"Three or four things came together in my life at one time," Tim McCarthy says of the beginning of his gourmet food business. Having left a career as an engineer in the defense industry and attending the California Culinary Academy, Tim then found himself in the fine dining restaurants of Los Angeles.
Traditionally he and his wife, Florence, would host a Day of the Dead party, and Tim did all of the cooking on his day off. Tim couldn't find a mole that passed muster with him or Florence (a fourth-generation Mexican-American), so he made it from scratch. Influenced by the cooking of Florence's great aunts, Tim pursued an authentic approach to preparing his mole.
Making mole is quite a project. "There are so many ingredients in an authentic mole – typically 25 to 30 – that even in Los Angeles I had to spend half a day and go to a number of markets just to get everything I needed. Then it took an entire day to prep and cook it."
All the components of a mole, as opposed to a salsa, are cooked separately, pureed, combined and then cooked again. For instance, the chiles have to be seeded, soaked, toasted and then pureed before combining them with other ingredients.
Tim realized that he could turn his recipes into all natural bottled sauces that would give people authentic flavors without all the work. "Traditionally, mole has been a very special occasion dish, because it takes so long to make. We laugh that everybody's grandmother makes the best mole, but she only wants to make it once a year. Third- and fourth-generation Mexican-Americans want the flavors, but either don't know how to make it or don't want to go to so much trouble. San Angle Mole captures the essence of authentic Mexican sauces and makes them accessible."
Mole is the national dish of Mexico, but each region has its own special version, influenced by what grows in that area. Oaxaca is famous for its 7 moles, and because it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and lots of people have visited the area, it has become the type of mole that most Americans are familiar with.
"Our present three sauces hit the high points of traditional Mexican cooking sauces." Tim says. "None of them are crazy hot. They're more about the balance of complex flavors. We hope people will appreciate the convenience and enjoy mole as more than just a special occasion dish."
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