Smoked Carrots With Coffee Mole Dirt Food

EDIBLE DIRT

Steps:

• Finely chop 1 cup pitted kalamata olives in a food processor. Spread in a ring on a piece of cardboard lined with a double layer of paper towels. Microwave 5 minutes on high, then 7 more minutes at 50 percent power. Regrind in the food processor.
• Serve the "dirt" with any salad.

CHARRED CARROTS WITH BLACK MOLE

Steps:

• For the mole: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the garlic, tomatillos, tomatoes, onion and plantain on a sheet pan cut-side up and roast until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, tear or cut the guajillo, pasilla, ancho and chipotle chiles in half, then remove the seeds and stems and discard. Bring a medium saucepan filled two-thirds of the way with water to a boil. Add the chiles and boil for 5 minutes (see Cook's Note). Turn off the heat and let the chiles steep for an additional 10 minutes.
• Toast the almonds, sesame seeds, raisins, oregano, cinnamon and cloves in a medium skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lard to deglaze the skillet.
• Blend the vegetables, chiles and 2 to 3 tablespoons of their soaking liquid and toasted nut and spice mixture in a blender until smooth. (Reserve the rest of the chile soaking liquid as needed to thin the mole if it's too thick.) Remove the puree from the blender and place in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate and slowly warm, whisking, until melted.
• For the carrots: Bring 3 quarts water and the salt to a boil in a large pot. Blanch the carrots by dropping in the boiling salted water, then cook until the water comes back up to a boil and remove the carrots to a large bowl. Add some of the mole to coat.
• Sear the carrots in a large cast-iron skillet on all sides until softened throughout, about 10 minutes. Serve with additional mole, black pepper, cilantro, lime juice and sesame seeds.

JELLY WORMS IN DIRT

Steps:

• Put 3 cups water in a pan, bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Stir in the strawberry and unflavored gelatin until completely dissolved. Stir in the cream. Pour the hot liquid into a bowl and let stand until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a tall drinking glass wide enough to hold all the straws, cut out a circle from the slice of bread to fit in the bottom of the glass. Bundle the straws together with a rubber band and stand them up in the glass, pressing the bottom ends into the circle of bread.
• Using a spouted measuring cup, pour the gelatin mixture into the tops of the straws. Refrigerate until chilled and set up completely, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Put the chocolate wafers in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Arrange the crushed cookie on a plate or in a cleaned flower pot.
• Use the back of a flat wooden spoon to push the gelatin out of the straws. Toss the jelly worms into the crushed cookies, leaving some to stick out.

STUFFED DIRT CAKE

Steps:

• Cut a 4-inch circle out of the center of each cake (reserve the small cut-out cake rounds). Put 1 of the cake rings on a cake stand or serving platter and frost with about 1 cup of frosting. Put the other cake ring on top and push down slightly. Fill the hole with gummy worms and 1/2 cup crushed chocolate wafer cookie "dirt". Now cut 1 of the small cake rounds in half horizontally to make two thinner rounds. Use one to fill the hole on the top of the cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
• Dye the coconut: Have ready resealable plastic bags or plastic containers. Add the coconut to the bag along with 20 to 25 drops of food coloring. Seal and shake vigorously until the coconut is evenly dyed. Add more food coloring, one drop at a time, as needed to get bright, vibrant colors.
• Fill the piping bags or resealable bags with royal icing. Pipe small flower petals or flower outlines onto the vanilla wafer cookies with white royal icing, then pipe circles of yellow royal icing in the centers of the flowers to create daisies. Let dry thoroughly before using. Press the remaining 1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate wafer cookie "dirt" onto the sides of the cake to evenly coat. (It's alright if some of the chocolate frosting shows through.) Sprinkle the top only with the dyed coconut so that it looks like grass. Place the decorated vanilla wafer cookies on top of the cake to look like a field of flowers. Use mini marshmallows to prop some of the cookies up at a slight angle.

QUESO FUNDIDO

Steps:

• Cook chorizo in 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden and pieces start to crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Cook onion, garlic, peppers, and paprika in fat remaining in skillet, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften and turn golden, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in 1/4 cup water and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender and almost all liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in refried beans and remaining 1/2 cup water and simmer until slightly thickened and mixture is bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in reserved chorizo and half the cheese until melted.
• Preheat broiler with rack about 6 inches from heat.
• Pour bean mixture into a shallow (2-quart) flameproof crock or baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Broil 5 to 7 inches from heat until golden and bubbling, about 3 minutes.
• Serve with tortilla chips.