, 3 to 4 minutes, remove, and reserve them.

Add the remaining butter to the saucepan, add the bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and cumin seed and saute until they're soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour, paprika and red pepper and mix well to eliminate any lumps that may form.

Reduce the heat to low, stir in the chicken broth, and mix well. Add the half-and-half and the cheese and stir continuously until the cheese has melted and the soup thickened.

Add the corn, parsley, pimiento and the reserved mushrooms; mix well; and heat thoroughly. Salt to taste and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

I used a stockpot - it filled half-way, so this recipe does make quite a volume for just 1 1/2 quarts or so of liquid ingredients. The corn adds some volume to it, especially if like me you add extra corn and chicken.

Top with crushed tortilla chips or those strips, cheese, dunk with tortillas.

Easy right? And at my little grocery store on the prairie I can get each of those ingredients.

This last go-round we used Serrano instead of jalapeno chilis (not as much to keep the heat down), added extra diced pimiento for some color, and reaching into my bachelor recipe book:

Added canned chicken - five cans, that is. Now, it's a meal instead of a side dish. "Why canned chicken, Mr. swks? More expensive and lower quality than making the chicken yourself?" Because I have kids, dammit. And the good quality canned chicken does fit well.

If I were do it right for myself, I would bread and sear-fry chicken breast using corn oil, finish it in the oven.

If my wife would do it right, she would roast a whole chicken, peel off nearly all the meat, and give me the remains to make stock. See how I reduce a four hour step while still showcasing the chicken?

But that is what I like about this recipe - instead of button mushrooms, a mushroom with flavor could be used. A different cheese perhaps. Real pimiento instead of the stuff out of a jar. A quality paprika and parsley go a long way as well.

And with the theme of soldiers on Christmas Eve, I recommend:
Washington's Crossing
David Hackett Fischer

I sold a hardback copy to a guy with a kindle. Yeah, that good. There is even a well-narrated audio for those of you who, like me, seem to get their books anymore on solo road trips.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, have fun, be safe.

(Link is to The Food of Santa Fe, Amazon - I have a hardback copy but do not see that purchase option. Dunno.)
Posted by: swksvolFF 2015-12-27
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