Serves 4

2 pounds acorn squash
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seed
1tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
2 cups parsley leaves, washed and dried
1/2 cup chopped, peeled hazelnuts
1/2 cup small-­diced black forest ham

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Break off the stem of the squash and cut in half from top to bottom with a heavy knife. Remove the seeds and cut each half into 4 wedges.

In a large sauté pan melt the butter on high heat until bubbly, add the squash and move pan around to lightly brown. After 2 minutes, place in oven and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the squash and return to oven to finish cooking, about 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with syrup, sprinkle with coriander, and return to oven for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Place hazelnuts in a sauté pan, place in oven and toast until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Place vinegar in a bowl and whisk in oil, season. In another bowl, mix together the parsley, nuts, and ham, toss with the vinaigrette.

Arrange 2 wedges of the squash per plate, on their side, creating an oval. Place salad in the center and serve.

Film historian Walter Murch was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently to talk about translating the work of anti-totalitarian WWII journalist and writer Curzio Malaparte. He also told us about his love of particle physics and English muffins! Find out what else Walter Murch is up to these days.

Producer Michael Leonhart was on the Leonard Lopate Show, along with Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen, to talk about working on Fagen's latest album. He also told us what he's been reading, watching and eating recently!

Neurologist and psychiatrist Oliver Sacks was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently to talk about hallucinations, how they're caused, and why we experience them so vividly. He also told us he's a fan of ferns. Find out what else Dr. Sacks is a fan of!

This pudding makes a great winter holiday dessert with its jewel-like red and cream colors. The light fluffiness of the sweet rice pudding pairs nicely with the barberry’s full-bodied wild flavor with hints of cranberry. You can prepare this ahead of time, keeping it in the refrigerator and taking it out an hour before serving.

Serves 4 to 6

Rice Pudding

1⁄2 cup short-grain or sushi rice
3 1⁄2 cups whole milk
7 tablespoons heavy cream
1⁄2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Barberry Coulis

11⁄2 cups ripe barberries
1 cup sugar

Custard

1 cup whole milk
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
1⁄4 cup sugar

1. To make the rice pudding, preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Rinse the rice by submerging it in a bowl of cold water, swishing it around, and draining. Repeat twice.

3. In a large ovenproof saucepan, heat the milk and cream, stirring in the sugar, salt, and vanilla. As the mixture begins to simmer, add the rice. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven for 1 hour until the rice is cooked and has absorbed the liquid. Remove the lid and set aside to cool.

4. To make the barberry coulis, in a medium saucepan combine the barberries and sugar with ¾ cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened and the liquid is a jewel-like red color. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Pass through a food mill or strainer to remove the black seeds. Be sure to press through as much of the pulp as possible so that the coulis is nice and thick.

5. To make the custard, heat the milk, cream, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat until nearly boiling. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined. Slowly pour half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking to combine, and then pour everything back into the saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened. Do not boil or the mixture will curdle. Remove from the heat, pour into a heatproof bowl, and cool completely in the refrigerator.

6. Mix the custard with the rice. Spoon half of the mixture into 4 to 6 individual serving dishes (such as ramekins or martini glasses), add a dollop of barberry coulis, and top with the remaining pudding. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.

From Foraged Flavor: Finding Fabulous Ingredients in Your Backyard or Farmer's Market, with 88 Recipes by Tama Matsuoka Wong, Eddy Leroux and Daniel Boulud

This easy-peasy side dish was inspired by the classic soy-sesame combination in Asian home-style cooking. Serve with hot steamed rice and roast pork or grilled fish.

Serves 4 as a small side dish

1⁄4 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces (5 cups) tender chickweed greens
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt

1. In a small pan (cast iron is great), spread out the sesame seeds and toast over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, or until about half of them pop and turn a light golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

2. In a medium skillet, heat the sesame oil, onion, and garlic for about 2 minutes, or until soft. Add the chickweed and cook for 3 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the heat.

3. Mix in the soy sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, and sesame seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From Foraged Flavor: Finding Fabulous Ingredients in Your Backyard or Farmer's Market, with 88 Recipes by Tama Matsuoka Wong, Eddy Leroux and Daniel Boulud

Russell Means starred as Chingachgook alongside Daniel Day-Lewis' Hawkeye in "The Last of the Mohicans." He also voiced Chief Powhatan in the 1995 animated film "Pocahontas" – and he had an advantage, in that he was a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.  He was also the first director of the American Indian Movement.  He just died at the age of 72.  And you can hear his interview from 1995 with Leonard for his memoir, Where White Men Fear to Tread.

Grandmother’s Fried Tomatoes with Gravy (as written in “At Grandmother’s Table,” edited by Ellen Perry Berkeley)
The recipe and story behind it are written by my aunt, Jane Jacobs. The recipe has been in our family since the 1840’s. It is served as the main course of the meal. Note that fully ripened tomatoes are used.

6 bacon strips, or 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 fully ripened tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 ½ to 2 cups milk

Fry the bacon, then remove it from the pan and set it aside. (If you’re using vegetable oil, omit the bacon and heat the oil now)

Slice the tomatoes thick and dredge each slice in salted flour.

Fry each slice in the fat or oil into the flour is nicely browned. The slices will break up somewhat, and small bits of tomatoes and flour will collect in the pan.

Place the fried slices in a serving bowl, straining the fat and juice from the bowl back into the pan. When all the tomatoes are fried and in the serving bowl, add flour to the hot pan, stirring constantly to blend the flour with the fat, juice, and residual bits of tomatoes. Then, still stirring, gradually add milk to make a thick (but not stiff) gravy. Pour the gravy over the tomatoes in the serving bowl. If you’re using bacon, pile the crisp bacon on the top.

 This recipe serves 2 people.

Submitted by Jane Henderson

Senator George McGovern remained true to his liberal Democratic roots, nurtured in South Dakota, throughout his long life.  He just died at the age of 90 in South Dakota, near where he’d spent his formative years.  He won the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 1972 as an opponent of the Vietnam War.  Though he lost to Richard Nixon, he continued to uphold progressive causes – and opposed with equal vehemence the American invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.  He spoke to Leonard Lopate several times and you can hear his conversations with Leonard from 1996 and 2005.

Three Sisters” Posole
Recipe by Juanell Boyd Devloped for Master Gardeners of Middlesex County, NJ

Makes about 6 quarts

Background Information:Posole is a Native American soup or stew made with field corn that has been soaked in an alkaline solution to make the corn more digestable and nutritious. The treated corn is also called nixtamal or hominy. When ground, the meal from the treated corn is called masa (or grits) and is used to make tortillas or tamales (or grits), depending on the fineness of the grind. Traditionally, lye made from wood ash was used to treat the corn. However, this recipe uses food grade slaked lime or pickling lime (calcium hydroxide) which can be purchased where canning and pickling supplies are sold. The directions that I followed indicated that the hulls from the kernels of corn would separate after the soaking process. With the Aztec Blue Corn from the Master Gardener Three Sisters Garden Plot, that did not happen, but it tasted fine and looked rather more interesting with the hulls on, and of course, the hulls add fiber, so I made the posole with the hulls still on the kernels. Posole is traditionally made with pork, but I also found recipes using lamb or chicken. The use of all of the “three sisters” (corn, beans, and squash) is my adaptation of this dish. This dish is vegetarian friendly, as vegetable broth or chicken broth can be used interchangeably, and corn and beans are “complimentary” proteins in a vegetarian diet. The squash contributes vitamin A and the peppers contribute vitamins A and C. I make my own chicken broth using chicken backs, so there is usually a lot of fat to skim off. I usually freeze some of the chicken fat and use it in place of oil for sauteing for a more intense chicken flavor when I make a soup or stew using the chicken broth. I have a great recipe for vegetable broth using roasted vegetables and dried porcini mushrooms. For the vegetarians in the crowd, I’m going to use the vegetable broth and olive oil for sautéing when I make this for the Master Gardener potluck. I was concerned that the squash or pumpkin might stick to the bottom of the pot, or if stirred frequently to keep it from sticking, it would fall apart, so I roasted it separately for addition to the posole just before serving. Adding the raw squash for the last half hour or so of cooking might also work, but I haven’t tried it, and besides, I really prefer the flavor of roasted squash. It also occurred to me that oven cooking rather than stove-top cooking for the last hour might also solve the problem of keeping the squash intact, and eliminate the step of roasting the squash, but I haven’t tried it. As another alternative for the squash, a pumpkin-shaped squash can be baked and the hot posole can be put into the baked squash for serving. For the Master Gardening Pot Luck, I will use the shelled beans from the Three Sisters garden. As they were not dry when harvested, I blanched and froze them and will not pre-cook them for the posole. There are several varieties, but not a very large quantity, so for the first try, I used dried cannelini beans.

The author of Cloud Atlas (and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, Black Swan Green, among others) talked about his favorite words and a few of his favorite authors.

Serves 6 to 8

This incredibly hearty winter soup falls somewhere between a soup and a stew.

The texture and flavor are amazing—it’s filled with chunky vegetables, pasta, beans, and spinach. Pesto and Parmesan swirled in at the end make it even better. I serve it in big shallow bowls with garlic bruschetta on top.

Serves 8 to 10

Pumpkin pie can be boring and dense so I set out to make a better pumpkin pie. Pumpkin has a distinct squash flavor that you want to enhance without overpowering it. I’ve filled the prebaked crust with a lightly spiced pumpkin mixture that tastes more like a mousse than a dense custard. Dark rum and grated orange zest are my secret ingredients.

Serves 6, 2 if you're snowed in for a weekend.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 3 dozen large cookies

4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons bakmg soda

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups plus 21/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room

temperature, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 2/3pounds bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Preheat the oven to 325°E Have ready 2 nonstick cookie sheets, or line 2 regular cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until very light and fluffy.

Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat until well blended. Add the eggs and beat just until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the lour mixture a little at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. When all of the flour mixture has been incorporated, remove the bowl from

the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate.

To shape the cookies, using a tablespoon, scoop out a heaping spoonful of the dough and, using the palms of your hands, form it into a 3-inch ball. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven, transfer the cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely.

Store, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Mousse

Serves 6

For the best results, be sure to chill both the mixer bowl for the cream and the bowl in which the cream and chocolate are blended. Although the mousse will keep, covered and refrigerated, for a couple of days, it is best when served shortly after making. The longer it sits, the heavier it becomes.

2 cups chilled heavy cream

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, tempered

Place the cream in the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, or until soft peaks form.

Pour the chocolate into a stainless-steel bowl. Select a saucepan that will hold the bowl snugly in the rim. Fill the saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Place the bowl of chocolate over (not touching) the simmering water and heat to 120°F on a thermometer.

Slowly pour the whipped cream into the warm chocolate, whisking constantly just until combined. Scrape into a chilled bowl and continue to whisk until well blended.

Spoon into dessert cups. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Mendiants

Makes about 10

The name of these French confections refers to the four orders of Mendicant (beggar) friars whose habits are relected in the four colors of the ingredients—almonds, dried figs, nuts, raisins—used to make it.

1 cup assorted nuts, chopped

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 ounces bittersweet

chocolate, tempered

1 cup cocoa nibs (see note)

1/3 cup assorted candiedfruit like ginger and orange peel, diced

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the nuts and corn syrup over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until the syrup has liquefied and the nuts are evenly coated. Remove from the heat and, using a slotted spoon to allow excess liquid to drain off, transfer the nuts to the prepared baking sheet, spreading them in a single layer.

Place the nuts in the oven and roast, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until evenly caramelized and light brown in the interior. Watch the nuts carefully, as their oil and the sugar in the syrup can cause them to burn very quickly.

Remove the pan from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. When cool enough to handle, break apart any pieces that have clumped together.

Line a clean baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a fine plain tip or a parchment-paper cornet about half full with the chocolate. Begin piping circles about 1 lh inches in diameter and 3/8 inch thick on the prepared baking sheet. (Although not as neat, you can also pour the chocolate from a tablespoon and spread it out into a circle with the back of the spoon.) You should have about 10 circles.

While the chocolate is still soft, begin making designs in the top with an equal assortment of the Caramelized nuts, cocoa nibs, and candied fruit. Work quickly, or the chocolate will set before the decoration can adhere to it. If the chocolate does harden, dip the nuts, nibs, and fruit in a bit of tempered chocolate and "glue" them onto the circles. Set aside for about 1 hour, or until the chocolate has completely hardened.

Serve immediately or layer the circles, separated by sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

NOTE: Cocoa nibs, which are roasted cacao beans broken into bits, are available from cake and bakery supply stores and many specialty food stores.

Lots of Hot Chocolate Drinks

Makes 1 cup

You can vary the intensity of the chocolate by adding more or less chopped chocolate to the hot milk. As a variation on the traditional marshmallow garnish, I love topping hot chocolate with a big scoop of whipped cream and shavings of bittersweet chocolate.

1 cup whole milk

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

SUGGESTED FLAVORINGS

1 vanilla bean, cut in half

horizontally and then split

lengthwise, or 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract OR

1 peppermint candy cane OR

1 teaspoonfreeze-dried coffee granules, dissolved in

1 tablespoon hot water OR

Pinch each of ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ancho chile powder; and chipotle chile powder

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. When it is slightly warm, gradually add the chocolate while whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until the milk begins to form bubbles around the edge of the pan. Do not allow the milk to boil.

For vanilla: Using the edge of a small, sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk, then add the bean to the pan. Whisk in the chocolate. Remove the vanilla bean before serving. Or, if using the extract, simply add it to the hot chocolate.

For peppermint: Stir the milk with the candy cane, allowing it to melt partially into the mixture as it heats.

For coffee: Add the diluted coffee with the chocolate.

For raspberry: Using a wooden spoon, crush the raspberries into the milk after the chocolate has melted.

For spices: Add the allspice, cinnamon, and chiles to the hot milk before you add the chocolate. Add the chiles to taste, keeping in mind that freshly ground chile can be very hot.

These recipes appear in Chapter 8 of Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage by Louis Grivetti and Howard Yana Shapiro.

In 1672 William Hughes published this detail oriented recipe on how to prepare cacao beans:

• Take as many of the cacao’s as you have a desire to make up at one time, and put as many of them at once into a frying-pan (being very clean scoured) as will cover the bottom thereof, and hold them over a moderate fire, shaking them so, that they may not burn (for you must have a very great care of that) until they are dry enough to peel off the outward crust skin; and after they are dried and peeled then beat them in an iron mortar, until it will rowl [sic] up into great balls or rows and be sure you beat it not over-much neither, for then it will become too much oyly

In 1741 Swedish naturalist, Carl Linnaeus wrote a monograph on chocolate (Om Chokladdryken) that was printed in 1778 and re-published in 1965. Much of his text considered the medical aspects of chocolate, where he praised its use to combat pulmonary diseases and hypochondria. He also mentioned, candidly, that through drinking chocolate he cured himself of hemorrhoids! Also included in his treatise were three recipes used to prepare chocolate:

• [Recipe 1] 1 pound cocoa beans (roasted); 1/2 pound sugar, salt and rosewater (combined); 1/2 pound corn flour. Crush, cook over fire all the time stirring so it does not burn; form past into a dough.

• [Recipe 2] 6 pounds cocoa beans (roasted); 3.5 pounds sugar; 7 straws vanilla 1.5 pounds corn flour; 0.5 pound cinnamon; 6 cloves; 1 dracma [i.e. Swedish equivalent for dram] Spanish pepper; 2 dracmas oleana color in rose water. Crush ingredients in a pot, stir all the time over a very slow fire until all mixed; treat it and kneed to a dough, then add amber and musk, according to taste.

• [Recipe 3] 17 pounds roasted cocoa beans; 10 pounds sugar; 28 units (?) vanilla; 1 dracma amber; 6 pounds cinnamon.

In his 1792 book New Art of Cookery, According to the Present Practice, Richard Briggs identified the following recipe for Chocolate Puffs:

• Take half a pound of double-refined sugar, beat and sift it fine, scrape into it one ounce of chocolate very fine, and mix them together; beat up the white of an egg to a very high froth, then put in your chocolate and sugar, and beat it till it is as stiff as a paste; then strew sugar on some writing-paper, drop them on about the size of a sixpence, and bake them in a very slow oven; when they are done take them off the paper and put them in plates

This 1854 for Chocolate Custards appeared in the popular magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book:

• Dissolve gently by the side of the fire an ounce and a half of the best chocolate in rather more than a wineglassful of water, and then boil it until it is perfectly smooth; mix with it a pint of milk well flavored with lemon-peel or vanilla, and two ounces of fine sugar, and when the whole boils, stir to it five well-beaten eggs that have been strained. Put the custard into a jar or jug, set it into a pan of boiling water, and stir it without ceasing until it is thick. Do not put it into glasses or a dish till nearly or quite cold. These, as well as all other custards, are infinitely finer when made with the yolks only of the eggs

The following were collected by Dr. Sylvia Escarcega during project-related field work conducted in Oaxaca, Mexico, during 1998-2000. They appear in Chocolate: History, Culture Heritage by Louis Grivetti.

RECIPE : Chocolate Oaxaquero: Oaxaca, Mexico

            1 kg.          Toasted cacao beans

            1 kg.          Granulated sugar

            250 gr.       Mexican cinnamon

            250 gr.       Almonds

            not defined     Vanilla and coffee beans (to taste)

Wash the cacao and almonds before toasting on a clay comal [griddle]. Toast the almonds and the Mexican cinnamon. Once the cacao beans cool, carefully remove the skin. Grind the cacao beans on a metate [heated, slanted grinding stone], then add the almonds and cinnamon. When well ground, add sugar and mix. Take the hot paste and form bars of chocolate. Let them cool. These can be stored outside until used.  

RECIPE: Chocolate Atole: Oaxaca, Mexico

To prepare the espuma [froth]

            500 gr.       Toasted cacao beans

            50 – 250 gr.     Petaxtli [white cacao beans]

            1 kg.          Toasted corn or wheat

            25  – 100 gr.    Mexican cinnamon

 To prepare the atole [cooked corn flour]

            500 gr.       Corn cooked in water

                  Sugar [to taste]

Toast and peel the cacao beans. Peel the black cover off the white cacao beans and toast. Grind the cacao beans and cinnamon on the metate. Grind the corn/wheat separately, then add to the chocolate. Re-grind to powder. Add water to humidify. Soak the paste all night. In the morning, stir the paste quickly so it will not be solid or liquid. Pour into a chocolatera [ceramic pitcher] and add cold water. Whip using a molinillo until the espuma forms. Separate the froth with a wooden spoon. To make the atole, add water to the corn. Heat until soft. Grind and sieve the soft corn. Boil the powder and add sugar. Mix with a chiquihuite [thin wooden stick], pour into a cup, and then add the espuma.

RECIPE : Champurrado: Oaxaca, Mexico, a recipe supplied by vendors at the Benito Juarez Market, in Oaxaca City.

3          Chocolate bars

1 kg.          Corn

1 large piece    Piloncillo [raw sugar] or granulated sugar to taste

1 liter         Water

Cook the corn in the water for half an hour or until it softens. Grind the corn on the metate and pass through a sieve. Cook again, moving constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens. When it boils, add the chocolate and the piloncillo or sugar. Pour into the chocolatera [ceramic pitcher] and whip with a molinillo [wooden stick].

RECIPE: Molé Negro Oaxaquero: Oaxaca, Mexico (another from the market).

            Chili guajillo                        5 pieces

            Chili chilhuacle negro              5 pieces

            Chili pasilla mexicano             5 pieces

            Chili mulato or ancho negro           5 pieces

            Chili chilhuacle rojo                2 pieces

            Tomatillos                   125 grams

            Tomatoes                     250 grams

            Cloves                           3 pieces

            Allspice berries                   3 pieces

            Marjoram                       3 sprigs

            Thyme                           3 sprigs

            Avocado leaf [dried]                1 leaf

            Oregano [dried]                  1 tbs.

            Lard or vegetable shortening          2 tbs.

            Sesame seeds                      1 cup

            Peanuts [with skin]                 10 pieces

            Almonds [unpeeled]               10 pieces

            Raisins                           3 tbs.

            Pecans                           6 pieces

            Onion                            1 medium

            Garlic [unpeeled]                6 cloves

            Cinnamon [Mexican]                1 large stick

            Plantain [peeled; sliced]            1 large

            Corn tortillas                       2 large

            French bread                      Some pieces

            Mexican chocolate                  60 grams [or more to taste]

            Sugar                           60 grams

            Oil                         60 grams

            Salt                                To taste

            Chicken broth                     As necessary

            Chicken                        10 pieces

            Onion                            1 [medium]

            Garlic [peeled]                    2 cloves

PREPARATION: PART 1

With a damp cloth clean the chilies and remove the stems, seeds and veins. Reserve the seeds. Toast the chilies until black but not burnt. Cover them with hot water and let them soak for 10-20 min. On a skillet toast the seeds, medium heat, until golden. Increase the heat and toast them until black. Cover with cold water and let them soak for 5 minutes. Transfer the chilies to the blender and enough of the liquid to make it pass through a sieve. Save; set aside. Roast the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, unpeeled garlic cloves for 10 minutes. Peel the garlic cloves. Save; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and use it to fry the following ingredients but separately, save them separately: the raisins, the bread until browned, the tortillas, the plantain until golden (add more oil if needed), the sesame seeds. Pass through a sieve to remove the excess oil, and in the reserved oil, fry at the same time peanuts, pecans and almonds. Grind the seeds on the metate [alternatively use a food processor] adding water if needed.

PREPARATION: PART 2

Blend the tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, onion, and spices. Separately blend the seeds, nuts, banana, raisins, bread, and tortillas, adding chicken broth as needed, until well blended. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening on a large kettle, fry the chili paste, until it dries. Then fry the tomato mixture. Let it simmer for about 10 min. or until it changes color. Add the rest of the blended ingredients except the chocolate and the avocado leaf.

PREPARATION: PART 3

Let it boil for about half an hour and add the chocolate. Toast slightly the avocado leaf over the flame adding it to the molé. Leave it simmering for a time, then taste and check for the flavors of chocolate and  sugar. Add chicken broth as much as needed, the molé should have the consistency to cover the back of a spoon. On a large pan cook the chicken pieces with garlic, onion, and salt. Place a piece of the chicken on the serving dish, cover with the molé, and serve it with rice and hot tortillas.

Actress Hallie Foote was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently to talk about starring in the off-Broadway production of "Him," written by her sister Daisy. The chocolate fan also told us what she's been reading and watching recently.

Playwright Daisy Foote was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently to talk about the new off-Broadway production of her play "Him," starring her sister Hallie Foote. She also told us what she's been reading and watching -- let's just say, she enjoys a good mystery.