“First I turn the heat way up. Then I dial it back down.” Hoisting a 40-pound burlap sack of green chiles into the gas-fired roaster at Chile Fanatic in Hatch, New Mexico, Jesus Soto explained how he prepares the surrounding valley’s famous peppers. The flames roared; chiles tumbled in the rotating wire cage; the thick, sharp scent spread through the store. Soto stood by the controls administering his prescription: high heat, then low. He might just as well have been describing the quintessential New Mexico dinner: chips and salsa; flat enchiladas blanketed with green chile—the name for both the peppers and the stew made from them—and topped with a fried egg; and a moderating dessert of sopaipillas with honey butter. These chiles are the centerpiece of the meal, which is itself the pinnacle of New Mexico cuisine, a distinctive craft in which the Land of Enchantment takes such pride in …