Taste of Pilsen to bring local restaurants together
CHICAGO (WLS) -- As festivities continue for Mexican Independence, food continues to be at the center. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, more than 20 local establishments offer a taste of their signature dish during the sixth annual Buen Provecho Restaurant Walking Tour. The Eighteenth Street Development Corporation is hosting the event, which takes place in the heart of Pilsen's commercial district in Chicago. The non-profit organization supports economic development in the Pilsen neighborhood.
Alex Esparza, executive director of Eighteenth Street Development Corporation, Oliva Rios, chef for Simones Bar, and Salvador Corona, owner of La Catrina, came into our ABC 7 Eyewitness News studio to tell us about the event and to showcase a few dishes you can sample during the Taste of Pilsen.
Buen Provecho/Taste of Pilsen
Tuesday, Sept. 23
5-8 p.m.
Pilsen neighborhood
1300 S. Halsted to 2000 W. 18th St. and Cermak Rd.
Chicago
Admission:
$25 in advance
$30 day of event
Buy online at http://www.eighteenthstreet.org/buen-provecho
Pick up tickets and map at 1843 S. Carpenter, Chicago, from 1- 5 p.m.
Recipes:
1. Simones Bar: Chipotle chicken empanada
Ingredients:
20 oz. pulled chicken
10 oz. caramelized onions
2 oz. chipotle
1/2 oz. salt and pepper
Empanada dough (baking not frying)
Preparation:
1. Blend everything well. Makes six empanadas.
2. These are served with an avocado sour cream sauce, which is just avocado, sour cream and lemon juice blended together.
3. The chicken is stewed for 20 minutes and the empanadas are baked on the oven for about 8-10 minutes.
4. For a traditional oven at 350 degrees, it would probably be baked for 15-18 minutes.
2. La Catrina Cafe: Torta de mole (Mexican baguette)
Serving for 30-40 tortas
Ingredients for mole sauce:
6 chiles pasia deveined (save seeds for later use)
4 chiles anchos deveined (save seeds for later use)
4 chiles mulato deveined (save seeds for later use)
1 quart of water
2 garlic cloves - sliced
1/2 large yellow onion - diced
1/4 cup of blanched raw almonds
1/4 cup of raw pecans
1/2 cup of raw blanched peanuts
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 stick of cinnamon
2 wedges of Abuelita chocolate tablet
6 whole cloves
6 whole peppercorn
1/2 of chile seeds from seeded chiles
1/2 cup of pure olive oil
Ingredients for chicken:
4 chicken breasts skinless
2 garlic cloves
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 teaspoon of salt
Ingredients for rice:
2 cups if long grain rice
2 large tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1/2 medium yellow onion
3 quarts of water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon or 2 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup of pure olive oil
Preparation:
1. Cut and boil chicken with ingredients. You'll need chicken broth for the rice and mole sauce.
2. Once chicken is cooked, shred it.
Process:
1. Cut chiles into pieces and fry in oil then soak in chicken stock.
2. Fry onion and garlic, place in a large bowl, fry all the nuts and place in the same large bowl.
3. Add chicken stock to the large bowl enough to cover all ingredients.
4. Fry cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon and chile seeds and soak.
5. Brown sesame seeds and soak. Soak chocolate.
6. In a large Mexican clay caso, heat on a high flame until fiery red, lightly coat the bottom with oil.
7. Start blending soaked ingredients, preferably in a blender
8. Pour into caso, stirring frequently until all the sauce becomes dark tan, a good 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add chicken stock to keep sauce from thickening more like a puree.
9. Blend the chiles, strain and add the sauce. Add salt to taste. Add shredded chicken.
10. Brown rice in oil, blend tomatoes, garlic and onion, add to browned rice with 2 cups of water but preferably chicken stock, add salt to taste.
11. Cook in a medium heat until 5 minutes, add 2 more cups of water cook 15-20 minutes. Check water level, add more water if rice needs more cooking time. Rice should be light and fluffy.
12. Take the Mexican baguette (bolillo) slice in half but not totally apart. Place a good amount of rice, about 2 lath heaping spoon full and same amount of mole sauce.
