Photo by Glenna Augborne - The Mitsitam Cafe's Mexican Hot Chocolate

Using arbol chiles and dried poblano peppers to season the chocolate, as ancient Mayans and Aztecs did at the time of the conquistadors’ arrival, Hetzler blends the hot with the sweet to make this indigenously inspired drinking chocolate.

For summer cookouts and late nights watching fireworks, try this twist on an old favorite. Or taste it all year round at the Mitsitam Cafe in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

The Mitsitam Cafe’s Mexican hot chocolate recipe

Serves 4-5

1 gallon milk

½ stick Mexican or regular cinnamon

3 arbol chiles

1 pasilla pepper, or dried poblano

1 cup sugar

3 pieces Mexican chocolate

1 cup cocoa powder

To prepare:

Heat milk with cinnamon and dried peppers. Once milk has scalded, remove cinnamon and dried peppers, and remove from heat. Break up Mexican chocolate into small pieces. Whisk in sugar, cocoa powder and Mexican chocolate pieces. Place the combined chocolate milk on heat, and whisk until it simmers. Serve immediately.

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The American Indian News Service is produced for the National Museum of the American Indian by journalist Kara Briggs, Yakama/Snohomish. All content is free to publish or post. Email her at editor@americanindiannews.org. Visit the American Indian News Service at www.americanindiannews.org.

Photo by Leonda Levchuk, Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Cherry-dusted sea scallops from the Mitsitam Cafe at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

Cherry-dusted sea scallops, with roasted-garlic potato hash and cherry reduction, is an elegant dinner that can be made year round, but is never more suitable than in the sweet months between cherry blossoms and cherries ripening.

Cherry-dusted sea scallops, roasted garlic and potato hash with cherry reduction, serves 4

Ingredients

12 sea scallops

1 cup dried cherries

3 oz. olive oil

2-3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced small

4 cloves roasted garlic

3 tbsp. cornstarch

Note:  For roasted garlic, place garlic cloves with about 2 tbsp. vegetable oil on a roasting pan in a 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

For sauce

2 cups cherry juice

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup sugar

To prepare cherry dust

1. Lightly coat dried cherries with cornstarch and place in a 200-degree oven overnight, about 12-14 hours.
2. Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature.
3. Puree in coffee grinder and set aside. (Note: If cherries still feel like they have a lot of moisture in them, dry for longer in oven.)

To prepare sauce

1. In a medium sauce pan, add in all ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce by three-fourths and cool completely (should be the consistency of syrup; if too thick thin with more cherry juice).

To prepare potato hash

1. Heat a medium non-stick sauté pan with 2 tbsp. of olive oil.
2. Mash the roasted garlic in the saute pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.
3. Add diced potatoes and sauté until potatoes are golden brown and soft through.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare scallops

1. Heat a medium non-stick sauté pan with 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
2. Season the scallops with salt and pepper, and lightly dust with cherry dust. Sear scallops for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side.
3. Remove scallops from pan. Let rest for 1 minute before plating up.

To plate up (7-inch round plate or a plate of your choosing)

1. Using a 1 ½-inch ring mold in the center of the plate, fill with potato hash and pack down with a spoon.
2. Lightly drizzle about 1½ ounces of the cherry sauce on the plate. Then place the seared scallops as if on the face of a clock at four, eight and 12. Serve warm.

Courtesy of the American Indian News Service

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