![]() How did you adapt to meet the challenges of the past year, both in terms of sourcing and of serving? There’s a process for creating a seasonal menu, and then there’s a process for creating a seasonal menu of box lunches and to-go-friendly meals during a global pandemic. ![]() Living in New Mexico, we are blessed with many wonderful local growers and ranchers, but not all local sources have high standards, so it’s important to know your sources, both globally and locally. To only use local products would feel very limiting, so we try to find the best ingredients from all over the world. Can you talk about ethical versus local sourcing? Your goal is to create comfort food for everyone, from vegans to meat eaters, using high-quality, ethically sourced, seasonal ingredients. The greatest compliment my customers can ever give me is telling me that my food takes them back to a specific place or memory. The shrimp po-boy and muffuletta sandwiches take me back to visiting the French Quarter as a kid, the Cuban sandwich reminds me of smelling the swiss cheese burning on the plancha (griddle) in my abuela’s kitchen in Miami, and the quiche and lemon tart take me back to my cooking school days when I was dirt poor (but determined to eat well!) and they were the only dishes I could afford from the corner café. I think any food becomes comfort food when it is so thoughtfully prepared that it becomes a visceral experience that transports people to a place in time, a memory, or an image of how life was or could be. What have been some of your most popular dishes, and what are your thoughts on the enduring appeal of traditional comfort foods? Waiting tables for so many years had taught me the finer points of customer service, living and studying in France had taught me about wine and the beauty of simple, well-prepared foods, and working in large fine dining restaurants in Houston had made me a seasoned caterer and event planner and taught me about the importance of creating ambience.Īt Pig + Fig, you specialize in classics, from quiche to shrimp po-boys, and unique spins on traditional dishes. However, I knew that all that experience had prepared me for the moment in front of me. I was scared to death because I had worked in restaurants almost my whole adult life, and I knew the risk, the heartbreak, the financial stress. Shortly after realizing she was pregnant with baby number five, she offered to sell the café to me. About a year later, I got the opportunity to help a friend who was overwhelmed running her little café. As a newly single mom, I worked a few odd jobs to make ends meet, including being a bakery and deli manager at a local grocery store. When I moved to New Mexico twelve years ago, I stayed at home with my young kids at first, but, unfortunately, my husband and I got divorced a few years later. Was there a pivotal moment that led you to open Pig + Fig? You’ve held many roles in the kitchen, from sous chef to executive pastry chef to culinary instructor. Laura Crucet, owner and operator, is a classically trained chef whose background is in pastry and fine dining. Pig + Fig Cafe is a casual café in White Rock, serving upscale comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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