Spicy Spring Lunch

By Marilyn Noble / Photography By | Last Updated February 19, 2020
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As the days lengthen and the desert starts to bloom, what better time for gathering a group of friends for a casual lunch to celebrate new life and the days of darkness coming to an end? McKittrick has designed these recipes to honor spring, beginnings and our wild plant ancestors by incorporating the fruity spice of the chiltepin with eggs, the fruits of solanaceous plants, lemons and chocolate. Her kitchen philosophy is one of experimentation, so she encourages cooks to use these recipes as a starting point and then make them their own. “Experimenting energy in the kitchen works better,” she says, “just like nature.”

When cooking with chiltepins, be sure to notice the aroma, in addition to the heat and flavor. And, as with any hot chile, start with a small amount and add more if you want more heat. They’re tiny, but they’re potent, so while one or two might not seem like much, it might be more than enough for your dish.

 

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Web of Life Eggs
Spring Solanaceae Salad
Equinox Chocolates
Wild Chilecello

Web of Life Eggs

Many cultures across time and space celebrate the egg. One Chinese creation myth says the Universe began as an egg, and a god (Pangu) born inside the egg broke it into two halves, the upper becoming...

Spring Solanaceae Salad

The family Solanaceae, also known as nightshades, is a large family of plants that contain various alkaloids, some of which are harmless (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers) and others which...

Equinox Chocolates

Equinox chocolates
The vernal equinox is a time of balance and renewal and seems a perfect time for a healthy chocolate treat. Be sure to use cacao powder, made from raw beans, rather than cocoa powder. It has a higher...

Wild Chilecello

This desert version of limoncello is inspired by Franny’s, the late, great Brooklyn pizza joint where they used this technique for their house limoncello. Reducing the sugar makes it less cloying...