Mole is a dish served which consists of chicken coated in a thick and delicious sauce that is made using chocolate and other ingredients
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs, depending on how many people
1 full onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp of salt
1 full bottle of Dona Maria mole sauce
Sesame seeds
First, boil all of the the chicken thighs. Once boiled, add the onion, garlic, and salt. Then, let the chicken broth cool down and get cold to next pour in a blender with the Dona Maria mole sauce. Next, turn on the stove, heat up a pan and add some oil and let it heat up, then add the blended mole sauce. Stir the sauce together and once it becomes thick, begin adding all of the chicken. Then turn off the stove once the sauce boils and coats all of the chicken thighs. Finish by topping off the chicken with sesame seeds, and serve.
I remember it being during winter season while living in California, I often was at my grandma's home, as I had many relatives on my moms side of the family who lived in California, but this time of year was different. During the holiday season we spent lots of time together watching movies and enjoying good warm authentic Mexican food. Growing up my family had plenty of traditions, that also included eating traditional foods, but when I was younger I had not eaten much of these foods. Whenever we had any sorts of family gatherings, the kitchen would be busy with lots of noises and family members going in and out. These would usually be my aunts and my mom helping to cook, but occasionally there would be someone else sneaking inside to get a snack or a drink which made it much more difficult for work to be done. My grandma usually spent plenty of time cooking, and had prepared seasonal foods which included tamales, arroz con leche, as well as mole. While staying in the living room with my cousins, I could hear all of the chatter coming from the kitchen, as well as the blending from making the mole sauce and the steaming coming from the chicken. I specifically remember getting my warm plate of mole and trying it for the first time, and I think what made me wanted to try it more was the fact my mom told me the mole sauce was made with chocolate. As a child who was a picky eater, this felt almost as a no-brainer to try, although I was still confused and wondering if chicken and chocolate would be a good combination. Even if I didn't want to try it, I probably would have been forced by mom to eat some of it. After taking a small bite, I continued to eat the rest, as I didn't want to give it back to my mom or anything. While eating, it gave me a feeling of comfort and warmth inside of me. After finishing, there was also warm bolillo with the arroz con leche to eat. There was plenty made, but soon after it was eventually finished. When finishing, it kind of had me think about my culture and made me appreciate our traditions and different foods more than I did before, since the holidays were only for a short amount of time and were special.