New Mexicans are hardworking, resourceful, and creative. This issue is for those willing to get their hands dirty and do it themselves. We explore the processes of starting a sourdough, growing sweet potatoes, and making your own goat cheese, all in the hope that demystifying these techniques will provide inspiration in the kitchen and garden. In each of these pages you will find an affirmation that the process of making something yourself can offer its own rewards of knowledge, enjoyment, and satisfaction. The extra time and energy, the love and sweat, can transform an otherwise ordinary product into a meaningful expression of ourselves.
In our busy lives, when we contemplate our next meal, convenience often beckons through the warm glow of drive-thru signs or the ease of opening a box or bag. Time is a luxury, and the thought of baking bread or growing vegetables can feel daunting, if not impossible, for those of us unfamiliar with the processes. But making food from scratch doesn’t require magic—just a little effort, instruction, and inspiration.
New Mexicans are hardworking, resourceful, and creative. This issue is for those willing to get their hands dirty and do it themselves. We meet Adam Danforth, a nationally renowned butcher with a mission to introduce chefs and home cooks to a more thoughtful and sustainable approach to butchery. We also pay a visit to Chris Altenbach in Albuquerque’s South Valley, where he shows us how he has repurposed and reengineered everyday items and machinery to create unique farm tools at Ironwood Farm. We explore the processes of starting a sourdough, growing sweet potatoes, and making your own goat cheese, all in the hope that demystifying these techniques will provide inspiration in the kitchen and garden. And, finally, we turn to New Mexico’s rapidly growing beer scene to examine how experimentation in brewing can lead to delicious, wholly unique results both at home and at our favorite watering holes.
In each of these pages you will find an affirmation that the process of making something yourself can offer its own rewards of knowledge, enjoyment, and satisfaction. The extra time and energy, the love and sweat, can transform an otherwise ordinary product into a meaningful expression of ourselves. We celebrate those expressions here and encourage you to go and make something that money can’t buy.
Cacio e Pepe Con Pasta Fatta in Casa
By Enrique Guerrero, Bang Bite Filling Station and Fenix at Vanessie · Photo by Stephanie Cameron Serves 4–5 Pasta 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (unbleached) 5 large eggs Mound the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the...
In Good Taste
Bodega Prime Starts from Scratch By Candolin Cook · Photos by Stephanie Cameron Left: Condiments from the grab-and-go case. Right: Noela Figueroa, chef and owner of Bodega Prime. “Get the steak sandwich!” shouts Bodega Prime...
G.O.A.T. Cheese
By Marjory Sweet · Photos by Stephanie Cameron In the United States, cow’s milk “does a body good,” while goat milk remains an exotic second choice. Worldwide, however, the opposite is often true. The benefits of goat milk are unique and numerous. Goat...
The Muscles of a Mindful Kill
Adam Danforth Takes a New Approach to Butchery By Marjory Sweet · Photos by Stephanie Cameron “Usually edible birds don’t congregate around me,” says Adam Danforth as a trio of guinea fowl gather at our feet. We are attempting to sit down for breakfast...
Prickly Pear Gose
Prickly Pear Gose, All-Grain Recipe by Greg Dupy Makes 5 gallons 9 pounds Rahr 2 Row 1 pound Rahr red wheat 1 pound flaked oats 1/2 pound Weyermann acidulated malt 3 grams Whirlfloc tablets 1/2 ounce Crystal hops 3 grams coriander powder 15 grams sea salt...
The Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest
An Interview with Dean Strober, Founder Above: 2017 US Brewers Cup Champion, Dylan Siemens The Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest (SWCC) started in 2010 as a way to support local businesses. It began in a twelve-thousand-square-foot ballroom with...
Resourcefulness Provides Purpose for Ironwood Farm
By Michael J. Dax · Photos by Stephanie Cameron Top left, clockwise: Michael Dax tastes Chris Altenbach's hydroponically grown celery; the well-curated scrapyard waiting to be reimagined as farm tools; a steam-powered corn sheller (circa 1890s); and a...
A Glass of Spring
Turn Plum Blossoms into a Delicate Liqueur By Ellen Zachos I first drank plum blossoms in Denver. It was a rainy afternoon and I was hunting for morels when the scent of something floral and intoxicating distracted me. (It takes a lot to distract me from...
Caballero
by Quinn Stephenson, Coyote Cafe & Cantina A perfect cocktail to spice up your Valentine's Day, the Caballero combines some of Mexico’s most tantalizing ingredients. Caballero 2 ounces añejo tequila 1 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouth 1 heavy dash of...
Best Farm, Albuquerque: Rio Grande Farm
An Interview with Sean Ludden, Farm Manager Photo by Stacey M. Adams An edible Local Hero is an exceptional individual or organization working to create innovative, vibrant, and resilient local food systems in New Mexico. Last fall, edible readers...
Edible celebrates New Mexico's food culture, season by season. We believe that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing. With our high-quality, aesthetically pleasing and informative publication, we inspire readers to support and celebrate the growers, producers, chefs, beverage and food artisans, and other food professionals in our community.