Steve “Mo” Fye

Green edition: Going ganja for baking

Some of the greatest fun and creativity in the kitchen comes from experimenting with exotic ingredients. Many chefs consider marijuana to be the next big thing in cuisine. Between pot being decriminalized in several states and the widespread availability of medical marijuana, chefs everywhere are planning ahead for the time when weed is used in many dishes. The common term for marijuana-infused foods is “edibles.” Some things to remember: Marijuana is still outlawed in most municipalities, and sharing medical marijuana with someone not licensed to consume is a crime. New Mexico does allow for marijuana use for some medicinal purposes. Also, it is easy to overconsume marijuana when using it in food since it takes such a long time to take effect and marijuana varies widely in potency. Never give food containing marijuana to people without their knowledge and consent.

Food column: Uses plentiful for that dusty, ol' waffle iron

It sits on a shelf gathering dust most of the year, only used on the occasional lazy Sunday. It may have been a gift or handed down. Now, instead of being stored away, the waffle iron may become one of the most used appliances in the kitchen. The waffle iron can be an amazingly useful and versatile tool for cooks with a bit of creativity. Since a waffle iron heats from both sides and has a fairly wide range of heat settings, it can be used to make everything from hash browns to grilled cheese.

Food column: Spring means lamb season

It is nearing springtime, when a young cook’s fancy turns to lamb. Lamb is a traditional late winter and early spring protein. It is leaner than beef or pork, and often more flavorful. However, lamb must be handled with care or it becomes tough and gamy. Mutton, which is from adult sheep, has a strong, sometimes unpleasant flavor. Lamb, however, is far more delicate, with an earthy flavor reminiscent of farms and meadows.

Campus food pantry provides assistance

While students and other New Mexicans continue struggle with food insecurity, UNM has programs to help students and members of the University community. The Lobo Food Pantry, which was initiated a year ago, offers a food bank several times a year. Headed by Lisa Lindquist, a student affairs specialist in the Dean of Students Office, the pantry has worked with Roadrunner food bank since February 2014. Roadrunner sends a truck to a mobile food pantry — usually once a month during the spring and fall semesters — to assist those students, staff and members of the UNM community who need help in stocking their kitchens, Lindquist said.

Food column: Garbanzos made easy

When it was suggested I write a column on healthy food alternatives for hardworking students, I had one word: garbanzos. Actually, it is more than one word, since this legume is also known as ceci, cece, chickpea, chana, Egyptian pea, gram or Bengal gram.

Food column: German noodles perfect for winter nights

German cuisine has always seemed, to me, to be the king of comfort food. Meat and potatoes, roasted, braised or fried; it’s great and warming for cold winter nights. There has been a dearth of good German food in Albuquerque for too long, but now the Heimat House is in the old Assets location on Montgomery. The food is terrific, as is the service. But how can we bring the flavors of Germany to our own tables?

Food column: Savory stocks warms cold winter days

The weather in Albuquerque has been cold, and one of the best good ways to warm up are with soups, sauces and stews. The basis of any good potage is a flavorful stock. But what is a stock? Technically, stocks are made from bones and the meat and connective tissues that are still attached. Usually, aromatics and other seasonings are added. On the other hand, simmered meat is a broth. Broths can be flavorful, but they won’t develop the body and texture of a stock.

Food column: Turkey day made easy and delicious

So many people panic when it comes time to cook their first Thanksgiving feast. With some good planning and a few tips, the traditional meal can be a snap. Before beginning, make sure there are sufficient serving utensils, serving bowls, platters, china and cutlery for all your guests. New cooks often find they are short on these.

Food column: Small kitchens demand the essential tools

Novice cooks dream of a kitchen stocked with high-end appliances, costly silverware and cooper-clad cookware, but few get the opportunity to use the tools. Is it possible to be a good cook without thousands of dollars of equipment? Cooks don’t need expensive gear to be able to cook good food.

Column: Easy illusion foods to freak out party-goers

If something looks like it was pulled out of a dark black hole, served on a fancy plate and called food – it must be time for Halloween. Weird or creepy appetizers and party foods are de rigueur for a successful Halloween party, but illusion food is by no means a new invention.In the middle ages, cooks would often show their skills through subtleties, or presentation foods. The rear half of a suckling pig might be stitched onto the front half of a goose and roasted, then presented as a cockatrice (a mythical beast).

Hash browns cooked in a Belgian waffle iron come out crispy and golden.

Hash browns cooked in a Belgian waffle iron come out crispy and golden.

Citizens opposed to the Santalina development adorn tractors from South Valley farms with signs before joining a parade to the offices of the Bernalillo County Commission to protest the development.

Protesters show their opposition to the Santolina Master Plan, which was discussed by the Bernalillo County Commission on Wednesday.

Lamb Stew

Lamb Stew

Curried Chickpeas

Blood-shot eyeball appetizers (eggs tossed in paprika and dressed up with black olive slices).

Damian Montoya, owner of Torpedo Dog, toasts the inside of a baguette on an electric spike before filling the bread with sauce and a Nathan’s hot dog or Polish sausage.

Dried herbs can add much-needed flavoring to foods in during the winter months.