Our next stop is New Mexico, so I added a cookbook to our library stack, Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook by Susan Curtis. The boys showed interest in Caldo de Albondigas– a meatball soup. They love meatballs so why not give it a try!

After visiting with family last weekend, we brought home vegetables from my uncle’s garden. The kids loved seeing stages of veggie growth and getting to pick tomatoes. Such a privilege to get to use home-grown ingredients.

We shopped for the other necessary elements, but had to make a couple substitutions because of availability. This is a common occurrence when making dishes from other regions or cultures and can greatly impact the overall outcome. Our soup ended up so spicy it overpowered the other flavors.

Will we make the recipe again, probably not, but cooking with my kids is always special (even when accompanied by the need for deep breaths and bandaids from nylon knives). We’ll all certainly be on the look out for those sneaky green chilies on Santa Fe menus.

Flipping through cookbooks also gives our family an idea of what dishes to look out for in restaurants on our trip. One of my favorites has been Colombiana by Mariana Velasquez. It deeply explored each meal and included a recommended playlist and cocktail pairing.

Whether we’re creating our Local Cuisine Guide, trying out a recipe, or anticipating what dish to make with a local- browsing a cookbook of local cuisine with your kids is highly recommended!