Friends turned us on to a cookbook from The Elote Cafe in Sedona, AZ. They describe the place as Mexican-inspired rather than purely Mexican, but whatever it is, the food they've made from its cookbook has been right in my gastronomic wheelhouse. I thought I'd give it a try and start out with a simple chorizo and rice dish.
Took a couple pounds of ground pork, mixed in the various spices which included three different types of chiles as well as a spiced rub mix the chef at The Elote refers to as "the cure". Let the mixture sit for 48 hours to give the flavors a chance to meld then browned it up.
The rice is a combination of lightly fried long-grain rice with corn, diced tomatoes and onions.
Add a puree of chicken stock, more chile spices, actual chipotle & garlic.
Bake for a half hour to let the rice absorb the liquid
Mix the chorizo in and serve
My verdict: super flavorful, but on the high end of the heat index for me (and I like spicy food). Grace liked the flavor, but not the heat. May try it again down the road, and cut the spices in half. Looking forward to cooking my way through this book.