Conversations Different with Inez Russell Gomez

For Ana Pacheco, a longtime writer and historian, words cannot describe the appreciation she has for a city that raised her.  

Like many of the locals, Pacheco says growing up in Santa Fe nourished her soul with knowledge, culture and a sense of community that is hard to find in other places.   

From riding the elevator at the old St. Vincent’s Hospital for fun as a kid to seeing relationships sprout from all avenues, niche experiences like those carried Pacheco forward as she left and explored the world.  

When she eventually returned home, she realized the essence of the city had adapted, and it was time to preserve what once was for a generation that is to come. Her new book Only in Santa Fe helps achieve that goal.  

On the latest “Conversations Different” podcast, host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Pacheco to discuss the book’s themes, why she chose to pursue a project with deep meaning and what readers can expect if they pick up a copy.  

In the episode, Pacheco also reflects on her other writing and publishing ventures which include a stint at The New Mexican as a columnist writing the famed column A Wonderful Life.  

More information about her new book can be found at historyinsantafe.com.  

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When Congress passed the Big Beautiful Bill in 2025, SNAP benefits for millions of Americans happened to be a part of it. Reductions and new work requirements changed how the federal program would be implemented moving forward.  

In New Mexico, a state where 21% of the population receives such benefits, children were among those most impacted. The New Mexican reported in July that 55% — or roughly 10,000 kids — have lost their aid so far.   

Other SNAP requirements, taking effect this November, would require stores to meet a certain threshold as well, possibly creating further challenges.  

As a result of the bill’s passage, nonprofits and foodbanks are giving back to help fill the food scarcity needs plaguing our country and state.  

The LOR Foundation, which serves various communities throughout the Mountain West, is one partner in that fight.   

On the latest “Conversations Different” podcast, host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Bill Jaeger, strategic initiatives officer at LOR, to discuss the nonprofit’s grant programs that are supporting New Mexicans affected by SNAP cuts.  

Jaeger explains what the programs entail from providing direct support to encouraging people to consume locally and contribute to homegrown practices.   

Visit lorfoundation.org for more information.  

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Award-winning author, chef and food lover Cheryl Alters Jamison has published two new cookbooks that feature a Santa Fe landmark and a high-class Texas staple.  

The books share some beloved recipes and stories from the Plaza Café and the Perini Ranch Steakhouse.  

The café, owned by Leonardo Razatos, has been around for eight decades cooking up American, Greek and Northern New Mexican cuisines. It is known for many dishes including seasonal pumpkin pozole, green chile stew and coconut cream pie — all three you can find in the cookbook.   

The steakhouse, owned by Tom and Lisa Perini, is a family institution that has 40 years of history from its early days as a chuck wagon operation to now a reservation-only affair. Cowboy cooking and hospitable service are its top attributes, but don’t expect to experience them unless you are willing to travel to the small town of Buffalo Gap, Texas.  

On the latest “Conversations Different” podcast, host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Alters Jamison who reflects on writing the two cookbooks and shares what it was like getting to know both families in the process. She said hearing their stories was among the most fascinating parts of both collaborations.  

In the episode, she also talks about her travels abroad which involve taking a group of people on culinary tours to explore different foods and cultures the world has to offer.  

More information about the cookbooks and the food tours can be found on Alters Jamison’s website excitedaboutfood.com.

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A new art exhibition at Vladem Contemporary in Santa Fe is putting Japanese American internment on display to remind people of a dark and painful history.  

Machiko Harada, a Santa Fe-based curator who was raised in Japan and moved to the U.S. in 2010, is the artist behind the exhibit, “Reclaiming the Future: The Legacy of Japanese American Incarceration.”  

According to Harada, the exhibit focuses on cultural references from both Japan and the United States to depict the challenges of immigration, racism and war. Those themes infused the World War II era as the U.S. and Japan faced off in conflict abroad. 

At home, it resulted in internment camps becoming widespread, with the government locking up Japanese Americans without due process. 

On the latest “Conversations Different” podcast episode, host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Harada to discuss the inspiration for her exhibit, the historical research that went into it and what she wants people to know as they experience it for the first time.  

She also reflects on the importance of art and how it can be used to illustrate important moments involving politics and people.

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On the heels of the highly anticipated 2026 midterm elections, local organizers from Indivisible Santa Fe, the group tied to the national “No Kings” political movement, are gearing up to rally for democracy once again but this time things will look a little different.   

The event, which has occurred annually since President Donald Trump took office in 2025, will not have mass protests when it returns to Santa Fe Oct.17. Indivisible Santa Fe Chair Ellen Hill said they will instead be focusing on “civic engagement” and trying to get as many people to the polls as possible.  

She described the event as a “honk and wave” at the corner of Paseo de Peralta and Old Santa Fe Trail near the Roundhouse. People will still have the chance to gather just not in the event’s normal fashion.  

On the latest “Conversations Different” podcast episode, host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Hill and Nico Devitt, an Indivisible member, to preview the October rally and discuss the reason for its change in theme.  

Hill and Devitt also offer their perspectives on the current state of our politics, explaining why people are motivated to vote in this election cycle and are energized to join political organizations like Indivisible.   

To learn more about the group’s local events visit indivisiblesantafe.org  

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New Mexico was the most remote of the Spanish provinces in 1812 when an assembly known as the Cortes de Cádiz was convened to create a constitution for the empire. Don Pedro Bautista Pino was elected to represent New Mexico at the assembly and faced a taxing journey to get there.

Former New Mexico state Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, a descendent of Pino, joins the “Conversations Different” podcast to discuss his new novel Beyond the Edge of the Known World, which offers a fictionalized account of the Don Pedro Bautista Pino’s arduous four-year journey from Santa Fe to Cádiz and back.

Ortiz y Pino discusses what is known about the journey and how he approached writing the historical novel, his first book. He shares what New Mexico was like at the time of the assembly, as well as what things have changed and what has stayed the same since then.

Ortiz y Pino has two upcoming in-person events to promote the book. He will appear at Garcia Street Books in Santa Fe at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. And on Saturday, Oct. 17, he will appear at the Embudo Valley Library in Dixon.

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In front of a live audience at Sky Cinemas in Santa Fe, Democrat Deb Haaland shares her plan for New Mexico as she seeks to win the governor’s seat in the November election.

Haaland, the former U.S. interior secretary and congresswoman, speaks with Santa Fe New Mexican Opinion page editor and “Conversations Different” host Inez Russell Gomez in a wide-ranging interview that touches on child welfare, data centers, support for rural parts of the state, affordability issues and more.

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In front of a live audience at Sky Cinemas in Santa Fe, Republican Gregg Hull shares his plan for New Mexico as he seeks to win the governor’s seat in the November election. 

Hull, the former mayor of Rio Rancho, speaks with Santa Fe New Mexican Opinion page editor and “Conversations Different” host Inez Russell Gomez in a wide-ranging interview that touches on child welfare, data centers, a push to phase out personal income tax and more.

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Have you ever wondered who’s in charge of maintaining government buildings throughout New Mexico? That would be the General Services Department, currently led by Cabinet Secretary Anna Silva. 

Silva, a native New Mexican and longtime state official, oversees a department with various responsibilities, including assisting other state agencies with procurement, insurance and day-to-day administrative tasks. It’s also responsible for ensuring the buildings those agencies are housed in are maintained so the public can easily access them. 

It may not sound like a difficult job, but it takes skill and sound decision-making to get the work done. 

On the latest “Conversations Different” podcast episode, host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Secretary Silva to discuss her department’s efforts to revamp landscaping at state government buildings to improve curb appeal.   

Prior to Silva’s tenure, she said a landscaping plan wasn’t really in place which led to trees and weeds overtaking some buildings. The opportunity to create a sustainable plan, under the direction of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, arose and she’s taken it seriously. She’s selected projects of impact and chosen flora that fit a building’s character.  

The results caught the attention of Russell Gomez, who wanted to learn more about the new process.  

Silva said the work was only possible because it took “a governor with a vision and a secretary with a mission” to make it happen. 

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As our planet continues to experience environmental changes that have brought extreme temperatures and unpredictable conditions, faith leaders are stepping up to offer diplomacy when outside groups seek to extract precious resources.  

Rev. Andrew Black, associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe and founder of EarthKeepers 360, is one of those leaders. His decades-long work in conservation has centered on protecting the natural landscape and the many ecosystems that inhabit it through implementation of programs and collaborative efforts.  

While working for former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and later, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Black led coalitions that fought to protect public lands and national monuments, like the Valles Caldera and the Rio Grande del Norte, from irreparable destruction.  

That worked has helped him to now fight for the Arctic.  

On the latest “Conversations Different” podcast episode, host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Black to discuss a trip he took with elected officials and other faith leaders to Alaska. The trip highlighted the relationship wildlife has in that region with the environment and why interference would have serious implications.  

In Black’s words, the trip was about “reawakening the moral consciousness of this nation.”  

While the trip’s mission didn’t have any direct ties to New Mexico, Black explains why the lessons learned there could apply here as the state sees a drying Rio Grande and an increase in animals seeking refuge in urban spaces.

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