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With the rapid advances in the information age, we are inundated with questions. Will interest rates stay low? Will Obama be able to beat Hilary? How did UCLA lose to Memphis? Will Brett Farve remain retired? I’m getting exhausted with all the questions, but one that always piques my interest is the official state question in New Mexico: Red or Green? Locals have had to make this decision for years, and acknowledging it as an official issue, New Mexico made it official in 1996. Go to any restaurant and eventually you will be asked this very important question. But how do you answer? Do not be afraid. With a little insight, you’ll respond to your waitress with thoughtful intelligence. In fact, if you’re not wearing flip flops, the official shoe of California, you might even be mistaken for a local! I was faced with this dilemma recently and was reminded that New Mexicans are extremely passionate about this topic. Of course, we are talking about chili here. Which is the answer? Well, it all depends on the season. Like I said, I know there are other issues we need to consider. We have to elect a president after all.
Still, the question lingers in my mind: red or green? I ordered blue corn enchiladas at Garcia’s Kitchen near downtown Albuquerque. Andy Garcia has great food and several locations across the state and each one will ask you the same question. What will it be? Red or green? Like I said, it all depends. What month are we in? If it’s September, the new green chili crop is roasting, so buying a fresh batch would be a good bet. During the late summer and early fall months, it’s hard to walk the streets of Albuquerque and not be captivated by the smell of roasted chiles wafting through the air. Almost every street corner has a toaster. Behind them you will find piles of jute sacks filled with green chile. In the spring and early summer months, green chilies have long since turned red and the process of extracting the seeds and crushing the chili into a powder is complete. For this time of year, the green chile is already frozen. It’s March and for some reason red piques my interest. Which one is hottest? Besides asking for the date, that would be the question I would ask. On a plate of enchiladas, can I imagine a red chile sizzler? Earthy, thick and rich with just enough heat to ignite my senses? Verde also sounds good and I can see the green chile chunks decorating blue corn tortillas. Melts the white cheese quite well. The waitress is patient with me. After all, this is serious business. When my company decided to create a sauce, it didn’t want another average sauce.
If we were going to create a sauce, it had to be different, otherwise competing in a world of Average Salsas just didn’t appeal to me at all. Most were mushy setups of jalapenos and tomatoes. Of course we would use New Mexico chiles in ours, but when I suggested we use both red and green, my staff started the rain dance. Red and green? Who would have thought? I considered the chili. The red was hotter that day and according to the waitress the green was a bit weak. Still, I could imagine the mix of each on my plate. The choice was obvious and, as I always do, I gave the only answer I was capable of. Oh sure, I thought so, but I always say the same thing. “Christmas, please.” As she scribbled in her notebook, she would ask me if people would buy Christmas sauce in March.