I went to Sante Fe last week and fell in love with the art and the food.
All the recipes this week were gathered from the trip thanks to Leslie, our waitress at the Anasazi Restaurant, who got some of the information from their chef and Pam, our waitress at the Ore, for the information about the salad dressing and to Henry at the Villas De Santa Fe for sending us to a great Mexican restaurant for fry bread.
The food was excellent. We were surprised to see how different the flavors and selections were in New Mexico of Mexican dishes available at home.
And it isn’t all about the heat.
Yes, we had peppers in our hash browns, but the varieties of peppers, the amount of heat and the flavors apparently are limitless.

There’s nothing quite like a hot flaky biscuit right out of the oven.
The four recipes featured this week should please the pickiest eater.
Now, I’m not claiming that they’re fat-free, because they’re not. Nor am I even claiming they’re low in fat, because when it comes to good biscuits I don’t care about any of that. I care about how they taste.
None of these recipes are for people who are looking for diet food. If it calls for butter, use real butter. If it calls for cheese, use real cheese. After eating any of these, you may feel slightly guilty, but you will not be hungry.
Go for the gusto, and happy baking.

St. Patrick’s Day is this Thursday, and we are indebted to our Irish ancestors for the richness of the heritage passed along to our entire region.
Our music, stories, food and traditions bear the stamp of the shamrock whether Irish blood flows in our veins or not.
Irish potatoes and Irish stew make regular appearances in our kitchens year-round, so why not go all out on St. Patrick’s Day and make the menu an all-Irish one?
Feel free to fine-tune these recipes anyway you like.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all.

An old friend who happens to be a food enthusiast suggested I feature Thai recipes in a food page. I really enjoy Thai food, as does she, but hadn’t thought of it as a potential food page. It was time to think again.
This week the four recipes include cucumber salad, noodles, a chicken dish and a simple dessert.
One of the bonuses of eating Thai food is the low sugar and fat content of the food. You can go all the way with hot and spicy flavor or you can have very little heat in the food. It’s entirely up to the individual cook.
Not sure you’ll like Thai food? This is one good way to find out.
There are also a number of good Thai restaurants in our region if you want to introduce yourself to Thai food without going to any effort whatsoever. I hope you’ll try one of these.
It’s good for us to expand our knowledge and appreciation of other cuisines.

Perfection Salad has been around since 1905. The reason for its longevity is that it’s delicious and addictive.
The Watergate Salad came into being during Nixon’s presidency for obvious reasons but it really is good and easy to whip up.
I’ve been making the blueberry congealed salad for more than 30 years and we enjoy it as much now as we did then.
The Millionaire Fruit Salad is another old favorite. It’s great to have an old standby like one of the four featured this week.
You can almost make them in your sleep and they never fail.
They also look pretty on the table, and appearance is 50 percent of everything. I believe everybody will like at least one of these. Enjoy.

Peanut butter is a beloved standby.
There’s probably a jar of either creamy or crunchy in every home, unless someone in the family has a peanut allergy.
Children take peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school, parents brown bag them to work, and weekends wouldn’t be complete without this traditional combo.
But you don’t have to limit yourself.

There’s no limit to the variety of bean dishes waiting to be tried by those who aren’t afraid of a little variety. The recipes this week feature navy, white soup, kidney and pinto beans, but all are different dishes with different flavors.
All are hearty, flavorful dishes and are guaranteed to fill up the hungry while satisfying their taste buds. Feel free to add heat if you like with red pepper flakes.
But, if you decide to do this, by all means take seriously the instruction, season to taste.

Chili Con Carne4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
2/3 cup red wine
Garlic cloves, crushed
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 drops hot pepper sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons corn meal
1/2 cup water

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook green pepper, and onion, until softened. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
Crumble over bouillon cubes, and stir in wine; continue to cook for a few minutes. Stir in chopped tomatoes, garlic, and tomato paste. Season with paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley. Stir in salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover, and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in kidney beans, and hot pepper sauce. You can add the reserved tomato juice if more liquid is needed. Continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, and water until smooth.
Stir into chili, and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until chili has thickened up.

Senate Bean Soup
1 pound dried navy beans or great northern beans, washed and drained
3 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
2 medium smoked ham hocks
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 large cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Cover beans with water and bring to a boil; boil for two minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Drain bean liquid into a bowl; measure and add enough water or broth to make five quarts; pour back into beans. Bring beans to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about two hours, or until beans are very tender. Add ham hocks, potatoes, onions, celery and garlic, and continue to simmer for another hour.
Remove ham hocks and cut up meat; return to soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Boston Baked Beans
2 cups navy beans
1/2 pound bacon
1 onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately one to two hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Arrange the beans in a two-quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.
In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for three to four hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

Border-Style Beans
1 pound pinto beans, about 2 to 2 1/2 cups
8 cups water
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 cup chopped celery
1 can (14 1/2-ounce) diced tomatoes
2 medium carrots, sliced
seasoned salt, to taste
pepper

Wash, pick over, soak, and cook beans with the eight cups of water, following package directions. Sauté onions and garlic in oil; add lean ground beef. When beef is no longer pink, add chili powder. Add ground beef, parsley, celery and tomatoes to the cooked beans. Return bean soup to boil; turn heat to low. Cover and cook two hours longer. Add sliced carrots during last hour of cooking time. Salt and pepper to taste.

Beets are a brilliantly colored red root vegetable that take on an even richer crimson color when cooked. They’re packed with important nutrients, and I find them delicious cooked in a variety of ways.
They can be made into soup (Borscht), salad, the sweet and sour favorite Harvard Beets or sautéed as a side dish with greens.
Most people guilty of saying “I don’t like beets,” have probably never eaten them.
If so, branch out a little and try one of these recipes.

Marinated Beet Salad
1 (16 ounce) can whole beets
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup diced red onion

Drain beets, reserving 1/4 cup liquid, and slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slivers. Add onions and toss.
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, mustard and reserved 1/4 cup liquid until dissolved. Add vinegar and bring to boil; remove from heat and allow to cool.
Pour over the beet slices and onions, toss and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Remove from refrigerator and serve at room temperature.

Easy Harvard Beets
3/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 (15 ounce) cans sliced beets, drained
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minute. Add the beets to the liquid, and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.
Stir in butter, salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Serve warm or chilled.

Borscht (Beet Soup)
1 bunch red beets, about 1 pound, tops trimmed, and scrubbed
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into eighths (about 4 ounces)
2 medium carrots, halved crosswise (about 5 ounces)
1 rib celery, halved crosswise
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 sprig rosemary
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup light buttermilk
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce (less than 1/4 tsp.)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Put the vegetables and garlic on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil (or a doubled piece of regular), drizzle with olive oil, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt add the rosemary. Seal the foil to make a tight package. Put the package in a roasting pan. Roast until the beets can be pierced easily with a knife, about 1 to 1/2 hours. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them — the skins should slide right off with a bit of pressure from your fingers. If they don’t, use a paring knife to scrape off any bits that stick.
Put 1/2 of the vegetables in a food processor with 1/2 of the broth and puree. Transfer the puree to a saucepan. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and broth. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and season with pepper, and simmer over medium heat until the flavors come together, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the buttermilk and Worcestershire.
Ladle Borscht into bowls and garnish with dill.

Sautéed Beets
4-6 medium beets, with greens if possible
1 bunch Swiss chard (6-8 leaves)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
1 shallot
2 tablespoon white wine

Scrub beets well. Remove greens. Peel and slice beets into rounds 1/4-inch thick.
Remove the ribs from the chard. Chop chard and beet greens.
Peel and slice shallot. Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter is melted, add thyme and stir until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add shallot. Stir until softened. Add beets and reduce heat. Sauté about 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
When beets are starting to become tender, add beet greens and chard. Sauté about 5 minutes; add wine and cover. Let greens wilt, adding a tablespoon or two of water if they start looking dry.
Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed. Season with coarse salt and black pepper. Serve in shallow dishes with a wedge of room-temperature Boucherondin cheese and a piece of crusty bread.
The Boucherondin cheese should be located with goat cheeses. If you can’t find it, substitute Brie.

If you’re planning a Super Bowl party, here is a menu to make it easy on the cook.
Friends will enjoy your get-together more if the cook is having a good time too.
Remember, it’s supposed to be fun for everybody.
None of the recipes featured this week are especially difficult or time-consuming to prepare and are pretty popular all-around dishes.
So have a great time, and may the best team win.

Potato Skins
4 large baking potatoes, baked
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
4 green onions, sliced

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (save pulp for another use). Place potatoes skins on a greased baking sheet. Combine oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; brush over both sides of skins. Bake at 475 degrees F for 7 minutes; turn. Bake until crisp, about 7 minutes more. Sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese inside skins. Bake 2 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions. Serve immediately.

Party Ham Rolls
2 packages (7 1/2 oz each) small party rolls
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion (optional)
2 tablespoons poppy seed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces boiled ham, chopped
6 ounces shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese

Melt butter; add mustard, poppy seed, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat until onions are transparent.
Without separating rolls, slice party rolls horizontally. Spread both sides evenly with butter mixture. Fill evenly with ham and cheese. Wrap each package in tightly in foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 375 ° for about 15 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

Easy Fruit Dip
Fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
Seedless grapes
Fresh strawberries
Orange slices

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

In a medium size serving bowl, mix together marshmallow crème, cream cheese, and orange juice. Chill before serving with assortment of fresh fruit.

Chicken wings don’t have to be reserved for Super Bowl Sunday, but we admit they’ve become somewhat of a traditional football food.
There are four versions offered here, even one that can be virtually forgotten in the slow cooker. But they’re all good, some a little messy to eat, and all slightly different in flavor.
The wings are good with almost anything, so make a meal from them or add them to the snack table.
Feel free to reduce the amount of hot sauce and hot peppers if preferred. After all, everybody has a different tolerance level for heat, and you don’t want to destroy your taste buds.

Slow Cooker Chicken Wings
5 lb. chicken wings
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. mustard
4 tbsp. soy sauce

Cut each wing into 3 pieces — throw away the tip. Brown in skillet until golden brown and put in slow cooker (on low).
Mix brown sugar, mustard and soy sauce in saucepan and heat until it becomes liquid. Pour over the wings and cook 2-8 hours.

Jerk Grilled Chicken Wings
1/4 c. fresh squeezed
orange juice
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped (use gloves)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
12 large chicken wings, tips removed and wings cut apart at joint

Mix together the orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, black pepper, thyme, garlic, ginger, habanera pepper, curry powder, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk in the vegetable oil. Pour 3/4 of the marinade into a resealable plastic zipper bag, and place the chicken wing pieces into the bag. Squeeze out any air, and mix the wing pieces with the marinade, and refrigerate from 4 to 12 hours. Place the remaining 1/4 of the marinade in a small bowl, and refrigerate until grilling time.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Remove the wing pieces from the bag of marinade, and discard the used marinade. Sprinkle the wings with salt and pepper to taste, and sear on the hottest part of the grill until the wings begin to brown, about 4 minutes per side.
Move the wings to a less-hot part of the grill, baste with the unused portion of the marinade, and close the grill. Grill until the wings are golden brown, show good grill marks, are no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 more minutes. Baste again with marinade and turn after 5 to 8 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings
1 c. water
1 c. soy sauce
1 c. white sugar
1/4 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
3 lbs. chicken wings or drumettes

Whisk together the water, soy sauce, sugar, pineapple juice, vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger in a large glass or ceramic bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chicken wings, coat with the marinade, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F). Grease baking dishes, and set aside.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, and shake off excess and place the chicken wings into the prepared baking dishes. Discard the remaining marinade. Bake the wings in the preheated oven until the chicken is cooked through and the glaze is evenly browned, about one hour.

Sticky Wings
3 lbs. chicken wings
1 tbsp. garlic salt, or to taste
2 eggs
2 c. cornstarch
1 qt. vegetable oil for frying
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. ketchup
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. hot pepper sauce

Rub the chicken with garlic salt on all sides. Allow to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour in refrigerator.
Beat the eggs well in a shallow dish; place the cornstarch in another shallow dish. Dip each piece of chicken into beaten egg and roll in cornstarch until thoroughly coated. Shake off excess cornstarch.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F. Cook the chicken, a few pieces at a time, until the crust is golden brown, about 5 minutes; drain on paper towels.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Place the chicken into the baking dish so the pieces touch each other.
Stir together the sugar, vinegar, water, ketchup, soy sauce, and hot pepper sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Pour the sauce over the chicken, coating thoroughly with sauce.
Bake the chicken in the sauce until the juices run clear, basting with sauce every 10 minutes, for 40 to 50 minutes. Turn the pieces about halfway through baking. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees.