If you drop by here regularly you will know that one of our favourite corners of the world is New Mexico - jewel of the American Desert Southwest and host, in recent years at least, to more Western movie-makers than any other state. Despite our best intentions, we haven't visited for some years, and the result, apart from a certain yearning, is that we haven't been able to keep ourselves in stock of some of those quintessentially New Mexican staples which, until we sampled them, we had no idea were as necessary to a reasonable quality of life as, say, blood or oxygen.
Fortunately for us, our old and dear friend Leslie makes regular trips to the Land of Enchantment to visit family in Albuquerque; and Leslie knows, as the old-timers used to say, which way the stick floats. Day before yesterday we received a package from her which contained all the essentials, including the Rio Grande Herb Company's Southwest Gourmet Hot Red Chile Powder, and Los Chileros de Nuevo Mexico's Blue Corn Posole. Lynn has already combined the latter with slow-cooked pork to make a pot-full of New Mexico which will keep the two of us going for a week.
One item, the piece de resistance in my view, was marked specifically for me: 'Couldn't resist this, from Dan's Boots.' Here we are:-
Excellent. Jonathan Raban admitted in his excellent book, Passage to Juneau, that after his hairline receded he tended to wear a cap more often, even indoors, and I can empathise with that. I too wear a cap most of the time, and I'm proud to be able to add Dan's Boots& Saddles' baseball cap to my collection.
