Joe and I recently visited Santa Fe and had lunch at the San Francisco Street Bar and Grill located on the Plaza. We were there for an Arts & Crafts festival on the Plaza and decided to have lunch afterwards. It’s located on the corner of San Francisco Street and Don Gaspar. The menu was posted outside and we decided to give it a try. Joe ordered a Chimayo Chicken Sandwich and I wanted to try the Santa Fe Cobb Salad with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette. It’s not your classic Cobb salad, instead it is made with local flavors that reflect the Santa Fe vibe. It was loaded with Romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, bacon bits, chopped roasted poblano, jicama and radish sticks with cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and sprinkled with Cotija cheese and crispy tortilla strips. It was the most delightful salad and I ate every bite. The vinaigrette was creamy and had a burst of flavors that embodied the salad. I took mental notes of the flavors I was tasting and came up with a vinaigrette that tastes pretty close. With the summer heat upon us, a flavorful salad is a welcome choice for lunch or dinner.
My journey in blogging began 15 years ago today, back when we were living in Olathe, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. In the early years my focus was all about food and recipes. This anniversary I want to reminisce on the travel adventures that Joe and I have shared over the last 8 years. I had always dreamed of going home to New Mexico but there would be a lot of bingo balls to juggle in order for that to happen. I dreamed of traveling the state and taking pictures of the places I remembered growing up and the new places I had yet to explore. In 2018 an opportunity came about for Joe to work remotely within his company. It would allow us to move without Joe having to start all over. Cameron decided to remain in Kansas City and Josh was on a year long visa in Australia traveling and working at an observatory giving stargazing tours. Our boys were clearly starting their own lives so we jumped at the chance to start a new adventure of our own. It was scary leaving behind 25 years worth of memories in KC, but there hasn’t been a single regret and honestly Joe and I are happier than ever. We made an agreement that we wouldn’t waste a minute and we would never become complacent to stay at home. We created a bucket list and have pretty much checked off that list one by one. We have traveled all over the state with a hiking folder of over 75 destinations checked off and counting. I’ve only posted a fraction of the places we’ve traveled to, but today I would like to share a few of our favorite destinations that are historic, interesting and beautiful. If I had to pick one place that calls to me it would be Ghost Ranch. The picture above is from the Kitchen Mesa Trail, it’s the hardest trail I’ve ever hiked and the most rewarding. The views from up high on the mesa are about as majestic and beautiful as it gets. Don’t stop now, there’s a lot more to see!
Memorial Day is coming up and as we honor our veterans who served in the military, many of us get together with family and cook outdoors. I love this time of year when we have cookouts and spend time together. This year I’m smoking baby back ribs out on the pellet smoker. I used to smoke ribs on my charcoal grill, but I found it time consuming and a lot of work to keep the coals hot as well as adding more briquettes when needed. A pellet smoker is so easy, just add your pellets, set the temperature and smoke. Ribs are easy in that you don’t have to read an internal temperature, they generally smoke approximately 4 hours give or take. How do you know when they are done? Do the bend test. Take your tongs and lift the ribs, if they bend they are ready, if not let them go another 30 minutes or until they bend easily and the meat begins to separate from the bone. They always turn out delicious no matter what rub you choose or what liquid you use to achieve that tasty caramelization. Once they pass the bend test, you can brush on your favorite barbeque sauce and put them back on the smoker for 30 minutes. The sauce makes a glaze that looks amazing and the aroma is out of this world! One year while I was smoking ribs in the backyard, a UPS driver delivered a package. He came to the door and instead of leaving our package at the door, he rang the doorbell just to ask “What is that amazing smell”? He could smell it from the street and said it was making him hungry!
Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!! Since it’s also Taco Tuesday, we are having some tasty tacos to celebrate. You’ll love these tacos with seasoned grilled chicken, street corn aka elote and fresh salsa folded into a flour tortilla for an explosion of flavors in every bite. Normally I would roast fresh corn on the grill but it’s not quite corn season so I opted for frozen roasted corn that you can get at Trader Joe’s. It’s the best roasted corn when you’re in a pinch. The corn is mixed with a tangy cream sauce with the flavors of lime, chile, garlic and Cotija cheese. It’s so delicious and makes a wonderful dip or side dish. The chicken is seasoned with a blend of red and green chile spices and a spritz of lime juice. Spoon some fresh salsa on top with a sprinkle of Cotija cheese and you will have one of the best tacos you’ve ever tasted!
Chaco Canyon located in the Four Corners area of New Mexico is the remains of an ancient civilization that began in the mid 800’s. Over the next 300 years, ancestral Puebloans aka Anasazi constructed several communities including single story and multi story stone buildings using techniques that were unique for the times. Every construction was like a community, some having hundreds of rooms. The architecture alone is amazing, oriented to solar, lunar and cardinal directions. By the early 1100’s, Chaco Canyon was a ceremonial and economic hub. It was considered a central place binding regional tribes together for ceremonial get togethers as well as trade. By the late 1100’s the Chacoans shifted in focus to other regional areas such as Aztec, Mesa Verde and beyond. There is evidence that water once flowed through the arroyo near Pueblo del Arroyo which may indicate that climate change could also be a factor why they dispersed to other areas. It’s amazing to see these villages that were built so long ago still standing and here for all of us to witness. Within Chaco Canyon there are many communities with ruins spread out across the canyon. Some are built with such sophistication it makes one wonder how they gained the knowledge to design and construct such precise curved walls, round kivas and multiple stories of rooms. Where did they learn the masonry techniques which still stand today? Chaco has been on my bucket list for the longest time. Our first visit was in May of 2021 touring the many ruins, walking within the walls learning the history and getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Now we’ve returned a year later to hike along the Pueblo Alto trail which overlooks the canyon to get a birds eye view of the ruins below as well as the landscape of the canyon. The architecture is stunning and takes you back in time wondering how they did it.
Update: We visited Chaco Canyon on 3/29/26; I took some additional pictures and have updated this post. The news of today is that the Indigenous Leaders and New Mexico Political leaders are trying to stop the current federal administration from reversing an order to ban all oil and gas developments within 10 miles of the Chaco site. The decision may come within the next 7 days in which the public can come together to make their case to save Chaco. I have made my comments known on the matter and hope that a lot of other people will do so as well. It would be a disgrace to the history and culture of this sacred site if the ban is overturned.
Spring is one of my favorite times of year. I love the vibrant colors of blooming spring flowers and the tinge of green in the trees. Our spring weather came early after a mild winter and now that it’s officially spring, our temperatures have turned especially warm feeling more like summer. This buttermilk cake is the ultimate spring dessert with a layer of whipped lemony cream cheese and topped with whipped cream. Every bite is melt in your mouth delicious! Spring, sunshine and lemons make our days colorful and vibrant once again!
Posted at 1:08 pm by NativeNM, on January 20, 2026
One of our favorite places to eat in Santa Fe is at the Plaza Cafe. It’s in the heart of the plaza and Santa Fe’s oldest restaurant. If you’re ever there for lunch, try their Plaza Club Sandwich or BLT & A which is served on green chile cheddar bread. It is so delicious! Joe always orders a sandwich just because he can’t get enough of the bread and asked me to put it on the bucket list. I started with Josh’s Artisan Bread recipe which is easy to make and added roasted chopped green chile and cheese. Monterey Jack is what I had on hand but Cheddar or Oaxaca cheese would be a good choice for this bread also. The cheese melts throughout and tastes so good. It makes a great panini or toasted sandwich and the end pieces can be cubed to make croutons as a topping for soup or salad. Whatever you make with this crusty bread, your meal will be enhanced by the flavors of green chile and cheese.
Posted at 8:22 am by NativeNM, on December 21, 2025
Is there any dessert more rich and creamy than crème brûlèe? The appearance is quite elegant which might make you think it’s hard to make, but actually it’s not hard at all. It has a hard caramelized crust that is made with a sprinkle of sugar and a mini torch to burn the sugar. The custard is made from heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Once prepared, it’s baked in a water bath and then chilled for several hours. Keep the custard chilled until ready to serve. It’s a beautiful dessert to present to guests and perfect for special occasions. Just before serving, sprinkle superfine caster sugar over the top and burn it with a mini torch. As it burns through the sugar it creates a thin crackly crust that has a caramelized sugar taste. It’s quite a contrast of flavors and textures that I simply love.
Posted at 2:55 pm by NativeNM, on December 17, 2025
This year I am recognizing New Mexico’s traditional meals that are celebrated around the holidays. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years, posole represents the celebration of life’s blessings. It’s a pot of hearty stew made of pork or chicken with hominy and red or green chile. It’s one of those things I look forward to every holiday season. The pork is seasoned, then simmered in broth for several hours until the pork begins to fall apart when stirred. I made the red chile base from dried NM Red and Guajillo chile pods which makes a vibrant red sauce which is then added to the pot of stewed pork and hominy. It’s tastes like comfort in a bowl. It’s enough to feed a crowd or can be frozen to enjoy another day. Whatever your traditions, I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season!
Posted at 9:15 am by NativeNM, on December 12, 2025
A baked chile relleno casserole is an easy way to make rellenos without sacrificing the flavor of individually fried rellenos. This casserole has layers of meringue like egg batter, a layer of NM Green Chiles and grated cheese before covering the chiles in another layer of batter and cheese. It’s baked in the oven and puffs up like a souffle. This casserole makes enough for a crowd, however Joe and I plan to freeze individual slices so we can have some whenever we want. Just wrap up individual portions to put in the freezer first with plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. I’m looking forward to a slice alongside a bowl of green chile stew or posole.
An Inspired Cook 