Firing up FUZE.SW

Museum of International Folk Art

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2013

MEDIA CONTACT

Authors, historians, and chefs explore traditions and techniques of Southwest cuisine

There was a time when one of Santa Fe’s best kept secrets—one only enjoyed by locals and those visitors in the know—was its exceptional range of restaurants, from neighborhood tacqueria to white cloth dining establishment. Today, calling Santa Fe home are numerous James Beard Award-winning chefs, restaurants, and authors and the city is now an internationally recognized culinary destination. The secret may be no more but one thing unites these diverse entities—their shared culinary history rooted in rich New Mexico traditions.

In December 2012 the Museum of International Folk Art celebrated this culinary history with the attendance-breaking exhibition New World Cuisine: The Histories of Chocolate, Mate y Más (on view through January 5, 2014), an exploration of the dawn of world cuisine as we know—and consume it— today.

Santa Fe’s first-ever food conference of its kind grew out of the exhibition. It will take place at the Museum of International Folk Art the weekend of November 8—10, 2013. James Beard Award-winning authors and chefs from across the US will gather with leading historians, archaeologists, cultural commentators, and folklorists to discuss and demonstrate how traditions and techniques from diverse heritages have intersected to create a culinary tradition uniquely New Mexican (and transported globally).

The weekend—composed of a series of brief talks, panel discussions, and breakout sessions, will delve into such areas as,

• The Big Debate: Local Ingredients, Foreign Chefs


• The Stories Cookbooks Tell: Cooking Culture


• Recipes, Tales, and Traditions


• Holy Mole: Chocolate—from Aztecs, to Chaco, to Hershey


• North v. South: The Chile Wars

These, and others, will be woven together by a series of keynote presentations by Dr. Jeffrey Pilcher (U Minnesota), Maricel Presilla, and Gustavo Arellano – and of course, great food and drink.

“Art interludes” featuring poets and folklorists, and a hands-on a papel picado workshop will break things up as will the breakfast burrito bonanza, food truck brunch, and evening receptions at the Santa Fe Culinary Academy and Santa Fe School of Cooking both followed by “Dine-Arounds” at James Campbell Caruso’s Taberna and La Boca, Martín Rios’ Restaurant Martín, and Juan José Bochenski’s Anasazi. Leading scholars are presenting but FUZE.SW will be far from academic. The event will appeal to folks interested in the back story of New Mexico food, history, and culture.

Festivities begin on the Friday afternoon when Bill and Cheryl Alters Jamison lead an optional cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking on the beloved foods traditionally served during New Mexico holidays. The class is followed that evening by a lively opening reception hosted by the Santa Fe School of Cooking with delicious food, wine, and entertainment by award-winning Mexican ranchera singer Nacha Mendez—and the opportunity to meet and visit with the renowned guest speakers. Saturday evening, Chef Rocky Durham of the Santa Fe Culinary Academy will host a spirits tasting featuring Colin Keegan of Santa Fe Spirits with Chef Rocky serving delectable bites.

FUZE is modeled after Southern Foodways Alliance; our pro bono consultant is its founder John T. Edge. Cheryl Alters Jamison is our local guiding light. Their combined wisdom and New Mexico’s long-time food heritage ensure this conference will become a much-anticipated yearly event (which has already been assured with other museums and institutions signing on to collaborate with us next fall).

In New Mexico, food and the land in which it is grown is part of our DNA; food dominates our conversations; treasured family recipes are cause for heated debate; and, especially during chile harvest season, food is an always above-the-fold news item. Santa Fe and New Mexico are fertile grounds for a serious conversation about local cuisine and the mixing of customs and cultures.

The nitty-gritty: Tickets for the festival are $250; $200 for Museum of New Mexico Foundation members. For tickets call (505) 476-1126 or email Shirley.Lujan@state.nm.us. Updated information is posted on the FUZE.SW Web site, fuzesw.museumofnewmexico.org. Tickets include admission to the conference, the Breakfast Burrito Bonanza, Saturday’s Museum Hill Café lunch and the Sunday Lunch Truck Brunch, and the evening receptions. Not covered are transportation, accommodation, and dinners (however participating Dine Around restaurants will present a special prix fixe menu).

FUZE is sponsored by the Santa Fe School of Cooking, Santa Fe Culinary Academy, Santa Fe Spirits, Kakawa Chocolate House, Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, Sage Inn, Museum Hill Café, Museum of International Folk Art, International Folk Art Foundation, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum of New Mexico Foundation.

Media Contact:

Steve Cantrell

PR Manager, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

505-476-1144

 FUZE PARTICIPANTS

Estevan Arellano (NM historian)

Gustavo Arellano (syndicated columnist, author Taco USA)

Hakim Bellamy (Poet Laureate of Albuquerque)

Tony Bennett (proprietor, Kakawa Chocolate House)

Juan José Bochenski (Chef, Anasazi)

Paul Bosland, PhD (Director, NMSU Chile Institute)

Thomas C’de Baca (nephew of Fabiola Cabezza de Baca)

James Campbell Caruso (Chef, La Boca and Taberna)

Nicolasa Chávez (Curator of New World Cuisine)

Patricia Crown, PhD (UNM professor of archaeology)

Susan Curtis & Nicole Curtis Ammerman (proprietors, Santa Fe School of Cooking)

Rob DeWalt (Senior Editor, New Mexico Magazine)

Dave DeWitt (chile expert and historian)

Rocky Durham (Chef, Santa Fe Culinary Academy)

Bill and Cheryl Alters Jamison (authors of numerous award-winning cookbooks)

Damian Flores (poet)

Nasario Garcia, PhD (NM state folklorist)

Judith Hill (Poet Laureate)

Colin Keegan (proprietor/founder, Santa Fe Spirits)

Joan Logghe (former Poet Laureate of Santa Fe)

Deborah Madison (author)

Valerie Martinez (former Poet Laureate of Santa Fe)

Nacha Mendez (entertainer/singer)

Carmella Padilla (historian, author)

Jeffrey Pilcher, PhD (Professor of history, U of Minnesota)

Maricel Presilla, PhD (author, chef)

Martín Rios (restraunteur)

Lois Rudnick, PhD (historian, scholar)

John Sedlar (Chef)

Cordelia Thomas Snow (Historic Sites Archaeologist, NM Historic Preservation Division)

Elizabeth Titus, PhD (Librarian/cookbook archivist, NMSU)

Catalina Delgado Trunk (paper artist)

Don Usner (storyteller, author, photographer)

(As of September 11, 2013)

 SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, November 8, 2013                                          

12-3 p.m.  New Mexico Holiday Traditions Class with Bill and Cheryl Alters Jamison, Santa Fe School of Cooking

5-7 p.m. Opening Night Cocktail Reception and Registration at the Santa Fe School of Cooking

7:30 p.m. Dine Around at your choice, Taberna, Restaurant Martín, Anaszi, La Boca                          

SATURDAY, November 9, 2103                                   

8-9 a.m. Breakfast Burrito Bonanza at the Museum of International Folk Art

9 a.m. Welcome remarks by museum director Marsha Bol

9:15 a.m. Opening key note by Jeffery Pilcher

9:45 a.m. Artistic Interlude                                                          

10 a.m.  Break                                                   

10:15 a.m. Food Talks (15 min. each)

• TALK: Dave DeWitt - History of Chiles


• TALK: Cordelia Snow - Luxury Goods on the Camino Real              


• TALK: Carmella Padilla with Don Usner - Growing up around the kitchen table with chiles                              

11:15 a.m. Mid-day key note by Maricel Presilla

12 p.m. Artistic Interlude with storyteller Nasario Garcia

12:15 p.m. New World Cuisine lunch catered by Museum Hill Café with concurrent tours of the New World Cuisine exhibition, papel picado workshop with Catalina Delgado Trunk, and author book signings

2 p.m. Breakout Panel Discussions

• Topic: Folklore & Food: Fabiola Cabezza de Baca, Lois Rudnick in conversation with Thomas C’de Baca


• Topic: North v South: The Chile Wars, Carmella Padilla moderator with Dave DeWitt, Paul Bosland, Maricel Presilla, and Estevan Arellano


• Topic: The Big Debate: Local Ingredients, Foreign Chefs, and the Question of Culinary Cannibalism, Rob DeWalt moderator with Jeffrey Pilcher, Gustavo Arellano, Maricel Presilla, and John Sedlar         

3 p.m. A James Campbell Caruso tapas y mas break

3:15 p.m. Breakout Panels Discussion                                    

• Topic: New Mexico’s Favorite Indulgence: Frito Pies, Rocky Durham moderator with Dave DeWitt, Paul Bosland, and Estevan Arellano


• Topic: Cooking Culture: Recipes, Tales and Traditions, Cheryl Alters Jamison moderator with Juan José Bochenski, Martín Rios, and Carmella Padilla                                             


• Topic: New Twists on Old World Traditions, Rob DeWalt moderator with John Sedlar, Gustavo Arellano, Jeffrey Pilcher, and Tina Ujlaki (invited)               

4:15 p.m. Wrap up for the day

6 p.m. Santa Fe Culinary Academy Cocktail and Tasting Party, New Mexico distilled spirits provided by Santa Fe Spirits and delectable bites by Chef Rocky

7:30 p.m. Dine Around at your choice, Taberna, Restaurant Martín, Anaszi, La Boca                          

SUNDAY, November 10, 2013                                   

8-9 a.m. Breakfast at hotel

9 a.m. Welcome by Cheryl Alters Jamison

9:15 a.m. Key note by Jeffery Pilcher

9:45 a.m. Artistic Interlude                                                          

10 a.m. Break                                                    

10:15 a.m. Food Talks (15 min)

• TALK: Deborah Madison – Heirloom and seasonal vegetables in New Mexico


• TALK: Patricia Crown – What was unearthed after the Chaco discovery?


• TALK and TASTING: Juan José Boschenski’s mate ceremony and food pairing   

11:15-1 p.m. Food Truck Brunch with concurrent tours of the New World Cuisine exhibition, papel picado workshop with Catalina Delgado Trunk, and author book signings

1 p.m.  Breakout Panel Discussions

• Topic: Stories Cookbooks Tell, Dave DeWitt moderator with Cheryl Alters Jamison, Deborah Madison, Elizabeth Titus, James Campbell Caruso, and Tina Ujlaki (invited)                                 


• Topic: Holy Mole: Chocolate; Aztecs, Chaco, Hershey, Nicolasa Chávez moderator with Patricia Crown, Maricel Presilla, Tony Bennett, and Rocky Durham

2 p.m. Break                                      

2:15 p.m. Artistic Interlude

2:30 p.m. Closing key note by Gustavo Arellano

3:15 p.m. Closing remarks by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Please note: Schedule subject to last minute changes.