Instructions: Agustin Gaytan moves like a blur in the kitchen. Chopping, stirring, tasting, frying. It all looks like one smooth motion as the chef quickly assembles the peppers, pumpkin seeds and tomatillos for making mole.

"Most people believe that mole is the national dish of Mexico," Gaytan says. "They also believe that all moles are made with chocolate. In fact, the most popular mole is poblano, from the Puebla region in Mexico.

"That type is made with chocolate; however, there are many other kinds of mole in red, yellow, white, green and brown, depending on the blends of spices, tomatoes, tomatillos and chilies." Gaytan is a Mexican-born chef who learned to cook from his mother and honed his skills in several fine restaurants in Mexico. He is an instructor at Ramekins culinary school in Sonoma, specializing in authentic Mexican cuisine.

"Mexico is known for its sauces, especially mole," Gaytan says.

"Almost everything is either cooked in a sauce or served with one. We eat sauce on tortillas, on beans, on rice, on fish, on grilled meat - everything.

"Recipes for mole vary greatly among the various regions, but basically it is a mixture thickened and enriched with toasted and ground nuts, seeds or corn and sometimes bread or tortillas. Chilies are a major component of mole, along with the addition of herbs, spices and, depending on the region, sometimes a bit of chocolate."
The word "mole," pronounced MO-lay, comes from the Aztec word

"molli," meaning concoction, stew or sauce.

The most famous mole, mole poblano, is traditionally made from turkey. It is a complex dish using dried chilies, nuts, seeds, vegetables, spices and chocolate.

"I prefer the mole verde," Gaytan says. "It has a very fresh flavor and it is not as complex or complicated to prepare, and it is wonderful with chicken and shrimp."

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