Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Holy Mole!

Between June 1946 and the summer of 1949, something terrible happened to Arizona. Amnesia, perhaps, or Taco Bell (or a precursor). I'm not sure which. What I do know is that during my two years at Phoenix Junior College, every Thursday the cafeteria served enchiladas en mole. And that when my friends and I went down to South Central Avenue to Mexican restaurants, the combinacion plate included enchiladas en mole. But, when my first husband and I returned to Phoenix briefly in 1949, there had been a proliferation of Mexican restaurants, none of which had ever heard of mole.

In the meantime, back in Chicago, there opened a number of Mexican restaurants. Amost all of which served enchiladas en mole. In all my subsequent years in Chicago, I never had a problem ordering mole in a Mexican restaurant, whether fancy or cheap.

I should explain. Mole has nothing to do with rodents who live underground; besides, you pronounce the final "e". Mole is a sauce or gravy usually containing unsweetened chocolate, spices, ground seeds (pumpkin, for example) and thickening agents. No tomatoes. It is yummy. It beats those red "enchilada sauces" all hollow!

Perhaps, I thought when we returned to Arizona, a full recovery from amnesia (or Taco Bell-ization) might have occurred. Nope. Not as far as I can tell.

Yes, one can get mole in Prescott. March over to your neighborhood Safeway or Fry's or Wal-Mart (where I took the pictures). There it is. If I have company, I can easily whip up chicken en mole, thanks to Dona Maria. Or La Costena. But it would be oh so cool if a local restaurant would just buy a few jars and make me some enchiladas en mole so I don't have to do the dishes!

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:48 AM

    Mole, never heard of it, but it does sound like it would be good.

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  2. We have some Mexican restaurants up here that serve mole. Maybe I'll haul you off to one. They don't do enchiladas en mole, but do chicken mole instead.

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  3. Sounds yummy. Everybody should try mole!

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