Look to local kitchenware and specialty shops for help in the kitchen.
A Real Cutup
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The stainless-steel construction and superfine blade of this commercial-grade mandoline ($125) from Shamrock Foods will slice apples into paper-thin sheets and shred stubby carrots into itty-bitty matchsticks. While you're there, be sure to check out the variety of baking sheets, stock pots and giant whisks this restaurant-supply giant has to offer.
Shamrock Foods/Southwest Cash and Carry,
518 Cordova Road, 820-1880.
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You Say Scrubber, I Say Skrub´a
These nylon
Skrub´a potato scrubbing gloves
($10) are like exfoliating bath mitts for potatoes, beets, parsnips, turnips and the rest of your dirt-encrusted roots and tubers. A little warm water, a little swish-swish and those rutabagas will look 10 years younger.
Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe, DeVargas Center, 988-3394.
Hot Asador
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Add a little fire to your next sausage party. Just fill the shallow bowl of an
asador
($30-$37) with brandy, rum or grappa, then place a delicious homemade chorizo on the built-in rack. Secure loose clothing, tie hair back, drop a match and light up the place with shooting flames.
¡Muy sabroso!
The Spanish Table, 109 N. Guadalupe St., 986-0243.
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Red Bar-Cheetah
Nothing goes better with your new batch of chile-infused vodka than Kim Seybert's
calf hair bar set
($118-$355). A sexy cheetah print on soft calf hair embellishes this set, which includes a shaker, a wine cooler, an ice bucket with tongs and a square tray to keep everything nice and tight.
Cielo Tabletop, 316 S. Guadalupe St., 992-1960.
Mug Shot
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At Mindy & Clyde Cupboard Company, owner Eiko Miki uses an ultra-bright window display of
Fiesta ware
($5.75 and up) to lure passers-by in. Once inside, they'll be hooked on the eclectic mix of new and old kitchen kitsch. The Fiesta is open stock and you can get a great deal with the buy-three-get-one-free deal on crucial pieces like plates, platters and mugs.
Mindy & Clyde Cupboard Company, 407 S. Guadalupe St., 982-0901.
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Butter Me Up
Known for its house-roasted coffees, exotic teas and yummy chocolates, Ohori's also stocks a wide selection of sake sets and the fabulous
butter bell
($21). This ingenious little crock keeps butter soft and fresh for one month. Just pack in the butter and keep cool water in the well for soft, unsullied butter that's easy to spread.
Ohori's Coffee, Tea and Chocolate, 507 Old Santa Fe Trail, 988-7026.
Green Chile Grillz
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The cast iron
stovetop grill
($30) used in class demonstrations is one of the most popular pieces of equipment at Santa Fe School of Cooking. The grill's mesh surface makes for foolproof roasting of green chiles and other edibles on the stovetops-whether gas or electric. It's great for heating tortillas, too.
Santa Fe School of Cooking, 116 W. San Francisco St., 983-4511.
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Is There A Dish Doctor in the House?
The high-design
Dish Doctor
($78) is an ingenious two-piece plastic rack that neatly drains water into the well underneath. It's hip enough to warrant valuable counter space and is available in vivid orange or atomic green.
Design Warehouse, 101 W. Marcy St., 988-1555.
Mmm…shiny!
We may never know the secret formula for Nambé's metal, but we can at least get our hands on its versatile
flatware
($55 for a five-piece setting), which features stainless steel and stunning design by a company founded in New Mexico in 1951.
Nambé, 104 W. San Francisco St., 988-3574
Nambé, 924 Paseo de Peralta, 988-5528.
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SPECIALTY FOOD SHOPS
Eating locally means shopping locally. Here are some of our favorite places to pick up ingredients and equipment to supplement our pantry.
El Paisano Food Markets
This small chain of Mexican markets has all of the hard-to-find ingredients you'll need for a Mexican feast. Try the raw tortillas for some take-and-bake action; it's the closest you'll get to homemade on a busy weeknight.
3565 Cerrillos Road, 438-4800
3140 Cerrillos Road, 424-9105
5984 Airport Road, 424-3598
Keller's Farm Stores
This Albuquerque destination has been selling its own farm-raised meats since the 1960s. We highly recommend stocking up on the well-priced steaks, sausages, veal and smoked birds.
2912 Eubank Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, 505-294-1427
6100-H Coors Blvd., Albuquerque, 505-898-6121
Santa Fe School of Cooking
Venture upstairs to find local ingredients and equipment for New Mexican and Mexican cooking, as well as cookbooks and special serving pieces. The cooking classes are friendly and accessible.
116 W. San Francisco St., 983-4511,
www.santafeschoolofcooking.com
Sunrise General Store
This gas station on Old Las Vegas Highway also happens to have an incredible selection of hard-to-find Indian foods and spices. Check out the mouthwatering selection of chutneys and curries.
52 Old Las Vegas Hwy., 982-6705
Talin Market
Exotic ingredients can be hard to find in Santa Fe, but Talin Market is only an hour away. This grocery-sized world market boasts foods from faraway places like Cairo, Saigon, Frankfurt, Japan and…Hatch. Each aisle carries the foods, spices and imported ingredients needed to build an international pantry-such as fish heads for heady stocks. The crabs are alive and the lobsters are monstrous.
88 Louisiana Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, 505-268-0206.
The Spanish Table
Spanish ingredients and specialty cookware are the stars of this friendly shop. The store is a must for tapas parties or whenever
a recipe calls for Spanish cheeses, sausages, spices, olive oils or chocolate. It even stocks the elusive dry-cured Serrano ham and
salt cod.
109 N. Guadalupe St., 986-0243,
