Southwestern

"Southwestern cuisine combines Tex Mex, Spanish, Indian and American flavors, ... with one cowboy boot north of the Rio Grande and one huarache sandal south of the Rio Bravo. "Whether it's chiles in Taos or chilis in El Paso, there's no getting around these often devilish little fruits which give much of the fire to Southwestern specialties like tacos, enchiladas, tortilla and albondigas soups and more. "Corn is an important ingredient, giving the nod to Navajo hominy, sweet and savory tamales, as well as casserole toppers and upscale salads using jicama, paper-thin slices of red onion and miniature cobs of corn. "Other starches include the ubiquitous bean, often pinto or pink; rice used in cooling drinks and as a base for wonderful casseroles and side dishes, and flour in its many manifestations. "... Nouvelle Southwestern just takes these fresh and indigenous products and swirls them amongst French, Thai and German cuisine. Hence, ... fat-free gorditas filled with baby greens and goat cheese or unexpected combinations of earthy Oaxocan olive spread napping silken Portabello mushrooms amidst a masa-encrusted fence of yellowfin tuna." -- Casey Stewart