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Mexican Hot Chocolate Throw Down

Posted by Sara on Jun 8, 2009 in Cooking

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After some lively banter and a meaningless wager, I found myself owing a friend a Mexican Hot Chocolate. He owed me one too.

In Texas we like everything big. We even like to talk big. So after a few more big ego, loud-mouthed, witty exchanges, our Mexican Hot Chocolate swap escalated to a Food Network Style Throw Down.

We set a date and invited our spouses and a couple of mutual friends to judge.

In the quiet after the adrenaline-induced smacktalk, I realized: “What IS Mexican Hot Chocolate? And why do I think I can beat Jonathan Rosales at a Mexican Hot Chocolate Throw Down?”

While I spent hours on the web learning about Mexican Hot Chocolate, Jonathan and Julee merely had a chat with Jonathan’s grandma. (Oh yes people…I was taking on the Rosales Mexican Hot Chocolate family recipe. Did I mention we have big egos in Texas?)

More smacktalk, a bit of practice and a lot of chocolate later, the results are in from the judges. Looks like the world wide web knows how to make a Mexican Hot Chocolate. AND it looks like Grandma Rosales also knows how to make a Mexican Hot Chocolate.

Ding ding ding. We have a winner!

Me! I’m a winner for a my world wide web recipe. AND I’m a winner because I got to keep all the leftovers from Jonathan’s recipe.

Thanks guys! It was a lot of fun.

Do you want to make Mexican Hot Chocolate too? Here’s how:

GRANDMA ROSALES STYLE (WITH JONATHAN AND JULEE’S ADAPTATIONS)

1 Cup Chocolate Milk

1 Disk Mexican Chocolate

3 Teaspoons Drinking Chocolate Powder (found at specialty food stores)

1 Small Pinch of Chipotle Powder

1 Cinnamon Stick (Optional)

Warm the milk, chipotle powder and cinnamon stick, stirring constantly. Add the chocolates and stir constantly until melted. Bring nearly to a boil. Pour into a mug and froth with a hand frother. Serves 1.

WORLD WIDE WEB STYLE (WITH SARA’S ADAPTATIONS)

2 Cups Whole Milk

1 Disk Mexican Chocolate (I used the Nestle Abuelita brand.)

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1 Stick of Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 Egg

Chop the disk of Mexican chocolate. Place in a saucepan with the milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat through, whisking constantly, until nearly boiling. Remove from the heat. Crack the egg in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add a spoonful of the hot mixture to the egg whisking together constantly.  Then add the whole egg mixture to the hot chocolate whisking constantly. Return to the heat and cook for 3 more minutes, whisking constantly. Remove the cinnamon stick. Pour the mixture in a blender and carefully blend for about 30 seconds. Pour into mugs and enjoy. Serves 2.

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Drink Pink Drink

Posted by Sara on Jun 1, 2009 in Restaurant Reviews, Texas

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More prickly than pear, I was disappointed with my foray into prickly pears last summer. I continue to see them on menus across Texas, so I have wondered if my experience was more user-error than an inherent problem with the prickly pears.

I decided to give them a second chance. Kenny, Titus and I recently ate lunch at a Wahoo’s a quirky taco chain downtown. One to  respect imperatives, I noticed the draft by the check out commanding that I, “DRINK PINK DRINK”.

What is Pink Drink? A prickly pear soda locally bottled by none other than the Maine Root Beer Company. My yummy experience with the Maine Root Beer at last summer’s farmers’ market was enough to convince me to give Pink Drink a try.

“What do you think of Pink Drink?” I asked the guy at check out.

“Here, taste a sample,” he said. “I’m a big fan. It’s sweet without the sugar crash.”

The prickly pears deliver in Pink Drink. Slightly sweet, slightly tart, with a good kick of fizz – this drink is yummo!

So do what you’re told and DRINK PINK DRINK.

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