Contrary to popular millennial belief,
celebrating Cinco de Mayo is about more than drinking margaritas. It can
be a full-fledged celebration of Mexican culture, and that includes the
country's wonderful and diverse foods.
“Food is what unifies us,” Amelia Morán Ceja, a Mexican chef in Napa Valley, California, told the Napa Valley Register. “This is what life is all about: sitting down to eat with your family, good food, great wine."
What better time to expand your palate than
Cinco de Mayo, the celebration in honor of the Mexican army's win over
the French at the 1862 Battle of Puebla? These recipes may
be Americanized, but they're all simple. If you're throwing a Cinco de
Mayo fiesta for amigos and need some comida, check out your options:
Guacamole
Per AllRecipes' instructions,
peel and mash up two avocados in a bowl. Add one chopped onion, one
minced clove of garlic and one diced tomato. Mix together, then squeeze
the juice of a lime and add salt and pepper. Stick it in the
refrigerator before serving with tortilla chips.
Salsa
This recipe from Real Simple should
take you 10 minutes to make. Dice four tomatoes and mix with 1/4 cup of
onion, 1 minced clove of garlic, 3 tablespoons of cilantro, 2
tablespoons of jalapeños, 1 1/2 tablespoons of lime juice and 3/4 of a
tablespoon of salt.
Elotes
Cooking Light says
to grill four ears of corn on the cob. While they're cooking, mix
together 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons of lime juice in
one bowl. In another bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of Parmesan
cheese, some chili powder, cumin, ground red pepper and salt. When the
corn is done — after about 12 minutes — coat it in the mayonnaise and
dust with the cheese.
Carnitas
Set it and forget it. Per A Spicy Perspective, put
bacon grease on the inside of a slow cooker, then add four pounds of
pork butt cut into big pieces. Dump in five smashed cloves of garlic,
one chopped onion, 1 cup of orange juice, 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke,
salt, cumin, ancho chile powder and pepper. Let it cook on high for up
to six hours, then remove it and shred. Serve with tortillas and your
choice of topping.
Mexican Rice Pudding
Food Network's directions
say to cook a cup of rice in seven cups of water with one cinnamon
stick. Throw away the stick and drain the rice, then add a can of
evaporated milk, a can of condensed milk and a cup of whole milk. Put it
over medium-high heat until it boils, then let it cook on low for about
20 minutes. Stir in a little less than a cup of raisins and top with
cinnamon.
Churros
Ixtapa Cantina recommends
you put a pan over medium heat and stir together 2 cups of water, 1/4
cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When
it boils, add 2 cups of flour. In a new pan, heat 6 cups of frying oil
until it's 375 degrees. Pipe the churros or roll them into logs, then
drop them into the hot oil. After about five minutes, take them out and
top with a cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy.
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