Pastina with Liquid Gold | Comforting Acini di Pepe Recipe
A warm, silky bowl of pastina cooked in Liquid Gold — the simple comfort our grandmother made when we were kids, still carrying that same quiet healing today.
Santa Fe Chowder
A cozy, Southwestern-style chowder built from my batch-cooked staples — Caballero beans, hominy, honey ham, Hatch chiles, miso, and Liquid Gold. Thick-but-loose, creamy without being heavy, and deeply savory in that unmistakable New Mexico way.
Ingredients
8 oz honey ham, diced
1 white onion, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt
Lots of fresh cracked black pepper
3 ladles cooked hominy
2 ladles cooked Caballero beans with broth
2 ladles Liquid Gold chicken stock
1/2–1 tsp white miso
2 cups fresh spinach
1/4–1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh lime juice, to finish
Instructions
1. Build the flavor base
Add the butter to a pot over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and diced honey ham.
Season with smoked paprika, ground cumin, kosher salt, and lots of fresh cracked black pepper.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and the ham releases its fat.
2. Add the hominy, beans, stock, and Hatch chiles
Add 3 ladles of cooked hominy, 2 ladles of cooked Caballero beans with their broth, and 2 ladles of Liquid Gold.
Add the Hatch chile cubes.
Stir well and bring just to a gentle boil.
I3. Add the miso mix
In a small bowl, whisk the miso with one ladle of hot broth until smooth.
Stir the mixture back into the pot.
4. Finish the chowder
Add the spinach and stir as it wilts instantly.
Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream.
Finish seasoning with fresh lime juice to brighten the whole chowder.
5. Serve
Ladle into bowls and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- No simmering needed after adding cream — it stays smooth.
- Miso adds depth and body without shifting the flavor profile.
- Lime juice is essential; it lifts the richness perfectly.
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