CookingDiva

The “mole” is one of the most enigmatic and interesting foods from the whole world. It´s preparation and final result depends upon the diversity of ingredients used from city to city in México, and the personal preferences of the cooks. It is a very personal, unique dish which with the help of your imagination and personal touch will reach new dimensions in your kitchen.

This is a very time consuming dish to make, but the results are definitely worth the effort… until the last bite. Start three days ahead. Although traditionally in Mexico the mole is served with turkey, it is really not that important because the star is the mole itself. Serve it with any kind of meat: chicken, turkey, beef, pork, shrimp, or just plain with steamed white rice. This mole keep well refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to a month. If you choose to freeze the left over mole, thaw it in the refrigerator and then heat in a saucepan or microwave oven, adding some chicken broth if needed.

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This is an unusual combination of sweet flavors with spicy, hot sensations. Traditionally, cuisines from temperate regions of the world, as such as Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Mediterranean have  always  combined these ingredients. This time we are celebrating this widely known aprhodisiac in the form of a truffle. Enjoy!

Yield 50 truffles

Ingredients:

For the Spicy Semi-Solid  Ganache:

• 1 lb(16 oz) Semi sweet chocolate, chopped

• 1 teaspoon “Thai Curry Paste for desserts” or to taste, recipe follows.

• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream

Preparation

1. Place chopped chocolate in food processor and pulse until pea size. Bring heavy cream to boiling point and mix in the curry paste for desserts. Stir to combine. Remove from heat, cover and infuse no more than 3 hours. Strain through a very fine sieve and re-heat to a boiling point.
2. Pour the chocolate mix into the tube of a running food processor. Process until mixture becomes smooth. Transfer into a clean bowl and let set overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.
3. Pipe onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze overnight.
4. Pre-coat truffles with thin layer of tempered chocolate and dust with cocoa powder, OR toss in toasted coconut flakes.

Important Note:

chocolate is tempered when its temperature is between 84° and 88° F (29° and 31° C). One of the easiest ways to achieve this point is to place the chocolate  in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted, be specially careful not to over do it. You may see lumps, but they will be dissolved with the residual heat of the chocolate. To speed this process up, you can use an immersion blender or a whisk. When the chocolate begins to set, scrape the sides of the bowl and mix in. It is very important to have your food thermometer on hand to verify when the mixture reaches ideal temperature.

 For the Thai Curry Paste for Desserts:

• 1 stalk lemon grass, finely sliced. Use only the bottom 6”of the stalk.
• 1 teaspoon lime zest, preferably kaffir lime, but any lime will do!
• 1-2 dried Thai bird chilies, seeds removed.
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cardamon pods, husked
• 1- 1/4 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh galangal or ginger root, minced (see Chef's note)
• 1 tablespoon coconut milk (optional)

Preparation

1. Dry toast cumin, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon in a skillet under medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Do not leave unattended, and shake the pan often to prevent burning. Remove from heat, cool.
2. If making in a mortar and pestle, pound all the ingredients into a smooth paste. If making in a blender or food processor, blend everything into a smooth paste. Transfer to a small container and keep refrigerated or frozen. Read Chef’s note.

[Chef’s Note: this paste will keep for up to two weeks refrigerated and can be frozen in one-teaspoon quantities in n ice cube tray. To grind the ingredients use either a mortar and pestle, a blender, coffee grinder or spice mill. Remember that the number of chiles is up to you. If you find a paste too hot, simply reduce the number of chiles used. Galanga, sometimes called “galangal”, is known as “kah” in Thailand and is used even more widely than fresh ginger. Use whole pieces of dried galangal and reconstitute them by soaking them in water. Powdered “kah” has very little flavor. Fresh ginger can be used as a substitute for kah.]

Yield ½ cup

Enjoy,

Chef Melissa

Tags: chocolate, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, panama chefs, food & drink, food, recipes

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This is the perfect dish to add a hint of exotica to the evening!

• Prep. Time: 15 minutes
  Cooking Time: 25 minutes
  Ingredients:
  1/4 cup pureed strawberries
• 1/2 cup strawberry vinegar
• zest of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced mint1 or 1 teaspoon dried
• ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cornish hens, split
• fresh strawberries and mint leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine the pureed strawberries, vinegar, lemon zest, shallot, mint and ground pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until well blended. Marinate the cornish hens in the strawberry mixture for 4 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Grill, skin side down, over a hot fire (or in your oven), basting frequently with the marinade. Turn after 10 minutes. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear. Garnish with fresh strawberries or pureed strawberries if desired.

Serves 2.

Tags: cornish hens, recipes, cookingdiva, personal chef

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