Mexican Food Lover's Guide
Does a menu listing enchiladas, flautas and chalupas tantalize your appetite, or send your mind reeling in confusion? New Mexico can be gastronomically glorious once you've got the lingo down, and a general picture of the possibilities.
The first thing to notice is that in New Mexico, we are dealing with chile with an "e" - not chili. Chili with an "i" is 
that Tex- Mex dish of kidney beans, tomatoes, ground beef and a combination of red chile powder, with other spices, usually cumin and oregano.
Chile with an "e" means the fruit (horticulturally chile is a fruit) of the pepper plant, genus Capsicum. In New Mexico, some of the chiles are harvested green, then roasted until the skin blisters, then peeled. Others are left on the vine to ripen until red.
The fall air in the Land of Enchantment is filled with the seductive aroma of roasting chile, and the roadside stands are a ablaze with bright strands of ristras, long clusters of red chiles tied together to hang until dry. The green chile is chopped and sometimes thickened with a bit of flour to make a sauce, and the red chile pods are ground and simmered with water to make red chile sauce. Most dishes can be ordered with either red or green chile sauce, but if you want to try both, ask for "Christmas."
At it's heart, traditional New Mexican cuisine is the various permutations and preparations of very simple, delicious ingredients: first, the chiles, then pinto beans, tortillas, both corn and flour, and cheese, beef, chicken, pork and often onions. As you embark on this exciting culinary adventure, take note that dairy products will quench the the peppery fires of chile dishes: sour cream, a glass of milk, and ice cream are your palates's best coolants. Also, many dishes are served with chopped lettuce and tomato to stir into the picante, spicy, food.
So, here they are. Venture forth bravely, the rewards are all in the eating!
Albondigas: meatballs.
Atole: a thick, hot gruel made from corn.
Biscochitos: an anise-flavored cookie.
Burrito: a white flour tortilla, filled with meats, beans, cheese, or a combination of these, and rolled. Often served smothered with chile sauce and melted cheese.
Capirotada: a raisin and walnut pudding.
Carne Adovada: cubes of pork that have been marinated and cooked in red chile, garlic and oregano.
Chalupas: (little boats) corn tortillas fried into a bowl shape and filled with shredded chicken, and/or beans, and topped with guacamole and salsa.
Chicharron: pork skin, fried crisp.
Chile con queso: chile and melted cheese mixed together into a dip.
Chiles Rellenos: roasted, peeled and stuffed (often with cheese) chiles, usually dipped in a batter and fried.
Chimichanga: a burrito that's deep fried, and smothered with chile and cheese.
Chorizo: a spicy pork sausage, seasoned with garlic and red chile.
Cilantro: a pungent green herb used in salsas, etc; the seeds are coriander.
Empanada: a turnover, filled usually with a sweetened meat mixture or fruit.
Enchiladas: corn tortillas filled with meat, beans or cheese, and either rolled, or stacked, and covered with chile sauce and cheese.
Fajita: strips of grilled steak or chicken that come with tortillas, sauteed peppers and onions, and other side dishes to make do-it-yourself burritos.
Flan: caramel custard dessert.
Flautas: tightly rolled, fried to a crunch, enchiladas.
Frijoles: beans.
Guacamole: mashed avacado, usually with chopped onion, tomatoes, garlic, lime and chile.
Horno: outdoor, beehive-shaped ovens.
Huevos Rancheros: corn tortillas, topped with eggs, usually fried, smothered with chile and cheese.
Jalapenos: small, fat chiles, very hot, frequently used in salsa.
Menudo: a soup made with tripe and chiles (known as "breakfast of champions").
Nachos: tostados topped with beans, melted cheese, sliced jalapenos, sometimes served "Grande" with ground beef, or shredded chicken, guacamole and sour cream.
Natilla: soft custard dessert.
Pico de Gallo: salsa with chopped fresh chiles, tomatoes, onions and cilantro.
Posole: a thick stew made with hominy corn simmered for hours with red chile and pork.
Quesadilla: a turnover made of a flour tortilla, filled with cheese or other ingredients, then toasted, fried or baked.
Refritos: beans that have been mashed and fried, most often in lard.
Salsa: generally an uncooked mixture of chile, tomatoes, onions.
Sopaipilla: a puffed, fried yeast bread, that's eaten split and filled with honey-butter.
Taco: a corn tortilla either fried crisp, or just softened, and filled with meats, cheese, or beans, and fresh chopped lettuce, onions and tomatoes.
Tostados: corn tortilla chips, also, a open face corn tortilla covered with refried beans, salsa, cheese, and chopped lettuce and tomato.
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