Since moving to Arizona, I have been exposed to more kinds of chili than ever before. My local chain supermarket stocks many varieties of fresh green chilies. There are Mexican markets with shelves of dried chilies, including the only variety native to Arizona - the chiltepin. More on this diminutive chili later.
The local farmer's market sometimes has a chili roaster and I can pick up warm bags of fire roasted green chili to take home for chili cheese burgers, quesadilla or salsa.
I've been selling my spice mixes at the local markets and a few people asked for a mole blend. This led to an epic search for authentic chili varieties and I was happy to find a creator of single variety chili powders one state over. I love researching old recipes and came up with a spice blend that someone could use to make a good mole negro with only a few extra ingredients.
The blend has five different dried red chilis, cocoa and other herbs and spices and produces a really deep, dark sauce to use on chicken, turkey or duck. One customer was going to make a ground beef chili with it, which sounded good to me.
Whenever finding yourself someplace new, embrace the local cuisine! It will ground you in your environment and create fun in the kitchen!
P.S. If you want to try the mole negro, click here:https://chefmelspicemixes.com/products/mole-negro-spice-blend?_pos=1&_sid=bcb645edb&_ss=r
P.S.S. If you just want to celebrate the chili, click here:https://chefmelspicemixes.com/products/mole-negro-spice-blend?_pos=1&_sid=bcb645edb&_ss=r
