Abqandrea's blog

Welcome to KRQE Viewers

Thanks to KRQE, with the great mention on their online segment of this here blog.

You might have already noticed, however, that my posts are a wee bit old.  That's because . . .

I've moved! 

You can now find me here:

Duke City Food

Thank you, and have a foodielicious day. 

Todos Santos and the Nougat

20080224_02sm

20080224_05sm

The most enveloping little store in all of Santa Fe is, blessedly, a chocolate shop by the name of Todos Santos.

The man behind the day-glo meets day-of-the-dead decor is Hayward Simoneaux.  A transplant with a true knack for the dark and sweet abilities of cacao, he hails from Louisiana well over a decado ago.

I have purchased bars before, a few truffles and caramels (fantastic and not outrageously priced).  On my last visit I went for a newly crafted nougat bar, one in pistachio chile and the other yet to be devined.

20080224_06crop

Unlike other chewy and European nougats, Howard's is fluffy like mousse, sugar-sweet with potent honey flavor, and delicate until the chile peeks its head out.

Each iPod-shuffle-sized bar is the perfect amount for a little indulgence on a Sunday afternoon.  Next time, I'll also remember to remove the deceptively thin and clingy pieces of wax paper before I eat half the bar.  Ooops.

Show Your Kid a Side of Beef

...let them know where protein comes from.

Beeffairy

Meat Fairy

Eating meat is not WRONG, but it is to be savored, appreciated, and enjoyed.  Something died to make that steak appear on your plate, so having the grace to educate yourself about the animal itself is a gesture worthy of effort.

I am not advocating dragging your 6-year-old to a slaughterhouse (though YOU might get some value out of that visit, yourself), but seeing a half a carcass at the butcher shop is going to be fascinating for them even if it freaks them out a bit.  But the next time they bite into a roast and say, "mom, this is a good cow leg!", you'll know you've done your part.

**Find a butcher shop near you.  Please.  They are slowly disappearing despite the unique and valuable skillset only they can provide.

Here are some local Albuquerque butchers, to get you started:

Keller's Farm Store

El Mezquite Market (or any place you see with the word "Carniceria" in the name)

Talin World Market

Greenside Cafe's daily specials online!

Greenside-cafe

I receive the weekly updates from Jay Wulf, of the Greenside Cafe in Cedar Crest with information about upcoming specials and events.  His restaurant's food is innovative yet comforting and slowly growing in popularity.  I hope it continues, as there are too many now-deceased good eateries up and down North 14.

Greenside Cafe

As an alternative to waiting for the weekly menu, Jay also has an online calendar which contains the same info, so I don't have to poke into my email message to see what is happening in the near future.  Nifty!

Greenside Cafe's Schedule

French Corner returns...

With its unbeatable Le Classique breakfast of a baguette, sweet butter and European jams matched with your choice of coffee drink, French Corner was a mainstay of eats on San Mateo.

Its unlikely location next to a couple of brake and muffler shops notwithstanding, the restaurant ultimately declined in quality around the time that the owners moved back to France 2 years ago.  The dwindling patronage meant that the joint couldn't sustain interest and it closed about a year after that.

Like any good NM transplants, however, Anne-Laure Ligier and her husband Phillipe couldn't stay away and the pair have returned to reopen a bakery and cafe with many of the same staples from their previous lunch spot.

The catch?  Its in Santa Fe.  Bummer for us, bully for the city different dwellers.  Now called Clafoutis, I hope their pastries are as good as I remember and they also have... clafoutis!

Clafoutis French Restaurant and Bakery
402 N. Guadalupe St.
988-1809
Open Monday-Saturday, 7 am-5 pm

Trader Joe's says "nuh-uh!" to China

Frozen-stir-fry

I had been wondering for quite some time what ever happened to my beloved Harvest Hodgepodge frozen veggie mix.

Finally, someone at the Santa Fe store told me - no more China stuff for TJs.  I know they previously banned duck products and also some kinds of eggs so as to avoid contributing to cruelty. . .  but frozen veggies are practically my life. 

I have been 'forced' to buy the enormous bags of mix from Costco, which actually isn't half-bad and is about 2/3 the cost per pound of the TJs product.

Anything else missing from TJs that you'd like to see returned?  How about those Ginger Altoids!

Upscale Underway

Sam Etheridge's newest venture after having abruptly closing Ambrozia on New Year's Eve is a gastropub in Nob Hill in the former Graze space.

20080119_05md

Set to be called the Nob Hill Bar & Grill, it should be open in mid-March, and I stopped by the other day to see the progress on the build-out.  The flooring guys said they were ahead of schedule, which means the target date could actually happen - making me a happy camper.

See the views of the hacked out booths, new brick accents, and the layout in this assortment of snapshots...

20080119_04md

20080119_03md

Pie One On

There is a freakin' national holiday for everything, and today's chosen theme is stuff baked in a flaky crust.

That's right, it is National Pie Day.

I still don't know where I fall on the "cake or pie" question, and yes I know that not being able to answer the query is a moral failing... but in any case, there be some darn fine pies here in Albuquerque.

For the classic diner fans, a banana creme pie at The Standard Diner would be a tasty conclusion to a meal, and I've personally seen a friend nearly fall into a puddle of weeping joy when eating their peanut butter chocolate pie.

Of course, the Flying Star offers pies a'plenty, and there are old classics like Route 66 Diner, Owl Cafe, and heck, you can even go to Yasmine's and get yourself a spinach or meat pie.

Enjoy this day of pies and don't forget the ice cream...

Souper times Two

While man cannot live on Souper Salad alone, I can certainly live on it every single workday lunch.

Sb2008logo-sm

My record so far is 4 days straight, during which time I spent a grand total of ONE day's sushi lunch.  Puts things in perspective, eh?

But soup is also important in its own right, and that is why I adore the Souper Bowl, a food competition and charity event all rolled into one.  Heaven in little 2oz cups, I tell you.  It is big, it is crowded, it is noisy, and it is almost sold out:

http://www.rrfb.org/souper_bowl.htm

Get tickets ASAP or miss out on the best soups the chefs in town have to offer, as well as the ubiquitous displays of sweet treats from about a dozen bakeries from the Duke City.

Cream Puffery

In the Duke City, the best I've yet encountered it from Dagmar's Delectables:  a 4" wide circle of barely-sweet choux pastry, stiff yet chewy yet pliable and tender, sliced in half and engorged with an equally rich pillow of whipped cream, itself just the hint of sugar peeking through.

The whole delicacy is anointed with powdered sugar, the only pure sweet component of the lot.  It is utterly perfect.

And....

20080103_03md

...the feline likes it, too.