Frozen Pumpkin Chocolate Chili Terrine ~ Fire on Ice

As part of the Fire on Ice challenge* this Frozen Pumpkin Chocolate Chili Terrine is the hottest frozen treat you'll ever taste. Although chilies are used in traditional dishes in Asian, Africa and South America I instantly think of Mexico when someone mentions chilies. Classic Mexican cuisine is both deeply spiced and richly nuanced in flavor. Case in point: mole sauce. That luscious dark sauce, slow cooked from recipes handed down over generations is the stuff of which my foodie dreams are made.

A terrine is classically a French country forcemeat or the container in which the forcemeat is made. For this recipe I used a basic loaf pan but you can layer the dessert into any long, narrow mold or baking pan. Line the pan with plastic wrap to ensure you can easily lift out the molded terrine once it is frozen. I had a lot of fun by myself in the kitchen playing these New World flavors (chocolate, pumpkin, chili) off of an Old World method.

Vietnamese Inspired Spring Rolls with Honey Chili Sauce

I absolutely love fresh spring rolls; you know the ones wrapped in sticky rice paper concealing a treasure trove of sweet fresh vegetables that you dip in a spicy sweet chili sauce? The kind you try to savor and instead end up gobbling and wishing you had a second order? The kind that you never make at home and only order when you're out at restaurants?

Wait? What was that last one?

I meant to say, the kind you can easily recreate at home with a few key ingredients?

Yeah... those. I love those.

Chili at Church - The First Annual Chili Cook-Off

Nothing beats a hot bowl of chili on a cold, blustery day. I have a couple of favorite versions that I make at home and will often order chili when I'm out at restaurants during the winter. There is something intrinsically comforting about ordinary beans and beef being transformed into something nuanced and layered with exotic spices from a variety of chili peppers, vegetables, and your own "secret ingredient." Imagine my excitement then, when I heard* about the First Annual Boston Chili Cook-Off sponsored by Church Restaurant.