The Mexican Pantry Recipe

Ingredients

CHIPOTLE PEPPERS - Find these smoked jalapenos sold in cans labeled "chipotle peppers in adobo sauce." Available at many grocery stores, the pepers and sauce add smoky heat to sauces and stews.
DRIED NEW MEXICO CHILE PEPPER - This mild, flavorful chile offers an excellent choice for your first forays into cooking with dried chiles.
ANCHO CHILE PEPPER - A dried poblano chile pepper is called and ancho chile pepper. These mild chiles possess caramel, raising, and fruit flavors.
DRIED GUAJILLO CHILE PEPPER - the guajillo is fruity and mild, much like the New Mexico Pepper. Dried chiles last up to a year in the pantry, but they are most flavorful the first few months after purchase.
POBLANO PEPPER - This bulbous chile can be roasted, or stuffed and fried for chiles relleno. When dried, it is called an ancho chile.
JALEPENO PEPPER - Easily the most popular chile pepper in the US, the jalapeno can be minced or sliced and served raw, or it can be stuffed, cooked and served as a popper.
CHILI POWDER - This blend of ground chilies, cumin, oregano and other spices is not to be confused with ancho chile powder, which is just the ground chiles.
MEXCIAN CHORIZO - The raw pork sausage is seasoned with ground chiles, cumin, and other spices. It's an excellent companion to potatoes, eggs, or chicken.
SPANISH CHORIZO - Not to be confused with Mexican chorizo,m this cured sausage is firm like pepperoni. Its unique flavor comes from the smoked paprika, garlic, herbs, and salt.

Preparation

Step 1

QUESO FRESCO - This crumbly white cheese gets sprinkled on many dishes, such as exhilada. Refrigerate and use the cheese within a few days of purchase.

OAXACA CHEESE - This string cheese from the Mexican state of Oaxaca is easy to spot because it's always tied in a knot. Pull it into shreds or grate it straight onto food dishes.

ASADERO CHEESE - This mild, chewy white cheese is often used as a stuffing for chiles rellonos or quesadillas.

LIMES - Use them to add a burst of bright flavor to foods or to moisten the rims of your margarita glasses before salting.

TOMATILLO - This tart fruit is related to the tomato. It is an essential component of Mexican green sauces, such as salsa verde. Peel off the papery outer husk and rinse the tomatillo before cooking.

AVOCADO - Rich avocados aren't jus for guacamole. Serve them with most any Mexican meal. To tell when a fruit is ripe, pres the nub at the stem end, if it's springy, the avocado needs more time to mature and soften.

HOT SAUCE - Named after the oldest city in Mexico, Cholula brans is a bopular hot sauce. Thicker than most other hot sauces, it contains plenty of vinegar to mellow its bite.

MASA HARINA - literally translated as "dough flour", this ground cornmeal is used to make tortillas and to thicken soups and stews. Blue varieties are made by grinding blue corn kernals.