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water as needed until the mixture turns into a smooth paste, about 15 minutes. Or grind in a food processor into a smooth paste, adding water as needed to get the mixture turning. The finished dip should be about the consistency of chunky peanut butter.
    To serve, put the paste in a bowl or molcajete and garnish with a few whole pumpkin seeds. Use as a dip with tortilla chips or crackers.

XNIPEC
    ——— Makes 1½ cups ———
    This habanero-flavored pico de gallo is used throughout the Yucatán. Xnipec is the Mayan word for “panting dog.” The name describes the tongue-hanging-out reaction to eating something very hot—eat some of this sauce all by itself, and you’ll see what they mean. It’s much tastier as an addition to other dishes like Ensalada de Nopalitos .
    1 red onion, minced
    Juice of 4 limes
    4 habanero-type chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
    1 tomato, finely diced
    Salt
    Water (optional)
    Soak the onion in the lime juice for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Add the chiles and tomato and season with salt to taste. Mix well. Add a little water if you like a thinner sauce. Serve chilled with tortilla chips.

ENSALADA DE NOPALITOS
    ——— Makes 6 servings ———
    Nopales are the pads of the prickly pear, or nopal , cactus. They are sold both whole (scraped of their thorns) and canned. If you buy them fresh, cut them into small strips for cooking. Mexican queso asadero is a mild white cheese found in specialty stores.
    2 to 3 cups fresh nopales strips or 1 (16-ounce) jar nopalitos, drained and rinsed
    1 tablespoon Xnipec or to taste
    1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings
    1 large tomato, diced
    ¼ cup sliced black olives
    2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
    2 ounces freshly grated queso asadero or Monterey jack cheese
    If you are using fresh nopales, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the nopales strips and simmer for a few minutes until they are soft. Drain and rinse the nopales.
    In a serving bowl, combine the nopales, xnipec, onion, tomato, and olives. Toss with the cilantro, oil, and vinegar. Garnish with the cheese and serve.

DIY PACE PICANTE SAUCE
    ——— Makes 2 cups ———
    Pace Picante sauce was invented in 1947 in the back of a liquor store by a young man named David Pace. The young Pace came from a family of Louisiana cane syrup makers. He also made syrups, jams, and jellies in the lab behind the liquor store that he and his wife ran in San Antonio. But it was his picante sauce—made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh jalapeños—that made him famous. Pace put the stuff on everything, including sandwiches, eggs, and chicken. Pace Picante Sauce was bought by the Campbell Soup Company in 1995.    +   If you want to make a picante sauce that tastes exactly like the bottled stuff at the grocery store, try this recipe. Use it as a table sauce, taco sauce, or chip dip, or as ranchero sauce in dishes such as huevos rancheros.
    1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato purée
    1 cups water
    ⅓ cup chopped onion
    ¼ cup chopped fresh jalapeño chiles with seeds
    2 tablespoons white vinegar
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    ¼ teaspoon dried onion flakes
    ¼ teaspoon dried garlic flakes
    Combine the tomato purée, water, onion, jalapeños, vinegar, salt, dried onion flakes, and dried garlic flakes in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until thick.
    Remove from the heat and let cool. When cool, place in a covered container and refrigerate overnight. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

 
    ———CHAPTER 3———
    ISLAND HEAT
    Like the first sip of a frozen mango daiquiri on a hot afternoon, the sweet fire ofCaribbean-style hot sauces sends a shudder of delight through your whole body. The tropical fruit and citrusy peppers get perfumed with all manner fresh herbs, ginger, and allspice in the hot sauces of the islands. When this style of salsa started turning