50 Days to 50 Years, Day 10: Santa Fe, NM with Chef Johnny Vee
“Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” — Harriet Van Horne, Vogue 10/1956
[gallery ids="4179,4189,4195,4201" type="rectangular"] We left Flagstaff in the early AM, and arrived in Santa Fe by late afternoon. Just in time enough to check into our condominium, get settled, and then head back into Downtown Santa Fe for our cooking class! Back in March, I found a deal with Epitourean, a vacation touring company that specializes in foodie excursions! The packages are all-inclusive with lodging, a cooking class with a local chef, a food tour of the best area restaurants, and dinner at a 5-Star restaurant. I love Southwestern Food, so Santa Fe seemed an inspired choice. Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe & Cooking School is a Santa Fe institution, and Chef Johnny Vollertsen ("Johnny Vee") has done classes there for almost 20 years. He has opened restaurants and run kitchens, so he organized the 12 of us with humor and precision to make a "New Mexico Combination Plate" of Chile con Queso with fresh homemade Corn Tortillas; Blue Corn Chile Relleno and New Mexico Red Chile Sauce; Carne Adovado; Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas; Pork Tamales, Green Rice, and Drunken Pintos; Sopaipillas; and Frozen Ancho Peanut Butter Pie. [gallery ids="4207,4185,4187,4184,4182,4180" type="rectangular"] We met a lovely variety of people, from a lady from Michigan, to a mother-daughter duo from Wisconsin, to two friends from Colorado, and even one woman visiting from New Zealand! Most of the ingredients were already set up for each dish, so this added to the magic of being able to quickly get up to speed. Lynn and I did some sous chef work of chopping Green Chiles and onions for the Chile con Queso, then whipped all the ingredients together for a delicious appetizer. We then helped the others with their dish assignments, along with nibbling on the selections that were already completed. [gallery ids="4200,4199,4198,4197,4186,4181,4188,4189" type="rectangular"] I also helped to whip up the frozen Ancho Peanut Butter Pie (which I didn't get a picture of—darn it!) While I learned a ton about Red and Green Chiles and their different varieties, after tasting this dish, and what a difference a bit of Ancho Powder made to the dessert, well, I had an overwhelming need to buy it. It's still on the agenda, as we didn't have much time to shop over the weekend. [gallery ids="4204,4203,4202,4191" type="rectangular"] We all participated in smashing the movable feast, with plenty of leftovers to take home. [gallery ids="4196,4195,4192,4190" type="rectangular"] And for icing on the cake, we all got a copy of the recipes we made, along with a signed cookbook! I can't wait to get a place with a better kitchen so that I can play around with these new favorites. [gallery ids="4179,4205,4206" type="rectangular"] The Chile con Queso and Homemade Corn Tortillas will be first on the menu. [gallery ids="4191,4193" type="columns"]