I love chile as long as it's not too hot and sprinkle it on everything
from steaks to hamburgers to soup to popcorn. Yesterday I saw powdered
chile pasilla at the store and bought a bag and tried it in tomato soup
today. Very good, though I think I added too much, it wasn't as mild
as the California and New Mexico chile powder I usually use.

I'm going to load up on a bunch more of it, it's $0.69 for a 28g bag.
It has such a rich, complex flavor, though I think I might stick to
using it in addition to the other chiles until I get fully used to the
taste.

BTW, if you haven't tried it already, sprinkle lots of mild chile powder
on popcorn. I first tried it at a movie theater in Mexico City and
while I was skeptical I tried it and loved it. Now it's one of my
favorite snacks.

Pasilla pepper is one of my favorites... where did you find powdered?
Popcorn pasilla or chili sounds great, btw.
Karne

Karen wrote:

Pasilla pepper is one of my favorites... where did you find powdered?

Any Mexican market, so far as I know. Among grocery chains
Albertson's is the best bet.

The thing about pasilla powder is that it's made from roasted
pasillas, and ones that must have been hotter than average.

Steve

Clyde Frog wrote:
I love chile as long as it's not too hot and sprinkle it on everything
from steaks to hamburgers to soup to popcorn. Yesterday I saw powdered
chile pasilla at the store and bought a bag and tried it in tomato soup
today. Very good, though I think I added too much, it wasn't as mild
as the California and New Mexico chile powder I usually use.

I'm going to load up on a bunch more of it, it's $0.69 for a 28g bag.
It has such a rich, complex flavor, though I think I might stick to
using it in addition to the other chiles until I get fully used to the
taste.

BTW, if you haven't tried it already, sprinkle lots of mild chile powder
on popcorn. I first tried it at a movie theater in Mexico City and
while I was skeptical I tried it and loved it. Now it's one of my
favorite snacks.
And by all menas, try fruit(melons,pineapple,kiwi, etc. wiht a squeeze
of lime, and dusted with a chili salt blend-yum!

Does roasted pasilla have a different name (like roasted jalepeno is
chipotle I think)?

Steve Pope wrote:

The thing about pasilla powder is that it's made from roasted
pasillas, and ones that must have been hotter than average.

I can get all the chiles I want cheaply here in the San Joaquin valley.
During the summertime I can string them and dry them outdoors in just a
few days of 100 degree weather. Chiles can also be microwave dried and
ground in a spice grinder but some of the thicker chiles don't dry
well, so they have to be smoked instead.

krusty kritter wrote:

... some of the thicker chiles don't dry
well, so they have to be smoked instead.

[trying hard not to say anything about inhaling chile smoke]

I believe I know you, krusty. Or shall I call you .... "Bob" ?

Ob food: chipotles in adobo, as bought in little cans at any
Mexican grocery and some others, are good stuff. Smoke 'em if
you've got 'em.

--
"Well," Brahma said, "even after ten thousand explanations, a fool is no
wiser, but an intelligent man requires only two thousand five hundred."
- The Mahabharata

Karen wrote:

Does roasted pasilla have a different name (like roasted jalepeno is
chipotle I think)?

Roasted, no. Dried, yes. A pasilla is a dried chilaca,
but some (I think it's a CA/regional thing) refer to a dried
poblano as "pasilla", which it's not. There are two main
types of dried poblano, ancho and mulato. Neither is
properly called a pasilla.

Also, chipotle is a smoked jalapeno, not roasted.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

AH thanks! I have whole dried poblano and ancho in my fridge and I
didn't even know it was pasilla.

Karen

Karen wrote..., On 10/06/2005 21:02:
Pasilla pepper is one of my favorites... where did you find powdered?
Popcorn pasilla or chili sounds great, btw.
Karne

The local Albertson's has it in the spice section, on the rack of bulk
Mexican spices.

Michael Sierchio wrote:
krusty kritter wrote:

... some of the thicker chiles don't dry
well, so they have to be smoked instead.

[trying hard not to say anything about inhaling chile smoke]

Smoke them *outdoors* in a smoker, don't try to be the Zig Zag Man,
you'll
burn out your lungs and die in great agony! Don't even stand downwind
of your chile smoker.
I believe I know you, krusty. Or shall I call you .... "Bob" ?

Of course. One anonymous intelligent lifeform recognizes another from
its
creative nickname.

But "Bob" is somebody else. Maybe your uncle ;-)

Ob food: chipotles in adobo, as bought in little cans at any
Mexican grocery and some others, are good stuff. Smoke 'em if
you've got 'em.

Seems to me like spice on top of spice might result in something too
spicy.

I tried some beef adobado in former McDonald's in Bakersfield which had
been converted to a Mexican fast food place. The beef adobado tasted a
bit like barbecue sauce.

"Reg" wrote in message
. ..


Also, chipotle is a smoked jalapeno, not roasted.

There seems to be a huge range of jalapeno hotness these days
but, even allowing for that, most chipotles seem hotter than jalapenos.

Anyone know why?

Reg wrote..., On 10/07/2005 09:31:
Karen wrote:

Does roasted pasilla have a different name (like roasted jalepeno is
chipotle I think)?


Roasted, no. Dried, yes. A pasilla is a dried chilaca,
but some (I think it's a CA/regional thing) refer to a dried
poblano as "pasilla", which it's not. There are two main
types of dried poblano, ancho and mulato. Neither is
properly called a pasilla.

Also, chipotle is a smoked jalapeno, not roasted.

I checked a few links and there is considerable confusion of terms,
but yeah, this chile pasilla I've got is not smoked, just ground
dried very dark purple/black chile. I've got some chile ancho
powder and it is medium-tan in color.

I tried to look up the species name, but it seems most chiles are
"Capsicum annum" with C. frutescens/chinese/pubescens/baccatum
making up the others. Aren't there any formal names for the
various varieties/subspecies?

Pete Fraser wrote:

There seems to be a huge range of jalapeno hotness these days
but, even allowing for that, most chipotles seem hotter than jalapenos.

Anyone know why?

Are you referring only to the canned en adobo stuff? I
find these products to be quite hot, hotter than the
regular commercially available chipotle I've tried (which
I'm not that impressed with. Homemade is much better,
and the chipotle ends up with the same level of heat
as the jalapeno).

It may be because there's more residual seeds and placenta
in the canned stuff, hence more heat. Just a theory.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

krusty kritter wrote:

Seems to me like spice on top of spice might result in something too
spicy.

Well, it goes well in chili. You know, the Texas stuff. No beans.

I also like the Herdez Salsa Verde, which is quite hot, but you
can temper it with some freshly toasted pumpkin seeds, ground
and salted (or salted and ground), and have a nice mole for
chicken. Quick and easy. I learned this after making the
equivalent from tomatillos, garlic, serranos, etc. and it
wasn't any better than the canned product.

--
"Well," Brahma said, "even after ten thousand explanations, a fool is no
wiser, but an intelligent man requires only two thousand five hundred."
- The Mahabharata