Show 545, September 30, 2023: Hatch Chile Festival Recap with Michelle Grow, Marketing Director, Melissa’s / World Variety Produce

Michelle Grow of Melissa's World Variety Produce

Michelle Grow, Melissa’s / World Variety Produce’s Director of Marketing is no stranger to the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” She just had the very special experience of being a part of the annual Hatch Chile Festival over Labor Day Weekend in Hatch, NM. Then she was off to Australia to learn about R2E2 and Honey Gold Mangoes. Michelle is our guest to recap her recent global produce adventures.

As any true New Mexican will tell you, there’s hot chile and then there’s Hatch chile, and boy is it worth celebrating! This annual harvest festival over Labor Day Weekend in the “Chile Capital of the World” (that’s Hatch, New Mexico) includes chile roasting, food and craft vendors, fun for the kids, a carnival, and entertainment provided by local businesses. Over 40,000 chile loves attend annually which is a lot bigger than the population of Hatch estimated at 1,500! Last year was the 50th Anniversary of the Hatch Chile Festival.

“The Aussies are very picky about mangos, so only the best varieties are grown. The Calypso® mango is an Australian favorite; the bright, beautiful shades of red and yellow stand out in any produce department. With a unique pink blush, smaller seed, and juicy, fiber-free flesh, Calypso® mangos are perfectly beautiful and perfectly delicious. Melissa’s brings these beauties into the states just in time for Christmas… or Chrissy, as they say in Australia.”

“You can identify R2E2s from Australia by their lemon-yellow flesh and orange-red blush. Both Calypso® and R2E2s are perfect for smoothies, salads, salsas, and treat-yourself moments”

Show 484, July 23, 2022: Hatch Pepper Season with Melissa’s Robert Schueller Part One

Robert Schueller of Melissa's World Variety Produce in the AM830 KLAA Studio

“Authentic Hatch peppers (now in the short 6-week season of availability) are a Southwestern favorite, named after the original growing area in Hatch, New Mexico. Melissa’s Hatch peppers are grown in the Mesilla Valley, just north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. They are well known, especially in the states of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Researchers say the intense sunlight and cool nights in the valley result in a uniquely flavored chile. The valley, which stretches along the Rio Grande’s southern-most bend before crossing into Texas and Mexico, is covered with row after row of green, leafy Hatch plants for most of the summer.”

“An older cousin of the fresh green Anaheim, Hatch peppers have a meaty flesh and can be very mild or have a medium to very hot bite. Hatch peppers are becoming increasingly popular every year, with local supermarkets hosting Hatch Roasts,” where you can buy your fresh Hatch peppers and have them roasted right in front of you! Once you have your roasted peppers, add them to your favorite recipe or freeze them so you have them anytime you need until next year’s harvest.”

“Melissa’s Hatch Peppers are the perfect addition to recipes to add mild to hot heat, as well as a flavor distinct to the pepper. During Hatch season, the spicy scent of peppers fills the air with food memories that tease our taste buds of what’s to come. Hatch Peppers are versatile and can be used in place of any peppers in your recipes. The Melissa’s chefs suggest using them in smoothies, desserts, casseroles, soups, salads and lots more.”

New Melissa’s products made with genuine Hatch peppers are on the market and selling like crazy! Melissa’s has introduced several new Hatch-enhanced items: Hatch popcorn, Hatch BBQ Sauce, Hatch Dijon Mustard, Hatchup (Hatch ketchup), and Hatch Clean Snax®… you won’t want to miss these. Don’t forget about Melissa’s shaker with red or green Hatch pepper powder so you can have your Hatch fix all year-round!”

Melissa’s resident Product Guru, Robert Schueller (also known as the Prince of Produce), is our guest with all things Hatch Peppers.

Show 484, July 23, 2022: Hatch Pepper Season with Melissa’s Robert Schueller Part Two

Robert Schueller of Melissa's World Variety Produce in the AM830 KLAA Studio

“Authentic Hatch peppers (now in the short 6-week season of availability) are a Southwestern favorite, named after the original growing area in Hatch, New Mexico. Melissa’s Hatch peppers are grown in the Mesilla Valley, just north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. They are well known, especially in the states of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Researchers say the intense sunlight and cool nights in the valley result in a uniquely flavored chile. The valley, which stretches along the Rio Grande’s southern-most bend before crossing into Texas and Mexico, is covered with row after row of green, leafy Hatch plants for most of the summer.”

“An older cousin of the fresh green Anaheim, Hatch peppers have a meaty flesh and can be very mild or have a medium to very hot bite. Hatch peppers are becoming increasingly popular every year, with local supermarkets hosting Hatch Roasts,” where you can buy your fresh Hatch peppers and have them roasted right in front of you! Once you have your roasted peppers, add them to your favorite recipe or freeze them so you have them anytime you need until next year’s harvest.”

“Melissa’s Hatch Peppers are the perfect addition to recipes to add mild to hot heat, as well as a flavor distinct to the pepper. During Hatch season, the spicy scent of peppers fills the air with food memories that tease our taste buds of what’s to come. Hatch Peppers are versatile and can be used in place of any peppers in your recipes. The Melissa’s chefs suggest using them in smoothies, desserts, casseroles, soups, salads and lots more.”

New Melissa’s products made with genuine Hatch peppers are on the market and selling like crazy! Melissa’s has introduced several new Hatch-enhanced items: Hatch popcorn, Hatch BBQ Sauce, Hatch Dijon Mustard, Hatchup (Hatch ketchup), and Hatch Clean Snax®… you won’t want to miss these. Don’t forget about Melissa’s shaker with red or green Hatch pepper powder so you can have your Hatch fix all year-round!”

Melissa’s resident Product Guru, Robert Schueller (also known as the Prince of Produce), continues as our guest discussing all things Hatch Peppers.

Show 386, August 15, 2020: Co-Host Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group with “Ask the Chef”

Andy Harris and Andrew Gruel at the Fifth Anniversary of the SoCal Restaurant Show at Melissas World Variety ProduceOur own Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where Chef Andrew responds to listeners thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew is regularly updating us on the impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the hospitality field and what we, as diners, can do to support the very survival of restaurants. Dine-in is slowly, with multiple hiccups, starting to come back but with a lot of new rules that restrict guest counts. Alternately Take-Out / Delivery when you can surely helps…

The short season for sourcing fresh Hatch peppers from New Mexico’s Mesilla Valley is upon us. Hatch Chiles are thick, meaty and rich in flavor. They are often called the world’s tastiest peppers and with good reason. Unusually the fresh peppers are available in a variety of heat levels from mild to hot. In food stores now fresh or freshly roasted by the case. (They freeze well when roasted.) Chef Andrew is a genuine fan and offers some great tips for inspired cooking with Hatch chiles.

We’ll, of course “Ask the Chef.”

 

Show 353, December 28, 2019: Executive Chef / Proprietress Café Pasqual’s, Santa Fe, NM Part One

Katharine Kagel of Cafe PasqualsKatharine Kagel is the Founder/Owner and Executive Chef of the acclaimed Café Pasqual’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico which is celebrating its fortieth year of success. Café Pasqual’s serves organic foods and wines. The emphatically flavored cuisine is inspired by the culinary traditions of New Mexico, Old Mexico, the Mediterranean and Asia.

Chef Kagel also curates the adjacent Café Pasqual’s Gallery.

Chef Kagel’s passion for feeding those in need continues; she is a guiding founder of Santa Fe’s response to food insecurity – with first vision for the Food Depot, Santa Fe’s food bank and she is also co-chair of Kitchen Angels capital campaign, the group that provides free hot meals delivered to Santa Fe’s homebound.

Katharine has authored two well-received cookbooks; Cooking with Café Pasqual’s, Ten Speed Press and Spirited Recipes from Café Pasqual’s, Chronicle Books. Both are still in print.

Café Pasqual’s received the prestigious James Beard Foundation award as an America’s Classics (1999). The same year she was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as Best Chef: Southwest.

Show 353, December 28, 2019: Executive Chef / Proprietress Café Pasqual’s, Santa Fe, NM Part Two

Katharine Kagel of Cafe PasqualsCafé Pasqual’s (Santa Fe, New Mexico) Founder and Chef Katharine Kagel, originally from Northern California, studied cooking in Japan and Hawaii, and then developed a passion for Chinese cooking before moving to the Southwest. In 1978 she moved to Santa Fe and opened Cafe Pasqual’s the following year.

Being part of the community is important to Katharine. She helped to found the international association of prepared and perishable food rescue programs, Foodchain, as well as Santa Fe’s local program, The Food Brigade.

Café Pasqual’s Gallery (adjacent to Café Pasqual’s on the 2nd Floor) features handmade mica cook pots in both the Jicarilla – Apache style and of the Northern New Mexico Pueblos. The gallery represents 24 artists in an array of media.

It’s first come, first served for Breakfast and Lunch at Café Pasqual’s. Reservations accepted (and advised) for Dinner. All the ingredients are organic and sourced locally as much as possible.

Show 351, December 14, 2019: Bonnie Bennett, Proprietress, Kakawa Chocolate House, Santa Fe, NM Part One

Bonnie Bennett of Kawada Chocolate HouseKakawa Chocolate House is an artisan chocolate company located in the beautiful, high elevation town of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kakawa’s passion is promoting the history of chocolate and crafting a variety of delicious chocolate creations of the finest quality. Proprietress Bonnie Bennett shares the rich decadence with us.

Kakawa’s signature is a collection of historic drinking chocolate elixirs. “These specialties include traditional Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican, Mayan and Aztec drinking chocolate elixirs; 1600’s European drinking chocolate elixirs, Colonial American and Colonial Mexican drinking chocolate elixirs. Kakawa Chocolate House drinking chocolate elixirs are representative of these historic recipes and span the time period 1000 BC to the mid-1900s AD.”

“Kakawa supports local organic farming, promotes the history and anthropology of chocolate, and, most importantly, produces a huge variety of delicious chocolate creations of the highest quality. Since its founding, Kakawa has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting and original chocolate shops in the world.”

Virtually all of Kakawa Chocolate House’s artisan chocolates and premium drinking chocolate elixirs (dry mix) can be shipped with confidence to anywhere in the USA.

 

Show 351, December 14, 2019: Bonnie Bennett, Proprietress, Kakawa Chocolate House, Santa Fe, NM Part Two

Bonnie Bennett of Kawada Chocolate HouseKakawa Chocolate House is an artisan chocolate company located in the beautiful, high elevation town of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kakawa’s passion is promoting the history of chocolate and crafting a variety of delicious chocolate creations of the finest quality. Proprietress Bonnie Bennett continues to share the incredibly rich decadence with us.

“Kakawa’s chocolatiers are dedicated to sharing their passion for chocolate. They balance the traditional with the cutting edge, creating unique and exquisitely bold creations from fresh, seasonal ingredients. Their one-of-a-kind creations include truffles, drinking chocolate elixirs, agave caramels, solid dark chocolates and delicious homemade ice cream. Working exclusively in small batches, our staff ensures that each piece of chocolate looks as exquisite as it tastes.”

“Our mission is to re-introduce you to chocolate. We draw on chocolate’s long history, re-creating original Mesoamerican and Colonial chocolate recipes, and using them to inspire our new and exciting creations. We have a startling variety of contemporary flavors (including dairy-free and Vegan confections), such as Pomegranate, Cherry-Chili and Acai, Hibiscus flower, and Mescal. Kakawa also offers classic European-style truffles, such as Earl Grey, Espresso, Classic French Dark and many other seasonal specialties.”

Virtually all of Kakawa Chocolate House’s artisan chocolates and premium drinking chocolate elixirs (dry mix) can be shipped with confidence to anywhere in the USA.

Show 348, November 9, 2019: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris

La Fonda on the Plaza in Sante FeWe’re on location at the landmark La Fonda On the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Built in 1926 La Fonda, located just steps from Santa Fe’s historic Plaza, is one of the oldest hotels in the country and features local, museum quality art collected (and carefully maintained) from the opening by three forward-thinking ownership groups.

Now an enticing preview of Saturday’s scrumptious show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will hopefully leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case that’s probably a pretty good thing… As always, we greatly appreciate you being a part of our loyal listening audience. Truly couldn’t do it without you.

Executive Chef Lane Warner has been the culinary face of La Fonda for an impressive 26 years. He has previously been recognized as Chef of the Year by the New Mexico Restaurant Association. At La Fonda Chef Lane oversees all culinary aspects of La Plazuela, La Fiesta Lounge and The Bell Tower Bar (as well as room service and a busy banquet operation.) We spirit Chef Lane out of his active kitchens for a chat.

Sheehan Winery is committed to making high-quality, all natural, boutique wines in New Mexico. The winery was founded in 2015 by Sean Sheehan, who learned the craft by serving for more than a decade as lead winemaker at some of New Mexico’s finest wineries. Sheehan’s wines are made exclusively from New Mexico-grown grapes. Sheehan Winery wines reflect the unique combination of sun, high altitude, dry climate and soil of the New Mexico climate. Sean deftly pulls the cork on Sheehan Winery for us.

In April of 2016 Chef Sllin Cruz was appointed as the executive chef of the award-winning, fine dining restaurant Geronimo in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After almost two years running the Geronimo kitchen as chef de cuisine and being awarded Open Table’s Top 100 Restaurants in America through his culinary talent, Cruz took over from acclaimed Chef Eric DiStefano, who sadly passed away in February 2016. Geronimo restaurant, located on historic Canyon Road, presents an exquisite ‘Global Eclectic with a French base’-inspired menu focusing on comfort delicacies from all over the world. Chef Cruz is our guest.

Edible New Mexico is a bi-monthly magazine that promotes and celebrates the abundance of local foods in New Mexico. We value local, seasonal, authentic foods and culinary traditions. We celebrate family farmers who plant the seeds and work tirelessly to bring you the freshest local produce, the ranchers and poultry farmers committed to creating healthier and more sustainable methods of working with animals and the land; the food artisans who proudly create a creamy cheese and the wines to pair them with, and the local chefs who continually create to excite us with the unique flavors of this region. We at edible Santa Fe honor their dedication to using the highest quality, local seasonal foods, and we want to share their stories with you.” Publisher and Photo Editor Stephanie Cameron joins us.

“A Santa Fe, New Mexico based chef, author, Native foods historian and photographer, Lois Ellen Frank was born in New York City and raised on Long Island, New York with her father’s side of the family. She is from the Kiowa Nation on her mother’s side and Sephardic on her father’s side. Her first career experiences were as a professional cook and organic gardener. Lois has spent over 25 years documenting foods and life ways of Native American tribes from the Southwest.  This lengthy immersion in Native American communities culminated in her book, Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations, featuring traditional and contemporary recipes. It won the coveted James Beard Award in the Americana category and was the first Native American book to win the award.” Lois Ellen Frank, PhD is our guest.

Since 2012 Edward (Ed) T. Pulsifer has been La Fonda On the Plaza’s high-profile Director of Sales. He also enthusiastically functions as the unofficial resident historian of the Hotel. It’s one of the key leadership positions for the property. In 2016 the New Mexico Hospitality Association recognized Ed as the Hospitality Professional of the Year. Pulsifer joined La Fonda from Heritage Hotels and Resorts, where he oversaw sales and marketing for seven boutique hotels in the Southwest. We’ll meet 34-year Hospitality veteran, Ed Pulsifer.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

Show 348, November 9, 2019: Chef Lane Warner, Executive Chef, La Fonda On the Plaza, Santa Fe, NM

Lane Warner of La Fonda at the PlazaLa Fonda on the Plaza’s executive chef, Lane Warner, is a culinary juggler, keeping his kitchen, staff, menus, room service and banquets running smoothly and professionally, making it look effortless and fun. A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, he trained under a series of renowned chefs and joined La Fonda in 1993 as executive sous chef. Six years later, he was promoted to executive chef and has earned several awards and accolades, including cooking dinner at the James Beard House in New York.”

“Chef Warner is an active member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and attained the ACF Certified Executive Chef level. In addition to winning numerous medals in ACF competitions, he was voted Chef of the Year by the New Mexico Restaurant Association and Chef of the Year by ACF Chefs of Santa Fe.”

“Under his tenure, La Fonda’s La Plazuela dining room has garnered rave reviews and is now earned the reputation as a sophisticated destination dining experience. Chef Warner’s seasonal menus celebrate the bounty of New Mexico and its rich culinary history. He is a master at taking old favorites and adding New World influences and showcasing authentic New Mexican cuisine.”

“Warner’s passion for food is equaled only by his love of the great outdoors, hunting and fishing. He spends endless hours training his Black Labrador for the upcoming waterfowl seasons. He is also an avid bow hunter for big game – elk, whitetail deer; you name it.”