Mexico: Mole Ole

What part of mole do you not understand? Let’s just say during the short stint in Mexico, it became my raison d’etre. We had it green (made with pepitas), we had it red (made with pecans). Sometimes it was more sweet, other times, salty, and another time richly smoky.

I could eat my way through Mexico easily. And this could be done through my Tia’s well-stocked refrigerator. The complexity of flavors in the food and the pairings with drink (fresh limeade / hibiscus agua fresca) augments those flavors naturally.

The amazing thing is we never eat out often when visiting the family, and why should we? Somehow the papaya was meant to pair with Mexican limes, softer than conventional ones. Mexican rice made with arborio. I could write an ode to fresh tortillas. And really, beans should be part of any good meal, like a condiment.

We joked about how most Americans perceive Mexican cuisine as burritos or tacos. But really there is so much more to it than that. I wish I could transport you into the bounty that is the Mexican grocery store or into the aromas of a Mexican kitchen- so much more that I bet you would enjoy. Now back to the salads and slow food of California…