Tag Archives: Taos

Mosaic Fine Dining: something for every palate

Posted on May 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

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Chef Bartel at Mosaic Fine Dining: “I’ve been planning this business for a decade.”

Originally published in Taos News

The chefs and the staff

Mosaic Fine Dining opened on May 14th.  It fulfills a lifelong dream for executive chef and owner George Bartel, who has been coming to Taos for about 30 years.

“I always wanted to open a restaurant here,” he said. “Everything I did was geared toward it. I’ve been planning this business for a decade.”

Bartel, a Texas native, attended the New England Culinary Institute, where he was a winner of the Sommelier Award. His professional career began as a meat station chef at The Clifton Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia, a Relais and Chateaux property. He also worked as sous chef and kitchen manager at the Aventino Restaurant in Fort Worth and executive chef and manager at Cafe Darieds in Arlington, Texas.

He has lived in Venezuela and Mexico, which allows him to add a Latin American twist to his cuisine.

“I use classical French techniques, fresh ingredients and different culinary traditions,” he said. “My goal is to have a world mosaic of tastes, flavors, aromas and textures.”

The lead line chef is Damon Simonton, who was a semi-finalist in the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Southwest Chef and is a UNM-Taos instructor.

“We are very lucky to have him here,” said Bartel.

Dining room manager Isabel Alford was brought up in Las Cruces in a large family. She comes from a long line of excellent cooks.

“Besides offering them great food, I want our guests to feel that they are in a warm and welcoming environment,” she said.

Mosaic Fine Dining is currently employing 26 people, all of them locals.

“We are different from other restaurants because we do a lot more in-house preparation,” said Bartel. “We make our own corned beef, our own prosciutto and sausages. In fact, all the charcuterie is done here.”

As for marketing strategies, the restaurant has a website and advertises in Local Flavor, the Summer Guide, the Chamber of Commerce, KTAOS and other venues.

The ambiance

Ivelisse Brooks, owner of Antiquarius Imports, was in charge of the interior design.

“We are extremely happy with her work,” Bartel said. “Together we decided that every element on display in the restaurant would somehow relate to food, from collecting, bartering and preparing it to the moment of its consumption.”

That is why on the left hand side of the fireplace there are three rare antique Nepalese gurras—hand-carved utensils that were used to emulsify milk and butter products.

“They are over a hundred years old,” Bartel said.

On the right hand side, a small wall features a collection of antique Afghan spoons, and in the main dining room there is an old African textile hand-woven by members of the Kuba Tribe.

“These textiles were used during tribal feasts and celebrations,” said Bartel.

He also wanted to emphasize the desert environment.

“We are in the high desert so I chose objects representative of other desert areas in the world,” said Bartel. “They have the same earth tone colors and rounded forms that we used here.”

The menu

The main courses include fish mosaic, bone-in rib eye and pan roasted game hen.

Bartel favors the fish mosaic.

“It’s prepared with fish filets chosen with an emphasis on sustainability,” he said, “and served with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, Moroccan spiced tomato nage and gluten free feta polenta sticks.”

Bartel has an app for the Seafood Watch Program that tells him which fish is better at a particular moment and what to avoid. The information is updated every week.

“The fish may change, depending on what kind is better and fresher,” he said. “But the rest of the dish stays the same.”

The dessert menu starts with a polenta cake.

“Notice that this is not your ordinary polenta cake,” said Bartel. “Ours is served with vanilla citrus cream, fruit compote, chiffonade basil and mint, and toasted pistachios.”

Also available are fruit sorbet, fruit empanadas, molten chocolate cake and strawberry angel cake.

“Lunch is informal,” said Bartel. “It features a selection of sandwiches, salads and main courses that I created. Now, for dinner, we have great white tablecloth service and an impressive wine selection. And there is brunch, too, with huevos rancheros, French toast casserole, Southern style biscuits and gravy…and much more. There is something for every palate.”

Mosaic Fine Dining is located at 108 A South Plaza.

It is open from Tuesday to Saturday and for Sunday brunch, and closed Mondays.

Phone: (575) 751 3438

http://mosaicfinedining.com/

Mosaic Fine Dining - Taos, NM

 

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The Taos Elementary Arts’ Visiting Artist Program celebrates nine years

Posted on May 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

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Originally published in Tempo

Bilingual play La Grilla. Fifth-grade, dual language class students from Enos Garcia Elementary School.
Photo courtesy of John Gusdorf

The Taos Municipal Schools celebrated a gala event at the Taos Community Auditorium on May 2nd. It featured students and visiting artists from the Taos Elementary Arts Program and included performances directed by Flamenco dancer and instructor Catalina Rio Fernandez and theater director Karen Thibodeau and musicians Audrey Davis and Johnny Archuleta. Juan Archuleta, Billy Archuleta, Renaldo Baca and Rebecca Caron accompanied the performers too.

“The Taos Elementary Arts Program has hosted at least 50 different artists since 2004,” said program coordinator Tanya Vigil. “A wealth of professional artists resides in our community and they are the resource we look to, to share their considerable experience and talent into the classrooms.”

Forth-grade students from Laura Dumond-Kerr’s class at Arroyos del Norte Elementary School did their interpretation of Sevillanas, a Spanish folk dance. “The vibrant traditional costumes are a reflection of the joyous celebration of life as portrayed through the dance,” said Rio Fernandez, who has lived in Spain and studied Flamenco there.

Laura Dumond-Kerr is delighted that her students had this opportunity to know more about the Flamenco culture. “The flamenco capital of the United States is in Albuquerque so it was very appropriate that the kids learn about the music, the postures, and the moves, which are very different from what they see in everyday life here,” she said.

Maryann Hammer’s third-grade class performed traditional dances from northern New Mexico like El Baile de la Escoba, La Marcha and El Baile de los Paños, directed by Audrey Davis and Johnny Archuleta.

“It was a wonderful experience to work with the visiting artists,” said Hammer, who teaches at Ranchos de Taos Elementary School. “My students learned a lot about music and dances that date back to the time of their grandparents and great-grandparents, and they enjoyed it tremendously. This kind of projects contributes to preserve the rich musical heritage of northern New Mexico and pass it on to the younger generations so they can appreciate it.”

Patsy Alaniz teaches a fifth grade dual language class at EnosGarciaElementary School. Her students performed the bilingual play La Grilla, an adaptation from a traditional New Mexican play made by Karen Thibodeau.

“In the course of our three-month rehearsals, the students learned vocal projection, characterization, stage movement, improvisation and mime,” said Ms. Thibodeau, who directs the Taos Children’s Theater.

Juan Archuleta, the music teacher at Enos Garcia and director of the band Agua Negra, provided the musical background. He played traditional songs like La Llorona, Cielito Lindo and De Colores, plus other pieces that he composed especially for La Grilla.

The play was already performed for the National Association for Bilingual Education at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, where the actors received outstanding ovations, just like last Thursday night at the TCA

“The kids were challenging in the rehearsals because they had so many ideas and so much energy,” said Ms. Thibodeau. “But everything turned out perfect. Today they were twice as funny as they were before and it was very rewarding to see that everybody was getting it, in English and in Spanish. I feel honored and happy to be part of this project.”

“The talent we have in our community is amazing,” said Rose Martinez, director of instruction and federal programs for the Taos Municipal Schools. “I am so proud of these kids, of the efforts they have put into the productions. Through the Elementary Arts’ Program we have been able to revive the lost art and culture that many of us have grown up with, by integrating the old with the new.”

This program is available every year to the students of Taos. It gives them exposure to a wide variety of art as well as the opportunity to unleash their own creativity. “It also has a huge impact on the wellbeing of every child who participates,” said Tanya Vigil. “Our program is a true celebration of community, family traditions and life.”

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Traditional dances of northern New Mexico. Third-grade students from Ranchos De Taos Elementary School.

Photo courtesy of John Gusdorf

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Susana Guillaume brings “King Laz” to Taos

Posted on May 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

Susana Guillaume

Originally published in Tempo

Susana Guillaume is back in Taos, this time with her third one-woman show, “King Laz.”

The Taos community already knows her by her performance of “The Pinnacle of my French Ambition” that took place three years ago.

“I’m looking forward to performing again in Taos,” Guillaume said. “For one thing, I love Taos. There’s no place quite like it, is there?  Who needs Bali or Fiji? I always have the fantasy of moving here, and the audiences are wonderful, open and appreciative.”

Guillaume originally came from England and is a longtime Santa Fe resident. She has performed her one-woman shows at Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos and New York venues.

The inspiration

Guillaume says that music has always been a basic inspiration to her. She also caught the performing bug early in life.

“I was the kind of kid who put on dance shows for strangers in hotel lobbies,” she admits, though she never imagined she could just get up on stage, be herself and talk… and that would be a solo show. “It has been a revelation,” she said. “I love to do this; it’s my vocation—if you can call something that you discover in your fifties a vocation.”

She currently teaches a dance class in Santa Fe. Making up dance routines and creating choreographies has also influenced the way she writes.

“And certainly the way I perform,” she adds. “I think it was the desire to become a dancer or a singer which led me to write. I’ve always been writing, but it was a kind of consolation prize in a way, and finally it has led me back to performance…because, underneath, I always wanted to be a performer.”

Guillaume acknowledges she has had a lot of help, coaching, and guidance since she started doing shows. “A skillful, caring director is a wonderful thing, and I’m grateful to have one, Maura Dhu Studi.” she said.

Though she enjoys writing, Guillaume isn’t the kind of writer who needs to sit alone in a room. “I like the collaborative nature of theatre and, most of all, I like to have an audience, so I always write with the idea of an audience in mind,” she said.

In “King Laz” Guillaume portrays herself and her parents as they negotiate the rocky terrain of old age, sickness and death. Lifelong family roles are rapidly reordered and reversed as Daddy drifts into dementia, Mummy stays pinned to the old family map, and Sukie, the free-spirited woman-child, is faced with daunting new responsibilities.

“I’ve been running away from my parents since a very early age, but all it means is that I’ve carried them with me everywhere I ran,” said Guillaume, adding that she had always written about them. “They have been a great source of inspiration to me.”

“King Laz,” she said, addresses this contradiction in her life, running from parents while being obsessed with them.

Guillaume considers “King Laz” her most cohesive show. “A lot of it takes place in the present, which is unusual for me,” she said. “I love writing about the past, but in this case it was all happening in the moment so access to the past seemed very fluid, very easy.”

The show was performed at Solofest in Albuquerque last July and as part of the United Solo Festival on Theater Row in New York City in November.

 

The story

The story is very personal but Guillaume has noticed from the reaction of previous audiences that people identify strongly with it.

“Mostly people around my own age, who have had the experience of dealing with aging parents, difficult parents sometimes,” she said.

When people leave the show she wishes they take with them the feeling that they’ve had an opportunity to think again about their own experiences and about their own lives, truly, fully and deeply.

“I also want them to take the real stuff,” she said, “the beauty and the joy and the laughter, home with them.”

“King Laz” will be performed at The Metta Theatre, 1470 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, May 17th and 18th at 7.00 p.m. and May 19th at 4.00 p.m.

Tickets: $10.00

For information and reservations call (575) 758-1104 or e-mail: mettahondo@gmail.com.

Online reservations must be made at least one day in advance of the performance.

 

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A haven for chile lovers—the five hottest restaurants in Taos

Posted on May 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

The courtyard seating area at the front of the restaurant.

Originally published in Taos Summer Guide

Chile is an essential ingredient in the northern New Mexican cuisine. But not all chile sauces are created equal. Should they be vegetarian or have a pork base? Which one is better, red or green?

These questions are answered here by restaurateurs, chefs and managers who use chile, in all its permutations, daily.

Voted Best Mexican Food in TaosCounty since 2005, Orlando’s New Mexican Café, about two miles northwest of TaosPlaza, is well known for its creative uses of chile in a variety of recipes. A very special one is the vegetarian red chile, which is made following a secret recipe by Delfina Archuleta, the owners’ grandmother.

“All the chile that we use here is grown in Hatch, New Mexico,” said Orlando’s manager Felisha Rascon. “We use three main kinds of chile—caribe, red and green, and a combination of red and green known as Christmas.” The caribe, made from dried red chile pods, is the hottest one and has a distinctive smoky flavor.  

“Some people think that red chile is always hotter than green, but that is not necessarily the case,” said Rascon. “Every year, they develop their own identity. Depending on the season and the batch, the green chile can be hotter.”

She recommends the smothered chicken or beef burrito, one of Orlando’s signature dishes, which is served completely covered in the chile sauce of your choice. When accompanied by green chile, its pungent flavor makes the taste of the cheese that tops the burrito stand out, creating a New Mexico culinary delight.

“But if you want to sample the three varieties we recommend Los Colores,” said Rascon. “This is a combination plate that includes three rolled blue corn enchiladas—chicken with green chile, beef with red chile, and cheese with chile caribe. You can’t go wrong with that.”

Another “Best of Taos” winner is Antonio’s, located next to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Antonio’s has won first place for best red chile by the Taos Chile Challenge in 2012 and second place for best green and red chile in 2011. 

Though Antonio’s specializes in Mexican food, it also offers New Mexican dishes like chiles rellenos de queso, made with a fresh Hatch green chile stuffed with Monterrey Jack cheese and covered in red, green or Christmas sauce.

“We don’t buy the green chiles frozen,” said manager Benina Roybal. “Ours are handmade every day and prepared with egg batter.”

Antonio is from Veracruz, so this is not your typical northern New Mexico restaurant, explains Roybal. “We have some interesting dishes,” she said.

Personally, Roybal favors chimichangas, made with chicken, beef or pork, smothered in green chile.

“Chimichangas are very much an Antonio’s dish,” she said. “Not to be confused with mini chimichangas, which are stuffed with mango and cream cheese and served with ice cream.”

Juana and Horacio Zarazua are the owners of La Cueva, located at the corner of Paseo del Pueblo Sur and Quesnel. They prepare all their chile-based dishes with gluten-free flour. They also follow a totally vegetarian recipe.

“We mix and match Mexican and New Mexican recipes, and try to use as many fresh ingredients as possible,” said Horacio Zarauza.

            Its combination plate of a chile relleno, a chicken enchilada and a beef taco covered in red chile has just the right blend of spiciness and crispiness.

Right next to the San Francisco de Asis Church is Ranchos Plaza Grill. Adam Medina is the owner, the chef and a native Taoseño. He says that both his red and green chile sauces are made with ground pork, though he also offers vegetarian green chile.

“I like pork because it gives the chile a special flavor,” Medina explains. “And it smells good, too. When you are cooking chile con puerco, the aroma makes you want to eat!”

His perfectly puffy sopaipillas are stuffed with beans and beef and topped off with sour cream, guacamole and a sprinkle of cheese. They are delicious when covered in red chile.

 “That’s because we use a red chile caribe made with crushed (not ground) red chile pods,” said Medina. “This accounts for the distinct flavor of our chile.”

Stray Dog Cantina, at the base of TaosSkiValley, offers completely vegetarian red and green chile.

“Our chile is from Chimayo,” said co-owner Rachele Giego. “We choose only the meatiest and colorful chilies, and add just garlic and fresh vegetables to our sauce. The purity helps keep its rich red color and special texture and flavor.” 

Their green chile cheeseburger is by far the favorite meal on the menu by both locals and visitors alike. “The green and blue burger, made with green chile, bacon and blue cheese is just our twist on the original and it’s delicious,” said Griego.

My favorite dish there is Local Loco, inspired by the Hawaiian dish Loco Loco.

“When (co-owner) Marcos Aragon lived in Hawaii he would always say, ‘wow, this dish is so good, and I’m in paradise, if only I had some chile to put on top!’” recalls Griego. “So he came up with this combination of white sticky rice, a hamburger, cheese, red and green chile—and an egg on top!”

Not yet sure about red or green, meat-based or vegetarian? No problem, try them all!

Variety is the spice of life. 

Orlando’s is located at 1114 Don Juan Valdez Lane
Phone: (575) 751-1450

Antonio’s is located at 122 Dona Luz St  
Phone: (575) 751-4800

La Cueva is located at 135 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur 
Phone: (575) 758-7001

Ranchos Plaza Grill is located at 8 Ranchos Plaza

Phone: (575) 758-5788

Stray Dog Cantina is located at 105 Sutton Place, Taos Ski Valley

Phone: (575)-776-2894

Lunch & a beer ...

 

 

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‘Indy’ the dog finds home after 972-mile trek

Posted on May 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

dogphoto (15)

Originally published in Taos News

The 14 students in the classroom seem relaxed and attentive. So does the dog under the teacher’s desk.

This is the Taos Waldorf School eighth-grade classroom and the dog is the (unofficial) school mascot, Indy, who traveled a long distance — at least 972 miles — to get there.

“He showed up right at this classroom on Feb. 13,” said teacher Sarah Beasley, Indy’s owner. “He came in and just sat down in front of me. He was skinny and dirty, and clearly had gone through rough times.”

Beasley and her students gave food and water to the dog.

“At first I thought he was a stray,” said Aydin Gates, a student who was present that day. “But he was super friendly.”

The newcomer soon made himself at home.

“He was so happy, wagging his tail and following me around,” Beasley said. “He looked as if he belonged right here.”

Beasley admits that she immediately liked the dog, but she did the right thing — she tried to find his owner.

The dog still had a collar with a phone number on it and she called it. The number wasn’t the owner’s, but a dog breeder’s located in California. He told Beasley that the dog was a purebred treeing walker coonhound.

“The guy was baffled when I told him that the dog had showed up in Taos,” said Beasley. “He told me that he had sold him to a hunter from California seven months before so we assumed that the owner was hunting somewhere nearby and had just lost the dog.”

The story was more complicated.

When the breeder called the people who had bought the dog from him, he found out the owner died in a hunting accident in Arizona 36 days before.

The dog had a GPS tracking collar with a remote interface, which is often used to track hunting dogs. When the breeder went online to check, the GPS revealed the dog had traveled at least 972 miles, going three times between Arizona and New Mexico, and returning twice to the scene of the accident.

The GPS box fell off so there is no record of how much longer he traveled after that, or where he went.

“What we know for sure is that he was lost for 36 days,” said Beasley, “and had to fend for himself all that time. No wonder he was all skin and bones.”

The breeder got in contact with the owner’s widow, but she asked him to find another home for the dog.

“I understand it,” said Beasley. “She had just lost her husband, had a 5-year-old child and a number of other dogs to take care of. So … I decided to adopt him.”

Beasley had never had a dog in her life. “When I moved to Taos, I kept saying that the perfect dog would show up on my doorstep at the right time,” she said. “Well, when all this happened, I couldn’t help but thinking that this was the perfect dog for me.”

Beasley is a full-time teacher and she didn’t have permission from her landlady to have pets at home, but that didn’t matter.

“Everything just fell into place,” she said. “I got permission to keep the dog at home and started bringing him to school with me. He either stays out in the car or sits under my desk. The kids love him. And he gets along with them all.”

The dog’s original name was King Kong but Beasley renamed him Indy — for Indiana Jones.

“It just sounds more like him,” she said.

“We all keep telling her that she needed a dog,” said Delilah Himm, an eighth-grader from Beasley’s class. “Everybody was happy when she adopted Indy. And he is a great dog.”

Indy has gained 10 pounds in less than two months and seems perfectly content in his new environment.

“He is a high energy dog,” Beasley said. “I can’t let him off the leash because once he catches a scent, he follows it. But I take him to the ski valley, the creeks and other places where he can run on a long leash.”

Indy is such a friendly dog that it’s a big surprise he wasn’t snatched up by somebody else before.

“But, maybe,” Beasley said, “he came all this way to join the Waldorf School!”

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Indy is believed to have traveled at least 972 miles to the school.

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Atira’s Southwest, where shopping is an art

Posted on May 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

Originally published in Taos NewsAtiraphoto (12)

Pat Zamora, from Antonito, holds a sterling coral bracelet that protects babies from “mal ojo.”

The trolley connection

Atira’s Southwest started in 2004 as an offshoot of Atira Montoya’s first business, the Historic Taos Trolley Tours.

“I just wanted to sell trolley tickets from the Plaza so I rented a place at the Old Courthouse building,” said Montoya. “But since I only ran the trolley from May to October, I began selling Double D Ranch jackets and other items to keep the store going the rest of the year.”

From then on, the business mushroomed. Now Montoya is in a new, ample location, on the SouthTaosPlaza, and sells clothing, Native American jewelry and pottery, Old Gringo boots and Chimayo weavings, among many other items.

Montoya was born in Chimayo, studied psychology at Berkeley and then came back to the Southwest.

“I always wanted to do something related to tourism,” she said, “that’s why I started the trolley company and have kept it over the years. Now that I own a store, I love dealing with people and giving them the best customer service I can.”

A shopping experience

The store’s slogan is “the leading edge in Southwest.”

“Shopping is an art here in Taos,” said Montoya, “and I want my clients to enjoy it. I like putting their whole outfit together, not just selling them one piece that they don’t know what to do with it later. I also like to give the customers a ‘personal shopper experience’ so they learn how to use the product in a way that makes them feel better and happier.”

Pam Zamora, from Antonito, Colorado, comes in to look at coral bracelets. Montoya explains to her that, according to old traditions, babies can get mal ojo (evil eye) when people stare at them, even if they don’t do it with bad intentions.

“So the abuelas started using coral to protect them,” she said. “Since the stone is supposed to have miraculous qualities, they would put a piece of coral in a bracelet or a pendant and make the child wear it all the time.”

Zamora agrees.

“When I was little, my grandma gave my sisters and me coral bracelets,” she said. “As we grew up, she kept buying us bigger ones. I have four now and I also gave one to my daughter.”

The inventory

You can come in the store and go out with a complete new outfit, head to toe.

One of Atira’s signature items are the Old Gringo boots, which are all handcrafted in Leon, Mexico.

“They are a special addition to any footwear collection,” said Montoya, showing me a pair of turquoise and brown Monarca Old Gringo Boots. “They are all made of leather and really comfortable.”

Besides the boots, there are also one-sole shoes made in Florida.

“These are the perfect travel shoe,” said Montoya. “You can snap in different tops and interchange them to match the rest of your attire. We even have high-heeled ones.”

Now, before getting dressed, one may want to try out her Scala shapers, Montoya suggests.

“They will slim you down instantly. Let’s say that you have gained five pounds during the winter…well, they will make you look as if you had already lost them. The Scala shapers hug you in just a little bit, and are more comfortable than any other shapewear.”

Then we moved to the tops. Montoya carries the Mezon line, with and without sleeves. There are also a number of scarves and fancy purses.

The Mary Frances bags come in all conceivable, whimsical shapes. They are two that look like guitars, embellished with leather and beads.

“I like her products because she is also truly inspirational,” Montoya said. “Mary Frances started selling her handmade bags as a home-based business and today runs a multi-million dollar company that employs hundreds of people.”

Atira’s also carries pottery by well-known Southwest artists like Dominguita Naranjo.

A special corner is devoted to display the rugs made by Montoya’s mother, Eleanor Martinez. They are hand woven and 100 % wool. One is 54 by 84, “as big as a queen size blanket,” Montoya said.

Martinez is one of the original Chimayo weavers and started weaving when she was 9 years old. She often helps her daughter in the store.

“My mother learned the art of weaving from her father and her sister,” said Montoya. “They would harvest the crops in the summer time and weave during the winter.”

Later I spot a collection of little dishes made in Colorado from recycled materials, glass and clay. They can be used to put loose change, candles, tea bags, or rings.

“You can find all sorts of things here,” Montoya said. “There is a place for each of them in your house or as part of your outfit.”

Just come in and try them on.

Atira’s Southwest is located at 102 A South Taos Plaza

Phone 575 758 3186

I just got this cute dress at Atira’s :-)

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A mother’s sage advice: ‘Savor the moments’

Posted on May 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

Patricia Gallegos

Originally published in Taos News

Patricia Gallegos is the credentialing specialist, administrative assistant and mentorship program coordinator for NonviolenceWorks. She is married to Donald Gallegos and is also the proud mother of three: Stephanie Francisco, who also works at NonviolenceWorks as an intake coordinator, Ariana Gallegos, a sophomore at Questa High School, and Miguel Gallegos, a freshman at the same school.

Gallegos admits that, when there are several siblings, they all tend to think that someone else is the favorite.

“The truth is that each of them is a favorite, in their own way,” she said. “Stephanie is special because she was my first born. She was the only one for nine years so we became really close, we were always together. Ariana, the middle one, resembles me more closely. She is a go-getter! When she wants something, she goes ‘vamanos’ … And Miguel is my only son, my little sunshine boy.”

Gallegos, who doesn’t really have a favorite, spreads her love in equal parts among all members of her family.

“She composed songs for all of us,” said Stephanie. “She would sing them every night since we were babies.”

Maybe that is the origin of Ariana’s artistic talent. She sang the national anthem at the University of New Mexico’s Pit on March 13.

The kids speak

Here’s how the Gallegos children described their mother in short sentences:

“She loves to joke,” says Ariana. “And she is very supportive … My mom shows up every time I sing, no matter where or when!”

“She always drives me to places and takes care of me,” says Miguel, somewhat shyly.

“She makes the best breakfast fried potatoes in the world!” says Stephanie, adding, “But she loves to clean! Too much!”

They even have a joke about the cleanliness issue.

“My mom is going to invent a 410 cleaner because 409 is never good enough for her,” said Ariana.

Sweet mementos

Gallegos has kept mementos from all her children’s early years — a box filled with clothing, toys, first teeth and more. A letter to the tooth fairy has an answer on the back.

She also saves the postcards and notes that her children have given her throughout the years. They form a love collage that decorates a wall. Among them, a huge card made by Miguel stands out.

And a word of advice

The most difficult part of motherhood, Gallegos said, is not always being able to help her children when they hurt. The best part is when they all get together, for no particular reason, simply to enjoy each other’s company.

I ask her for advice to new mothers, or women who are planning to have kids.

“Savor the moments,” she said. “Don’t busy yourself with too many things. The house will always be messy and something will always need to get done. Enjoy the kids now, because they grow up very quickly.”

Gallegos tells her children that if they never have kids of their own, that is their decision to make.

“But if you do, then, and only then, you will know how much I really love you,” she said.

Up to now, there are no grandchildren in sight for her. Their place is taken by Stephanie’s spoiled Chihua-hua, la Sophie.

“Your life changes completely when you become a mother,” said Gallegos. “The love you give to your children, and the love you get back, is amazing. This is the toughest job you’d ever love.”

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Toribio’s: a taste of Mexico in the heart of Taos

Posted on May 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

Shrimp rancheros plateOriginally published in Taos News
The two Toribio’s

Many Taoseños are familiar with the name Toribio’s.

The Paseo del Pueblo Norte restaurant, which has been in business for 18 years, has built a loyal clientele. Its homemade Mexican food, pura comida Mexicana, as the owner calls it, is tasty and reasonably priced.

“We have a great following up there, but also wanted to serve the people who live in the south part of town,” said Jose Real, the owner. “Several patrons approach me about it, saying that they liked the food, but the place was too far away for them to go as often as they wanted to. Then I said, ‘OK, let’s go for another Toribio’s.’ And here we are.”

The new restaurant, located in the former Subway space, opened its doors for the first time in February 2013 and has been busy ever since.

The bright and vibrant colors of the walls enliven the room. The decoration, with Mexican touches, is similar to the first Toribio’s.

“We follow the same model,” said Real. “Everything that people love in the other place they will find it here, too.”

Real is from Mexico City and has been in Taos for over 20 years. His wife, Maria Rodriguez, a native of Chihuahua who came to New Mexico “looking for new horizons,” has been here 13 years.

“Jose and I have been married 8 years,” she said. “We are together in life, love and business.”

La comida

The menu is exactly the same as in Toribio’s I—breakfast burritos made with potatoes, eggs and sausage, or with chorizo and eggs, or simply vegetarian.

“Our patrons like to eat healthy food,” said Real. “We try to accommodate to people’s needs and wants. Now, notice that everything we offer is fresh and made right here in our kitchen. We do not use preservatives at all.”

Almost all dishes are served with lettuce and pico de gallo (onions, tomatoes and peppers), plus red and green salsa.

They also serve omelets, huevos rancheros and, of course, a variety of burritos—adobada beef, chicken, ground beef and chicharron, among others.

Toribio’s burritos de chicharron are one of my guilty pleasures. They are made with deep-fried pork rinds rolled up into a tortilla. The pork, crispy and flavorful, is mixed with bits of bell pepper and chile.

A burrito de chicharron isn’t a South Beach Diet dish, but even the most health-conscious eater will find it difficult not to indulge in it.

Burritos range in price from 6 to 8 dollars. Some are big enough to make two meals out of them.

The plates —steak ranchero, barbacoa, shrimp ranchero and fajitas— are served with rice, beans and tortillas.

“I would say that our enchilada plate is a winner,” said Rodriguez. “The enchiladas come with red or green chile and are prepared with beef, chicken or cheese.”

Torta Cubana is another favorite. Though slightly different from the Miami sandwiches that I am used to, they contain the right ingredients: different kinds of ham, cheese, avocado, tomatoes and jalapeno slices.

Drinks include beer, horchata and aguas frescas— light, refreshing blends of water and fruits like watermelon, pineapple and mango.

As for dessert, if you still have room for it, there are cookies and flan.

“What makes Toribio’s different from other restaurants is that we give an authentic Mexican flavor to all our meals,” said Real. “We use Mexican seasonings and tried and tested family recipes.”

His goal is to keep the taste of Mexico in everything he serves.

The patrons speak

“I have been three times in this new location,” said Hillary McPartlon, “and I am impressed. The sauce is really good, the service is fast, the place is clean and everybody is very friendly. And the mango water is the best! I’m definitely coming back.”

Diana McMains and Eric St. John are here for the first time, but they assure me that it won’t be the last one.

“I had the enchilada plate and it was very tasty,” said McMains. St. John, who had a couple of tacos al pastor, called them “tasty and delicious.”

Bobby Duran had beef enchiladas and said that they were great.

“I wish the two Toribio’s good luck in their business,” Duran said.

The second Toribio’s is located at 1104 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571

Phone: (575) 758-3060

Toribio's at lunch time

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Thunder Lizard —bones, stones and the benefits of beadwork

Posted on May 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

IMG_0425

Originally published in Taos News

It all goes back to dinosaurs.

Kyle Henry, owner of the arts and crafts supply and jewelry store Thunder Lizard, was in the business of selling petrified dinosaur bones after he cut them and made them into beads.

“That’s where the store’s name comes from,” said his wife, Sharon Henry. “Thunder lizard is the English translation of the Greek term Brontosaurus.”

The Henrys met in Seattle and came to Taos in the summer of 1969.

“We lived in a commune, the Llano Quemado Hot Springs,” said Henry. “Later we returned to Seattle, but we felt we had to come back to Taos, which we finally did in the early 80’s.”

They sold beads and jewelry at the Santa Fe Flea Market for ten years. “It gave us the experience we needed to eventually start our own business,” she said.

The Henrys opened Thunder Lizard fifteen years ago.

The store specializes in stone beads. They sell different kinds of turquoise as well as semi precious stones like amethyst, garnet, agates, and carnelians.

“Plus we have Italian coral, sterling silver, brass and copper, and jewelry ranging in price from less than ten dollars to a few hundreds,” said Scarlet Henry, the owners’ daughter. “There is something for everybody!”

They have “findings,” as she calls them, from all over the world, side by side with pieces made by local jewelers like Ron Wesley.

“When vendors from Arizona or Santo Domingo pass by Taos, we like to buy from them too,” said Henry. “That’s a good way to keep our inventory fresh and varied.”

They also carry oriental rugs and carpets. A big selection of Turkish and Afghan rugs is on sale now.

Henry points out at what she considers one of their most interesting stones—staurolite, a natural formation found here in Taos.

“This is one of the few places in the world where staurolite is available,” she said.

Then she shows me a box full of smooth antler beads.

“All the antler we sell is naturally shed,” she said. “One of our artists cuts it by hand and polishes it.”

Thunder Lizard is a family business. Scarlet and her mother are there Monday through Saturday with Scarlet’s son, Zander. “He is a salesman in training,” his mother says.

Meanwhile, Kyle Henry and his daughter Tepreth take care of the wholesale part of the business. They travel to California, Texas and Florida selling the same inventory that they keep here.

They have a loyal local following. A number of Taos silversmiths and jewelry artists buy their supplies from Thunder Lizard.

“We are grateful for our out-of-state clients, but if it weren’t for the local repeat customers we wouldn’t be here now,” Scarlet Henry said.

Heidi Mixson, a Santa Fe artist, is one of these repeat customers, and a happy one.

“I have bought lots of beads throughout America, but I keep coming back here,” she said. “This store has a wonderful variety and really special beads.”

When asked for ideas about how to stay in business in a tight economy, Scarlet Henry says, “As an entrepreneur, you need to listen to people. If necessary, change your prices. Learn to adjust. We used to sell more high-end items like silver necklaces, now people tend to buy mixed-metal jewelry.”

She teaches customers to make lookalike pieces that resemble closely the high-end ones, but cost much less.

“If you see something that you like in a magazine, but it is too expensive, you can come here and I’ll be happy to teach you how to make it for a fraction of the retail price,” she said. “It can be something simple like a pair of earrings, a bracelet or even a necklace. When they request it, I give my clients one-on-one lessons on the art of jewelry making. It isn’t complicated, and it is fun.”

In that sense, the store works as a therapeutic center.

“Some women tell me that coming here is cheaper, and more amusing, than going to a psychologist,” jokes Henry. “They buy a supply of beads and get to work… and they forget all about their troubles, or find a way of solving them. While the hands are busy, the mind is free to process stuff.”

Thunder Lizard is located at 1545 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM87571

Phone   (575) 751-1752

Scarlet Henry

Scarlet Henry and baby at Thunder Lizard

 

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Taos Catholics welcome selection of ‘Papa Pancho’

Posted on May 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

Originally published in Taos News

Taos Catholics welcome selection of 'Papa Pancho'

Photo: Tina Larkin

Catholics in the Taos community are celebrating the newly elected pope, the very first one from the Americas.

Since the start of his papacy, his down-to-earth, humble attitude has gained Pope Francis popularity among believers and non-believers. Some people even call him familiarly “Papa Pancho.” (Papa is Pope in Spanish and Pancho is the nickname for Francisco.)

“Pope Francis will for sure be a reformer, not in the sense of mere doctrinal battles but rather by a very humble and simple life style,” said Father Kevin Iwuoha, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Arroyo Seco. “I love his prayerfulness and simplicity and his ability to open his heart and his life to the poorest of poor. Most of the members of the church hierarchy will certainly find his simplicity and humility very challenging.”

Pope Francis, who is from Argentina, replaces Pope Benedict XVI, who stepped down late last month.

“We are so excited because it is the first time in history that a pope who is not European is bringing the whole world together,” said diaconal candidate Larry Torres. “Pope Francis is from south of the equator, so he is uniting the Southern Hemisphere with the Northern Hemisphere.”

Torres finds significant that the pope chose the name of Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi. “This tells me that he is a man of the people, who is going to ask everyone to give to those who have nothing.”

The new pope is radiating God by his actions, said Torres. “This morning he didn’t ride in the popemobile, but he went out and shook hands with the people at the Church of Santa Anna, which had never happened before,” he said. “It is a new era for the history of the Church. And notice that he was wearing a simple wooden cross instead the golden cross that popes usually wear.”

New Mexican Catholics have another reason to be happy, said Torres. “Gov. Susana Martinez is one of the only four people who are representing the church of the United States in Rome.”

Floyd Fernández is the Hermano Mayor de la Morada. He also looks enthusiastic when talking about the new pope.

“Pope Francisco is a blessing for all Catholics around the world, especially for us Latinos,” he said. “It is very important to celebrate the fact that he is guiding us, particularly now that we are getting close to Holy Week and preparing to live again the mystery of our salvation.”

“We hope that Pope Francis leads the Church in a positive direction toward a brighter future,” said Irene Gallegos, who has attended Holy Trinity Parish for many years. “The most vital thing is that our faith is kept.”

Kathy Brown is the director of the newly formed Holy Trinity Holy Family Life Ministry, an association intended to encourage parishioners to live their Catholic faith more fully and to bring out consuming issues that young people, and Catholics in general, face today.

“The new pope is a wonderful blessing as all our Holy Fathers have been,” she said. “He is going to teach us so much … he has already done a lot in the few days he has been pope.”

She noted the pope’s Inauguration Mass would take place March 19, the feast day for Saint Joseph, who is such an important figure for the church and who was also a caretaker.

“I think it’s cool to have a Latin American pope,” said Arienne González, a UNM Taos student. “He looks like a good man. And I like that he speaks Spanish as his first language, too.”

Even those who don’t attend church regularly are excited by the news. More so when they come from the same country as Pope Francis.

“I was impressed when I heard who the new pope was,” said Raul Goler, a native of Argentina who has lived in Taos for 17 years. Though Goler isn’t a practicing Catholic, he said he “really liked the news.”

“See, the pope and I lived in the same neighborhood, Flores, and attended the same church there,” Goler said. He paused, smiled and added, “We Argentineans have a little bit of everything. We produce the best football players in the world, we dance tango well and now we have an Argentine-born pope.”

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