FESTIVE MOOD, FESTIVE FOOD, FESTIVE TABLE = A Mexican Dinner
Elaborate or simple, it's easy to get into a Mexican mood.
First cook up some of your favorite Mexican recipes. Set the table with your most colorful items. Add some props that fit the Mexican theme to your table ie: A Mexican throw, Sombrero, terra cotta pots, cactus, brightly colored paper flowers or real zinnias, sunflowers and mexican folk art tissue paper cut outs called papel picado.
serves 8
This recipe is from one of my very favorite cookbooks- Olives & Oranges.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 lemon
2 dried arbol chilies ( you can substitute cayenne) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile_de_árbol
Favorite Tart Dough or store bought
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Fleur de sell medium-course or gray salt
Word of Warning- when first making the tart, only add one dried chili, until you know your heat tolerance.
I used a different dried chile, big mistake, it was the hottest of all chilies.
Put the cream in a small saucepan. Cut two 1-inch-wide lengthwise strips of peel from the lemon and set lemon aside. Add peel to the crea. Crumble chile or chilies into the cream including seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat; stir and remove from heat. Cover and set aside to steep.
Fit the dough into an 8-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. (Or use a pre-made pastry shell). Fold the edges of dough under around the rim to form a double-thick edge. Decoratively score the edge. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Regfrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Remove tart shell from drefigerator and line with parchment paper. Weight with dried beans or pie weights. ( It's good to buy pie weights, since you can use them again and again. They are made of ceramic and last forever). Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees F. and continue to bake until edges of crest are lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking until bottom of crust appears dry, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack.
Gently melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat. Pour cream mixture through a fine-mesh strainer over chocolate, pressing down on chilies and lemon peel to extract the best flavor. Discard chilies and peel Whisk cream and chocolate together, then zest remaining lemon over mixture and whisk to combine.
Pour chocolate mixture into tart shell. Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 1 hour. Sprinkle tart with about 1 teaspoon sea salt just before serving.
Buen provecho !
As Always,
xxoo Sheila
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