Sesame Seed and Árbol Chile Salsa

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and garlic cloves and sauté for5 minutes, or until the garlic is golden brown.

Add the sesameseeds and árbol chiles and cook for 5 minutes, or until thechiles are darkened in spots.

Meanwhile, heat a medium-size heavy sauté pan over highheat.

Add the tomatillos and cook, turning them frequently, for10 minutes, or until they are pale green and blackened inspots.

Add the tomatillos to the chile mixture in the pan,pressing on them with a spatula to break them apart andrelease 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 add1 1/2 cups water. Blend until the salsa is smooth. Season totaste with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature, andthen 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.