Friday Night Gourmet

"Friday Night Gourmet," as my mother calls it, was a tradition in our house growing up that I've tried to carry on, and last night's dinner was a wonderful summer meal of Southwestern flavors. I got fresh tuna from the fish market, and made grilled tuna with yellow mole - mole is Mexican sauce, most commonly red mole made from poblano peppers and a variety of chiles including ancho, pasilla and chipotle, finished with chocolate to create a spicy-sweet flavor. Yellow mole uses yellow peppers, mango, tomatillos, corn tortillas, pumpkin seeds, white pepper and white chocolate to mirror the sauce preparation, creating a savory-sweet combination that packs a real punch - so good. The yellow mole was perfect to top the delicate tuna, which I served with stewed chayote, a squash typical in Costa Rica. For an appetizer I served lime cerviche of fresh tuna, mango and avocado:

So delicious. The tuna was excellent quality, like soft rubies melting in your mouth, really. This meal was light and fresh, perfect for summer, and filled with flavor. I made my "Lime Breeze" cocktails: limeaid and Brazilian cachaça, garnished with fresh mint and a lime slice. Ahh, summer ...