Don't let yer meat loaf

By god, you're right!

Here, its even worse. They call both of them 'citron', so you have to know
what you are getting. 'Limon' means 'slime'...

Yeh, will be heading to Mexican food heaven in December (a week in
Anaheim for a conference). I was raised in the area and I've already
been doing some checking on my favorite restaraunts. About 10% are
still there after 25 years away, but I'm gonna gorge myself on some good
food. Also looks like I'll be fishing the lower Owens River and perhaps
the Kern. Cool! My partner out there told me to bring my parka 'cause
its getting down to 70 or so. Brrrr! :-)
Frank Reid

"Francis Reid" wrote in message
...
By god, you're right!

Here, its even worse. They call both of them 'citron', so you have to know
what you are getting. 'Limon' means 'slime'...

Yeh, will be heading to Mexican food heaven in December (a week in
Anaheim for a conference). I was raised in the area and I've already
been doing some checking on my favorite restaraunts. About 10% are
still there after 25 years away, but I'm gonna gorge myself on some good
food. Also looks like I'll be fishing the lower Owens River and perhaps
the Kern. Cool! My partner out there told me to bring my parka 'cause
its getting down to 70 or so. Brrrr! :-)

Frank - last time I was there, I found a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant
that had no atmosphere, but great food. Good for a lunch stop. I can't remember
the name, but if you are at the corner of Katella and Harbor, go south on Harbor
about 1/2 to 3/4 mile and it's on the west side of the street. You know it's
good as soon as you walk in 'cause no one there speaks English bery well,
including the clientele.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Frank - last time I was there, I found a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant
that had no atmosphere, but great food. Good for a lunch stop. I can't remember
the name, but if you are at the corner of Katella and Harbor, go south on Harbor
about 1/2 to 3/4 mile and it's on the west side of the street. You know it's
good as soon as you walk in 'cause no one there speaks English bery well,
including the clientele.

Well, I'll be just up the street from there. Gonna be awesome.
Frank

Wolfgang wrote:

And chocolate is, of course, the distinctive ingredient in the classic
molé poblano

Sorry to be anal here, but there's no accent in the word "mole".
(SWMBO sez I put the hyphen in anal-retentive.)

And as far as what is the "distinctive ingredient" in mole poblano,
well ... I guess that depends on your perspective. :-) The recipe I
learned comes from Diana Kennedy, and here's a basic list of ingredients:

Chiles mulatos
Chiles anchos
Chiles pasillas
Tomatillos
Cloves
Peppercorns
Cinnamon stick
Cilantro seeds and Aniseed, toasted together
Sesame seeds, toasted
Garlic cloves, toasted
Raisins
Almonds
Pumpkin seeds
Mexican chocolate (Abuelita chocolate, if you can get it)
Chicken stock

Definitely a few things that could qualify as distinctive in that
list, but for my money, what's really unique is that they are all used
together. :-)

.....for which there are also many recipes. The one I use
actually has quite a bit of chocolate....I use Hershey's cocoa because
it's what I have....and the flavor comes through strongly.

It's funny, I sometimes hear mole referred to as a "chocolate
sauce", but every recipe I've ever used includes a very small amount of
chocolate (maybe 1 oz. for enough to serve four). I honestly think that
the chiles (especially the pasillas) contribute a lot of what seems at
first "glance" to be a cocoa/chocolate flavor.


Chuck Vance (I'm getting hungry, too)

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...
Wolfgang wrote:

And chocolate is, of course, the distinctive ingredient in the
classic
molé poblano

Sorry to be anal here, but there's no accent in the word "mole".
(SWMBO sez I put the hyphen in anal-retentive.)

I just did a Google search on molé poblano--368 hits, and on mole
poblano--about 11,000 hits. Didn't research any of the sites with an
eye toward authenticity, but the numbers are suggestive.....at least.


And as far as what is the "distinctive ingredient" in mole
poblano,
well ... I guess that depends on your perspective. :-) The recipe
I
learned comes from Diana Kennedy, and here's a basic list of
ingredients:

Chiles mulatos
Chiles anchos
Chiles pasillas
Tomatillos
Cloves
Peppercorns
Cinnamon stick
Cilantro seeds and Aniseed, toasted together
Sesame seeds, toasted
Garlic cloves, toasted
Raisins
Almonds
Pumpkin seeds
Mexican chocolate (Abuelita chocolate, if you can get it)
Chicken stock

Definitely a few things that could qualify as distinctive in
that
list, but for my money, what's really unique is that they are all
used
together. :-)

.....for which there are also many recipes. The one I use
actually has quite a bit of chocolate....I use Hershey's cocoa
because
it's what I have....and the flavor comes through strongly.

It's funny, I sometimes hear mole referred to as a "chocolate
sauce", but every recipe I've ever used includes a very small amount
of
chocolate (maybe 1 oz. for enough to serve four). I honestly think
that
the chiles (especially the pasillas) contribute a lot of what seems
at
first "glance" to be a cocoa/chocolate flavor.

I'm at work now, so I don't have access to the cookbook I got my
recipe and other information from. I'll try to wing it from memory
for now, and fill in and/or correct this evening.

Mole, according to my source, describes any of a wide variety sauces
distinguished primarily by their complexity and by the fact that the
raw ingredients are more or less coarsely blended and then fried for
several minutes in hot oil (or other fat) before simmering. Again
according to this source, what distinguishes mole poblano from other
moles is the use of chocolate.

Chuck Vance (I'm getting hungry, too)

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...



Mole, according to my source, describes any of a wide variety sauces
distinguished primarily by their complexity and by the fact that the
raw ingredients are more or less coarsely blended and then fried for
several minutes in hot oil (or other fat) before simmering. Again
according to this source, what distinguishes mole poblano from other
moles is the use of chocolate.

Wanted to look at something else and clicked the send icon before
finishing this.

Anyway, though it's a fine point, it appears from my source that
chocolate is indeed the distinctive ingredient in mole poblano.

Looking at your recipe, I believe that it is very similar to mine.
It'll be interesting to compare. I agree that the chilies give a
robust earthy flavor reminiscent of chocolate but, having tasted mine
both before and after adding the latter, it does make a big
difference.

Wolfgang

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...


I just did a Google search on molé poblano--368 hits, and on mole
poblano--about 11,000 hits. Didn't research any of the sites with an
eye toward authenticity, but the numbers are suggestive.....at least.


Then there's my trusty hardcover version of Webster's. Page 764:
................................
6mo-le \'mo-le\ n [MexSp. fr. Nahuatl mulli, molli sauce, stew] (1927) : a
spicy sauce made with chilies and usu. chocolate and served with meat.

................................

I always thought it was pronounced "mole-LAY", but apparently its pronounced
like 'Holy Moley'. Interesting, I guess.



--riverman

Wolfgang wrote:

I just did a Google search on molé poblano--368 hits, and on mole
poblano--about 11,000 hits. Didn't research any of the sites with an
eye toward authenticity, but the numbers are suggestive.....at least.


I would ordinarily assume that some who poses as an expert on cooking
mole would know how it's pronounced, but not in your case.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

Wolfgang wrote:

Mole, according to my source, describes any of a wide variety sauces
distinguished primarily by their complexity and by the fact that the
raw ingredients are more or less coarsely blended and then fried for
several minutes in hot oil (or other fat) before simmering. Again
according to this source, what distinguishes mole poblano from other
moles is the use of chocolate.


Wanted to look at something else and clicked the send icon before
finishing this.

Anyway, though it's a fine point, it appears from my source that
chocolate is indeed the distinctive ingredient in mole poblano.

Looking at your recipe, I believe that it is very similar to mine.
It'll be interesting to compare. I agree that the chilies give a
robust earthy flavor reminiscent of chocolate but, having tasted mine
both before and after adding the latter, it does make a big
difference.

Fair enough. I defer to you and your source on chocolate being the
distinctive ingredient for mole poblano. Franakly, I'm not sure that
I've ever eaten any mole other than the Puebla style. In fact, I might
even go so far as to say that mole poblano is the real mole. But that
would sound suspiciously like the argument over "real" chili. :-)


Chuck Vance (and we don't want to go there)

In article , says...

Fair enough. I defer to you and your source on chocolate being the
distinctive ingredient for mole poblano. Franakly, I'm not sure that
I've ever eaten any mole other than the Puebla style. In fact, I might
even go so far as to say that mole poblano is the real mole. But that
would sound suspiciously like the argument over "real" chili. :-)


Chuck Vance (and we don't want to go there)


According to Rick Bayless' cookbook, there are 5 distinct regional
styles of mole, some of which have chocolate and some don't. All
have a mixture of roasted and ground chile peppers and nuts or seeds.

I know this because I made a red mole sauce my own self last week.
Mine didn't exactly fall into any of Bayless' categories, as I was
missing some ingredients and had to do a fair amount of improvising.
I used chocolate, although the most dominant ingredient in the flavor
profile was the ground peanuts I used. Next time I believe I will
cut back on the nuts and amp up the chiles a bit.

Of course, now that Bayless is endorsing Burger King, I am suddenly
losing faith in any of his culinary expertise.

Kevin