Southwestern Cuisine - by food author Howard Hillman

Southwestern Cuisine

American

An insightful guide
to Southwestern Cuisine
for diners and travelers

by an established authority

Why Southwestern
Cuisine is special

Southwestern Cuisine is a tasty fusion of Mexican, Spanish, and Native American culinary cultures. The area stretches from Arizona to Southwest Texas, with Santa Fe, New Mexico its creative heart.

Brief descriptions of
famous Southwestern
Cuisine specialties

Bear in mind that Southwestern and Tex Mex Cuisines share many dishes, but not in spirit. The Southwestern versions of the dishes listed below are generally more refined and inventive - and have more flair in flavor, color and presentation than their Tex Mex counterparts.

Burrito

Rolled flour tortillas crammed with a meat or bean mixture.

Chauquehue Tortilla

Made with and tinted by the blue chauquehue corn.

Chili Con Carne

Chili-spiced ground or cubed beef served in a bowl. Aficionados ridicule versions containing beans.

Chili Relleno

Whole chili pepper stuffed with cheese, then battered and deep fried.

Chimichanga

Deep-fried folded-and-sealed flour tortilla packed with meat.

Enchilada

Rolled corn tortilla with a meat filling. A batch is baked together, coated with a cheese-tomato sauce.

Fajita

Sizzling sliced steak served with tortillas and garnishes.

Flauta

Crisp-fried tightly rolled corn tortilla stuffed with shredded meat or cheese. It's named for its flute shape.

Guacamole

Avocado gently mashed with chopped tomatoes, chili, onions and cilantro. Flavored with lime.

Quesadilla

Folded-in-half flour tortilla filled with meat or cheese. Toasted, baked or fried.

Nachos

A large mound of tostados smothered with melted cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and sliced chilies.

Navajo Fry Bread

Deep-fried dough. Popular on feast days. A Sopaipilla is similar, but smaller and fluffier.

Posole

Thick pork and hominy (corn kernels treated with lye) stew.

Taco

Deep-fried, folded-in-half, open-sided corn tortilla stuffed with a meat mixture.

Tamale

Savory meat mixture encased in cornmeal dough, wrapped with cornhusks, then steamed.

Tostados

What most Americans call tortilla chips.

Cuisine insights

Major cooking ingredients

Chilies, corn and beans along with beef, pork and chicken lead the way.

"Red or green?"

That may seem like a strange question for a waiter to ask just after posing the red-or-white wine query. It's a local custom for servers to inquire if you want your sauce made with red or green chilies. Tip: If you want both, answer "Christmas".

Principal founder

Mark Miller pioneered the Southwestern Cuisine concept in the 1980s in his quality Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Another restaurateur, Bobby Flay, of TV fame, also greatly influenced the cuisine's rise to international stardom.

Beware of imposters

As happened to other cuisines that became foodie crazes, restaurants without the skill or desire to cook the food authentically are putting up the "Southwestern Cuisine" shingle to snag unsuspecting customers.

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