H appy New Year, Forksters! This week in food news, it's all about beer, bricks and Betty Crocker blunders. In keeping with our New Year's resolution, we will continue to bring you interesting and informative (and sometimes strange) food and restaurant news from New Mexico, the Southwest and beyond. You can help us make The Fork even better by sending detailed information about upcoming food events and foodie news tidbits to The Fork at [email protected]. And please invite your friends to The Fork's table.
Geography Is Not Their Strong Suit
The more things change for New Mexico, the more they stay the same, it seems. While 2016 brings much promise for the state's food and restaurant landscape, some folks still don't understand that we are, indeed, a state. Betty Crocker dropped the ball recently after creating recipe cards in a piece titled, "The Most Popular Recipe in Your State." As ABQ Free Press notes in a Dec. 30 article, they forgot to include New Mexico. The error has since been corrected, but the added recipe choice—a three-ingredient lemon cake—has us doing a serious double-take.
From Truck to Brick
Albuquerque food truck operators Ryan Seabrook (the Greek Geek) and Michele Haskins (Hot Off the Press) are ringing in the New Year with a brick-and-mortar restaurant called the Olive Branch, set to open at 6910 Montgomery Blvd. NE in February. Mediterranean and American food will be the stars of the menu, and while Haskins' truck is up for sale, Seabrook hopes to continue operating the Greek Geek when the new joint opens.
Here’s Mud in Your Mouth
Santa Fe Brewing Co. has added a new brew to its canned lineup, and Betty Crocker could definitely take a few recipe tips from SFBC brewmaster Bert Boyce. The new offering, called
, is described as “our New Mexican answer to the classic Winter Warmer: dark red, full-bodied, and malt-forward. Traditionally, Winter Warmers are balanced with extra hops or a Wintery spice blend. We instead drew on our rich culinary heritage and focused on cacao nibs and red chile flakes. Offering chile flavor without heat and dusty raw cocoa rather than sweet chocolate, Adobe Igloo’s intriguing complexity will keep you coming back, sip after warming sip.” The cans are beautiful, and who doesn’t like the chile-chocolate combo?
Want More Control of Your CSA? There’s an App for That
Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs, are fantastic. You pay up front to the local farmer of your choice, and a weekly or biweekly cornucopia of fresh produce from the farm is assembled and brought to a place nearer to you. The problem is, most CSA programs don't allow consumers to choose what they get. It's sort of a grab bag albeit of great stuff. The folks who created Farmigo want to give people more choice in their purchases by directly connecting farmers and consumers. It might even save both the farmer and the buyer some money.
No Secondhand Salami for You
Ever wonder what happens to all the food that's confiscated by US Customs agents? Ever wonder what you're not allowed to bring back into the country after international travel? Here, this might help.
