Ancho and Poblano Chiles
THE PEPPER PANTRY

Dave DeWitt

Paperback:
Perfect bound, 65 pages, 5" x 8" 
ISBN 978-1-482598-59-9
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Barnes & Noble $6.95

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About the Book

It’s called “the wide one,” the broad, flat, heart-shaped dried pod that results from sun-drying of the mature red poblano pod.

Starting with Spanish conquistadors’ amazed discovery of the Aztecs’ fiery cuisine almost five hundred years ago, Dave DeWitt, one of the foremost authorities in the world, details this delicious pepper’s fascinating past in history and legend—leading to the very special taste treat it brings us today.

This handy little book is exploding with a full menu of information, taking the chiles from seed to shelf to stomach. And DeWitt’s wide-ranging compilation of recipes for both the fresh poblano and dried ancho makes the most of their uniqueness—not too hot but oh so delicious!

Preview

The fresh green form is called chile poblano, or “chile of the people,” and “poblano” is descriptive of the Valley of Puebla, where large-scale production may have first begun. Literally, chile ancho means “wide chile pepper,” an allusion to the broad, flat, heart-shaped dried pod that results from the sun-drying of the mature red poblano pod. In the United States, the variety is called “ancho/poblano,” but in Mexico, the variety is called “ancho” and the poblano is its processed green form….

The Ancho chile figures prominently in the legend of the origin of the famous Mexican dish mole poblano. The story goes that the dish was invented in the sixteenth century by Sor Andrea de la Asuncíon, a Dominican nun at the convent of Santa Rosa in the city of Puebla. It seems that the archbishop was coming to visit, and the nuns were worried because they had no food elegant enough to serve someone of his eminence. So they prayed for guidance and one of the nuns had a vision. She directed that everyone in the convent begin chopping and grinding everything edible they could find in the kitchen. Into a pot went chiles, tomatoes, nuts, sugar, tortillas, bananas, raisins, garlic, avocados, and dozens of herbs and spices. The final ingredient was the magic one: chocolate. Then the nuns slaughtered their only turkey and cooked and served it with the mole sauce over it to the archbishop, who declared it the finest dish he had ever tasted.

About the Author

If Dave DeWitt’s life were a menu, it would feature dishes as diverse as alligator stew and apple pie à la mode—not to mention the beloved chile peppers that have become the basic ingredient of so many of his projects and accomplishments.

Since starting out in the electronic media, Dave has built careers as a businessman, educator, administrator, producer, on-camera personality, author, and publisher. Currently, in addition to serving as CEO of Sunbelt Shows and co-producer of the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show, Dave is always busy sharing his chile pepper expertise in as wide a range of forums as possible.

Besides writing more than forty books (mostly on fiery foods but also including novels, food histories, and travel guides), Dave is publisher of the Fiery Foods & BBQ Super Site (at www.fiery-foods.com), and was a founder of Chile Pepper magazine and Fiery Foods & Barbecue magazine.

From his beginning as a radio announcer, Dave went on to own audio/video production companies for which he wrote, produced, and voiced hundreds of radio and television commercials. After moving to New Mexico in 1974, he wrote and hosted the “Captain Space” TV show which beat out both “Saturday Night Live” and “Star Trek” in its Saturday midnight time slot, and, in an entirely different sphere, curated the Albuquerque Museum’s 1984 exhibit Edward S. Curtis in New Mexico.

The interest in chile peppers and spicy foods that has helped make Dave one of the foremost authorities in the world has led to such best-sellers as The Whole Chile Pepper Book, The Pepper Garden, The Hot Sauce Bible, The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia, and The Spicy Food Lover’s Bible. His latest book on the subject is Chile Trivia.

As the ultimate testament to his fame and achievement, The New York Times has declared him to be “the Pope of Peppers.” Dave is an associate professor in Consumer and Environmental Sciences on the adjunct faculty of New Mexico State University, and also serves as chair of the Board of Regents of the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.

Inside Ancho and Poblano Chiles

This handy little book
is exploding with
information about
ancho and poblano chiles

Part 1:
The Chile of the People and the Wide One
• Nomenclature 
• Horticultural History
• Legend and Lore

Part 2:
From Seed to Shelf
• Botanical Description and Heat Scale
• Agriculture
• Recommended Ancho/Poblano Varieties
• Poblano Gardening Tips 
• Preserving the Pods

Part 3:
Anchos and Poblanos in the Kitchen
• Culinary Usage 
• Salsas, Sauces, and Dressings
• Appetizers and Breakfast  •  Soups and Salads
• Main Dishes 
• Side Dishes
• Drinks, Breads, and Desserts

Part 4:
Resources
• Further Reading 
• Seed and Plant Sources
• Chile Pepper Suppliers and Online Hotshop Websites