Bread of the Dead: A Santa Fe Cafe Mystery (27 page)

 

Chapter 35

A
few days later we gathered at the café to remember two kind souls. Flori set out photos of Victor and Davy and surrounded them with their favorite foods, marigold wreaths, votive candles, and of course
pan de muerto
, baked fresh from her award-­winning recipe.

“Davy loved your almond cookies too,” Linda said, looking fondly at the snapshot I now realized I'd seen on Victor's altar. Her days of tears had turned to fond remembrances of both men, although we were all still shaken by the truth revealed by the bones. And by the contents of Victor's recipe tin.

Flori had found the will first, and then the confession, carefully folded and placed as the bottom liner of the recipe box. For today's event, she'd placed the pretty, punched-­tin container in a prominent spot by Victor's portrait.

I went to look at it again, flipping through the worn index cards and thinking of Victor making the recipes.

“Pretty clever to hide his will where the right ­people would find it.” Jake's subtle cologne, smelling of pine and cloves, reached me before he did. Instead of his usual lawyer wear, he had on jeans and a flannel shirt the color of Hugo. He looked temptingly cuddly.

“He must have felt so guilty.” I stopped flipping through the cards, and Jake took over, pausing over recipes for green chile stew, caramel flan, and Jemez enchiladas. “He hid his brother's secret all those years. I still don't know how or
why
he did it.”

Jake shrugged. “I can tell you, guilty ­people do a lot of rationalizing with themselves. Of course, I'm not saying I know many guilty ­people.” He smiled.

“Of course,” I said, smiling back.

Jake rocked on the heels of his cowboy boots. “Like Victor said in that letter he left. He didn't learn that Gabe had killed Davy until months after the fact. I understand feeling protective about one's little brother. And turning him in would have killed their mother, what with her already fighting cancer and in such a fragile state.”

“So proud of Gabe the med student,” I mused. How wrong her maternal pride had been. How wrong we'd all been. I turned again to Davy's photo. In it, he was young and smiling.

Flori, aghast that she'd thought so poorly of an innocent man, had told me his story. He was an orphan, a wanderer. No one would have missed him except Linda, and Gabe had convinced Victor that she'd be better off not knowing the truth. From Victor's handwritten message, we learned that he had kept Gabe's secret out of love and guilt and eventually habit. Broomer, however, had churned up the issue by threatening to uproot the fence, and with it the shallow grave. Rather than move and rebury the bones, or throw them in a remote landfill as Gabe wanted, Victor told his brother that they should come clean. His commitment had only strengthened as the Day of the Dead approached.

“In any case,” Jake said, carefully closing the tin lid, “it seems like Victor did the best he could. He did a lot of good in the world and forbade Gabe from seeing Linda. That was harsh punishment for Gabe for sure.”

“Too much punishment, in the end,” I said. Victor had been punished too, and terribly so. All his good deeds with the kids, all his devotions to the saints, they never could have alleviated the guilt of Davy's spirit in turmoil. Gabriel, recovering in a prison hospital, had pretty much said the same thing. Unlike his brother, Gabe seemed to feel no guilt, only anger that Victor had kept him from Linda. With Victor gone, he'd seen a chance to relive his youth. Killing Broomer had been spontaneous after the stubborn neighbor refused to give up his plans to take down the fence. Tops had provided the perfect scapegoat for both killings. Gabe faked the food burglary at his own house and left evidence implicating Tops in Broomer's murder.

The other person recovering from a head thumping was Jay-­Jay. After Gabe had pulled Jay-­Jay out of the garden, he'd knocked her out and stuffed her in his car trunk. She'd be okay, although her plans were also thwarted by Victor. His new will had cut her out entirely. Victor left all his art and property to his sister, Teresa, on the condition that she use any profits to support his nonprofit art facility for kids. The earlier will, Flori reasoned, likely reflected Victor's guilt. Hiding Gabe's secret would have put a toll on any marriage. Only later did he realize that Jay-­Jay would not do justice to his art and good works.

Flori squeezed in between us, brandishing a plate of cookies. “You lucky ­people are the first to taste-­test these. Well, other than me, of course, and Linda and Addie and Bernard and Celia and Sky over there.”

I took one of the deceivingly common-looking
bizcochitos
. I knew it would taste anything but common. Indeed, the cookie melted into warm spices and evoked cozy feelings of Victor's wonderful home. His secret recipe had come back to life in Flori's kitchen.

“You're a shoe-­in for the Christmas
bizcochito
contest,” Jake told her.

She nodded gravely. “I am, but I'm entering in Victor's name. I owe it to him.” She thrust the cookie plate toward me.

Despite my assurances, Flori kept apologizing for removing Gabe's name from her suspect list. “Sentiment and nostalgia blinded my senses,” she'd told me, ruefully, when she showed up minutes after the police, dusty from a ride on the back of Reese Hoffman's antique motorcycle.

“Sometimes the guilty fool us all,” Jake said, smiling down at Flori. “But the honorable will win the day. Speaking of which, can I take one more of these cookies? I'm meeting Tops at the train station soon. He said that he wants to go to Texas and find some family there. I got him a ticket.”

Flori insisted that Jake take an entire bag of cookies to the wrongly accused man.

Jake went to get his coat and returned with a paper bag. “I almost forgot, Rita. Tops wanted you, Celia, and Hugo to have this.”

He handed me a small wooden plaque. On one side was a painting of St. Francis, protector of the animals. The saint held a smiling yellow cat. I would have recognized it as Victor's work even without the signature.

“Victor gave this to Tops,” Jake explained. “Look on the back.”

On the back was a drawing done in pen in a truly primitive but heartfelt style. It featured a round cat, peacefully sleeping on a bed. “Tops did this. He wants you and Celia to have it as a good luck piece for Hugo.”

Tears prickled at my eyes. “Tell Tops that we're honored. We'll take good care of Hugo.”

Jake hugged Flori, then me, his cheek lingering next to mine. “I'll call you?” he said.

In between blushing outrageously, I managed to whisper “Yes.”

As he left, weaving through the crowd, Flori elbowed me in the side. “Now that's a fine, hot man with a good-­looking tush.”

I knew what was coming.

“You should show some interest!”

I didn't contradict her. Nor did I protest about my moratorium or finding a new me. Looking out over the crowded café, I realized that I liked the regular old me, even if that came with some chaos and sleuthing. I had wonderful friends and family and a job that I loved, not to mention a kitten crawling up my pant leg.

 

Recipes for a
Day of the Dead Feast

 

Jake's Favorite Carne Adovada

Serves 6-­8 (leftovers freeze well, if you manage to keep any)

Red chile is the star of this classic New Mexican dish. For the best and most authentic flavor, use chile from New Mexico. A few mail-­order suppliers are listed at the end of the recipe section. Other possible sources of chile powder in bulk include spice shops, well-­stocked supermarkets, Mexican grocery stores, and some natural foods stores. Plan to start a day ahead of your feast so you can marinate the meat overnight.

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs. pork shoulder or butt. You can also use other stew meat, beef brisket, beef or pork shanks, or chicken.

4 c chicken or vegetable broth or water

12 T (about ¾ c) red chile powder. Note: sometimes even medium New Mexican chile powder can be pretty hot. Start with mild if you have any doubt about spiciness levels.

3-­4 garlic cloves, crushed, peeled, and minced

4 T olive oil

4 T flour

2 t cumin

2 t dried oregano

1 t red wine vinegar

½ t salt, plus more to taste

D
IRECTIONS

Prepare the red chile sauce. Add oil and minced garlic to a large, heavy-­bottomed saucepan. Sauté for a few minutes over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for a few minutes. Add water or stock and then whisk in the remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Taste for salt and other seasonings. Let the sauce cool to room temperature.

Cut the meat into 1-­ to 2-­inch cubes. You could also leave the meat in large pieces and cut or shred after cooking. Arrange in a nonreactive bowl or casserole dish. Pour the sauce over the meat. Turn the meat to cover all sides with sauce. Cover tightly with tin foil or plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. Marinate overnight or for up to a day or two (for longer marinades, stir occasionally).

Let the mixture come to about room temperature before cooking. You have a few options for cooking. This is a great recipe for a slow cooker. Transfer the sauce and meat to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. For oven braising, transfer the mixture in an oven-­safe, lidded pot or nonreactive Dutch oven. Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Bring the mixture to a simmer on the stovetop and then transfer to the preheated oven. Braise, covered and at a simmer, for about 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender, stirring occasionally. When stirring, check that the sauce isn't getting too low or thick. Add water or stock as necessary.

Serve
carne adovada
as a main dish with beans, rice, salsa, and guacamole. It's also fabulous as a taco or burrito filling. When reheating, add stock or water to thin the sauce.

Note:
the red chile sauce in this recipe can be used in all sorts of New Mexican dishes, such as a topping for eggs, burritos, and enchiladas.

 

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Makes about 1½ cups

INGREDIENTS

3 ripe globe tomatoes cut in half with cores and tops removed

½ medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

½ jalapeño or serrano chile, top and seeds removed. Chop coarsely, using gloves and care when handling hot peppers.

1 t kosher salt, plus more for extra seasoning if desired

2-­3 T chopped cilantro

½-­1 T fresh lime juice

cumin, to taste (optional; start with about ½ t, adding more as desired)

DIRECTIONS

Arrange oven rack in top third of oven. Heat broiler.

Place tomatoes, skin side up, on a sheet pan. Scatter onion, garlic, and peppers around the tomatoes.

Broil until the tomato skins start to blister, about 10 minutes depending on your broiler (check that the vegetables aren't getting too browned after about 5 minutes).

Transfer all vegetables to a blender or food processor. Add salt and blend briefly. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in lime and cilantro. Add extra salt and cumin, to taste.

Serve with tortilla chips or as a side for
carne adovada
, rice, and beans.

 

Rita's Guacamole

INGREDIENTS

2-­3 medium, ripe avocados

1 small tomato, seeded and diced

¼ sweet onion, finely diced (about 2 T)

½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1-­2 T fresh lime juice (to taste)

1-­2 T chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

½ t kosher salt (or to taste)

½ t ground cumin (optional)

DI
RECTIONS

Cut avocados in half. Using a large knife, carefully strike each pit and remove. Scoop flesh into a large bowl. Sprinkle with lime juice and stir to coat. Add salt and cumin and mash lightly with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in onions, jalapeño, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Taste, checking whether more lime or salt is needed. Mash more if a smoother texture is preferred. If refrigerating, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole to avoid browning.

Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips or as a condiment for main dishes.

 

Perfect Pinto Beans

Serves 4-­6

Sometimes the most basic dishes can evoke the strongest opinions. Beans are such a dish. To soak or not to soak? Salt or no salt in the simmering pot? These questions fuel bean debates, but pretty much everyone can agree that home-­cooked beans are simple, tasty, economical, and nutritious. All you need is time . . . and patience.

INGRE
DIENTS

1½ c pinto beans, washed

½ onion, chopped

1 bay leaf and a few sprigs fresh parsley (optional) for flavoring the simmering water

½ t each salt, cumin powder, New Mexican red chile powder (mild or medium)

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Soaking
. Bean tradition long held that salting during soaking and cooking toughens the beans. However, recent bean research suggests that a brine soak can result in softer, creamier beans. This recipe uses a hybrid approach of a salty soak followed by a salt-­free simmer.

Wash the beans and remove any debris. Place the beans in a bowl and soak overnight in about 4 cups of water and 1 t of salt.

Step 2: Simmering
. Drain the soaked beans and add to a heavy pot. Cover with about 5 cups of unsalted water so that the water level is a few inches above the beans. Add chopped onions, bay leaf, and parsley (if using), but do
not
add any acidic ingredients such as tomatoes at this time. Acids inhibit beans from softening.

Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over low heat. You want a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil that could break apart the beans. Check the water level occasionally. Add more water as necessary to keep the level about an inch above the beans.

How long to simmer? Count on approximately 2 to several hours. The time will depend on the type of bean and its age. Older beans that have languished in the pantry will take longer than a new crop of dried beans. High altitude can also inhibit bean cooking. At Santa Fe's seven-­thousand-­foot altitude, beans require patience. At higher altitudes you might want to reach for canned beans or a pressure cooker.

Step 3: Seasoning
. This is the fun and creative step. When the beans have just turned soft and creamy in texture, add more seasonings. The water level should be slightly above the beans (drain a bit if your water is several inches above the beans). Start with about ½ t each of salt, powdered cumin, and red chile powder. You could also add diced tomatoes at this time or some of the tomato sauce left over from making Spanish rice. Simmer for 30 minutes more or until the beans are creamy and the sauce is thick and flavorful. Adjust salt and other seasonings to taste.

Serve with Spanish rice and
carne adovada
. Top with sour cream, crumbled Mexican or fresh farmer's cheese, and/or red chile sauce. Enjoy!

Don't have time to soak and simmer?
Drain and rinse a can or two of whole pinto beans. Sauté chopped onion and minced garlic until soft. Add beans, some broth or water, and salt, cumin, and red chile powder. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the beans are saucy. Taste for seasoning and serve.