Santa Fe School of Cooking

.

Nambé's heritage is deeply rooted in Santa Fe. The same is true of our friends at the acclaimed Santa Fe School of Cooking. Susan Curtis opened SFSC in 1989 to showcase local agriculture and the distinct cuisine of the region. Now, Susan and her daughter, Nicole Curtis Ammerman, offer year-round cooking classes and food tours, operate an adjoining Market, and write cookbooks--all to pass along their passion for this region's culinary offerings. We invite you to learn more about our connection with the Santa Fe School of Cooking below, including recipes for our favorite SFSC dishes.

Recipes: Red Chile Cheese Enchiladas, "After Thanksgiving" Enchiladas, Chunky Avocado Salsa.

SUSAN'S NAMBEWARE

Red Chile enchiladas presented in SFSC's vintage Nambé casserole. Get the recipe.

Last year, Webster's Dictionary admitted several new words into the English language. Among them was, “Localvore; Someone who consumes products produced locally.” At the Santa Fe School of Cooking, this has been the practice since inception, 19 years ago! The partnerships between local farms and wineries are the most obvious of these relationships. Whenever possible we buy our ingredients--corn, beans, chile, squash, et al.--from a member of our community. Perhaps less obvious are the strong relationships forged between other local businesses. Among them is Nambé.

When Susan Curtis opened the doors of the Santa Fe School of Cooking, among the first things on the shelves of the kitchen were three Nambé casseroles. Brand new, the shiniest things you ever saw! Rarely was the business busy enough to warrant using all three at once. One was placed above a cabinet as a stunning showpiece; the other two, placed into active duty. They quickly became the first choice of our chef-instructors when enchiladas were on the menu. They would be filled with delicious, homemade tortillas, sauces, and cheeses and placed into hot ovens. The beautiful dishes would be placed directly on the tables, showing off their bubbly contents. Our guests would devour every morsel of food scraping the casserole clean with dueling spoons.

Nineteen years later and we still have all three of the original pieces. One still shiny and new, roosting atop its cabinet home. The other two, scratched and dulled from decades of commercial use. Not just cooked with, but hammered with, stood on, buried and set on fire! Two years ago, a Nambé representative suggested we send it in for refinishing (a service they provide). The staff unanimously declined. Every scratch is a medal of valor for the thousands of hungry people they have served. Each ding tells a story of a festive gathering. These evidences of use give each piece its own distinct personality and beauty.

Sometimes I feel sorry for the shiny piece. It looks brand new but it has just been a bystander--never part of the action, just part of the ambiance.

Just like the traditional foods we prepare here at the Santa Fe school of Cooking, Nambé is distinctly New Mexican. The lines unique like the horizon above the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The metal alloy a guarded secret like grandma's red chile sauce.

Today, we have a "Nambé Room" at the School; a closet full of pieces from cookware to salt shakers and candlesticks. When you come and take a class with us next time, just ask and we will proudly introduce you to our three original casserole dishes

Perhaps this year Webster's will admit "nambe" into the dictionary, as something that is strikingly beautiful and beautifully functional. -- Chef Rocky Durham

ABOUT THE SANTA FE SCHOOL OF COOKING

Located in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, just steps from the historic Plaza, The Santa Fe School of Cooking is an internationally acclaimed, recreational culinary school and market specializing in foods of the southwest. SFSC offers an array of Southwest cooking classes several times a week, year-round. Class descriptions vary with added specialty classes--such as The Insiders' Culinary Adventure!, Restaurant Walking Tour!, and Fine Dining Santa Fe Style--seasonal cooking classes, and classes for the whole family. Menus include traditional New Mexican, Native American, Mexican, Spanish, vegetarian, and contemporary Southwestern cuisine. Classes, taught by some of the best chefs in Santa Fe, are not only entertaining and educational, but delicious, too.

Founder Susan Curtis and her daughter Nicole Curtis Ammerman are the authors of two Santa Fe School of Cooking cookbooks. The latest, Santa Fe School of Cooking--Flavors of the Southwest, the pair share dozens of new recipes, techniques, traditions and flavors from one of America's culinary hotspots. Fresh ingredients, local foods and products, Native American, Mexican, and Spanish flavors, and the blessed green chile are the hallmarks for Santa Fe-style cooking. Mouth-watering photographs by Eric Swanson add to the appeal of this book. Cookbooks, New Mexico foods, and gift baskets, the school's class schedule, and much more can be found on their website: www.santafeschoolofcooking.com.

.