Mole Poblano

Recipe from my great aunt Maria Luisa Quintana de Novelo

1 guajolote
200 gr. chile pasilla
100 gr. almendra frita
1 jitomate frito
100 gr. pasas fritas
1/4 kg. manteca
1 cabeza de ajo asado
1/2 kg. chile mulato
2 chiles anchos
Ajonjolí
200 gr. pepitas tostadas
20 tomates fritos
2 plátanos largos fritos
2 tablillas de chocolate
1 cucharadita de anis, canela y clavo
Sal y azúcar al gusto

Se sancocha en manteca el guajolote, previamente limpio y en trozos; se saca y se pone a hervir en otra olla.

En la misma manteca se procede a freír los chiles (desvenados, tostados, remojados y molidos). Después, ahí mismo (una vez sacado lo anterior), el tomate y el jitomate, previamente molidos, se frien. Posteriormente se agregan, ya molidos, el ajonjolí, las pepitas, la almendra, las pasas y los plátanos. Se deja freír hasta que salga la grasa.

Al último se agrega el anis, la canela y el calvo, así como el chocolate, poca sal y azúcar al gusto. Se le agrega poco a poco el caldo del guajolote (antes de poner el caldo, la casa estará impregnada de aromas). Al último se le agregara la carne de guajolote y un pedazo de codillo cocido y, si se quiere, carne de puerco.

Ya que esta bien sazonado, se le da una rociada de agua fría para que le salga la grasa.

Se sirve con tamales blancos y de frijol y tortillas calientes. Use ajonjolí para adornar.

Flan

3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
6 tablespoons sugar
2 and 1/2 cups milk

Caramelized Sugar:
10 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons water

To make the caramelized sugar, heat the sugar and water in a small skillet over a medium-high flame, stirring constantly, until the sugar has turned a golden color. Remove from the heat immediately and pour into 6 ovenproof custard cups or one large mold, lining the sides of the mold.

To make the flan, beat together lightly with a wire whisk the whole eggs and the yolks. Add the lemon rind, sugar, and milk. Pour mixture into the mold lined with caramelized sugar.

Cook in a baño maria. Place the mold or cups in a pan with at least 2 inches of hot water. Cook on top of the stove over a medium flame for 1 hour. Transfer to a 350 degree F oven and continue cooking 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the flan comes out clean. Remove the mold or cups from the water and cool, then refrigerate.

To serve, loosen the sides of the flan with a knife and invert onto dessert dish.

Tortilla Soup

Recipe by Dianna Kennedy's The Tortilla Book

2 medium tomatoes, broiled or 1 1/2 cups canned, drained
1/3 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil
6 cups chicken broth
12 tortillas, cut into strips
3 chiles pasillas, fried and crumbled
6 heaping tablespoons of cheese (queso Chihuahua)
2 springs epazote (if available), fresh or dried

Blend the tomatoes with the onion and garlic. Heat the oil and fry the tomato puree over a fairly high flame for about 3 minutes, stirring it all the time. Add the broth, adjust the seasoning, and simmer for about 5 minutes longer. Remove and keep warm.

Heat more oil and fry the tortilla strips, about one third at a time so that they are fried evenly, until they are just beginning to stiffen but are not brown. Drain well.

Add  the tortilla pieces and epazote to the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes, the tortillas should be soft but not falling apart.

Garnish each bowl of soup with some of the cheese and a sprinkling of the chiles.

Cauliflower with Garlic and Anchovy

Recipe by Mark Bittman in The Minimalist Entertains

1 large head cauliflower, at least 2 pounds, trimmed of green parts and cut or broken into florets
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 to 10 anchovy fillets, to taste, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional
Minced fresh parsley leaves

Place the cauliflower in a steamer above an inch or two of boiling salted water. Cover and cook until it is just tender, about 10 minutes, then plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

Combine the oil, anchovies, garlic, and crushed red pepper, if you are using it, in a large, deep skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the anchovies begin to break up and the garlic begins to color, about 5 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and raise the heat to medium-high. Continue to cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes more, until the cauliflower is coated with the oil and heated through. Garnish with the parsley and serve hot or at room temperature.

Rack of Lamb With Pimentón, Garlic and Olive Oil

Recipe by Mark Bittman for The New York Times

1 rack of lamb (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon pimentón (smoked paprika)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium slice rye bread, broken into pieces.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Trim the lamb of excess fat, but leave a layer of fat over the meat. Cut about halfway down the bones between the chops; this allows the meat between them to become crisp.

Put the oil, garlic, paprika and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a food processor and purée; add the bread and pulse a few times to make rough crumbs. Rub this mixture over the meat side of the rack and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Put it in a roasting pan and into the oven; roast for 18 to 20 minutes. Insert an instant-read meat thermometer straight in from one end into the meatiest part. If it reads 125 degrees or more, remove the lamb immediately. If it reads less, put the lamb back for 5 minutes, no more. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve, separating the ribs by cutting down straight through them.

Yield: 4 servings.

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

Recipe by Mark Bittman in The Minimalist Entertains

1 thick slice good bread
1 small chunk Parmigiano-Reggiano, about 1 ounce
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, more or less
3 tablespoons butter, extra virgin olive oil, or a combination
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 500 degrees; while it heats, put bread in, and check frequently until it is lightly toasted and dry. Coarsely grind or grate bread and cheese together (a small food processor is best), and keep crumbs larger than commercial bread crumbs.

Rinse asparagus, and break off woody bottoms. Lay stalks in a baking dish that will hold them in two or three layers. Toss with bits of butter or the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in oven.

Roast 5 minutes, then shake dish to redistribute butter or oil. Roast 5 minutes more, then test for doneness by piercing a spear with point of a sharp knife; it should slide in but meet a little resistance. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made as much as two hours before serving; just leave asparagus at room temperature).

Turn on broiler and place rack as close as possible to heating element. Top asparagus with cheese-crumb mixture and run under broiler to brown, a minute or two. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This recipe is easily varied. For instance, forget the topping and toss the spears with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic when you add the oil, then roast. Skip the broiler step. For roast asparagus with soy and sesame, use 1 tablespoon peanut oil instead of olive oil or butter. Halfway through roasting, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to the asparagus, toss gently and finish roasting. When the spears are cooked, top with about 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds and run under the broiler until they pop, about 1 minute. Finish with a teaspoon or two of soy sauce.

Scallop Ceviche

Recipe by Mark Bittman in The Minimalist Entertains

1 pound perfectly fresh sea scallops, cut into 1/4 inch dice
3 tablespoons peeled and minced bell pepper, preferably a combination of red, yellow, and green
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt
Cayenne to taste
2 tablespoons minced cilantro, optional

Toss together all the ingredients, except the cilantro, and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve, garnished with the cilantro, if you like.