Anyway, it’s a beautiful film, and we also bought the book which is wonderful as well. And of course, Kemal and I, who are both passionate about food and cooking, couldn’t help but want to try to make some of the meals the heroine was preparing in the story. Kemal said of all meals that were featured in the film and the book, the one that he really wanted to try more than any of the others was the chiles in nogada, (chiles in walnut sauce) which was served for guests at a wedding feast.

We did make some changes with the recipe, but perhaps the next time we make it we’ll do so by not deviating from the recipe. We changed how the peppers are prepared, and Kemal was a little disappointed that the changes he made resulted in the peppers being firmer. Poblano peppers apparently have a tougher skin than bell or Cubanelle peppers because when we stuff bell peppers or Cubanelle peppers, the skin becomes very soft. Personally, I didn’t mind that the poblanos were firm, but Kemal said he likes them better softer, and for that reason, next time he’ll make the peppers according to recipe.

As far as the taste of this meal is concerned, I have to say it’s exquisite. The contrasting textures and colors was perfect. There was crunchiness of the pomegranate seeeds and almonds, the slightly chewiness of the peppers, and the soft creaminess of the sauce. The red, green, and white colors were festive, and the mixing of sweet, tangy, and salty made for a perfect combination. There was also just a hint of heat from the peppers which were mild but just a little warmer than bell peppers.

Each bite was heavenly, and the meal was oh-so satisfying. We will definitely make this again and again.

Chiles en Nogada (Chiles in Walnut Sauce)

Adapted from: “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel

and from The Hungry Engineer’s adaptation of Laura Esquivel’s recipe

The coffee cake is only mildly sweet which is exactly what I wanted. It’s moist, delicious, and oh-so tasty. It also smells divine! Oh my gosh, the whole time it was baking in the oven I thought I would go out of my mind with hunger. Well, it was also going on 5 p.m. before I ever sat down to eat breakfast because I just couldn’t stop myself from cooking. While I was making this coffee cake, I was also making homemade crackers and split pea soup. Then I had to clean up the mess and photograph everything.

But it was definitely worth the wait. Every single bite was heavenly!

Apple Walnut Fig Coffee Cake (Adapted from DonnaAJB8854’s Healthy Applesauce Bread)

Recipe Source for the Strudel Topping:  (simplyrecipes.com)