Food & DrinkCarne Asada Clinic
Madison RutherfordJune 25, 2020
Need something to make with that prime skirt steak you just bought? This star chef has a few pointers.
AdventuresJust Back From: Jalisco with Jeff Smedstad
Leah LeMoineJanuary 29, 2018
Muslims flock to Mecca, hipsters swarm Coachella and Elvis fans go to Graceland. Chef Jeff Smedstad of Sedona's prized Elote Café heads sur for his annual pilgrimage to the western Mexican state of Jalisco, particularly its capital Guadalajara and its blue agave-ensconced town of Tequila. Smedstad and Elote manager Juan Rojas venture here each year to "look for unique barrels of tequila, to spend time with the different tequila makers... kind of researching the product, the same way people would [with] wine country," Smedstad says. He shares a few of his Jalisco hot spots.
As I took a bite of Chef Jeff Smedstad’s "pay de queso" (Mexican cheesecake), my mind took me back to my childhood’s kitchen. I pictured my mom baking pays for the holidays and a younger me eager to eat. This is the real deal I told Smedstad. The chef and owner of the reknowned Elote Cafe in Sedona says he was influenced by a trip to Veracruz where he learned about the craft of homemade Mexican cheesecake sort of a lighter, less sweet, less dense version of our beloved New York cheesecake. He put a spin on the traditional Mexican dessert with goat cheese from Fossil Creek Goat Farm in Strawberry, Arizona, near Payson. The result is absolutely exquisite.