Chapter 1 – Chile Roots
Mickey & Bettee Caldwell
A ristra is a method of drying chile pods and is also a decorative garland used on porches and storefronts all over the state of New Mexico.
The chiles are the key ingredient to our aromatic and delicious homemade chile sauce.
We soon became a destination restaurant
In 1971 we left New Mexico and moved our family to beautiful British Columbia. We opened our first commercial restaurant in 1974 at Roche Lake Fishing Camp. To our surprise, New Mexican food became the star attraction on our menus, and soon established us as a destination restaurant. Customers came from all areas for the anticipation of catching a Kamloops trout and the excitement of warming their palates with a memorable meal.
Encouraged by the popularity of New Mexican cuisine, we moved to Kamloops in 1982 to open a restaurant we called Chile Chapter, followed by Chapters Viewpoint and finally, This Old Steak and Fish House. Though we sold our restaurant in 2007, we are still being asked for our recipes today.
The basis of good New Mexican food starts with chile and if you don't have 35 years to make the perfect chile sauce, this is your opportunity to experience it!
Mickey & Bettee Caldwell
The Origin
The picture above shows a chile farm in the Hatch Valley of southern New Mexico. Chiles grown in this valley are the most sought after because of their flavour, texture, and nutritional value. This is why New Mexico is The Chile Capitol of the World.
Above is a picture of Albuquerque, where we were born, showing the balloon fiesta over the Rio Grande River.