Monthly Archives: September 2013

The Annual Chile/Coffee Run

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Flagstaff Farmers MktLate for the Train

It is said that necessity is the mother of invention.  I would agree and add that necessity can also be the mother of tradition.  Take our family’s annual Chile/Coffee Run, for example.  This road trip takes us North to Flagstaff, Arizona.  It all started with my husband’s insatiable need for hot green chiles.  Not just any green chile, mind you.  The World-Famous New Mexico Hatch chiles.

There are various places around Arizona that receive shipments of these fresh chiles each year.  However, there are varying degrees or levels of heat to these chiles.  My husband requires the level that sears his throat and causes his nasal passages and tear ducts to work overtime.  And the place he swears by is the Flagstaff Farmer’s Market in Flagstaff, Arizona. A long way to go for chiles, right?  Well, not if you make a special day-trip tradition of it.  So, the end of summer (when the chiles are purported to be at their hottest—and so are we due to the soaring daytime temps), we are off to the beautiful Northern Arizona mountains.

The Flagstaff Farmer’s Market will roast the chiles (from mild to extra-hot) for you in an amazing roasting contraption that is quite impressive.  While my husband is ordering case after case of chiles, the rest of the family wanders inside to check out the wonderful things available at the market…honey, fresh fruits and vegetables, candy, salsa, etc.   Helpful Hint: Make sure you take an ice chest to store the chiles for the trip home—the smell of the freshly roasted chiles can be very overpowering.

Chile Roaster 2

The Amazing Chile Roasting Contraption

“So,” you may be asking yourself, “what has all this to do with coffee?”  Again, beginning with the need (my need) for a really good cup of espresso or two (or three) each day, the hunt is always on for a great coffee roaster.  As luck would have it, Flagstaff also has one of the best: Late for the Train Roastery .  After lunch, a leisurely stroll around town and a stop in at Late for the Train to purchase some of their fresh-roasted beans, and to grab a coffee drink and a fresh-baked pastry for the road.  They have light, medium and dark roasts available.  My favorite happens to be the Smoke Jumper, one of the dark roasts.

Alexa Farmers Mkt 3

At the Flagstaff Farmer’s Market, coffee in hand (of course)!

This makes such a great day-trip during the heat of the summer.  The chiles are roasted August through September and both the Market and Late for the Train are open 7-days per week.  And just to entice you further, here are some recipes to try with your fresh-roasted chiles and some coffee or espresso made with your Late for the Train fresh-roasted coffee beans:

 

CHILE RELLENOS CASSEROLE
Grate:
1 lb. longhorn or cheddar cheese
½ lb. jack cheese
Beat together:
4 eggs
2 Tbsp flour
½ tsp salt
1 can (13 oz) evaporated milk
Tear in strips:
½ dozen whole roasted green chiles
Layer in 9×13 glass casserole:
½ milk mixture
½ chiles
½ cheese
½ milk mixture
½ chiles
Remainder of cheese
Bake
at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

ESPRESSO BROWNIES

For an easy way to “perk up” your brownies, simply replace a portion of the liquid called for with either brewed coffee or espresso.  The liquid portion you substitute should be based on how much coffee taste you want in the brownies.  I add espresso to get a more bold taste.  Use a good-quality brownie mix (try Ghirardelli) to get the best results.  You can do the same with any simple frosting recipe to spread or drizzle over the brownies—add some brewed coffee or espresso and you now have an extra special and scrumptious treat, sure to wow your guests.

Amazing Miniatures

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Thorne Rooms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a recent trip to the Phoenix Art Museum, I attended a docent-guided tour of the Thorne Miniature Rooms Exhibit.  While the largest collection (68) of these fascinating miniature rooms is housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Phoenix Art Museum has an impressive collection of twenty rooms. The tour provides a wealth of information, illuminating the life of Mrs. James Ward Thorne, whose passion for miniatures has left us with an enchanting and captivating legacy.  These special rooms provide a glimpse into a world of beautiful historical interiors, delighting and, at the same time, educating. Fans of art, architecture, dollhouses, or just an appreciation of fine craftsmanship will enjoy this wonderful exhibit.

Thorne French Dining Room

Thorne Italian Dining Room

 

Above: Two of the rooms from the Phoenix Art Museum Collection (French and Italian Dining Rooms).  Each room is historically accurate for the time period it portrays and is created in an exacting 1:12 scale (1 inch in the miniature room is the equivalent of 1 foot in real life). Lovingly and painstakingly hand-crafted, the rooms include such details as hand- carved wood paneling and furnishings, petit point rugs and tapestries, decorative plaster, wallpapers, hinged cabinet doors, and even some books which are bound and open with fully-turning pages inside.

Mrs. James Ward Thorne

Mrs. Narcissa Niblack Thorne (1882-1966), married to James Ward Thorne (an heir to the Montgomery Ward department store fortune), began extensively collecting miniatures during her travels, and her passion for these beautiful collectibles translated into the treasured models on display today. Between 1932 and 1940 Mrs. Thorne employed craftsman in her Chicago studio, commissioned architects to create historically accurate settings, and had textiles and carpets made by the Needlework Guild of Chicago to be featured in her rooms.  The works depict interiors from Europe, Asia and North America from the late 13th to the early 20th century.  Her rooms were displayed in several World’s Fairs and at various Expositions.

Author Marianne Malone has written several children’s books featuring the Thorne rooms (http://www.mariannemalone.com/index.html). The first in the series is entitled The Sixty-Eight Rooms, a fantasy for children grades 4-6.  The Sixty-Eight Rooms is available at the Phoenix Art Museum gift shop and also at Amazon.com (Amazon also carries the other two books in the series).  A trip to the museum to view the miniature rooms with children this age can be an extra special event by treating them to lunch in the Museum Café and presenting them with a gift of the book.  What a great way to make a life-long memory!

I highly recommend a tour of this exhibit, whether in Phoenix, Chicago or the Knoxville Museum of Art, which houses nine models. If you are unable to visit a museum exhibit, there are many websites available on-line with video slideshows which will show the captivating and charming detail and precision in the Thorne Miniature Rooms.  They are truly amazing!