Reviewed for Good Cooking by Ellen London, December 2005

Southwestern Cuisine is quickly gaining popularity across the United States. While dining out, we are attracted to its bright bold flavors, but other than the occasional taco, how many home cooks have added southwestern recipes to their repertoire? With her public television series "Savor the Southwest" and accompanying cookbook of the same name, Barbara Pool Fenzel attempts to make Southwestern cuisine both approachable and enjoyable for home cooks across the nation.

In addition to her personal favorites Fenzel has compiled recipes from some of the best chefs of the region. Contributors include James Beard Award winners and four star chefs. The home cook should not panic however, because this book was written exclusively with them in mind. As Fenzel writes, the recipes, "require no special skills for success ... and everything is clearly explained."

To see how accessible Savor the Southwest recipes could be Good Cooking attempted to make a quick weeknight dinner. Our main course, Ancho-Glazed Chicken, was a success. All of the ingredients including the ancho chilies could be found at our local supermarket. Also the recipe made use of the ubiquitous boneless skinless chicken breast, which we are always looking for innovative ways to use. 

The dish does require an overnight marinating, but the effort pays off in moist chicken with intense flavor. The recommended side dish of sauteed chard is a perfect weeknight recipe. The chard's refreshing flavor and crisp texture is an ideal accompaniment to the chicken and it literally takes minutes to prepare.
We finished dinner with South-of-the Border Chocolate Cookies. The dough can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated. We shaped the cookies from the prepared dough and baked them off as we finished dinner. The cookies were a nice sweet finish to the meal.

Ancho~Glazed Chicken
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger
Serves 6 

The chefs use one of their favorite chiles---the aromatic, coffee-scented ancho---in a marinade that is basically an ancho chile sauce. Use it in any recipe that calls for a red sauce.

Marinade
7 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 cups water, plus 1 or 2 tablespoons if needed
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 chicken breast halves, bone-in, skin removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chipotle-Corn Relish (see page 210), for accompaniment (optional)
Seared Chard (see page 132), for accompaniment (optional)

Do Ahead---The marinade and the paste can be made 2 to 3 days ahead and kept, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.

For the marinade: In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, toast the chiles until soft and brown, turning frequently to avoid scorching, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the toasted chiles to a saucepan and add the vinegar and 1 cup of the water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes to soften the chiles. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and puree until a smooth paste is formed, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of water, if necessary. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add the onions and saute until deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper; cook another minute. Add the reserved Chile paste and saute 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining cup of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove half of the sauce from the par and put into a bowl to cool (this will be the marinade).

For the paste: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, orange and lemon juices, and tomato paste. Add to the remaining sauce in the pan and cook the mixture for another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Coat the breasts generously with the cooled ancho marinade and put in a glas dish or heavy plastic bag; refrigerate and allow to marinate 2 to 4 hours or overnight.

Remove the breasts from the refrigerator. Preheat a broiler. Place the breasts directly on a baking sheet under the broiler; sear about 1 minute on each side. Brush with the ancho paste. Preheat an oven t0 350°. Bake until the juices run clear, another 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with additional ancho paste. Remove from the oven. Place a chicken breast on each of 6 plates. Serve immediately with chiplote-corn relish and seared chard, if desired.

South of the Border Chocolate Cookies

Makes about 6o cookies These are addictive and easy to make, and the dough keeps in the refrigerator up to a day ahead, ready 
to bake and serve. if you want larger or smaller cookies, adjust the diameter of the dough cylinder, but also remember to 
adjust the cooking time. 

Do Ahead: The cookies can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container or frozen, tightly wrapped, 
for up to 1 month.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder or chile powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sift together the flour, cocoa, chile powder, and salt over a piece of waxed paper. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until the 
mixture is light in color, 3 to 4 minutes more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; beat in the egg. Gradually add the 
flour-cocoa mixture to the butter mixture and beat until well mixed.

Divide the dough in half and set each half on its own 18-inch-long piece of plastic wrap. Form both pieces of dough into 
cylinders approximately 1112 inches in diameter, using the plastic wrap as a guide. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, 
at least 2 hours. Or, rolls can be frozen at this point for up to 2 weeks.

Preheat an oven to 350°. Using a sharp knife, slice each cylinder into 1/4-inch slices; place the slices on ungreased baking 
sheets and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes. 
Sprinkle the baked cookies with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. With a spatula, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Be sure to sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar topping while the cookies are still hot or the mixture won't stick.

Good Cooking can attest to this recipe by Chef Rubin. Chef John V. is a friend of his and has enjoyed his cooking for years.  The recipe takes some time to prepare but it's worth the time and energy---it's great!

Southwestern Barbecue Paella
Lenard Ruin 
Serves 4
This labor of love will be well worth it when you sit down to the table. If it looks too daunting, make the rice base and add whatever seafood, poultry, or meat components you like. Or invite friends over and make it a group effort. Many of the elements can be prepared ahead, so make a timetable and start grilling.

Corn
1 ear corn in the husk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon chile powder 
1/2teaspoon ground cumin Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Mushrooms
2 portobello mushrooms 
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 chorizo sausage link cactus pads
4 prickly pear cactus pads (nopales) or 4 (3 x'/2-inch) slices zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cactus pads
4 prickly pear cactus pads
(nopales) or 4 (3x1/2-inch) slices of zuchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Do Ahead---The link chorizo, mushrooms, peppers, and chiles can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated. The marinade for the chicken and the sauce for the ribs can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated. 

Prepare a barbecue grill.

For the corn: Pull back the layers of husk on the corn and remove the silk. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub the corn kernels with the butter mixture and fold the husk back around the corn. Tie at the top with kitchen string. Soak the corn in cold water for about 8 minutes so that it doesn't burn when grilled. Remove from the water, pat dry, and cook over hot coals, turning often, until done, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Shuck and cut in half lengthwise; then cut in half crosswise into quarters.

For the mushrooms: Cut the stems off the mushrooms and remove the gills on the underside by gently scraping with the edge of a small knife. Rub the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and place, top side down, on the hot grill. Cook for a few minutes and turn over; cook for 2 minutes more and turn over again. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until the mushrooms soften and they begin to seep liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Let cool and cut into fourths.

Rice base 
1/2 cup olive oil 
1/2 cup finely chopped onions 
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic 
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup bulk chorizo sausage 
1 teaspoon saffron threads
4 jumbo shrimp (15 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups Texmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, heated to a simmer
1 cup cooked black beans 
1 cup green peas
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 Green Lip mussels 
4 littleneck clams
4 Marinated Chicken thighs (see page 93)
Barbecued Beef Short Ribs (see page 84)
2 red bell peppers, roasted, seeded, peeled, and diced 
2 poblano chiles, roasted, seeded, peeled, and diced 
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

For the chorizo sausage link: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the sausage link, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sausage is firm, about 15 minutes. Grill the sausage until crispy, turning frequently so it cooks evenly without burning, about 10 minutes. Cool and slice into 4 diagonal pieces.

For the cactus pads: Trim around the outside edge of the cactus pads with a small knife, then gently slide the knife flat across each side of the pads to remove spines. Rub the cleaned pads (or zucchini) with the olive oil and cook on the hot grill for 3 minutes on each side (they should be softened but still slightly crunchy). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the rice base: Heat the olive oil in a paella pan, casuela, or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they dissolve into the onions and garlic, about 10 minutes more. Add the bulk chorizo and cook 2 minutes; add the saffron and stir well. Scrape ingredients aside to make room on the bottom of the pan for the shrimp; cook the shrimp 1 minute, turn over and cook for another minute. Stir the shrimp into the other ingredients in the pan and cook an additional minute. Remove the shrimp and set aside (they should be about three-fourths cooked). Add the rice and stir for about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the hot stock and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer. Stir the rice every 5 minutes, adding more stock a little at a time as it is absorbed, until the rice is thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes from the time it begins to simmer. Add the black beans, peas, and cilantro. Stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the reserved shrimp, corn, portobellos, cactus pads (or zucchini), chorizo slices, mussels, and clams as desired over the top of the rice, leaving enough room for the chicken and ribs. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the clams and mussels open up and all ingredients are hot, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the hot chicken and ribs from the barbecue grill and add to the paella. Scatter the red bell peppers, poblano chiles, and cilantro over all. Bring the paella pan to the table and divide among 4 large plates.