Johnny Depp and the Mexican Grocery
Posted by Heidi McDonald on Mon, Aug 09, 2010 @ 02:39 PM
In order to make the Mole sauce in section 3.7, I had to get out of my comfort zone (the local grocery store) and go to Pittsburgh’s Strip District to find a couple of the ingredients, namely, Mexican chocolate, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
The Strip is a bustling market district where one can buy any kind of ingredient.
I have been to The Strip before, mostly with my mom during Christmas season, to buy fruit cake ingredients. Sometimes we’ve taken tourists there to marvel at the crazy-big fish displays in Wholey’s. I went there to meet Top Cheftestants Eli Kirshstein and (Top Chef University instructor) Richard Blais when they came through on the Top Chef Tour Bus earlier this summer.
I have not typically, however, gone to the Strip during a normal weekday or without worrying about parking, or in search of specific ingredients. Today, my daughter and I went adventuring.
First, I stopped at Mon Aimee chocolaterie for the Mexican chocolate. I was not surprised to see a big photo of Johnny Depp hanging in the chocolaterie, as he’s been in two chocolate-covered movies: Chocolat and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Anyplace with a Depp Display is sure to rise meteorically on my list of favorite places.
The Mexican chocolate recommended by the affable proprietress for this recipe has cinnamon and almonds in it already, so when making my mole I’ll have to be careful with my use of cinnamon.
I can’t be in a chocolaterie without picking up a couple of Vosges gourmet bars; I’ve tried every single one of their “exotic chocolate” bars at one point or another, and my favorite one is the Black Pearl bar (and not merely because it’s called “Black Pearl” like Captain Jack Sparrow’s ship…the chocolate is just as tasty and decadent as Captain Jack).
Across the street from the chocolaterie is Reyna Foods, the Mexican grocery store.
I had never been in a Mexican grocery store and was amused and intrigued to see literally, over a hundred different kinds of hot sauce, with names like “Kick Your Chicken,” “Colon Cleaner,” “African Voodoo,” and “Ass Blaster.” It seemed to me that the makers of “Cock Flavored Soup Mix” should have taken a course in American marketing. The store smelled intoxicatingly like peppers and fresh tortillas and was extremely colorful with piñatas, serapes, sombreros, and Dia de Los Muertos statuettes.
Among the many types of salsa and marinades (I bought a chipotle marinade and some freshly-made tortillas), they sold jars of mole sauce, and I considered buying a jar just so I could see how close mine is…but I did not want to be tempted to cheat, nor did I want my first taste of mole sauce to be from a jar.
My daughter opted for a steak taco prepared to order by a Mexican woman on a grill outside the store, as I bought a yummy chilled coconut beverage from their freezer. My daughter, now understanding that some places make tacos better than Taco Bell, declared that this adventure “rocked.” I had to agree. I am actually looking forward to the next time I have a reason to venture to The Strip for ingredients!
You will hear more from me after I’ve made the mole, but in the meantime…going outside your comfort zone every once in awhile can be a good thing! It sure was, today!
Hungrily yours,
Heidi in Pittsburgh