This past summer, my sister Mia and I travelled to Oaxaca, Mexico to learn Spanish. We studied at the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca for two weeks. We had Spanish class in the morning and cooking class in the afternoon. In the evenings, we explored Oaxaca — restaurants, bars, street art, festivals and museums.  My favorite museum was the Museo Rufino Tamayo. I visited twice to appreciate the pre-Hispanic art. The humanity expressed in the figures was remarkable — especially in comparison to the art that was being created in Europe at that time.We were fortunate to be in Oaxaca for La Guelaguetza, an annual festival celebrating indigenous culture.  There were calendas in the street almost every evening. Calendas are parades with large puppets, live music and performances by dancers from different villages. We also had the good luck of attending the Fiesta de Mole in the Botanical Garden. There were 19 (!) different kinds of mole to sample, piles of fresh tortillas, and tacos with chapulines (grasshoppers.)

In our afternoon cooking class, the focus was on home cooking. We made molotes, empanadas de flor de calabaza, sopa azteca, frijoles con hoja de aguacate and other simple Oaxacan foods. And every day we made tamales. The teacher would soak the corn  with lime overnight and then take it to the mill. We used fresh masa every day. We worked to become proficient in identifying the right water to masa texture and how to cook the tamales on the comal.

I returned to New York eager to take on the challenge to learn to cook proper Mexican food. Before leaving Oaxaca, I bought Pilar Cabrera’s cookbook from her restaurant La Olla.  I decided to make mole at home and began to search for the ingredients. Many of the ingredients used in the cookbook are not easy to find — even in New York City.  I can find avocado leaves and chiles pasilla, anchos and guajillos.  Chiles chilhuacles rojos and negros proved more difficult.  I finally found some on line from Zocalito, a Oaxacan restaurant in Colorado and blue corn masa from MexGrocer.

So far, I have made Mole Coloradito and Mole Negro.  My initial thoughts are that I prefer the coloradito. It is traditionally served with poached chicken or pork, or beef. We also had it at Ancestral, our favorite restaurant in the Xochimilco neighborhood, with molotes stuffed with plantains. Here is the recipe:

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Mole Coloradito from Pilar Cabrera

• 10 chiles anchos rojos
• 5 chiles chilhuacle rojos
• 5 chiles guajillos
• 1 plum tomato sliced into four slabs
• 1/4 medium white onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon mixed dried aromatic herbs (marjoram, thyme, oregano)
• 2 whole allspice
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 piece Mexican cinnamon
• 4 cups chicken (or vegetable broth)
• 2 tablespoons manteca or vegetable oil
• 1 piece (about 4 ounces) chocolate fromOaxaca broken into small pieces
• Sugar
• Salt

Wipe the chiles with a damp cloth to remove the dust.  Using kitchen shears, cut open to remove seeds, veins, and stems.  Heat a comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat until very hot. Lay the chiles flat on the skillet and toast until they start to blister and release aroma — about 5 to 10 seconds. You should press them down with a spatula to insure contact with the skillet.  Be careful to not over toast or they will become bitter.  Turn over and toast the other side. Transfer to a large pot or bowl and pour hot water over to cover them.  Set aside until softened, about 10 minutes.

Next, using the same hot skillet, roast the tomato, onion and garlic cloves, turning often until all sides are blackened on the exterior. Remove the blackened skin and set aside.

Turn the heat off under the skillet and toast the sesame seeds, herbs, allspice, cloves and cinnamon for about 30 seconds. Transfer to the bowl with the roasted tomato.

Drain the chiles, reserving the chile water. Put the chile in a blender with some broth  Blend until smooth and transfer to a bowl.  Put the spice mixture with the tomatoes et al in the same blender with some broth. Blend until smooth. Set the spice puree aside.

Heat a heavy bottomed sauce pan until hot. Add the manteca or vegetable oil until very hot.  Add the pureed chiles. Saute until the puree darkens at the edge and is thickened, stirring occasionally. Add the spice mixture along with some broth, half the chocolate and a pinch of sugar.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, Taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency, if needed, with salt, sugar, chocolate, broth, or chile soaking waters.

Add the cooked meat and heat until grease bubbles to the top or serve on the side with your molotes.