The last Farmers Market Kitchen of the season took place the rainy Sunday morning of September 29th, 2013. Chef Rossana Ascencio was born in raised in Mexico City but calls Vancouver her home for almost 20 years. She has worked at an award winning restaurant, caters for her own business, Encanto culinary services, appeared on TV, teaches at UBC, and is a cultural promoter of Mexico.


UBC was responsible for bringing in Chef Rossana Ascencio and is also a sponsor for the Market Kitchen. UBC's Continuing Education program offers a variety of evening cooking courses; some of which Chef Rossana Ascencio teaches!

Chef Rossana Ascencio was a very good speaker and teacher and I learned so much about the ingredients and history of Mexico during her demo. She showed us how to make "Chile Relleno con Mole de Avellana" or Stuffed Pablanos Chile with Hazelnut Mole, stuffed with local pork, and flavoured with spices and local hazelnuts and autumn fruits like apples, apricots and plantain. Mole means "sauce" in Mexico.



Mexican chocolate. which is at least 60% cocoa. This mole will incorporate chocolate. Not all mole will include chocolate and depending on the region of Mexico, the mole will be different.
Roasted chile which will be added into the mole. Roasted, veins and seeds removed, soaked in boiling water before adding into mole.

Showing us the different types of chile: Mulato, Pasilla and Ancho.

"Season as you go. Build your flavours from the base up." This is the pork mixture that will be stuffed inside the chile.

When making the mole, you thicken the sauce by adding blackened corn tortillas. After blending the mole, strain it.



These are Chiles not peppers. Char the skin over the stove, and remove it. Remove the seeds and veins in the chile that is where all the heat is from! Then stuff the chile with the ground pork and fruit filling.

Chef Rossana Ascencio with the finished dish!


Here's the recipe for the Poblano chile and mole: