Welcome to MJ’s Kitchen, a spicy little kitchen, dishing up New Mexican cuisine and much more. For almost 50 years I’ve been cooking up a variety recipes – classics, New Mexico classics, variations of the classics, and MJ originals. Some of the originals are recipes that were created in the 70’s and 80’s and I’m still cooking them today. In MJ’s Kitchen I share some of these recipes with you. I hope to show you how easy it is to cook and create your own dishes with local ingredients if you don’t do so already.
In addition to my recipes, you’ll also be given tours of some of the unique and beautiful places in New Mexico. It won’t take long for you to understand why New Mexico is called The Land of Enchantment,
The Recipes
Many of the recipes you find in MJ’s Kitchen reflect my love of New Mexico cuisine and its ingredients, like beans, squash, chile, tamales, tacos, and posole. However, you’ll find a potpourri of recipes, many being a twist on a New Mexico classic or just something we like to eat. I use a lot of New Mexico red and green chiles and chile powders in my recipes, as well as chiles from around the globe. Every once in a while you’ll see my love of southern cuisine thrown into the mix as well – like grits and green chile and peaches with fried grits and pecans.
Most of the ingredients found in my recipes can be found in a typical market or grocery; however, there are a few ingredients that are more common in the southern or the southwestern United States – like grits, New Mexico red chile and green chile, and chile powder. Please do not be discouraged when you see an ingredient you aren’t familiar with. You have the internet right at your fingertips, so you can pretty much order whatever ingredients you need. Also, “substitution” is always an option; therefore, be sure to read the Kitchen Notes for every recipe.
A comment about serving size – the serving size I state in my recipes is NOT based on FDA or any official organization. It’s based on how many servings I get when I fix a dish for me and my husband Bobby. I try to keep my serving size to what is recommended while Bobby just eats what he wants (and can!).
The Peach
Besides being my favorite fruit, the peach has a story. Shortly after Bobby and I got married back in the 70s, we moved to New Mexico from Louisiana and bought our starter home – a 900 square foot stucco house on a tiny lot with 10 mature fruit trees: 6 peach, 2 plum, 1 apple and an apricot. All of the trees were quite prolific keeping us very, very busy from spring to fall. With six peach trees, I had more peaches than I could handle so I was giving them away to anyone who would take them. When friends or family dropped by, I made them peach daiquiris or a peach cobbler or gave them homemade peach jam or spiced peaches, and of course, sent them home with a bag of juicy, picked ripe peaches. It didn’t take long for me to acquire the title – “The Peach Lady” – and thus – the peach.
About MJ (Yes – quite q bit older)
In addition to loving to cook and eat, I have had dream jobs in adult education for almost 40 years. I taught everything from mathematics and robotics, to micro and nanotechnology with the purpose of helping young and older New Mexicans get a good, self-supporting job or to advance in their current jobs. With my career winding down, I felt it was time to start looking for something light and fun to do that I could keep going during retirement. Starting this food blog in 2011 just seems like a natural thing for me. I have been enjoying sharing my recipes and the beautiful state of New Mexico, and hope to continue for many years to come. Please feel free to leave comments or contact me anytime. I love hearing from my readers!
I hope you enjoy it here and that you make MJ’s Kitchen one of your favorite places. I look forward to meeting you.
Credits and Acknowledgements
Photography – MJ Willis and Bob Willis
Peach illustration – Junifer Nez
Website Copyright Policy
All content (e.g., recipes, images, photos, writing) of MJ’s Kitchen website is copyrighted by MJ and Bob Willis unless otherwise stated. Any use of or reproduction of this content requires the expressed written consent of MJ Willis. Adaptation of any recipe requires the name of the original recipe and a link back to the original recipe here on MJ’s Kitchen. Thank you for respecting this copyright.
