5-Minute Fridays

Founded by Hue-Chan Karels, Alkemē reflects Karels’s Vietnamese heritage and a lifelong relationship to food shaped by migration. For her, cooking is both nourishment and continuity—holding memory and transformation together through flavor and craft. Executive chef Erica Tai brings her Taiwanese heritage to the restaurant’s culture-to-table concept. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk wi...

At one of Seed2Need ’s gardens in Corrales, we visited with leadership team members Dave Butler, Stacey Haught, and Stephanie Reese to chat about their volunteer-run nonprofit. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk about how Seed2Need started almost twenty years ago and has since donated more than 861,000 pounds of produce to local food pantries. On donated land in Corrales, volunteers gro...

Yolanda Torres, the executive chef behind VM Coffee , lives by the philosophy “Give me a little and I’ll turn it into something incredible.” In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , Chef Yoyo shares how she came to food from a place of survival as a kid, fell in love with the farm-to-table movement while attending culinary school, and then cut her teeth in New Orleans before returning to New Mexico. 

Patricia Garcia has transformed the cafeteria at Turquoise Trail Charter School, replacing heat-and-serve meals with fresh, scratch-made food kids actually want to eat. With a rotating menu and plenty of variety, she has students—and teachers—coming back for more. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , Garcia talks about what it takes to cook real food for hundreds of kids every day and why a bette...

Kyle Key, the maker behind NM ChileJang , is currently the only producer of cottage-style gochujang in the United States. Inspired by a trip to South Korea, Key saw a connection between Korean gochu and New Mexico red chile and began experimenting with traditional fermentation methods. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , Key shares how he uses locally grown red chile to create a distinctly New M...

At Vara Winery & Distillery , wine and spirits have more in common than first meets the eye. At VARA, grapes don’t stop at wine—they become the foundation for brandy, vermouth, vodka, and gin. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , distiller Ayisha Mares and CEO Jon Murray talk about how Vara expanded from winemaking into distilling—and how a growing lineup of spirits opened the door to an equa...

At Mañana Taco , Chef Nathan Mayes brings his Austin roots to Albuquerque with a New Mexico spin on the breakfast taco. Parked alongside Little Bear Coffee in Nob Hill since 2024, the truck turns out house-made flour tortillas filled with local eggs, responsibly sourced meats, and fresh vegetables. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk with Mayes about trading fine dining for a tiny kitche...

Chef Kattia Rojas grew up with the flavors of Costa Rica, learning from the food cooked by her mother and grandmother. After starting Buen Provecho as a catering and farmers market business, she found a permanent home at El Vado in 2018, where she built a menu around the Costa Rican flavors and ingredients she knows and loves. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk with her about the food o...

Eldora Chocolate represents a newer era of small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate—chocolate made from scratch with a focus on quality, transparency, and education. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we chat with Steve Prickett about the importance of building relationships with farmers, R&D, and the challenges of fine chocolate making.

Rancho de Santa Fe is a sixteenth-generation farm; the Velardes have been growing fruit at Velarde Orchards for over four hundred years, since 1598. They sell their produce and dozens of value-added products at the Fruit Basket. In this episode of  5-Minute Fridays , Eddie Velarde and his son Caleb share their family’s history and reflect on what farming will look like for the next generation. Thi...

Through his dedication and hard work, Jonathan Ashworth, of Arroyo Vino , has become known as one of Santa Fe’s best servers, consistently going above and beyond for his guests. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk about the diplomacy and delicate balance of details needed to be an exceptional server, and along the way, Jonathan shares some anecdotes on unusually big tips.

Tractor Brewing has been around for more than two decades, not only making award-winning beer but also contributing to their community through donations and by cultivating inclusive, neighborhood-driven spaces where live music, local art, and community-led events regularly bring people together. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk with Jeremy Kinter about the challenges of operating a br...

Market Steer Steakhouse delivers a modern take on the classic steak house and is dedicated to the fine art of front-of-house hospitality. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we visit with general manager Kristina Goode and executive chef Kathleen Crook and chat about all things beef, regional sourcing, and the service that has made them one of Santa Fe’s premier dining spots. 

Located in the Railyard in Santa Fe, As Above, So Below is creating spirits and cocktails with a sense of place. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk with Chris Hobdy and Caitlyn Fitzgerald of the bar team, discussing everything from seasonal drinks to their gin and vodka collaborations with Elvira, mistress of the dark.

Elizabeth Bibiano may have stumbled into cooking and veganism, but she has become a wizard at plant-based cuisine. In this episode of  5-Minute Fridays , we talk with the co-owner and executive chef of Vegos about her and her husband’s passion to show New Mexicans that the dishes they grew up eating can still be enjoyed on a fully plant-based diet.

Nizhoni Farms is a Native-owned vegetable and animal farm founded to promote food sovereignty in tribal communities and underserved groups and areas. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we visit Los Lunas to chat with owners Julianna and John Reece about the diversity of their agricultural operation and the role of cultural reclamation and education on their farm. 

Lilia Avila is a graduate of Three Sisters Kitchen ’s Food Business Training Program and now helps other entrepreneurs launch small food businesses in Albuquerque. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk about learning on the job, building her own Fiesta On the Go products, and how she’s using that experience to guide the next generation of food makers.

Project Feed the Hood is dedicated to bringing food literacy into classrooms and bringing students out to green spaces through collaborations with schools and the community, which has led to the creation of over seventy school gardens and green spaces across New Mexico. In this episode, we visit the farm in southeast Albuquerque and chat with the team currently working the land, lead food justice...

Rebecca Freeman delivers stunning desserts at Coyote Cafe and Santacafé , defined by refined artistry, imagination, and years of experience. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we dive into her inspiration, her favorite flavor combinations, baking at high altitude, and why dessert is always worth ordering.

Lost Cultures Tea Bar is located in the heart of the Sawmill District in Albuquerque, and they prove not only that a good mixed drink is possible without alcohol, but that a good social space is equally possible without it. In this episode of 5-Minute Fridays , we talk with Ryan Brown about creating nonalcoholic drinks inspired by different cuisines and ingredients. 

Ray Naranjo of Manko Native American Fusion uses modern and ancestral cooking techniques, pushing the limits of what is known, unknown, and forgotten about the Indigenous food cultures of North America. In this episode, we talk with Naranjo about the years of kitchen experience that brought him to his work today.

When Liz Gaylor opened tiny grocer ABQ in 2020, her goal was simple: make it easier for people to eat local every day. Stocked with New Mexico-sourced meats, dairy, grains, produce, and herbs along with locally roasted coffee, her small shop has become a hub for community and connection. In this episode, we discuss the realities of running a neighborhood grocery store and how her café and prepared...

Kosmos Restaurant & Astropub , housed in a 1930s-era warehouse in Albuquerque’s Wells Park neighborhood, opened its doors in 2018. In this episode, we talk with owner Jerry Miller and head chef Cheyne Bishop, who together have created an eclectic dining experience that goes far beyond typical bar food. 

Sean Sheehan started chasing his dream of becoming a vintner in his own backyard ten years ago—and his home is still the heart of his operation today. In this episode, we talk about Sheehan Winery ’s growth over the past decade, the science behind winemaking, and the push to put New Mexico wines on the map alongside Napa and the Willamette Valley.

With more than 120 varieties of heirloom fruits, vegetables, and grains, in addition to milk goats, laying hens, sheep, rabbits, and geese, Chispas Farm is the embodiment of diversified agriculture in Albuquerque’s South Valley. In this episode, we talk with farm manager Casey Holland, who has been with Chispas since 2017, about mentorship and building a legacy farm.