Since we’re in the middle of the BBQ season, I thought I could start off with a delicious and different barbecue marinade that I came up with recently. It’s sort of a spin on the Mexican Molé Poblano, which combines chilies, chocolate and a whole whack of other ingredients in a dark brown sauce. I had recently eaten a truly horrible Molé at a Queen St., Mexican restaurant that shall go unnamed, so I guess I had the flavor on my mind.

In a big bowl I combined dark cocoa, lime juice, a pinch or two of Chile Pepper and a few dashes of Waha Wera Kiwifruit & Habanero Chili Sauce . This sweet but hot sauce is available from The Spice Trader on Queen St., West near Trinity Bellwood Park. Somehow the flavor of the cocoa, combined with a little sweetness from the kiwi and the heat of the spices, all blended with the lime juice just sets off flavor explosions! I threw in some chicken legs and let them marinate for a few hours (or overnight if you have the time), then tossed them on the barbecue.