Amuse-bouche
A food news roundup
Can you taste the difference between chile grown in Northern or Southern New Mexico? Find out during “Exploring Chiles,” an interactive class taught by chef and culinary anthropologist Lois Ellen Frank. The workshop will also address chile’s culinary history and its uses. Participants will taste chile varieties and learn to prepare different red and green chile sauces. Registration and a fee of $75 is required. The class will be Sept. 15, at the Santa Fe School of Cooking (125 N. Guadalupe St., 505-983-4511, santafeschoolofcooking.com). Visit slowfoodsantafe.org/events-2 to register.
The competition is heating up for the 2019 Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, the annual face-off for the best burger in the state. The event happens on Saturday, Sept. 7, at The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing (37 Fire Place, 505-557-6182, santafebrewing.com). Attendees can taste and vote for the People’s Choice Winner, and local foodie celebrities will determine the Reigning Chomp. The finalists include Luminaria in the Inn and Spa at Loretto and the Market Steer Steakhouse in Santa Fe, as well as Más Tapas y Vino (Albuquerque), The Skillet (Las Vegas), Pajarito Brewpub & Grill (Los Alamos), Steel Bender Brewyard (Albuquerque), and Bar Castañeda (Las Vegas). Tickets are $25, $10 for kids 3-12 years old; see ediblesmackdown.com.
Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery (2791 Agua Fria St., 505225-1600, tumblerootbreweryanddistillery.com) is pairing its brews and cocktails with new food offerings. Korean Dumping Mondays were already a staple, accompanying Tumbleroot’s TBR, a light lager made with rice. Now Tumbleroot is adding a second weekly pop-up menu. Chef Adonis Bello Carillo of Encantado Deli at El Gancho will take over the kitchen for Street Taco Tuesday, creating food perfect for pairing with Tumbleroot’s tequilla-based treats, such as palomas and margaritas. The brewery/distillery is also upping the ante with a fixed-price pairing menu on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. With the five-course menu, chef-owner Hue-Chan Karels of Open Kitchen will take diners on a tour of Vietnamese street food. Innovative cocktails and small-batch brews will be prepared just for this evening.
Food Network star Guy Fieri is buzzing about The Beestro (66 E. San Francisco St., Suite 21, 505-990-8058, thebeestro.com) on
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. For the episode called “Far-Flung Flavor,” the bigger-than-life host of “triple-D” stepped into the kitchen with chef Greg Menke to prepare cooked steak shawarma and salmon skewers. “He’s no slouch in the kitchen. He was particularly interested in the mission behind The Beestro: Middle Eastern food served with the values of community, buying local, and embracing organic food whenever possible,” Menke said. The episode is scheduled to air on Sept. 13.
It’s the most wonderful time of year — chile harvest season. Local Sprouts stores are celebrating with Hatch chile roasting events and snacks inspired by the popular pepper. The grocer will be roasting chiles from down south from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all week long through Sept. 29 (3201 Zafarano Dr., #20, 505-424-1900; 199 Paseo de Peralta, 505-988-1140; sprouts.com). Sprouts is also introducing a handful of house-brand products featuring Hatch chile, including popcorn, Ranch dressing, macaroni and cheese, and hummus. — Ashley M. Biggers
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