On The Backburner Podcast On The Backburner Podcast

Karla LaJeunesse, aka the NM Donut Kween, joins the chefs on this episode to chat about her love of food, travel, and the way her passion for donuts came about. Creating a local business out of a love of food is always a challenge when it comes to the business side, and the three brainstorm some ideas to expand the reach and appeal of these mini donuts, although they are already really delicious and appealing! Other topics include the legacy she’s created by instilling this passion for food and adventure in her children and the small businesses that surround her brand new shop in downtown Albuquerque.
Simply Sinful Donuts – ABQ is a woman owned local small business new to Albuquerque. She specializes in creating mini-donuts and mini-bombs with different combinations that create a product full of sweet, devilishly delicious flavor. Her love for food started at a young age with her grandparents teaching her simple recipes and has grown into a deep love of creating different types of savory & sweet dishes. This love for food has transcended into many delicious treats but specializing in these mini creations makes her heart happy. In turn her love is poured into each Pandora’s Box & Pandora's Cup assortment that she creates.

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On this episode, Dom and Tristin talk with Hollow Spirits’ head distiller, Mick Falter-Hahn. Join this rollicking tour of his experiences around New Mexico and in Albuquerque’s service industry. Thanks to his tenacity, he achieved his dream of becoming a premier beer brewer in his hometown. After achieving his goal of creating beautiful, delicious, and award-winning beers, Mick turned his attention to the distillation of spirits, where he has now also won Best Of awards for his various recipes.

Mick Falter-Hahn was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico and has work in nearly every aspect of the service industry in the past 16 years, most notably producing alcohol for some of the state’s favorite breweries and distilleries. After achieving a degree in Chemical Engineering from New Mexico Tech, their journey into the fantastic world of fermentation began at Marble Brewing in 2012, before having the opportunity to run Turtle Mountain’s brewing operation, where they won a gold medal for their house lager, “Wooden Teeth,” at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival. Mick is currently the head distiller at Hollow Spirits. When not busy building Burque’s best beverages, Mick is either golfing or relaxing at home with his wonderful wife, Alex.


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Life can throw you a curveball or ten, even when you’ve figured out your passion as a young person. Without understanding how to navigate some of these most challenging obstacles, it can all feel like it’s wrong.

In this episode, Stephen Ormsby discusses some of his darkest times, even amidst professional success. His vulnerability and willingness to look these challenges in the eye are what has created for him an even greater opportunity to succeed and help others to do so as well.

Stephen Ormsby is an industry lifer, holding virtually every position in both front and back of house, who has branched out on his own and tried his hand at multiple concepts. His career began in Taos, NM, where he credits his early mentor and high school instructor, the late Benji Apodaca, for creating the foundation for his culinary career. After high school, Ormsby relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona to attend the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. While living and working in Scottsdale, he began to develop an interest and passion for the theater and workings of the dining room and shifted his focus to becoming a front of house trainer and eventual manager for Fox Restaurant Concepts. In 2010, he was visiting family in Albuquerque and upon his return to Arizona decided he was ready for a change and moved back to New Mexico. He has since taken on dual roles in kitchens and dining rooms in many of the city’s top restaurants. His love for both sides led him to begin a private chef and catering concept where he could combine the best parts of the kitchen and dining room into one role. Personal matters eventually caused him to have to shut the business down, which has since led him on his greatest venture yet: a journey of self-discovery.

If you feel like you need to talk to someone about the struggles you’re currently experiencing, please call 1-855-4NM-7100 (466-7100).


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Brittany and Courtney join the guys to discuss their experiences as front of house staff. What servers go through, some tips on etiquette, and what it takes to be a good waiter are topics discussed while also showcasing how their fetching personalities bring the effervescence that their place of work values the most.

Brittany Sterling was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has been working in the service industry for 6 years. She’s currently waiting tables and tending bar at Hollow Spirits. One of her favorite aspects of the job is thinking outside the box, and even though she’s naturally more introverted, she finds herself able to come into her element with her coworkers and the customers she makes connections with.

Courtney is a pint sized firecracker. She was born in Long Beach, CA but was happily raised in the heart of Albuquerque, NM. She loves dogs, cocktails, and long walks on the beach. She's been in the industry for 12 years and currently slanging drinks at Hollow Spirits and Monte Vista. Come visit her for a fun time!


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Eric Banda is an award-winning bartender in Albuquerque, NM who has learned from the best to create not only signature cocktails, but the tastiest version of your bartime classic, whatever it is, and how to have fun in a high-volume, high-energy environment at the Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall. Listen in to find out how he came up through the ranks of the kitchen’s best friend, the bar. He’s now been in the bar and restaurant scene for over 10 years, and hopes his high-energy vibe continues to encourage the local brewery/distillery/bar and night club scene to thrive, even through hard times.

Fresh off his win in Las Cruces in November (when we recorded it), this episode drops just as he’s getting ready to join On The Backburner Podcast’s co-host, Chef Dominic Valenzuela, at the 505 Food and Bar Fights on Feb. 28th, 2022. We won’t know how that contest ends when this episode drops, but that only means we’ll be brining back good friend of the podcast, Eric Banda, for another ep. in the near future. Follow our socials @backburnerpc to find out all the details on how to see Eric and Dominic in action.


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Happy Valentine's Day! This week we sat down with Chef and wife team, Kayla and Misty Vallejos, as they talked about the ups and downs of quitting their jobs to open an Italian/New Mexican fusion food truck and now their brand new brick and mortar, @tasteoflove_505, located inside Albuquerque's 505 Central Food Hall @505central.

Kayla Vallejos is New Jersey born and raised. She  moved to California for almost a year and then found her new home here in Albuquerque. Cooking is a passion and an art that she strives for. "To me it is very therapeutic and beautiful to combine cultures of food and to elevate the basics." Check out the Taste Of Love social media channels to see the new things they are creating:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tasteoflovefoodtruck

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tasteoflove_505/


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