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The Pepper Chef!
March 07, 2005
INT. CARYN'S APARTMENT--KITCHEN--LATE AFTERNOON
The sink is overflowing with dirty dishes and bowls. Bright orange spots are spattered around the stove. The trash can is long overdue for a changing.
Caryn stands over a colorful bowl on the table, digital camera poised at her eye. There is a quick knock at the door, but it opens nearly at the same time and Matt waltzes in.
MATT
Smells like peppers in here!
CARYN
Roasted red peppers.
Matt leans over the table to look at the bowl.
MATT
What's that?
CARYN
Dip. Didn't know you were coming over.
Matt picks a pita chip off the counter and starts to munch on it.
MATT
Wasting some time before my date.
Caryn repositions the food and snaps another picture.
CARYN
It'd kill you to show up on time?
Matt grabs another chip.
MATT
Who's this for?
CARYN
No one. Just an experiment.
MATT
Perfect. Then I'm your guinea pig.
He grabs the chip that sticks out of the bowl and scoops a generous portion of the silky dip before popping it in his mouth.
CARYN
Good thing I'm done taking pictures.
MATT
Wow. Smoky.
He walks over to the fridge and grabs a half-full bottle of pomegranate juice.
MATT (CONT'D)
And hot!
CARYN
I know. I might have added more jalapenos than it called for.
MATT
I think it chapped my lips.
Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Dip
Chipotle Mole Garnish
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1 cup boiling water
2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 Tablespoons blanched almonds
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 of a 7-oz. can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 cup of pomegranate juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1. Rehydrate tomatoes in boiling water. Drain and reserve liquid.
2. Toast pepitas, almonds and sesame seeds in a dry skillet until lightly browned. Cool.
3. Grind seeds and almonds in food processor until fine. Add tomatoes, chipotles and pomegranate juice. Puree until smooth.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until soft. Add the pureed mixture and saute until thickened (about 15-20 minutes).
5. Melt the chocolate into the mixture. Thin sauce with reserved tomato liquid until desired consistency (I used 1/2 cup). Simmer for a minute to blend flavors.
Makes about two cups. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To use as a sauce for meats or vegetables, use only one or two of the chipotles and thin the finished sauce with chicken broth. Vary the chocolate to taste.
Pita Chips
5 loaves of stale pita
olive oil
cumin
paprika
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brush the pita with olive oil and cut into halves and then thirds to form wedges.
3. Dust with cumin and paprika.
4. Bake on a cookie sheet until golden and crispy (about 20 minutes).
Posted by Caryn at March 7, 2005 06:17 AM | Printable Version | Recipe Only
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Comments
Caryn, nice recipe, I've been on a bit of a chipotle in adobo kick myself and pomegranates, well, don't get me started!
I get such a kick out of your blog though I have to admit, I keep wondering when the movie is coming out ;)
Posted by: Amy at March 7, 2005 09:23 PM
This looks great - but you did not say if you liked it :) What did you think of the results? I bet its tasty.
Posted by: Sasha at March 8, 2005 11:30 AM
Amy, I haven't cooked much with chipotles before and I was pleasantly surprised by how much flavor they pack. I'm tickled that you visit my blog. No plans for the movie yet. :)
Okay, Sasha, I'll confess that I'm not a fan of red peppers, so I didn't think I would love it. However, those chipotles really bring out an interesting side of the roasted red peppers. I like a garnish that adds dimension, so I'm happy with the results.
Posted by: caryn at March 8, 2005 05:27 PM
what a glorious photograph. This entry was superb, despite the fact I couldn't find the eggplant. This is one I think I might try one day.
Just to let you know, the results have just been posted .
Posted by: sam at March 8, 2005 09:11 PM
Def try this one! We just made the dip though and not the pita chips ( we used regular tortilla chips..) but it was wiped out before halftime of the Giants game... I had trouble finding most of the ingredients so I searched the web and found this site -
http://www.jdfinefoods.com/dried_fruit/sun-_dried_tomatoes.htm
they also had the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and blanched almonds (no promenegrate juice though)
Posted by: Eddie at November 23, 2008 09:19 AM