Your Mother is sure to appreciate a fun and informative cooking class, personally autographed cookbook and or gift box of the freshest, purest chiles and ingredients or a place in our Oaxaca Culinary tour.   (We only have a very few days and places for the tour remaining and can not discount it further.   There is  a 10% discount for full payment until May 10, 2018.)

For the next two days, we are offering a 20%  discount on all of our 2018 classes, books and Mother's Day gift box.  And we are discounting ALL of our wonderful chiles 25% OFF.   A gift certificate for a class is good for a calendar year with no charge for rescheduling.)

Our cooking classes are featured in the current or May issue of the "Food Network Magazine" which is currently widely available.  Our story is on page 129.  As always,  I would love to cook with you and share the amazingly healthful qualities of a chile laden diet and ways to cook very healthy.   Did you know that using  pure chiles in either a powder or crushed form help to prevent heart disease and the onset of cancer?  The ideal amount is to eat at least 1/2 teaspoon of the hottest chile you can endure at least 20 days out of 30.    And there  are so many more good to know facts I always share.

Our brunch is a wonderful way to start Mother's Day or kick-off the whole weekend on Saturday which is Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby.  Hats off to all of you Mother's...I want you to enjoy the best that life can offer this weekend.........and the time to enjoy it!

Here's my delicioso menu--For starters, enjoy Bloody Marias made with tequila instead of vodka or Silkies a South of the Border version of Remus Fizz.

Then create a yummy quiche using a chile crust and serve Tres Leches cake for dessert or Hot Chocolate Mousse.

Here's the recipes--

Bloody Marias

The perfect drink before a Southwestern brunch.

Yield: 1 drink

¼ cup fresh tomato juice

2 ounces tequila

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Dash of celery salt

Few drops hot pepper sauce

Ice cubes

optional garnish--long thin slices of cucumber or celery sprig.

If desired, salt rim of a large stemmed glass. If time permits, place in the freezer. Combine tomato juice, tequila, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and hot pepper sauce in a shaker; pour into an ice-filled glass.  Garnish with a thin, long slice of cucumber or celery sprig.

Silkies

This silky, smooth drink is so special that friends have called me from around the world just to get the recipe. This is a great brunch drink, so be prepared to supply a lot of refills!
Yield: 4 servings

10 ice cubes
½ cup frozen orange juice concentrated
1 ounce fresh lime juice
4 ounces gold tequila
6 ounces light cream
2 egg whites
3 Tablespoons sugar or to taste

1. Place ice cubes, orange juice, lime juice, and tequila in a blender. Process until slushy. Add cream, egg whites, and sugar and process on highest speed until very foamy. Serve in stemmed glasses.

CHILE-CRUSTED CHORIZO QUICHE

Quiche is usually quite mild in flavor – but never say no to this sassy version. It’s good for brunch, lunch, or supper, and it’s easy to put together, especially if you already have parched green chiles on hand in the freezer. If you’d like to turn down the heat a bit, just substitute fried tortillas for the green-chile crust .

Yield: 6 servings

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 to 8 large fresh New Mexico hot green chiles, parched, peeled, seeded and de-ribbed

½ pound chorizo or hot Italian sausage, casings removed, meat crumbled, browned, and drained

4 eggs

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup light cream

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1 Tablespoon Caribe (crushed Northern New Mexico red chile) or 1 teaspoon pequin quebrado, or to taste

½ cup hot salsa, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate, preferable ovenproof glass or pottery. Line the pie plate with chiles, opening each one out completely and arranging with points at the center of the plate. Arrange chorizo in an even layer across the bottom of the chile crust.

2. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, cilantro, and cream. Very carefully pour into pie plate, being sure not to disturb distribution of sausage. Evenly sprinkle cheese over egg mixture, and then place onion rings in a circle just inside edge of pie plate. Sprinkle Caribe or pequin evenly over all and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with salsa on the side, if desired.

Reprinted with permission from Hotter Than Hell by Jane Butel

TRES LECHES CAKE

(Three Milk Cake)

This very popular cake has many versions. No one is exactly sure about the origin. It can be served many ways, with whipped cream and fresh fruit or a meringue. 

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking power

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups white sugar (divided)

5 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (divided)

1 cup milk

1/2 of a 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 of a 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1/3 cup coconut liqueur, Frangelico, Brandy or Chambord 

1-1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

Fresh strawberries, raspberries or other berries

1. Preheat oven to 350° F degrees. Grease and flour a 2-inch-deep round baking pan.

2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream the butter very thoroughly, until fluffy, then add 1 cup of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy using medium to high speed of electric mixer. Add the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Beat well using high speed of mixer. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until blended on lowest speed of mixer. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bang cake batter in pan against the counter to remove bubbles in batter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm when pressed.

3. When cake has finished baking, cool 15 minutes then remove from pan. Let cool completely. When cake is cooled, cut in half horizontally with a long bladed knife.

4. Combine the milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk with the coconut liqueur, Frangelico, Brandy or Chambord in a large mixing bowl or blender and blend well.

5. Lift the top half of the cake off and set aside. Place the bottom half of the cake on a large serving dish with a rim. Pierce it several times, then slowly pour enough of the milk mixture onto the bottom half of the cake until well saturated. Replace the top half of the cake onto the bottom half, pierce it and carefully pour the remainder of the milk mixture over the top. Pour slowly so that the milk mixture has time to soak into the cake.

6. Soak and chill the cake for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) in refrigerator. Using a whisk or an electric mixer on medium-high speed of electric mixer; whip the cream until foamy, then gradually add ½ cup of sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla and beat on highest speed until stiff. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with fresh fruit.

Note: A 3 egg white meringue could be substituted for the whipped cream.  Reduce sugar to 1/4 cup.