A monthly cooking challenge to spice up your kitchen… Try something new for dinner! Each month, pick up a FREE spice sample. The packet will also include a simple recipe and a list of cookbooks with additional recipes using the featured spice. Post a photo of your completed dish on Facebook or email it to jdickenson@polklibrary.org for an entry into our monthly gift card drawing.

August's Spice: Ancho Chile Powder
Ancho chile powder is made from sweet and earthy chilies, that are mildly hot. The chilies are native to Puebla, Mexico. Along with chocolate, these chiles form the base of a popular mole. In Mexico, there are three peppers that change names when changing state: smoked jalapeños are chipotles, dried chilacas are pasillas, and dried poblanos are anchos.

Recipe: Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ears of grilled corn on the cob (grilled corn offers extra flavor, but boiled or steamed corn on the cob works, too)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
• ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder (plus more for sprinkling)
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup finely grated Cotija cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, ancho chile powder, and salt. Stir until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the cheese and cilantro. Set both bowls aside.
3. When your corn is grilled, brush the mayonnaise mixture all over one ear of corn. Over a plate, sprinkle the Cotjia mixture liberally all over, turning the corn as necessary (it's going to be a little messy, no way around it!). Place the finished cob on a separate serving plate.
4. Repeat for the remaining corn, using the cheese in the bowl and the excess on the plate as needed.
5. Sprinkle a pinch or two of additional ancho chile powder lightly over the corn.
6. Serve warm.

Cookbooks with other ancho chile powder recipes:

• Great Burgers by Bob Sloan
• Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia C. Simpson
• America's Most Wanted Recipes at the Grill by Ron Douglas
• Big Small Plates by Cindy Pawlycn
• Dips & Spreads by Dawn Yanagihara