How to Throw a Mexican Street Food-Inspired Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

We all know Cinco de Mayo is all about the food. I don’t feel bad saying so–the holiday commemorates the Mexican Army’s unexpected victory over France in the battle of Puebla (but, er, they surrendered a year later). It’s a holiday with little significance in Mexico outside of the state of Puebla, but in the U.S., we use it as an excuse to gorge on guacamole and margaritas. Because now seems as good a time as any to celebrate the amazing contributions of Mexican food culture, let’s use this holiday to focus on the best (and most party-friendly) food in Mexico: the foods prepared and sold by its numerous street vendors. (Bonus: they’re easier than making a traditional mole, though that’s another good choice!)

Mexico’s street food is referred to as “antiojitos,” meaning “little cravings.” It packs a flavorful punch; it can be salty, spicy, sweet, sour–sometimes all of those at once. Above all, it’s meant to be eaten standing up, with or without a plate, juices dripping down your chin. And although in Mexico, street food is often treated as a snack between meals, combining a few of these offerings makes for the perfect meal in itself.

Here’s what we suggest for the ultimate Mexican Street Food Cinco de Mayo Fiesta:

1. Replace tired crudités with spicy vegetable spears.

Spicy Jicama, Grapefruit, and Mango Salad

Chowhound

Vendors all over Mexico City sell plastic cups filled with sliced jicama, carrot, cucumber, and even mango, sprinkled with Tajín–a seasoning consisting of chile, lime, and salt. If you can’t find it, sub lime juice, powdered cayenne, and salt. We’d serve the spears upright in glass jars for a fancy take on the street version, or you can toss it all together, as with this dish. Get our Spicy Jicama, Grapefruit, and Mango Salad recipe.

Tajin Clasico Seasoning, $3.19 on Amazon

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2. Serve corn on the cob–or in a cup.

Grilled Corn with Cayenne, Lime, and Cotija

Chowhound

Corn is one of Mexico’s most consumed vegetables, whether it’s ground into masa for tortillas, grilled and served on the cob, slathered in mayo and lime, or cut off the cob, boiled and served with a creamy, cheesy sauce. If it’s tough to find corn on the cob this time of year, go for frozen organic kernels mixed with sauce, served in individual cups for each guest. Get our Grilled Corn with Cayenne, Lime, and Cotija recipe and our Elote en Vaso (Corn in a Cup) recipe.

3. Make it all about tacos!

Tacos al Pastor

Chowhound

Mexican street food is all about the tacos, and while we don’t suggest making them to order as your favorite vendor might, it’s easy enough to set up a fill-it-yourself taco bar. Don’t forget lime wedges, chopped cilantro, diced white onion, and maybe some pickled jalapeños if you’re feeling fancy. Spring for fresh tortillas made from nixtamal (the traditional way that doesn’t rely on preservatives). Depending on how many prep hours you’re willing to devote, consider slow-cooking pork for Carnitas or marinating and grilling it with pineapple for Tacos al Pastor. (Less traditional, our Turkey Tacos pictured up top are also tasty!) Get our Tacos al Pastor recipe.

4. Make ice pops for dessert.

Mango and Cayenne Paletas

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All over Mexico, people beat the heat with paletas, ice pops sold from pushcarts, with bases of fruit or milk/cream. Play around with funky flavor combinations, or go with a classic like these spicy treats. Get our Mango and Cayenne Paletas recipe.

5. Spike aguas frescas for refreshing cocktails.

Spiked Pineapple Agua Fresca

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Plenty of street carts are dedicated to the sale of fresh juices and/or aguas frescas (fruit blended with sugar and water). Sub the water for booze (or add it to the mix) for a twisted take on a refreshing beverage. Tequila, mezcal, rum, or vodka could all work nicely in these conquerors of hot weather. Get our Spiked Pineapple Agua Fresca recipe and our Almond and Rice-Based Horchata recipe.

Check out all of the recipes for Cinco de Mayo to make your celebration special—and see our favorite Mexican cookbooks for delicious eats all year round.

Related Video: Make Mole Casero and Impress Everyone On Cinco de Mayo

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What Is the Difference Between Mole and Adobo?

Asking about the differences between mole and adobo first depends upon clearing up what adobo actually is—in this case, we’re referring to the complex Spanish or Mexican sauce or marinade often used to cook and flavor meats, which, broadly speaking, could also describe mole. Otherwise, the two sauces are quite different, but equally delicious, and the perfect thing to try making this Cinco de Mayo. 

Adobo

Adobo is a dish that originated in the Philippines, that combines a vinegary marinade with pork or chicken. There are many styles of adobo, including Mexican (with chipotles and chiles), Peruvian, Puerto Rican, Uruguayan, and traditional Filipino adobo. Spanish adobo refers to the seasoning or marinade for the meat, while Filipino adobo refers to the whole dish (for more information, check out our primer on Mexican and Filipino adobo)—and get some Mexican adobo recipes below.

Mole

Mole is a sauce with a completely different flavor profile than adobo. Puebla and Oaxaca are considered the traditional originators of mole, which comes in many different styles. Mole can have dozens of ingredients, and always contains one or more types of chili pepper. Often chocolate is added at the end of the cooking process and most of the ingredients are roasted or charred. Nuts and spices, as well as fruit, can be added to mole during the cooking process. The Mole Casero recipe we learned from Casa Pública combines all of the above:

Mole poblano is the most famous mole dish, but there are many festivals dedicated to the different types of Mexican mole. Mole can also be aged, and the tangy, thick sauce is similar to barbecue sauce but with more complex flavors. Mole can be dark red, brown, black, red, green, yellow, and is very much a matter of personal taste.

Need to find out more about the difference between adobo and mole for yourself? Check out these nine recipes and get started in the kitchen.

1. Black Mole Sauce

A classic Oaxacan mole with charred chiles—pasilla, guajillo, and mulato negro, as well as peppercorns, allspice, sesame seeds, almonds, raisins, and prunes make for an incredibly flavorful mix. Get this Black Mole Sauce recipe.

2. Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Chowhound

The slow cooker makes this mole less daunting than the usual—use a combination of chipotle chiles in adobo with dried ancho chiles, with cumin and ground cinnamon (in addition to bittersweet chocolate and garlic). Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Mole recipe.

3. Pork Mole Coloradito

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In addition to the usual complex mix of dried chiles and chocolate, this recipe brings in cumin, thyme, garlic, a ripe plantain, pecans, and pumpkin seeds, plus sweet yeast rolls to help thicken the sauce. Get our Pork Mole Coloradito recipe.

4. Pork Mole Tamales

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If you want to make a meal with mole but are short on time, use a prepackaged mole sauce to make these pork mole tamales. To compensate for the mole hack, make the basic masa dough from scratch to hand make the tamales. Get our Pork Mole Tamales recipe.

5. 20-Minute Mole

Somewhere in the middle, this easily adaptable recipe for a quick mole includes onion, garlic, and jalapeno with chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and a quick cheat with almond butter instead of using whole-roasted and ground almonds. Get this 20-Minute Mole recipe.

6. Mexican Adobo Sauce

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This simple yet bold Mexican adobo sauce is made in a blender with dried ancho and guajillo chiles, fresh ginger, and cumin; use it for marinating meats or tofu. Get our Mexican Adobo Sauce recipe.

7. Adobo Chicken Tacos

Chowhound

This is a quick chicken dinner made with the above adobo sauce—we recommend making a double batch so you have leftovers for more tacos, or maybe enchiladas. Get our Adobo Chicken Tacos recipe.

8. Lamb Barbacoa with Masala Adobo

This Indian/Mexican fusion is made with a masala blend—cardamom pods, cinnamon, anise, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, fennel, and mustard seeds—that is the perfect match for the adobo marinade. Get this Lamb Barbacoa with Masal Adobo recipe.

9. Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

Chowhound

If you’re looking for the Filipino version of adobo, try this easy slow cooker adobo recipe with soy sauce, rice vinegar, freshly ground black peppers, and some granulated sugar combined with onions, garlic, and ginger for an addictively tangy combination. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo recipe.

Related Video: Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

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What Is the Difference Between Mexican and Filipino Adobo?

“Adobo” can refer to a seasoning, a sauce, or a whole dish—and then, what is the difference between Mexican and Filipino adobo? This will help you keep your adobos straight (and make your life so much more delicious). 

As an American with Afro-Caribbean heritage, Goya adobo seasoning has always held a permanent piece of real estate in my family’s kitchen. Though my family isn’t from the Spanish speaking Caribbean, my uncle married a Cuban woman, so we have had a lot of holiday gatherings where we enjoy a mix of Spanish and English Caribbean Food (eg. arroz con pollo, flan, curry chicken, fried plantains, baked ham, macaroni pie, moros y cristianos, tostones, etc).

Goya Adobo Seasoning with Pepper, $7.73 on Amazon

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From cooking together, we discovered, despite the linguistic barriers and cultural differences, both cultures use adobo with meat and rice regardless of what we call the dishes themselves. It is always funny when we realize our cultures overlap more than we differ.  Now that I am grown and have become a trusted family cook, I have even dabbled in a Mexican style chicken adobo with chilies and tomatoes from time to time. So, it should come as no surprise that I have always considered myself well versed in adobo. I just love the savory, garlic taste with a bit of turmeric and oregano and, sometimes, cumin.

Then, I tried Filipino adobo. It was sweet, tangy, and garlic-infused with fresh scallions (aka heaven), but different than what I was used to. How could the two things have such similar names, a vinegary taste, and yet not be the same dish? Is it just variation on a theme?  Or, are these cultures just unaware that they do the same thing? The answer is actually a fun history lesson and not what you might expect. So, here is everything you need to know about the difference between Mexican and Filipino Adobo.

Clarifying definitions

Spanish Adobo or Adobar

Spanish Adobo refers to both the rub seasoning and/or the marinade that people use to preserve and flavor the meat. At its simplest, the word “adobo” simply comes from the verb “adovar,” which means “to marinate.” So, originally this word was used to describe a pickling sauce that was made of olives, vinegar, and spices in Spain. Thus, the word “adobo” was used to refer to the preservation of meat through pickling and marinating sauces and rubs. Typically the seasoning or marinade will include paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar.

Mexican Adobo

Chowhound’s Mexican Adobo Sauce recipe

In Mexico, they use crushed chilies, spices, and vinegar to make a marinade and sauce that is red, thick, and spicy. As a marinade, it often goes on meats that are then grilled, but as a sauce, it can be used to simmer meat and other sides (see our Adobo-Marinated Chicken Tacos recipe, and our similarly named Adobo Chicken Tacos recipe that uses the sauce to coat shortcut rotisserie chicken). The base of Mexican adobo uses the traditional Spanish spices but adds indigenous ingredients to the mix: tomatoes and chilies. Thus, Mexican adobo is a fusion of indigenous and colonial influences.

Filipino Adobo

Chowhound’s Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo recipe

Filipino Adobo refers to a whole dish. In fact, it is basically the national dish of the Philippines. The dish includes meat, seafood, or vegetables marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. The food is then browned in oil and simmered in the marinade.

Looking at it from an aerial view like this, it is easy to see some similarities: vinegar, garlic, and marinating meat. From there, each culture uses spices that make sense based on their locations and flavor profiles. So, who did it first?  In Mexico, it was a fusion. For the Philippines, unfortunately, like history, the credit goes to the conquerors when it is not always the case.

Colonization

The Philippines consists of over 7,000 hot islands—literally.  The tropical maritime climate averages 79 degrees each year. So, without refrigeration, food quickly goes bad unless you can preserve it. Filipino Adobo, simplified is soy sauce, vinegar, and spices. The acid in the vinegar and high salt content of soy sauce deters the growth of bacteria in meat.

So, when the Spanish arrived and colonized the Philippines, they saw what the Filipino people did to their meat and probably said something like, “Oh! Adobo!” And, there you have it. Filipino Adobo is an indigenous dish that received a Spanish name because it reminded the Spaniards of how they marinated and preserved meat with spices. They are not the same, but they are similar because each culture needed to preserve and flavor food so it wouldn’t rot.

Nowadays, the world has fridges. So, regardless of who thought it up first, we all cook adobo because, well, we just love it.

Related Reading: What Is the Difference Between Mole and Adobo?

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What Are Tomatillos, Exactly? And How Do You Use Them?

What is a tomatillo, anyway? They might just be a food with an identity crisis. They kinda look like a green tomato, yet have a husk like a cape gooseberry and a tart taste that’s all their own. They’re not exactly “little tomatoes,” as their name would suggest, nor does the Spanish tomate verde (green tomato) really tell the full story of what they are. So keep reading to find out all about tomatillos.

Are tomatillos related to tomatoes?

Yes! Botanically speaking, they are members of the nightshade family, which is home to tomatoes and cape gooseberries, too. But tomatillos are a distinct species from both, growing to a roughly golf ball size with a more intensely sour flavor. Like their plant relatives, tomatillos love warm weather and have their peak season in summer and early fall. When brought to full maturity, their fruits can turn shades of red, purple, or yellow, just like their tomato cousins. Tomatillos are mostly harvested and eaten while green and underripe, however, while they still have their signature acidic edge.

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Where do tomatillos come from?

There’s evidence that tomatillos have been cultivated in the area around modern-day Mexico since at least 800 B.C., plus it’s known that they were a part of the diets of the Mayans and Aztecs. Even today, they’re still associated mainly with Mexican and Central American cuisines, serving as a primary ingredient in recipes like salsa verde and chile verde.

How do you choose tomatillos?

When shopping for them, look for tomatillos that have dry and papery husks, avoiding ones that are especially shriveled or damp and moist. The husks should cover the fruit snugly and feel fairly tight—this is a sign that they were picked at the ideal moment just before ripening. The fruit itself should be firm without much give; dark or soft spots indicate that they’re beginning to spoil. There’s also a sticky, protective residue on the skin, which can easily be rinsed off before putting them to use.

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What should you do with tomatillos?

You can cook tomatillos, which brings out their juices and subtle sweetness. Charred tomatillos can be part of the base of an authentic Mexican mole:

But they’re also pleasant raw, adding a biting acidity to salads and more. Whatever you do, don’t swap them out with green tomatoes in any of these recipes: there simply isn’t a substitute for the tomatillo’s signature tartness and tang!

Tomatillo Recipes

Here are some of our favorite ways to eat tomatillos. Share yours in the comments!

1. Tomatillo Salsa

Chowhound

This green salsa can go wherever it pleases—there probably isn’t a single tortilla-based dish out there that wouldn’t benefit from its bright and cheery flavor. Get our Tomatillo Salsa recipe.

2. Guacamole Taquero

Chowhound

Salsa verde and guacamole team up to make one uber-condiment that conquers all other taco toppings. Use it liberally. Get our Guacamole Taquero recipe.

3. Tomato, Tomatillo, and Corn Salad with Avocado Dressing

Chowhound

Raw tomatillos can add spark to a salad. They stand out as the perky one of the bunch in this combination that includes corn, jicama, tomato, and scallions. Get our Tomato, Tomatillo, and Corn Salad with Avocado Dressing recipe.

4. Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

Chowhound

By cooking tomatillos and chicken together in the slow cooker, you get a chile that’s full of savory flavor and meat that is loaded with fresh juices. Get our Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde recipe.

5. Green Halibut Ceviche

Chowhound

The fish isn’t the only thing served raw in this snappy appetizer—the tomatillos are allowed to show their puckery uncooked flavor, too, alongside avocado and green olives. Get our Green Halibut Ceviche recipe.

6. Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Chowhound

Sour cream and tomatillos are blended together in this recipe to make an enchilada sauce that blankets the chicken-stuffed tortillas in oozingly rich decadence. Get our Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas recipe.

7. Easy Corn and Tomato Coleslaw

Chowhound

Tomatillos are one of several ingredients that elevate this slaw beyond your basic pile of shredded cabbage. Serve it alongside some grilled meats for a breezy, summery meal. Get our Easy Corn and Tomato Coleslaw recipe.

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Make Mole Casero and Impress Everyone On Cinco de Mayo

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, learn how to make authentic Mexican mole casero. Just follow along with our senior video producer, Guillermo Riveros, on a recent visit to Casa Pública in Brooklyn, where executive chef Bob Truitt and chef de cuisine Gustavo Rodriguez shared their secrets.

Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not equivalent to Mexico’s 4th of July; it commemorates the Mexican victory over the French army in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla. In America especially, the date has blossomed into a general celebration of Mexican culture, which often just means an excuse to eat lots of tacos washed down with copious margaritas. And maybe take shots of tequila or mezcal.

We’d never say no to tacos or drinks, but May 5 is a fitting occasion to dabble in more authentic Mexican food, from Puebla in particular, and mole is the perfect party dish. It does take time to prepare (there were no shortcuts in pre-Hispanic cooking, after all), but it’s definitely worth it. As another clue to its special-occasion status, note the fact that it includes cacao, which the Aztecs used as currency. Unlike, say, edible 24-karat gold leaf, chocolate brings a ton of flavor to the dish.

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Making Mole

Take a closer look at some of the essential ingredients in mole, and then put them all together in the recipe below.

Chocolate

These days, chocolate may not be quite as precious as actual paper money, but it’s still an essential ingredient in this mole—seek out discs of Mexican chocolate, which is made from cacao nibs coarsely ground with sugar, cinnamon, and almonds. Abuelita is a brand commonly found in grocery stores, as is Ibarra (they both happen to come in hexagonal, yellow cardboard boxes, so are fairly easy to spot on the shelf).

Nestle Mexican Chocolate Abuelita Drink Mix, $3.39 on Amazon

Great for mole, or a cup of Mexican hot chocolate.

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Chiles

One of the other key components of the mole sauce is the chile powder, which is best made at home from a mix of dried chiles that you stem, de-seed, and toast until brittle, then grind to a fine powder. While it adds a bit more time to the recipe, it’s not difficult to do, and the payoff is immense. In a pinch, you can use store-bought chile powder, but make sure it’s super fresh, and a blend that includes a variety of peppers for more nuanced depth of flavor. (To guide you, this recipe calls for four different kinds of peppers: mulato chiles, ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, and dried chipotle chiles; see the Shopping List below for notes on what each one brings to the dish.)

If this already feels daunting, though, you can also try a Mexican mole spice blend like this one, which includes chocolate and other ingredients in addition to ancho and chipotle chiles:

Spice Jungle Dry Mexican Mole Spice Blend, $8.65 on Amazon

Sometimes you just want a shortcut.

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Toasted Spices, Nuts, and Seeds

Mingling with the already-layered flavors of chiles and chocolate, you have a delicious mix of spices in your mole sauce, including cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and oregano—which are all toasted to bring out their best. Toasted almonds are added as well, along with toasted sesame seeds. Sensing a theme?

Charred Vegetables

Yes, even the vegetables are charred to bring additional dimension to the long-simmered, complex sauce. Onions, plum or Roma tomatoes, and tart green tomatillos are easily blistered in a cast iron skillet, then go right into the blender along with the other mole base ingredients.

Masa

Some cooks use toasted breadcrumbs to thicken their mole sauce, but this one uses a combo of masa and chicken stock. You can also use the masa to make homemade tortillas for wrapping around your filling of choice and smothering in mole sauce. (See the video up top for pointers on homemade tortillas too!)

Maseca Instant Corn Masa Flour, $2.88 at Walmart

A classic brand you can find in lots of places.

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Chef-Grade Masa Flour, $14 at Masienda

This is the favorite brand at Casa Publica.

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Lard (Manteca)

Rendered pork fat tastes good and it’s authentic, but if you can’t find any lard or just don’t want to use it, you can substitute vegetable oil instead. If you’re going with veggie oil because you want a vegetarian mole, swap in vegetable broth for the chicken stock too. Otherwise, there aren’t any changes you need to make to the recipe.

Piloncillo

This is unrefined, raw cane sugar, usually sold in molded cones, that has a dark brown color and a round, rich flavor somewhat like molasses in its complexity. You can grate piloncillo, chop it into pieces with a sharp knife, or in this case, simply add the whole cone to the pot, where it will dissolve into the sauce over the long cooking time. Its sweetness helps balance the deep earthy, spicy, and smoky flavors of the sauce.

Goya Piloncillo, 2 for $7.99 on Amazon

Also known as panela.

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Serving Mole

You can serve mole on whatever you like, but a classic—and delicious—strategy is to make enchiladas. Just roll fresh corn tortillas around any number of fillings (roasted turkey, pulled rotisserie chicken, cooked sweet potatoes, shredded cheese, pretty much anything that sounds good to you), and then cover them generously with the mole sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds, raw slices of onion, cilantro, and, if you can get them, squash blossoms.

A little rice on the side and you’ll want for nothing more. Well, maybe a margarita after all…but try some lesser known Mexican spirits too, or a Mexican craft beer. Just be sure to raise a toast—to Puebla, and to yourself for all your hard work.

Chowhound

Mole Casero Recipe from Casa Pública

Make this next weekend; you won’t regret it. (And to save yourself the trouble of converting amounts, get yourself a kitchen scale.)

Ingredients:

• 1 quart chile powder
  • 50 mulato chiles
  • 35 ancho chiles
  • 25 pasilla chiles
  • 25 chipotle chiles
• 165 grams whole, unskinned almonds
• 150 grams sesame seeds
• 10 grams oregano
• 1/2 small stick cinnamon
• 6 whole cloves
• 4 allspice berries
• 6 tomatillos, husks removed
• 6 plum tomatoes
• 3 Spanish onions, peeled and cut into wedges
• 5 liters chicken stock
• 225 grams nixtamal masa
• 165 grams raisins
• 225 grams lard (manteca)
• 2 discs Mexican chocolate
• salt to taste
• 1 8-ounce cone piloncillo

Instructions:

1. Make the chile powder. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Remove caps and seeds from all dried chiles. Spread the chiles on sheet pans and toast in the oven for 30 minutes, until dry and crackling. Rotate pans halfway through so they toast evenly. Once toasted, allow to cool completely, then grind into a powder in a blender or food processor. Mix well and sift through a fine mesh strainer, then set aside.

2. Make the mole base. In a dry cast iron skillet over high heat, char the tomatoes, tomatillos, and onions until dark; set aside. Lower heat to medium, clean the skillet, then toast the almonds and set aside (you can put all of these cooked ingredients in the same bowl once they’re done, or just put them straight in the blender). Toast the sesame seeds and set aside. Turn heat to low and toast cinnamon, clove, allspice, and oregano; set aside. In a blender, puree the charred tomatoes, tomatillos, and onion with the toasted nuts, seeds, and spices, plus the raisins and 1 quart of chicken stock; transfer this base to a bowl and set aside.

4. Blend the masa. Clean the blender, add the masa and 1 more quart of chicken stock, then blend and set aside.

5. Bring the mole together. Heat a wide, deep pot over medium heat and melt the manteca until liquid; you want it to be hot and sizzling. Fry the chile powder, stirring constantly, until it is fully incorporated and bubbling (but be careful not to burn it). Add the reserved mole base to the pot and fry for another 5 minutes while stirring constantly. When it just starts to stick to the pot, add the masa and chicken stock blend, and the remaining 3 liters chicken stock in stages—you might not need all of the stock, and it’s best to add it slowly so your sauce doesn’t become too liquid. Add the piloncillo and Mexican chocolate. Turn the heat to low and let simmer for 2.5 – 3 hours, stirring frequently, until you have a rich, thick sauce you could polish off with nothing but a spoon. Salt to taste and remove from heat.

To serve:

Warm up tortillas with a bit of oil to make them flexible. Roll them up tightly with the filling of your preference, then bathe the rolls completely with warm mole and garnish with sesame seeds, white onion rings, cilantro, and squash blossoms (optional but super seasonal and pretty). If you use a cold filling, like cheese, warm up the rolled enchiladas in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes before plating and saucing. Serve with white or red rice.

Shortcut Mole

If you just can’t commit to the mole-making process at the moment but you’re really craving some authentic Mexican flavor ASAP, try a mole paste as the base of your sauce.

Mole Poblano Paste, $21.45 on Amazon

For when you don't have time to start from scratch.

Buy Now

Otherwise, here’s your mole shopping list:

Mole Shopping List

Essential ingredients and tools for making mole at home

Nestle Abuelita Mexican Chocolate, $3.39 on Amazon

Try adding this to your next batch of chili too.

Buy Now

Los Chileros Mulato Chiles, 2 ounces for $5.70 on Amazon

These aren't spicy, but add complex fruity flavors to the mole.

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Ole Mission Ancho Chiles, 16 ounces for $18.99 on Amazon

These help emphasize the earthy flavors.

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Ole Mission Pasilla Chiles, 4 ounces for $8.53 on Amazon

Add yet another layer of flavor with these pasillas.

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Ole Mission Chipotle Chiles, 4 ounces for $9.97 on Amazon

And bring a bit of smoky spice to the sauce with dried chipotles.

Buy Now

Goya Piloncillo, 2 for $7.99 on Amazon

Sweetness that's far from one-note.

Buy Now

Maseca Instant Corn Masa Flour, $2.88 at Walmart

For thickening your mole, and making fresh tortillas to go along with it.

Buy Now

Victoria Cast Iron Torilla Press, $24.99 on Amazon

If you do want to make your own tortillas, this is a handy tool to have.

Buy Now

Ninja Professional 1000-Watt Blender, $79.99 at Walmart

You'll definitely need a blender or food processor for making the sauce from scratch.

Buy Now

Lodge 10.25-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, $14.88 on Amazon

And a cast iron skillet is ideal for charring and toasting all your components. This one is pre-seasoned, so you can get cooking right away.

Buy Now

Ozeri Scale Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale, $14.95 on Amazon

Measure in grams or ounces, within two decimal points for even greater accuracy.

Buy Now

Follow our Chow-To series for more lessons in great dishes from fantastic chefs, including under-the-radar Persian butter bean stew, classic French macarons, and everyone’s favorite: hummus.

All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission. For more great hand-picked products, check out the Chowhound Shop.

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Pimento Cheese

Pimento Cheese! It's a Southern staple: a spreadable dip for celery, sandwiches, crackers. We make ours with pimentos, cheddar and jack cheese, mayonnaise, cream cheese. Dig in!

Continue reading "Pimento Cheese" »

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Hulu to Serve Up First-Ever Original Food Programming, Inks Deal with Chrissy Teigen and David Chang

Hulu has announced its first-ever series of original food programming dubbed “Hulu Kitchen” with major names attached, including author and fiery food personality Chrissy Teigen, and David Chang, founder of the Momofuku restaurant empire and Majordomo Media.

The two familiar faces in food, Teigen and Chang, along with Vox Media, will begin work on the tentatively named “Family Style”—a cooking and talk show which explores both hosts’ connection to friends and family through eating and dining—with more programming to be announced soon.

Already a New York Times #1 best-selling author, Teigen and her production company, Suit and Thai Productions, have inked a two-year deal with the streaming service, which enters the original food programming arena for the first time, following the success of others, like Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” (also with David Chang). Teigen, Chang, and Vox plan to create a full catalog of food-related programming for Hulu including potential scripted series.

Read More: Best Cooking Shows On Netflix for the Foodie in You

Chang cites a very personal connection to “Family Style” and its concept, saying, “It’s reminded me of why I got into this business, to make someone feel joy and happiness through food,” and adding [about his co-host Teigen] “she is honest and always trying to educate and show different perspectives [on food].”

Teigen and Chang, who became connected through one of his restaurants years ago, enjoy a close relationship and will be working together for the first time on “Family Style.” Chang, no stranger to the food mediasphere, recently launched Majordomo Media, producing podcasts, television, and editorial content all focused on food and culture.

Vox Media, the parent company of Eater, a network of food news and dining websites, will co-produce “Family Style” and much of Hulu’s other expected food content including “Eater’s Guide to the World,” a docu-series that taps into the media brand’s knowledge of the world’s most interesting and delicious cuisines via their extensive network of journalists.

“For nearly 15 years, we’ve had the pleasure of helping millions of people find new restaurants and cuisines, learn about the food industry at large, and share it all with people they care about,” says Eater’s Editor-in-Chief Amanda Kludt. “For Hulu audiences, we’ll lean into what we’re known for and broaden our scope to create accessible and inspiring shows.”

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