Here is Harald Zoschke’s recipe for truffles. He notes: “If you are a chocoholic (like me), and like it spicy (like me), you’ll love these melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffles. They have a pleasant zing, which you will notice shortly after you taste the nice chocolate-fruit flavor. Best of all, this is a truffle recipe that’s easy to prepare! Melting the chocolate in a bowl over hot water is necessary because it would burn easily with direct heat, rendering it useless. Also, avoid even smallest amounts of water getting in contact with your melted chocolate; it would get lumpy, and you would have to start over, melting fresh chocolate.”
Spiced-Up Chicken in Coconut Shells with Mango Cream
This dish is really worth the effort as it makes a very elegant and highly tropical presentation. To test if a coconut is fresh, pound a nail into one of the “eyes,” drain the coconut water and taste. If it tastes sweet it is fresh. Go ahead, mix a drink with some of the coconut water and rum or Scotch. You’ll be surprised by how good it tastes. Open the coconut by baking at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes and let cool. Then, using a hacksaw, cut it in half. From the article Mango Madness!
Tex-Mex Chiltepin Tequila
Chiles and cumin combine here to create the olfactory essence of the Border. Most any type of small chile pepper that you can get in the bottle will work. Be sure to taste it often and remove the chiles when it reaches the desired heat–the longer the chiles are left in, the hotter the liquor will get!
Grilled Tuna with Red Chile, Allspice, and Orange Glaze
Anchos are the dried chiles I use most for they have the best balance of fruity, spicy and earthy flavors. Ancho powder gives this glaze its appealing brick-red color and warm—not fiery—flavor. I definitely find that tuna needs intense flavors, like orange and allspice, to lighten it up and show off that meaty texture.
Chicken Paprika with Dumplings
To celebrate the tasty wonderfulness that is chicken, I asked Dave DeWitt’s wife Mary Jane Wilan to share her all-time favorite chicken recipe. Dave may be the Pope of Peppers, but where cooking is concerned, Mary Jane rules the roost. Here’s her take on a classic recipe that features paprika, another much-loved kitchen staple in the U. S.
Tamale Pie
We first ran this Tamale Pie recipe here, along with video. Dave published it in 1001 Best Hot and Spicy Recipes and it never gets old. I’m going to make a few variations on it this month and I’ll be sure to share them with you here!
DIY Chorizo
This is Dave DeWitt’s recipe for a traditional Mexican sausage that’s often served with huevos rancheros for breakfast. Unlike other sausages, it is not usually stuffed into casings but served crumbled or formed into patties. (There are two varieties of chorizo: this Mexican version that is made with fresh pork, and Spanish chorizo, made with smoked pork.) This recipe requires advance preparation.
