Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> They'll be used in a Cherry Chipotle relish.

At <http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/96oct/salsa/salsa.htm>, there is a
description of various salsa-making methods employed by Rick Bayless.
One of the recipes is for tomato-chipotle salsa made with dried
chipotles. The stems are snapped and the chipotles are heated on each
side for a few seconds on a dry griddle over medium heat, then pressed
with a metal spatula until they crackle and you can just smell them.
Then they are trasferred to a bowl, covered with hot water and soaked
for twenty minutes and stirred often. Then they are drained and pulsed
in a food processor with the other ingredients.

Zarela Martínez, in her recipe for salsa de barbacoa con chile colorado
(in _Food from My Heart_), just covers the chipotles with boiling water
and lets them soak until softened, about 10 minutes.

Bubba