An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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  • Monthly Archives: December 2025

    • Crème Brûlèe

      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.

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      Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Crème Brûlèe, Crème Brûlèe Ramekins, Dessert, Elegant Dessert, Vanilla Bean, Vanilla Bean Custard
    • Red Chile Pork Posole

      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!

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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Red or Green, Soups, Stews and Chili | 0 Comments | Tagged New Mexico Red Chile Posole, New Mexico Traditions, Red Chile and Pork Posole, Red Chile Posole
    • Chile Relleno Casserole

      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.

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      Posted in Breakfast, Recipes, Red or Green, Side Dishes | 5 Comments | Tagged Chile Relleno Casserole, New Mexico Green Chile, New Mexico Green Chile and Cheese Casserole, Oaxaca Cheese
    • Georgia O’Keeffe’s Pecan Butterballs

      Posted at 11:52 am by NativeNM, on December 5, 2025

      For as long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated by Georgia O’Keeffe’s story. She is renowned for her landscape and floral paintings in and around Ghost Ranch. When she first visited in 1934, the land was owned and occupied by a dude ranch, however she was offered a stay in a cottage on the property. It’s said that Georgia found solace at Ghost Ranch and spent her summers there painting until 1949 when she convinced the owner to sell her a parcel of land where she made it her home. Ghost Ranch is one of my favorite places on earth and I can see why she would embrace this beautiful landscape. Each time we visit I get a sense of traveling in her footsteps and viewing the scenery that she painted so long ago. I chose my blog header for the breathtaking landscape that is fondly known as “Georgia O’Keeffe country. I remember standing there in awe trying to capture the beauty before me, not knowing that Joe would take that photo.
      This post was originally going to be a recipe for Mexican Wedding cookies, however I came across Georgia’s recipe for Pecan Butterballs which looked and sounded very similar. Georgia opted for honey in place of powdered sugar for these pecan filled cookies. I was intrigued by her cookies and that search lead me to a different story. I found that a collection of Georgia O’Keeffe’s recipes were auctioned by Sotheby’s and sold in 2020. There is an image of the recipe card that she hand wrote for her Pecan Butterballs. Her pecan butterball cookies are perfect with a cup of afternoon tea. They also make a nice treat to share over the holidays. Hope you enjoy!

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      Posted in Cookies, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged christmas-cookies, Cookies, Georgia O'Keeffe's Pecan Butterballs, Ghost Ranch, Holiday Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Pecan Butterball Cookies
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