#chili mulato

[fieriframes]

[THIS IS GOING IN-- MY SUNGLASSES. SO NOW WE HAVE THE PASTILLA PEPPERS. BUT FATES ARE CONNECTED IN WAYS WE DON’T UNDERSTAND, BUT THE STEMS AND SEEDS-- OR MOST OF THE SEEDS-- HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT OF 'EM, BECAUSE THOSE JUST WON'T BREAK DOWN. RIGHT. THIS IS CHILI MULATO.]

[lavistamexicanrestaurantbar]

Mexican Chili Peppers: A Guide

How can you tell whether a restaurant is serving real Mexican food? Checking the ingredient list for meals like pico de gallo, rellenos, adobo, and mole is the easiest method to find out. You are not eating the real stuff if chili peppers, or chiles are not in Mexican restaurant menu list. However, if you are living in Hong Kong, you can have the Mexican flavorful food from the La Vista, a Mexican Restaurant & Bar. 

[pioneer-association-verina]

Anonymous asked:

verina, which plants can i eat without dying

"There's a lot of edible plants! Pears, quinces, almonds, peaches, loquats, nectarines, apricots, cherries, plums, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, rose hip tea, all tea varieties, mangosteens, mandarin oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, citrons, sweet oranges, pomelos, tangelos, blood oranges, key limes, clementines, Buddha's Hand, maize, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, chives, cabbage, red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, collard greens, Brussel's Sprouts, kohlrabi, cauliflower, kale, broccoli, Chinese broccoli, turnip, radish, daikon, carrot, parsnip, beetroot, sugar beets, swiss chard, lettuce, green bean, lima beans..."

Verina continues to list all edible plants for a good while...

"...snap peas, snow peas, peas, split peas, eggplant, cucumber, pumpkin, squash, gourd, zucchini, garlic, spring onions, scallions, shallot, leek, elephant garlic, pepper, spinach, sweet potato, yam, cassava..."

"...C. annuum cultivars: bell pepper, paprika, chili pepper and its cultivars (fish pepper, Korean chili pepper, peperoncino), jalapeño, cayenne, banana pepper, aleppo pepper, Baklouti, Bird's Eye chili, cascabel chili, pimiento and cultivars (Facing Heaven chili), Cheongyang chili pepper, chilaca chili, Chiltepin pepper, chimayó, cubanelle, De Árbol, Fresno pepper, friggitello, Hungarian wax pepper, Medusa pepper, mirasol chili and cultivars (puyar, guajillo), NuMex cultivar group (NuMex Twilight, NuMex Centennial, NuMex Easter, NuMex April Fool's Day), Peter pepper which isn't a cultivar technically, crusco pepper, pequin pepper, Espelette pepper, Padrón pepper, pablano pepper, mulato pepper, serrano pepper, shishito pepper, siling haba, Guntur cultivar group (334 chili, teja chili, Guntur Sannam – S4 Type, 273 chili, Phatki, Indo-5, Ankur, Roshni, Bedki, Madhubala), New Mexico cultivar group (Hatch chili, pueblo chili, Numex mirasol, Anaheim pepper, Numex Española Improved peppers, Santa Fe Grande). C. baccatum cultivars: ají amarillo chili, Bishop's Crown. C. chinense cultivars: 7-Pot chili and its cultivar 7-Pot Primo, Adjuma, ají dulce, bhut jolokia, Datil, Fatilii, Habenero chile and its cultivars (California Reaper, Rad Savina, Cabai ceremai), Hainan yellow lantern chili, Kambuzi, Madame Jeanette, Nayi Miris, Pepper X, Scotch bonnet, Trinidad scorpion and its cultivars (Butch T, moruga blend, Jamaican Hot Chocolate). Armageddon pepper is hybrid with C. frutescens. C. frutescens cultivars: Wiri Wiri, Cabai Rawit, Hawaiian pepper, malagueta pepper, Piri piri, Siling Labuyo, Shima tōgarashi, tabasco pepper and its cultivars (peperoncino), xiao mi la pepper. C. pubescens cultivars: manzano pepper, rukutu pepper, rocoto pepper..."

"Apple varieties (Ambrosia, Akane, Ashmead kernal, Arkansas black, Autumn crisp, Baldwin, Ben Davis, Bevan's favorite, Black twig, Blondie, Blushing golden, Braeburn, Cameo, Candycrisp, Cortland, Cosmic Crisp, Cox's orange pippin, crimson crisp, mutsu, earligold, empire, enterprise, Evercrisp, Fuji, Gala, Ginger gold, Golden delicious, Goldrush, Grimes golden, Granny smith, Gravenstein, Hokuto, Honeycrisp, Idared, Jazz, Jersey mac, Jonathan, Jonalicious, Jonamac, Jonagold, Jubilee, Keepsake, Liberty, Lodi, Macoun, McIntosh, Melrose, Northern spy, Opal, Paula red, Pink lady, Pristine, Red delicious, Redfree, Rome, Rubyfrost, Sansa, Shizuka, Snowsweet, Snapdragon, Spartan, Stayman, Stayman-Winesap, Strawberry, Summer banana, Suncrisp, Sundance, SweeTango, Ultra Gold, Virginia Gold, Vista belle, Wild crisp, William's Pride, Winesap, Yates, York, Zestar, Envy, Juici, Smitten, Pacific rose, Autumn glory, Sugarbee)..."

"...honestly though, a better question to ask is what plants you shouldn't eat because you can technically eat all plants, some just might kill you."

[skrooy]

Recipe for Disaster

so I just found my Sonic cookbook that I lost and decided I wanted to make some Sonic recipes from the book. So I decided to make Sonic’s signature chilli, The perfect chilli Dog, Charmy’s other sweet treat!, and pure hydrocity. First of all I went to get all of the ingredients from the store for not only these recipes but other recipes in this book as well that I wanted to make this week only to be unable to find half of the ingredients I needed. I spent hours searching Safeway only to be missing at least one ingredient in each recipe I wanted to make. So then I moved onto Walmart and only found a few of the missing ingredients. So then I decide to look up where to buy these ingredients on my phone…… and most of them said Amazon. But I wanted chilli cheese dogs that night so I had to look up a substitute on google for the missing ingredient. I had never even heard of Mulato peppers before but apparently I needed them for the chili and apparently they aren’t common. So after searching for these elusive peppers in multiple stores I gave up and substituted them. So I then proceeded to start making the chilli last night and charmy’s desert thing at the same time. I don’t know what happened but apparently I messed up somewhere with his desert any now it tastes like a bad honey sugar comma with a bad aftertaste. I’m still eating it though as it took me 5 hours to make and I’m not backing out now. I really gotta read the full recipe all the way through before I start making these recipes then maybe I would see the time it takes to make these recipes. I thought I was finally done with the the chilli recipe since I was on the last step and it was looking pretty good. Only to read that the last step was to shimmer the chilli on low heat for 4 hours stirring every one hour. I found this out at 8:30 last night. I realized then that I was not going to have Sonic chili cheese dogs that night as I still had to cook the hot dogs after that. So the chilli is in my fridge and I’m going to shimmer it today. Honestly this better be the best chili and chili cheese dog I’ve ever eaten because this was a nightmare to make. I’ll post a picture of the finished products later tonight but until then here’s some images from the cookbook and of the disaster that was my attempt at making Charmy’ other sweet treat!

[chimeratech]

Sonic’s Signature Chili Dog (& by extension, Sonic’s signature chili)

Verdict: Actually pretty good!

When I first opened this book I was expecting extremely kid friendly recipes. I immediately made a beeline for the chili dog recipe (as both a known hot dog & chili dog hater), because how could I NOT start with Sonic’s favorite food?

Then to my surprise, the recipe is actually pretty in depth! Featuring 3 different chilis (jalapeño, mulato, and pasilla) along with poblano and classic bell peppers, amongst a surprisingly strong seasoning blend, the chili has a lot of flavor. I’ll confess to cheating a little bit and adding some dashi to give more depth to it, but hey, you can take the Ryukyuan outside of Okinawa but not the Okinawa out of the Ryukyuan am I right? Also it mixed well so who cares.

I was much more heavy handed with the spices than recommended too, but if you prefer a less intense flavor the original recommendations are probably fine.

My personal rating for Sonic’s Signature Chili (Dog) would be a 7/10, but my friends and family who are much more enthusiastic about chili dogs than me gave it a 8.5/10. All around super solid start!

Also I bought the official the sonic the hedgehog cook book and I will make EVERY RECIPE in it and rank them [NOTE- COOKING IS A PASSION OF MINE AND MY TASTES LEAN EXTREMELY ON THE FRESH SIDE OF THINGS]

[cheftomica]

Mexican sauces are complex, takes time to build them. Ancho & Mulato chilis, Mexican oregano, garlic, onion, canola oil, sesame seeds, row peanuts, apple cider vinegar, achote, coriander & cumin seeds, clove and a whole of lot of love 😊. #mexican #salsa #ancho #mulato #chili #chilisauce #mexicanfood #comidamexicana #mexicancuisine #cheflife #alwayscooking #lovemyjob #yachtchef @private_chef_tomica (en Zagreb, Croatia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CALkVXqJtq-/?igshid=1nvz6ldw1ykl5

[cucullas]

Latinoamerican Colonial Art | Viceroyalty of Peru 

Los mulatos de Esmeraldas [The mulatto Gentlement of Esmeraldas]  - 1599 - Andrés Sanchez Gallque (Quito) | Estados del Alma [States of the Soul (Death, soul on the Paradise, Purgatory and Hell)] - XVIII - Manuel Chili “Caspicara” | El Matrimonio de la Ñusta [The Incan Princess Marriage] - Unknow 1725 (Cuzco) | La Divina Pastora [Divine Sheperdess] XVIII Bernardo de Legarda (Quito)

Often considered of lesser quality than the Continental art of the Spanish Golden Age the the artistic production of the Latin American colonies was often sponsored by the Catholic church and had european looking characters and religious thematic but having artist of Indigenous and mixed raced origin it developed its own charm and representation of the colonies life. These are some of my favourites pieces of the Viceroyalty of Peru (parts of today’s Colombia, Ecuador and Perú).

[magazynkulinarny]

Polędwiczki wieprzowe w ostrym czekoladowym sosie

Mole poblano - chyba najpopularniejszy z niemal 50 meksykańskich sosów mole - nie jest trudny w przygotowaniu, ale niewątpliwie wymagający. W jego skład wchodzi kilkananaście składników, m.in.: meksykańskie gatunki suszonej papryki chili: ancho i mulato (w innych odmianach: pasilla, guajillo, chipotle), pomidory, czosnek, cynamon, orzechy ziemne, migdały, sezam, rodzynki, plantan i gorzka czekolada (oryginalnie Chocolate Ibarra).

Inne wersje mole zawierają również: cebulę, achiote (arnota właściwa), guaje (odmiana bobu), kumin, goździki, ziarna kolendry, anyż, pestki dyni, suszone owoce (rodzynki, ��liwki), piper auritum inaczej zwany hoja santa (święty pieprz), kukurydziane tortille. Co ciekawe, w wielu jego odsłonach nie ma grama czekolady i cynamonu.

Jeśli chcemy zrobić oryginalne mole, musimy zaopatrzyć się w trudnodostępne, choć nie nieosiągalne u nas (w sprzedaży internetowej jest już wszystko) ingrediencje, a także zarezerwować sporo czasu, gdyż smażenie, prażenie, mielenie i gotowanie sosu trochę trwa. Właśnie z tego powodu moja wersja jest jedynie namiastką meksykańskiego oryginału, choć zapewniam, że bardzo przyzwoitą.

Nie użyłam meksykańskich suszonych papryk, tylko węgierskie suszone chili i papryczki chipotles z puszki. Zamiast plantana skorzystałam z banana. I nie podałam sosu z kurczakiem lub indykiem, co jest najpopularniejszą formą serwowania mole, tylko z wieprzowymi polędwiczkami, a do tego z ziemniakami purée i Coleslawem z młodym szpinakiem. Istny gwałt na meksykańskiej kuchni!

Historia sosu mole to historia kulinarnego dziedzictwa Azteków, hiszpańskich konkwistadorów, afrykańskich niewolników i azjatyckich emigrantów. Każda z tych kultur wniosła coś od siebie, co uczyniło z niego jedno z pierwszych międzykontynentalnych dań w obu Amerykach.

Lud Nahuatl robił wprawdzie sos o nazwie mōlli (molli), ale bazujący wyłącznie na różnych odmianach papryki chili, bez kakao (wykorzystywanego tylko do sporządzania napoju), czosnku, cynamonu, cebuli, orzechów, rodzynków itd. Dopiero Hiszpanie wzbogacili go o pomidory, cebulę i czosnek (oraz drób, bo Indianie go nie znali), Afrykanie o plantany, sezam i niektóre przyprawy, a Azjaci o anyż.

Trudno znaleźć jedną właściwą recepturę na klasyczne poblano. Czytając meksykańskie przepisy natknęłam się na różnice w dodawaniu bądź nie migdałów, pestek dyni, ziaren kolendry, anyżu, goździków, czy rodzynków. W niektórych przepisach pojawiają się lub wymieniają, a w innych już ich nie ma lub są obecne w znikomych ilościach. W całym tym niedoprecyzowaniu natknęłam się na informację, że prawidłowe proporcje w mole poblano właściwie nie istnieją, niektóre składniki można pominąć lub zmienić. Istotne jest jednak, aby dzień przed przygotowaniem sosu “opiec chili i usunąć z nich nasiona, a następnie moczyć je w osolonej wodzie przez noc”.

W czasach, gdy ludzie przemieszczają się dużo bardziej niż kiedyś, a informacje obiegają świat lotem błyskawicy tradycje kulinarne tracą swoje ostre kształty, co nie znaczy, że się o nich zapomina. Na prowincji chłopi w dalszym ciągu czują silny związek ze swoimi małymi ojczyznami (patria chica), w miastach jest już trochę inaczej.

Szczęśliwie dla mieszkańców kraju i turystów organizuje się bardzo dużo kulinarnych wydarzeń. Na przykład w mieście Puebla od 1991 roku Krajowa Izba Przemysłu Restauracyjnego i Spożywczego CANIRAC organizuje Festival del Mole Poblano, w San Andrés Cholula, w stanie Puebla, od dwóch lat istnieje Festival del Mole Poblano, a w Tomatlán od ośmiu lat fetuje się Feria del Mole en Tomatlán. Wszystko na cześć słynnego meksykańskiego sosu!

Składniki:

Ostry czekoladowy sos ok. 2 szklanki bulionu drobiowego 3 czerwone suszone chilli 5 papryczek chipotles (z puszki) 1/3 szklanki orzeszków ziemnych 1/4 szklanki migdałów 2 ząbki czosnku 2 pomidory (lub pół puszki pomidorów) przyprawy: 1/2 łyżeczki mielonego cynamonu, 1/2 łyżeczki goździków, 1/2 łyżeczki ziaren kolendry, 1/2 łyżeczki kuminu banan 1/3 szklanki rodzynków lub suszonych śliwek 70 g gorzkiej czekolady (min. 70%) kawałek kukurydzianej tortilli lub pszennej bułki (opcjonalnie) 4 łyżki smalcu (lub oleju rzepakowego) sól i czarny pieprz do smaku

Polędwiczki wieprzowe 2 polędwiczki wieprzowe

Wykonanie:

Ostry czekoladowy sos Suszone chili pozbawić ogonków i nasion i uprażyć na suchej patelni (nie za długo, bo staną się gorzkie). Przełożyć do garnka, zalać niedużą ilością wody i odstawić na noc.

Kolejnego dnia odsączone papryczki wraz z odsączonymi i wypestkowanymi chipotles zalać bulionem i gotować na małym ogniu ok. 10 minut.

W tym czasie na rozgrzanym tłuszczu (użyłam smalcu, zgodnie z tradycją, ale olej też się sprawdzi) smażyć po kolei: orzeszki, migdały, pokrojony w grube plastry banan, pokrojone na kawałki pieczywo, rodzynki (do spęcznienia) i pokrojony w plasterki czosnek. Ważne, aby każdy z produktów smażony był oddzielnie. Trzeba też uważać, aby nie przypalić produktów.

Na suchej patelni uprażyć sezam, kumin, kolendrę, goździki. W moździerzu lub blenderze rozdrobnić przyprawy i przełożyć je do miksera. Dołożyć migdały, orzechy arachidowe, wlać trochę bulionu i zmiksować na pastę. Dołożyć banany, rodzynki, odsączone papryki chili, czosnek, pieczywo (zacząć od kilku kawałeczków, potem ewentualnie dołożyć), podlać bulionem i zmiksować na gładko. Przecedzić przez niezbyt gęste sito.

Przelać do garnka i gotować na małym ogniu około 20 minut. Pod koniec dodać połamaną czekoladę i wymieszać do połączenia się w całość. Dosmakować solą i czarnym pieprzem.

Sos można mrozić w szczelnie zamkniętym pojemniku.

Polędwiczki wieprzowe Mięso opłukać i osuszyć papierowymi ręcznikami. Pokroić na około centymetrowe plastry i oprószyć solą z obu stron. Na patelni rozgrzać olej z łyżką masła. Obsmażyć polędwiczki z obu stron na mocnym ogniu, uważając by ich nie przeciągnąć. Nie tłoczyć mięsa na patelni podczas smażenia, bo zacznie się dusić. Najlepiej smażyć partiami. Przełożyć wszystkie kotleciki z powrotem na patelnię i zalać sosem. Gotować na niewielkim ogniu, aż mięso dojdzie. Podawać wedle uznania. U mnie polędwiczki w sosie à la mole poblano jedzono z ziemniakami purée i Coleslawem z młodym szpinakiem. 

[formeryelpers]

Picaresca Barra De Café, 1300 S Soto St, Ste 9, Los Angeles (Boyle Heights), CA 90023

Picaresca opened in 2020 in a mini mall in Boyle Heights. They roast their own coffee beans using a variety of methods and they aim for a medium roast. Their space is small – just room for their equipment and a 2 or 3 customers.

For drinks, they have drip coffee, cold brew, espresso drinks, café con leche, flavored lattes, specialty drinks (with Mexican inspired flavors), tonics, and teas. They’re known for their café de olla latte. For food, they have a few pastries from the panaderia, cookies, burritos, a breakfast sandwich, and wraps. They do not offer pour over coffee.

Flat white ($4): No foam art, flavorful but a bit bitter

Breakfast sandwich ($6): Made to order, the sandwich includes turkey, cheese, egg, mulato jam on a soft bun (it looks like a white hamburger bun). Mulato jam is made with dried chilies but not spicy. It’s sweet and fruity. The sweetness of the jam was a nice counterpoint to the salt of the turkey slice.

The mini mall is older and not well-maintained but the shop is clean and cheerful with plants, books, and art work. The mini mall is stuffy and smells like laundry and incense. There are two small tables and a counter outside of the shop. Coffee beans and branded merchandise are for sale. I noticed their customers are very talkative…they never stop talking. Must be their regulars?

You can also find them at the Silver Lake Farmers Market. Online ordering and bean subscriptions are available. Park in the strip mall next door.

4 out of 5 stars.

By Lolia S.

[alo340]

One of the most typical foods in Puebla is the mole poblano

the mole poblano is made of chocolate or cocoa, tomato, garlic, onion, almonds, walnuts, raisins and spices such as cloves, pepper or parsley, as well as four types of chilies: ancho, mulato, pasilla and chipotle

Personally, I don't like mole, but the person who consumes it says it's good.

[caronte-recipe-book-from-web]

30 Minute Mole

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 kg water

2.25 g butter

150 g sweet onion, diced

75 g peanuts, shelled

50 g dark chocolate

50 g tomato paste

3 cinnamon sticks

20 g pumpkin seed

20 g garlic

17 g galt

15 g dried ancho chili, seeded

15 g dried pasilla chili, seeded

15 g dried mulato chili, seeded

15 g dried guajillo chili, seeded

15 g dried chipotle meco chili, seeded

15 g dried, chipotle morita chili, seeded

10 g sesame seed

5 g cumin

4.5 g oregano, fresh

2.5 g caraway seed

2.5 g thyme, fresh

1.8 g mace

0.5 g clove

Equipment

Pressure cooker

Blender

Method

Put all ingredients in pressure cooker

Cook at full pressure for 30 minutes

Remove cinnamon sticks and put all contents in blender

Blend until smooth

Serve with Turkey, chicken or pork (such as 24 hour sous vide pork shoulder at 140 ° F)

Drizzle with IL Fiorello Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Source: https://ilfiorello.com/recipe/30-minute-mole/

[lavistamexicanrestaurantbar]

Mexican Chili Peppers: A Guide

How can you tell whether a restaurant is serving real Mexican food? Checking the ingredient list for meals like pico de gallo, rellenos, adobo, and mole is the easiest method to find out. You are not eating the real stuff if chili peppers, or chiles are not in Mexican restaurant menu list. However, if you are living in Hong Kong, you can have the Mexican flavorful food from the La Vista, a Mexican Restaurant & Bar.

[almajaimessoto]

Chocolate Recipe - Part 1

Source: https://www.ritualchocolate.com/journal/2020/5/5/ritual-recipes-mely-martinezs-mexico-in-my-kitchen-mole-poblano In today's world, there are many recipes that include chocolate as a key ingredient. Now that the history of chocolate has been dissected, it is now time to look at a recipe that incorporates chocolate and the meaning behind it. When someone thinks of chocolate, they think of a sweet indulgent treat. However, chocolate is present as a key ingredient to a prominent dish in the region of Mexico – Mole. This national dish is commonly known as a thick and flavorful sauce that is served with either chicken or turkey and a side of rice. This blog entry will examine the key ingredients in mole, the origins of the dish, and how it is significant to the state of Mexico. The exact origins and date that mole came into existence is uncertain. There are a variety of legends that have been passed down by certain regions of Mexico. The name mole is derived from the Nahuatl word for sauce mōlli or moler (“to grind”). The article written by Margarita de Orellana Chili Peppers: Ancient Fruits, examines closely the story of “Chilmolli, the Grandfather of Mole." A version of mole can be traced back to the early post-classic period of Mesoamerica known as Chilmulcaxli which signifies the process of grinding chilies and transforming it into a sauce (80). The process of grinding the chilies was always done by a woman who would do it until they reached a desired texture with a special mortar. Interesting enough, cacao was sometimes incorporated into the paste-like sauce. As mentioned by Orellana, the cacao beans were known as cacahuatl. When cacao was incorporated there were two types: chilatextli and chilacahuatl. To easily distinguish them, chilatextli incorporated less cacao than chilacahuatl. To add cacao to the paste, the grinding stone needed to be heated by direct fire in order to finely grind the cacao into the paste. During pre-colonial times, a grinding stone known as metatli was a spindle-shaped stone that was a tool used to achieve this dish. Depending on the woman in charge making the dish, they made it spicy according to their taste. However, records show that Mesoamericans were fond of spicy flavors. It wasn’t until the conquest by the Spaniards when early recordings of chilmulcaxli were found through the Codex Mendoza. Once Hernan Cortez arrived, the discovery of this dish was known as an offering. It was typically served for the elites and the gods as an offering. However, the Spanish did not like this offering as they were not familiar with the spicy dishes and rejected it. The origins of mole were polished by nuns in a monastery kitchen in the city of Puebla later where the infamous mole dish was born. In the modern version of mole poblano, other spices and condiments have been added including meats. Today, there are a variety of moles such as: mole poblano, mole negro, mole Colorado, mole manchamantel, mole Amarillo, mole Verde, and mole Chichilo. Looking at the types of mole, mole poblano and negro are the two that contain higher contents of chocolate in them. Today’s perception of chocolate is seen as a decadent confection. However, it was a key ingredient for stews and salsa prior to the perception being changed. For the most part, the key ingredients in mole contain chocolate, nuts, fruit, and chili. When making it from scratch over 30 ingredients are needed to reach the ideal sauce. Many peppers known to be included in this dish are ancho, pasillo, chipotle, and mulato are present in this tasty sauce. In today’s world, many grocery stores carry a pre-made paste to save time in the kitchen as it is a time-consuming recipe to make from scratch. According to the Culture Trip, Oaxaca and Puebla are the two areas well known for their moles that include chocolate. When describing the taste of this savory dish, it is difficult to pinpoint an exact flavor as it is different every time. Depending on the flavor profile of the person who is making it, mole can be sweet or spicy. Part 2 to be continued.

[historyofchocolate]

Chocolate Mole

A dish that is filled with history as much as it is filled with great savory taste is the legendary Mole plate. This dish is filled with many tasty ingredients, one of which is the famous cacao. Mole is the name given to the sauce that can be used in a variety of plates. It can be consumed year-round and is just as comforting to eat during the holidays. Mole also makes a great meal for special occasions. Before we dive into one of the many recipes, let’s learn about mole’s history and how it came to be the dish many Hispanics know and love.

The word mole comes from a Nahuatl word, “moli,” which means mix. Mole is known as Mexico’s national dish. The mole itself is a thick sauce or paste. It is added to many plates to create a dish. It is a dish that gives you that feel-good home feeling, a comfort food if you will. It can be eaten all year round from any ordinary day to the holidays including Cinco de Mayo, Mexicans independence day. Personal celebratory moments such as weddings and baptisms are huge major events where Mole never fails to make an appearance. Mole is a paste that is mixed containing a variety of ingredients, including spices, nuts, chilies, and chocolate. Just like many different types of spices and chilies and nuts can be added to the dish, there are many versions of the dish or sauce itself. A couple of different moles are mole negro, mole rojo, mole coloradito, mole amarillo, mole verde, and mole estofado. Depending on the plate of dish that one is making, will depend on the type of mole that one makes, either being a mole in tamales or mole with chicken and rice on the side.

There are different origin stories of how mole was invented. The one that appears to be widely known is that in Puebla, a convent of nuns were expecting an archbishop and had nothing ready. The panic-stricken nuns rounded up the only ingredients they had on hand and threw them together, creating mole. They proceeded to serve the sauce with a turkey. A second legend dates back to Mesoamerica. It is said that Hernan Cortez was mistaken for a God by the Aztecs and was served mole. Whichever the legend to be true, is not exactly known as written recipes for mole did not exist until sometime after the Mexican War of Independence in the early 1800s. With the separation from the Spanish crown, Mexicans wanted to find their own identity, food was a way to distinguish themselves. They started to identify with their local ingredients and local Spanish names for their cuisine. Mole became this symbol for the unification of all Mexican people. It became this ideal dish, this symbolic dish, one can serve to someone to showcase the identity of Mexicans. Mole encompasses everything Mexicans are, from our traditional and indigenous roots to the foreign spices and techniques that were brought over from all over Europe. Oaxaca and Puebla are the most well-known places for Mole. These are the top regions where Mole can be traced back to. However, Tlaxcala also claims to be its place of origin.

Nowadays it is easy to make Mole at home. One can simply go to the store and purchase the already made Mole in a can, go home and simply heat it up and top it over a chicken breast. However, nothing is ever as good as the at-home handmade product. Many great dishes are time-consuming and Mole is no different. Not only is Mole time consuming, but it can also be labor-intensive. Because mole has ground up chilis, a metate can be used. A metate is a rectangle-shaped stone used to grind seeds or dry peppers and spices. It is angled at one end and it is made out of black or dark gray porous basalt volcanic stone. One is on their knees while they are grounding up their ingredients. However, because of technological advances, one can simply grind up the needed ingredients using a simple blender.

Now let’s dive into a recipe. However, I did not choose from the hundreds of different Mole recipes found online. I am going straight to the source and explain my mother’s recipe, which she got from my great grandmother. This specific recipe makes mole poblano and is good for 30 people. This is the recipe I grew up loving and enjoying and I think you will too!

Ingredients: 

10 chiles guajillos

10 chiles pasillas

10 chiles anchos

10 chiles mulato

10 almonds

10 raisins

10 pecans

1 bag of ajonjoli seeds

1 stick of cinnamon

1 plantain

2 tortillas

5 salted crackers

10 garlic cloves

½ an onion

5 tomatoes

2 chocolate Abuelita bars

Instructions:

First, preheat a pan with oil at low heat. Starting with all the chiles, we are going to slow fry them. Stir the chilis as they begin to caramelize. After about 2 minutes take the chiles out and place them in a bowl with warm water for about 15 minutes. 

While we leave the chilis to soak in the water, we return to our pan and begin to add: almonds, raisins, pecans, a stick of cinnamon, and stir as they begin to fry. After about two minutes we add the ajonjoli seeds and stir for 30 more seconds. Next, we take this mixture out and pour it into a bowl. Returning to the same pan, we add the plantain and fry it for about two minutes, then remove it from the pan. Next, add the tortillas and the salted crackers and remove them after frying. Lastly, we fry the garlic, onion, and tomatoes. 

We then take all these mixtures that have cooked separately and put them in the blender. Blending are the almonds, raisins, pecans, a stick of cinnamon, ajonjoli seeds, the plantain, the tortillas, the crackers, the garlic, onion, and tomatoes that have all been cooked.

We return to our first batch of goods, the chiles. Take all the chiles that have been sitting in the warm water and add them to a blender. Pour about two cups of the same water in the blender with the chiles and blend. Once our mixture is done, we are going to pour it over a colander that is placed over a bowl. With a big spoon, squish the chiles into the colander to extract the juices. This will leave the seeds and the skin of the chiles behind and out of our sauce. Using a new pan, or a traditional Mole pan called the Cazuela, pour some oil into it and place it over medium fire. Pour the chili mixture in. Then pour the second mixture, containing everything else, in. Now we add our two Abuelita chocolate bars while we continue to stir nonstop. While we are stirring, add a tablespoon of salt and chicken broth to your liking. We continue to stir until a desirable consistency is achieved. Ideally, we like the sauce to be a little thick. Volah, our Mole sauce is finished! 

You can use this sauce in a variety of ways. One can make moladas, enchiladas made out of mole. You can add cooked chicken breast or wings into the sauce and plate it with rice and beans and enjoy it with some tortillas or even a bolillo. My personal favorite is enjoying it in a bolillo. Because I am vegetarian, my mom makes mine with some water instead of chicken broth, and I add some red rice and pinto beans, topping it off with the mole all in a bolillo, pure deliciousness! I hope you try this recipe out and enjoy it as much as my family has for generations.

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Chile garlic shrimp

1oz Mulato or Guajillo chilies

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

6 garlic cloves (2 chopped, 4 sliced)

1 table spoon table salt

2 lbs shrimp, peeled, deveined

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

t tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons cilantro

Using scissors, trim the stem, cut in half lengthwise and seed them. in a 12 inch skillet cook until fragrant, slightly darkened. 

Transfer to a blender and process until finely ground, 2 minutes. Add water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, chopped garlic and Worcestershire. Blend until smooth. 

Pat shrimp dry with paper towel, sprinkle with cumin, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over high heat. Scatter half the shrimp, and let be 2 minutes. Do not stir. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining shrimp. 

Reduce heat to low, add remaining oil. Cook sliced garlic for 2 minutes until browned. Stir in chile sauce and shrimp and cook until heated through. 1-2 minutes. Off heat add butter and stir until melted, sprinkle with cilantro. 

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Try Our Carolina Reaper Seasoning Salt Recipe 3/4 ounce of crushed dried Carolina Reaper Pods 1/4 table spoon of crushed dried Garlic 1/4 table spoon of crushed dried Onion 1/4 table spoon of crushed dried Paprika 1/4 table spoon of Chili Powder 1 table spoon of Sea Salt (optional) A) Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until evenly mixed. Be careful not to inhale dust from mix. B) Pour entire contents into a high speed bender. Blend mix on highest setting until you have a evenly blended fine powder. (Stop blender occasionally and shake, then continue blending.) C) Once you have the perfect blend of fine powder, lightly loosen cap on the blender and allow dust from powder mix to completely settle. When pepper dust has settled, carefully pour contents in a lidded storage container and Enjoy! (download our Free, Mulato Green Group Urban Framing  Android app for more amazing recipes) No iphones, yet.