We were having breakfast at Cafe Pasqual in Santa Fe and heard about the special clay pottery with the sparkling mica. This pottery is made in a centuries-old tradition with micaceous clay. It is fired outside in the traditional way with a high heat process. The natural clay pottery adds flavor to the foods cooked in it and adds beauty to your kitchen when you store and display it.
Micaceous pottery is sold in Cafe Pasqual's Gallery. We were told that Felipe Ortega was the artist who makes this beautiful cookware and that he could be found out in the countryside near La Madera.
Felipe Ortega is an Apache medicine man and talented micaceous clay potter, credited by many with reviving the art of the Apache Bean pot. We were soon to find out that Felipe did not only create bean pots, he created casserole dishes, salsa pots and much more.
Finding Felipe and the Micaceous Pottery
So later that week, after a day touring Georgia O'Keeffee's beautiful Ghost Ranch we checked in at the lovely Abiquiu Inn. The Inn was a pleasant surprise with large, beautifully appointed rooms surrounded by the tree-studded landscape so loved by the artist Georgia O'Keeffee. We awoke refreshed and feeling unusually serene. After chatting with some watercolor artists from Texas over breakfast, we were off to find art of a more earthy type.
We were headed to La Madera and the home and studio of famed maker of utilitarian micaceous pottery, Felipe Ortega. After enjoying the rural views of rolling hills we pulled in to a dirt driveway leading to several small homes and buildings. The first home we came to had an open door. The smell of spicy food in the oven wafted from the door. Dogs awoke and lazily welcomed us.
The cook in Felipe's home said that we would find Felipe up the hill in his studio. Felipe was expecting us and began his pottery demonstration with tales of his rich history and travels, tales we could imagine that he had shared before with visitors from around the world. As Felipe talked he began making a cooking pot. Almost like magic, the pot took shape in Felipe's skilled hands.
We learned that Felipe is of Jicarilla Apache descent. He's actually a medicine man, among many other things. After his mother explained the health benefits of cooking beans in clay pots, he became fascinated with micaceous pottery and learned how to create his own. He cooks almost exclusively in these pots now and is a noted cook. His interest had taken him to Turkey to visit with potters who make cookware very similar to his own.
As Felipe talked, he worked effortlessly on his pots, shaping one into a bean pot with lid. It was set aside on a wood stove to dry.
Traditional Firing
Felipe invited us to come outside and watch the firing process. Felipe and his apprentice selected the pieces of pottery to be fired. They had been crafted by Felipe, his family members and apprentices. He built an open fire and then surrounded the burning wood with bark. The pottery was then carefully placed on a grate so that the fire could reach all sides. The smoke wafted through the pottery and, we hoped, would create some lovely fire clouds on the pieces.
After the pottery had been placed on the fire and covered, an Apache prayer was recited and an offering of corn meal was made. We retreated back down the hill to Felipe's home and left the pottery to fire.
Enjoying a Meal at Felipe's
Felipe is a noted cook and, of course, his specialty is cooking in micaceous clay pots. He serves meals in his home to family, travelers and to apprentices. Although he has a cook on site, his hand is definitely in the planning and execution of the delicious meals served there.
As we sat down at the table and were joined by Felipe's mother, young family members, a neighbor and a couple of his apprentices. We found out what had been baking in the over. We enjoyed his chile enchiladas and calabacitas (little squash).
The Finished Pots
After lunch, we returned to the fire and were excited to see what the newly fired pots looked like. Felipe took the covering off the pots and as he carefully removed each pot we saw that fire clouds (black smoke marks) enhanced the beauty of the sparkling clay pots. All of the pots had come through the firing safely with no cracks or breakage. We carefully selected the pot we would like to take home with us considering how we would use it, the price and, of course, the beauty of the sparkling clay and fire clouds. Felipe priced pots according to how much they would hold. 1 quart, 2 quarts, etc. He measured the pots by filling them with beans.
Felipe has a very simple way of pricing. The cost of the pot is $100 per quart. Shipping is extra, of course, and I can attest that his pots are well packed.
When You go
Felipe has a fantastic website that will describe his offerings. He has simple rooms that serve as a B&B, provides meals and, of course, holds classes on how to make the beautiful cooking pots. You can order pots on the website and have them shipped to you.
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