Chef's Corner

From harvest to haunted house

Courtesy Chef Armando Murillo

Posted Thursday, October 1, 2026 2:15 pm

Restaurant Spotlight with Chef Armando

It is with great excitement that I announce a new collaboration with the Las Cruces Bulletin.

The Bulletin has opened its pages to a new feature created to recognize the locally owned restaurants and food trucks that bring flavor, character, and identity to our community. I am deeply grateful to the Las Cruces Bulletin for believing in this idea and for giving us the opportunity to share the stories of the people whose hard work often takes place behind the kitchen doors.

Beginning soon, and appearing during the third week of every month, I will be bringing you Restaurant Spotlight with Chef Armando.

Every restaurant has a menu, but behind that menu is a story.

I will be visiting locally owned restaurants and food trucks throughout our community, not as a critic, but as a fellow culinary professional who understands the passion, sacrifice, and courage required to serve others.

Together, we will meet the people behind the food, discover the philosophy that guides them, and celebrate the dishes that have earned a special place in the hearts of their customers.

We will share images of the people, the location, and the food so readers can experience not only what is served, but also the spirit of the place and the hands that bring it to life.

This is their table, their story, and their moment in the spotlight.

Chef Armando

Creating Moments Through the Senses

Armando Murillo
Executive Chef, Las Cruces Convention Center

October comes in on a cool breeze. Mornings feel crisp, evenings call for a jacket, and leaves crunch along the sidewalk. At the market, pumpkins sit beside bales of hay while scarecrows watch over the last of the harvest. Gold and rust fill the trees. Black and pink begin to appear in the Halloween displays.

As the month goes on, pumpkins make their way to porches. Faces are carved, candles are lit, and jack-o’-lanterns grin into the cold night. Then come the costumes. Vampires and werewolves walk alongside princesses, firefighters, and police officers.

A porch light glows at the end of the path. Spiderwebs stretch across the doorway. A ghost sways in the window, and a strange sound comes from behind the door. Everyone pauses. Someone reaches for the bell.

The door opens.

“Trick or treat.”

The scary sound turns to laughter, a treat drops into each waiting hand, and off they go to the next haunted house.

Creating Moments Through the Senses

Halloween Popcorn Balls

Popcorn balls bring back the fun of a homemade Halloween treat. Gather around the kitchen, shape them by hand, and add sprinkles before they set. Then they’re ready for the party table.

Makes about 12

Ingredients

10 cups popped popcorn

4 tablespoons butter

10 ounces mini marshmallows

A pinch of salt

½ cup candy corn

2 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles

Method

Remove any unpopped kernels and place the popcorn in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until smooth, then add the salt.

Pour the warm mixture over the popcorn and toss gently to coat. Let it cool just enough to handle, then fold in the candy corn. Lightly butter your hands and shape the mixture into 12 balls. Press the Halloween sprinkles onto them while they are still sticky.

Let the popcorn balls set on parchment paper until firm. Wrap them individually for a Halloween party or set them out beside the jack-o’-lanterns.

From harvest to haunted house

A culinary voyage across the coastlines

The patience of the ingredients

Finding the homecooked taste of Las Cruces

August's grand finale