Your mole is the real deal. I'll bet it's good.

Why didn't I think of making a big batch and freezing it? Great idea. Must get organized.

Jim

Tricia,

This looks awesome! What do you put this on, typically?

I've always wanted to try mole sauce again. I've only had it once in my life. I was in a restaurant and the server suggested I try it on "this" and add "that" to it. It was so delicious, but I can't even remember what "this" was (chicken and rice?), but it seems like "that" was a green sauce. Would it have been a chile verde sauce?

-Robin

Robin, I use mole in many ways. We love the stuff. I keep it around both as a paste and mixed with chix broth. Here's a few uses...

Enchilladas, burritos, BBQ sauce especially for chix & ribs (for this I mix a bit of the paste with a bit of broth - about a 1:4 ratio), salsa for chips (add cilantro, lime juice, green onion, & you can also add diced tomatoes), eggs (we like mole over an omelet). Generally, I like a salsa verde for tamales because I use a pork filling but once in a while I use mole instead & it's very good.

Mole is a generic word for "sauce" although there are some specific dishes it can refer to. My recipe is generally known as a mole poblano. There are many different types of moles. Another one we like very much is mole de cacahuate (peanut mole). Moles are more labor intensive than other Mexican sauces & used to be reserved for special occassions. They're in more general use today from what I've encountered.

There's a fun folk story around mole involving its origination. Something about a young Mexican woman called upon to cook for an important guest. Not knowing what to cook & being low on supplies...she started tossing things onto her comal (frying pan) to toast. At the end, she added chocolate & presto! Mole!

The combination of ingredients is a bit odd but every one of them add to the finished multi-dimensional flavors. Omitting even one really alters the taste. I was out of cloves once & figured 1/4 teaspoon wouldn't make a difference...wrong. Very complex flavor & very yummy stuff. We're sorta addicted to it.

/tricia

Tricia, you certainly know your moles.

The usual story of the origins of mole poblano is similar to the one you mention except the cooks were nuns preparing a welcome for a visit by an important clergyman. Poblano, BTW, refers to Puebla, the place of origin. Mole poblano is the archtypical mole, although there are many as you say and the black Oaxacan mole is famous too. Do you think freezing mole, so as to have it on hand at all times, diminishes its role as a special occasion dish?

Robin, perhaps the most typical use of mole poblano would be as a sauce for chicken or turkey, with turkey in mole (Mole De Guajolote) being the real special occasion dish.

If you had a green sauce which resembled mole it was very likely chicken in pipian or pollo en pipian verde. Pipian is made with hulled pumpkin or squash seeds (aka pepitas) plus numerous other ingredients. It is also a classic Mexican dish.

Unfortunately, in the U.S., Mexican food is stereotyped as bar food or fast food, limited to tacos, nachos, burritos and that sort of thing. It isn't generally know that Mexican cuisine is as highly developed and refined as French or Chinese. We just don't see the classic dishes on menus. Of course I am speaking from the East coast perspective. The West coast, and even Chicago, which have larger Mexican populations undoubtedly have more real Mexican food available.

Jim

Yes, I suppose keeping mole on hand in the freezer does reduce the special aspect. At least for the frequency of enjoying the sauce. But, it's always 'special' just because of its unique qualities and it's ability to turn even an omelet for dinner into a banquet.

I make it about 3-4 times a year. During the toasting, frying process it fills the house with wonderful aromas. That's always special.

Jim, I love Mexican food. It's our favorite cuisine. I'd love it if you'd share some of your recipes.

/tricia

The recipes I would share are mostly from Diana Kennedy's great book, The Cuisines of Mexico. She is a stickler for authenticity, which appeals to me when exploring ethnic food. I figure the most authentic methods and recipes got that way for a reason and I want to taste them for myself.

Last night I cooked for six of us. I prepared guacamole (never can get enough of that), posole and a loaf of no-knead bread. I was lucky to find canned hominy because most stores don't carry it here. A friend provided pineapple upside down cake, which was a real treat because I had not had any in years.

Currently, my son and I are researching recipes for pipian, in an attempt to replicate what we had in Nicaragua. Most of the pipian recipes on the Internet are for chicken with pipian, pipian being a mole-like sauce made with the hulled seeds of the pipian squash. What we are seeking is a casserole type of dish made with immature pipian, which somewhat resembles zucchini in texture and flavor. We have seeds and will be growing pipian this summer. The seeds and resulting project are our favorite souvenirs of the trip to Nicaragua.

Jim