Colombian Archives - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Albuquerque Colombian Dog Friendly New Mexico Rating: Very Good

Ajiaco Colombian Bistro – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoAugust 24, 2019April 3, 20262:37 PM

If your perception of Colombia is of a nation beleaguered with drugs, terrorism and violence, you may just have to recalibrate your thinking. In 2014, for the second consecutive year, a WIN-Gallup poll conducted in 65 countries revealed that Colombia earned the distinction of being the world’s happiest country. Known as the “Barometer of Happiness and Hope,” the survey reported that of 1,012 Colombian respondents, 86 percent consider themselves “happy” while only 2 percent report themselves as “unhappy.” The United States, by the way, ranked as only the 31st happiest nation surveyed. So what could possibly account for Colombia’s surprisingly high happiness quotient? In discussing the survey results with my friend John (who’s married to a beautiful Colombian woman), I joked that if all Colombian women looked like Sofia Vergara and Shakira, it’s no wonder there’s so much happiness. His response was that not only are all Colombian women beautiful, they can all cook, too. What they’re cooking most he told me is ajiaco, a traditional Colombian chicken and potato soup. It’s not surprising, therefore, that Albuquerque’s sole Colombian restaurant is named Ajiaco for the feel-good comfort food favorite of a nation increasingly celebrated for its gastronomic splendor. Launched in…

Albuquerque Closed in 2017 Colombian Gone But Not Forgotten Mexican New Mexico

Panchito’s Restaurant & Bakery – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil GardunoNovember 22, 2013July 16, 201812:35 PM

“Let’s get one thing straight: Mexican food takes a certain amount of time to cook. If you don’t have the time, don’t cook it. You can rush a Mexican meal, but you will pay in some way. You can buy so-called Mexican food at too many restaurants that say they cook Mexican food. But the real food, the most savory food, is prepared with time and love and at home. So, give up the illusion that you can throw Mexican food together. Just understand that you are going to have to make and take the time.” ~Denise Chavez, A Taco Testimony Despite the title of her book, A Taco Testimony isn’t a celebration of the folded, hand-held treasures of diverse deliciousness enveloping meats, vegetables and condiments. Nor is it a compilation of recipes detailing precisely how to create these homespun, rustic snacks as generations of families have enjoyed them. At a surface level, author Denise Chavez, a Las Cruces resident, writes about the familial and cultural experiences and dramas of growing up in Southern New Mexico. From an allegorical perspective, the underlying message of A Taco Testimony is that if you understand a people’s food, you can understand their culture…

Albuquerque Closed in 2014 Colombian Gone But Not Forgotten

El Pollo Real – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil GardunoDecember 4, 2012July 17, 201812:43 PM

Jay : I’m home! Mmm, what smells so good? Gloria : I’m making chunchullo, a traditional Colombian dish, for dinner with the family tonight. Chunchullo. Jay : What is that… like, uh, tacos? Gloria : Yes, like tacos. Manny : No, it isn’t. It’s the small intestine of a pig. Jay : Oh, geez. Why can’t we eat regular food like normal people? Understandably, to this gastronome, the funniest scenes depicting the cultural clash between Gloria Pritchett and her family and friends involve food. In the true tradition of the Latin stereotype, Gloria, the curvaceous Colombian bombshell portrayed by Sofia Vergara on the hilarious television comedy Modern Family likes her food spicy-painfully so. Conversely, in true stereotypical “white person” fashion, other characters just can’t handle the heat. In one memorable episode, Cameron, an exemplar of “Caucasianism,” takes Gloria to one of her favorite purveyors of piquancy in an effort to bond with her. After one bite, he sprints from the table shouting “I feel like I ate the sun!” Interestingly, Colombian food isn’t especially spicy–at least not in comparison with the cuisine of other Latin American nations. As with most nations, Colombian cuisine varies by region. In some regions, such…