The Making of Mole at La Palma Mexicatessen

Toro E. via Yelp

Cooking up an authentic turkey mole is no easy task, especially when it comes to finding the two dozen elusive ingredients Mexico's national dish requires. Happily, everything you need is as close as La Palma Mexicatessen (2884 24th St., 647-1500, lapalmafoods.com), an invaluable resource for the gourmet chef with a hankering for Latin American cuisine. Not only does this friendly, well-stocked neighborhood mercado offer everything from ancho and mulato to pasilla and guajillo chilies, the shelves are abundant with hominy, yucca chips, hibiscus syrup, coconut candy, queso fresco, house-rendered lard, spices in bulk, peppery chorizo sausage and banana leaves for making tamales. Established in 1953, La Palma still grinds their own corn for the preservative-free masa that goes into their impeccably fresh tortillas, and there's also a full-service deli with delectable huaraches, gorditas, tortas and pupusas.