Sesame Seed and Árbol Chile Salsa

Preparation Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic cloves and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the garlic is golden brown. Add the sesame seeds and árbol chiles and cook for 5 minutes, or until the chiles are darkened in spots. Meanwhile, heat a medium-size heavy sauté pan over high heat. Add the tomatillos and cook, turning them frequently, for 10 minutes, or until they are pale green and blackened in spots. Add the tomatillos to the chile mixture in the pan, pressing on them with a spatula to break them apart and release their juices. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender, and add 1 1/2 cups water. Blend until the salsa is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature, and then serve. Reprinted with permission from Fresh Mexico: 100 Recipes for True Mexican Flavor by Marcela Valladolid, © 2011 Clarkson Potter a division of Random House, Inc. Marcela Valladolid is the host of Discovery Travel and Living's Relatos con Sabor (Stories with Flavor), which airs in every Latin American country and on Discovery Familia in the United States. Raised in Tijuana, Mexico, she attended the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and later the Ritz-Escoffier Cooking School in Paris. A former recipe editor/tester at Bon Appétit magazine, she became widely known after appearing as a contestant on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She and her young son divide their time between Tijuana and San Diego.

Preparation Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic cloves and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the garlic is golden brown. Add the sesame seeds and árbol chiles and cook for 5 minutes, or until the chiles are darkened in spots. Meanwhile, heat a medium-size heavy sauté pan over high heat. Add the tomatillos and cook, turning them frequently, for 10 minutes, or until they are pale green and blackened in spots. Add the tomatillos to the chile mixture in the pan, pressing on them with a spatula to break them apart and release their juices. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender, and add 1 1/2 cups water. Blend until the salsa is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature, and then serve. Reprinted with permission from Fresh Mexico: 100 Recipes for True Mexican Flavor by Marcela Valladolid, © 2011 Clarkson Potter a division of Random House, Inc. Marcela Valladolid is the host of Discovery Travel and Living's Relatos con Sabor (Stories with Flavor), which airs in every Latin American country and on Discovery Familia in the United States. Raised in Tijuana, Mexico, she attended the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and later the Ritz-Escoffier Cooking School in Paris. A former recipe editor/tester at Bon Appétit magazine, she became widely known after appearing as a contestant on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She and her young son divide their time between Tijuana and San Diego.