Red Chile Sauce (Salsa de Chile Guajillo)
prep: 60 minutes
cook: 10 minutes

you’ll need…
24 dried Guajillo or red chile pods
1½ quarts boiling water
3 cored tomatoes, cut in half
½ onion
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon canola oil
salt to taste

let’s get to it…
PUT ON GLOVES then remove the stems, seeds and veins from the chilies.
Rinse in warm water; shake off excess water. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and toast the chilies on each side for about 1 minute; set aside. You’ll probably have to do this in batches. Don’t burn the pods or the sauce will be bitter.
Place toasted chilies in a large bowl and cover with boiling water; soak for 30 minutes.
Toast tomatoes, onion and garlic in skillet on medium high heat until golden brown; set aside.
DO NOT DISCARD SOAKING WATER. Taste the water. If it’s bitter, discard and use tap water. Remove chilies from water and place in a food processor or blender container along with the tomatoes, onion and garlic. Add soaking water ½-cup at a time until you reach your desired sauce consistency.
Heat oil in skillet for 1 minute; pour sauce from blender into skillet and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; use immediately or cool and store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Puff Pastry Straws

prep: 30 minutes

cook: 12 to 14 minutes

makes: 24 straws

you’ll need…

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

½ package (7 to 8 oz.) puff pastry dough

1 egg, slightly beaten

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon anise seeds

½ teaspoon chili powder

let’s get to it…

Preheat oven to 425°F with the rack in the center. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

Dust a large work surface with flour; unfold the dough on the flour and roll out until it is a 12-by-16-inch rectangle, about ⅛-inch thick.

Brush the bottom half of the rectangle with the beaten egg (you won’t use all of it).

Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese on the top of the rectangle (the part that DOESN’T have the egg). Fold the bottom half (with the egg) over the top half. Gently roll dough again to seal in the cheese.

Cut the dough into 3 strips lengthwise. Cut the 3 strips in half.

Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on 2 of the strips, the anise seeds on 2 strips and the chili powder on the remaining 2 strips.

Cut each of the strips into 4 strips so you have 24 strips in total.

Hold each end of one strip of dough with your fingers and twist in opposite directions to form a spiral. (You may also want to lay the piece of dough on your work surface and twist the ends of each strip in opposite directions using the flat side of your hand).

Place each spiral on the baking tray about 1-inch apart and press ends down so spirals don’t unravel. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7 minutes; rotate tray in oven and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.