Ancho Chili-Cinnamon Chocolate Bark

Wanderash is a caterer and writer currently living in Guadalajara, Mexico, following stints in San Francisco, Napa and Honduras. From Guadalajara, she co-writes a blog with her Germany-based cousin Jiffer called Smash and Sniff (as childhood pen pals, wanderash was the Smash, Jiffer the Sniff) about raising young children and eating well in far corners of the planet.

Her worldly background lends itself to eclectic recipes like Four Generation Peach Pie with Coconut Meringue Crust, Fish Cooked in Banana Leaves with Tomatillos and Guajillo Chilis, White Asparagus Ribbons with Morels and Brown Butter and, of course, her Edible Gift contest-winning Ancho Chili-Cinnamon Chocolate Bark.

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Wanderash, we know it's summer and you're busy eating 22-course meals at Alinea and trotting around logging festivals and dairy farms in Montana, but when you're done, wander back on over to food52 -- we've been missing your recipes! See wanderash's profile page and fan her here.

Read her profile Q&A below:

  • What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
    ant larvae
  • What do you cook when home alone?
    soup
  • Your most treasured kitchen possession:
    the food processor my parents got for their wedding. it has a robocoup engine and is still running after 35 yrs!
  • Your ideal meal:
    anything eaten leisurely with good friends who love food.
  • Something you'd like a chance to eat or cook:
    a whole pig
  • The number of bottles of wine you own:
    0
  • The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
    8-10
  • Kitchen pet peeve:
    cluttered countertops
  • Your favorite cookbook:
    that is too hard... but, if i had to hold on to one, or two.... Hot Sour Salty Sweet AND Mangoes & Curry Leaves both by Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford. Incredible , edible culinary journeys.

  • See what other Food52 readers are saying.

    • lapadia
      lapadia
    • WinnieAb
      WinnieAb
    • wanderash
      wanderash
    • jifferb
      jifferb
    • dymnyno
      dymnyno
    Food52 (we cook 52 weeks a year, get it?) is a food and home brand, here to help you eat thoughtfully and live joyfully.

    10 Comments

    lapadia August 5, 2010
    Congrats on shining in the spotlight, love the chocolate bark and the "sniff and smash" picture...which are you, sniff or smash?
     
    wanderash August 10, 2010
    heeheehee! I am Smash; it is Sniff's childhood nickname for me. I called her Sniff (and still do). We also thought it had fun food connotations!
     
    WinnieAb August 3, 2010
    Love love love your chocolate bark recipe and congrats on this spotlight! Looking forward to checking out your blog and hope to see more of your interesting and delicious recipes back here soon.
     
    wanderash August 2, 2010
    This is such an amazing honor! Thank you Food52!!! I'll be planning and plotting delicious flavors again soon... l just need school to start back up :)
     
    wanderash August 2, 2010
    Don't I know it! All those things, and so much more make Darby, MT (and all of the Bitterroot Valley) a special place. My husband and I were married there and in honor of the spot, our son's middle name is Darby!
     
    jifferb August 2, 2010
    yeaaaahhhhh for spotlighting my incredibly talented cousin! a faaaaabulous cook, writer, mother and hilarious, crazy, daring, brilliant, warm wonderful person! i am such a fan! xx
     
    dymnyno August 2, 2010
    Hey! welcome back! I just looked up your blog...very nice...you are so lucky to live in a beautiful place (at least one of you?). I have stayed at Triple Creek a couple of times doing food and wine dinners. I remember the last time the whole valley was a morel muchroom paradise (after the big fire).
     
    drbabs August 2, 2010
    Wanderash, I was just thinking about you! I was looking for edible gift ideas and found your wonderful chocolate bark and thought, "wow, she hasn't posted a recipe in awhile!" And here you are! Congratulations!
     
    themissingingredient August 2, 2010
    Interest blog, but that same redneck outpost, Darby, is also home to Triple Creek Ranch which is the top rated luxury Relais Chateau hotel and the fabulous fly fishing streams around Darby were the setting for A River Runs Through It.
     
    wanderash August 2, 2010
    Don't I know it! All those things, and so much more make Darby, MT (and all of the Bitterroot Valley) a special place. My husband and I were married there and in honor of the spot, our son's middle name is Darby!