Had a *fabulous* time this weekend in southern New Mexico. The weather was clear and cold and my fair New Mexico is looking gorgeous. I didn't know how much I needed that trip back home, but I can say I feel "right" since I got back.
The trip was mostly to visit with my best friend, her husband, and my two amazing goddaughters (now 9 and 6). My own version of NewMexiKen's sweeties.
And I ate. Oh did I eat. Whoa. My best friend and her husband are both amazing cooks, and they treated me right for three solid days.
I got a good snootful of green chile, so I can continue to survive with the appalling lack here in the Bay Area.
I also got a chance to eat oryx. This was my first try at oryx and it was TASTY! My dad was a hunter, so I've eaten a variety of game meat sampled from the great state of New Mexico and have no qualms. My friend's husband is especially good at field dressing so as to help alleviate the gamey taste, so what he brings home is really fantastic.
Plus he's good with the seasoning, so the outcome was tender, sweet, delicious and quite satisfying. I was able to have oryx prepared a variety of different ways, but by far the most amazing was tacos al carbon cooked down on a disk. (you gotta love game meat cooked on something that used to be a farm implement)
Reflecting on the last post I wrote about good food bringing people together, I smiled on Sunday night when, at the same moment, my best friend was frying rellenos, her husband was cutting up the meat for tacos and I was rolling enchiladas with the help of my oldest goddaughter. While we worked, we shared stories and listened to good music.
That right there is family, and I'm deeply grateful to have it. Food made with love tastes that much better.
I also had the chance to drive up to Cloudcroft looking for snow. They had gotten three inches a few days back, but as you can see by the photo below, there wasn't much left on the ground. It was a nice day trip anyway. Had lunch, shopped a bit, took a few photos and spent time with my friend.
Back home now. Mainly I'm just a bit homesick, happy to have made the visit and glad to be back in the house with The Good Man and the Cranky Cat.
This going back to work thing, on the other hand..........
(click for full size)
Photo by Karen Fayeth
