Nine Hundred Miles Later. . .

My family is again in New Mexico.  Chiles Rellenos are on the menu, and my mother has ordered tamales and posole from a local restaurant that has pretty much perfected both recipes.  As always, it's both good and unsettling to be back home/not home.

Light posting almost goes without saying, unless the hotel I'm going into actually does have internet, which in this small town is not always guaranteed.  But stay with us, and not only for Sir Charles's sustained eloquence and increasing prolificacy!

I'll put up a Christmas meditation later.  Until then, be safe, be well, be warm.

Comments

[Sir Charles]

Stepehn,

Merry Christmas! Enjoy your time in the "Land of Enchantment," which always sounds to me like a place where people are smoking a lot of dope and doing a lot of mushrooms.

I am working on something regarding Bernie Madoff and I swear to God one of the people at the SEC who dropped the ball has the last name "Suh."

[litbrit]

A very Happy Christmas to you and La Famiglia, Stephen. Chiles rellenos sound like the perfect thing for dinner on a cold night--yum.

We've finally finished the Christmas tree, well, I finished decorating it while Robert took the three lads to see AC/DC in Tampa last night. Apparently, Uncle Brian has been working out, as the boys reported that his arms were "huge and full of muscles" since the last time they saw him. There were lots of pyrotechnics and effects and great rock n' roll, as you'd expect, and it was the perfect First Concert for Son Three. (Me, I don't do big stadium shows, as I tend to get panicky in large crowds.)

[phastphil]

Oooohh Aaah! Authentic real "Chile Rellenos"! I'm green with envy.
Merry Christmas - Oh I forgot I'm a liberal "Happy Holidays".

[Voice o' Reason]

For proper visualization/imagineering, I need to know: Are we talking chiles rellenos with a thinner, crispy coating, or a slightly thicker, more cornbread-like coating? (Thanking you in advance for assisting me with my gustatory fantasizing process.)

[Stephen]

Are we talking chiles rellenos with a thinner, crispy coating, or a slightly thicker, more cornbread-like coating?

We tend to just dip the chiles in egg and then some flour with just salt and pepper, then fry them up. Just a little coating to tie the flavors together.

We also set out green chile slices when he have hamburgers and/or chicken sandwiches. They tend to replace pickles for most of us.

New Mexico really does have exquisite cuisine when it's done well.

which always sounds to me like a place where people are smoking a lot of dope and doing a lot of mushrooms.

You silly East Coast Liberal! It's peyote buttons out here, man.

[Sir Charles]

Enjoy your vision quest!

[Voice o' Reason]

Mmm. Too many chiles rellenos sold in restaurants in L.A. taste more like corndogs. I like the sound of your family's recipe much better.

Happy holidays!

[minstrel boy]

posole! good stuff. tamales too.

feliz navidad hermano.

[ari]

For my part, I'd like to know where you are exactly, if you don't mind revealing the location of your secret bunker. I miss being near New Mexico. In fact, that's one of the few things I miss about living in Colorado.

[Gene O'Grady]

I kinda still secretly regret that my daughter didn't stay in New Mexico, but it was fun while it lasted -- and educational (for me).

Having just done my pre-Christmas travel with a kid with a laptop for the first time I was amazed at how abundant wifi is in motels, even when you're stuck in some improbable place dodging the Northwest weather.

And a (perhaps silly?) question -- is chiles rellenos (as opposed to chile rellenos like I've always said) really the proper form? More education.

[Stephen]

Let's see,

I agree, VoR, that the corndog rellenos are not as good. Plus they use Anaheims instead of Big Jims from Hatch, New Mexico, and there is a big difference in flavor.

The correct plural is chiles rellenos. But sometimes it sounds a bit pedantic.

My hometown is Alamogordo, down in the south central part. I've got a brother in Roswell, and Las Cruces is home to my dad, his wife and two of my nieces at NMSU. And I've got a cousin and her husband in Santa Fe. Now that Denish is going to be Governor, I'm expecting my cuz to get a fairly sweet appointment if she's willing to go back to full-time work.

And finally, It's humbling to have a television personality like Minstrel Boy comment! FWIW, my wife went to high school with Ken Jennings. She didn't know him very well, but says he was pretty nerdy smart back then.

[Corvus]

Merry Christmas Everyone.

[jacqueline]

merry christmas, stephen!
do you know about pecos diamonds? they are little, double-terminated quartz crystals found scattered by the pecos river in new mexico, where they can be found.....they come in sparkly white and shades of orange from manganese. they are glittery and beautiful.
....new mexico is a land of enchantment....
and may there be enchanting moments for you there, during this christmas.
blessings for you, your family and all of the cogitamus family!