Saturday, July 11, 2009

Zen, Green Chiles and Billy the Kid


This morning, we left Las Cruces bound for Hatch, New Mexico "the chile Capital of the world". We arrived around 10:15 AM. We were eating at "the Pepper Pot". Again our meals were wonderful, however, I am out of superlatives so I am going to copy a review from the LA Times food critic:


Arguably, chili fans will know that the best possible platform to taste-test a fresh chili is to make it into a chili relleno. Let me just say it this way... I'd marry the chef (if female) - sight unseen - and pay a hefty dowry to do it. (My wife would understand, right?) It was INCREDIBLE!!! If you're coming to Hatch, NM expressly for the flavor of green chili... skip everything and every place else. The Pepper Pot should be your destination. Kind, warm, friendly service, THE BEST FOOD... and an INCREDIBLE Chili Relleno!!! I still have dreams of the place... and would gladly choose this place for my last meal on Earth.


To that review, Jeannie and I add our heartfelt, Amen and Amen. Jeannie wanted me to add that as I ate, my eyes rolled to the back of my head and she thought I had a stroke. I said no, I am just savoring what heaven must taste like.


It is interesting being in New Mexico and reading about the their range wars and the participants who became comic book heroes like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Evidently Territorial governors had considerable power to pardon crimes up to and including multiple murders. Unfortunately, every time the Kid was pardoned he would relapse and kill some more folks. If the author I am reading is correct, Pat Garrett was as much an assassin and cold blooded killer as Billy the Kid. In the end Garrett was sitting in the dark and the Kid was standing in the light, always a bad match up. I personally think he probably killed him over a Chile Relleno.

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