Carmella Padilla

May 1, 2024 | l8r.it | Carmella Padilla

IT’S A SUMMER DAY IN SANTA FE, mid-1970s. As the temperature swells into the 80s—high heat for that time in our mountain-ringed town—I cross the street to the Quintana house, where the family’s four daughters provide me respite from my five brothers. We draw the drapes to cool the day and darken their small den. There, in the glow of our daily soaps—All My Children and Dark Shadows—we devour our favorite lunch. Tacos.

May 1, 2024 | newmexicomagazine.org | Carmella Padilla

IT’S A SUMMER DAY IN SANTA FE, mid-1970s. As the temperature swells into the 80s—high heat for that time in our mountain-ringed town—I cross the street to the Quintana house, where the family’s four daughters provide me respite from my five brothers. We draw the drapes to cool the day and darken their small den. There, in the glow of our daily soaps—All My Children and Dark Shadows—we devour our favorite lunch. Tacos.

Mar 5, 2024 | tablemagazine.com | Kylie Thomas |Carmella Padilla |Cheryl Jamison

Carmella Padilla prepares her enchiladas as her 100-year-old mother always has — flat, or stacked, rather than rolled, with blue corn tortillas. She makes her until-now secret red chile recipe from chile caribe, a coarse-ground type of New Mexican red. The slightly fruity flavor, a good heat, and intense red color are all important. She gets her chile from Harvest Gifts in Tijeras, which can be ordered by mail (505.281.0696). Small pork cubes enrich the sauce, too.

Jul 12, 2023 | l8r.it | Carmella Padilla

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHILE? It’s a common question in our capsicum-crazed state, a culinary query that sounds deceptively simple. Reach for a recipe and heat up a pot? Almost, but not. Long before the stove is lit, crucial matters must be probed. Red or green? Mild or hot? Like the season’s first chile plants, which sprout small flowers shortly after the seedlings emerge, one consideration blooms into another as the chile novice grows into a connoisseur.

Jul 12, 2023 | newmexicomagazine.org | Carmella Padilla

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHILE? It’s a common question in our capsicum-crazed state, a culinary query that sounds deceptively simple. Reach for a recipe and heat up a pot? Almost, but not. Long before the stove is lit, crucial matters must be probed. Red or green? Mild or hot? Like the season’s first chile plants, which sprout small flowers shortly after the seedlings emerge, one consideration blooms into another as the chile novice grows into a connoisseur.