Cinco de Mayo

Why do we go nuts over the 5th of May??

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "Fifth of May") is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

The Battle was significant for at least two reasons. First, while outnumbered almost two-to-one, the Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had known no defeat for almost 50 years. Second, this battle was important because it would be "the last time that an army from another continent invaded the Americas."While significant, however, Cinco de Mayo is not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico.

While Cinco de Mayo has limited or no significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. However, a common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day. Mexico's Independence Day is actually September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish), which is the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico

Barrio Guacamole - Cinco de Mayo

Barrio Guacamole - Cinco de Mayo

1 avocado
1 heaping tablespoon diced tomatoes
1 heaping tablespoon diced white Spanish or red onion
1 heaping tablespoon of jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 heaping tablespoon diced cilantro
1/2 of a fresh lime
Salt and fresh-cracked pepper to taste
1 heaping tablespoon fresh pomegranate seeds

Dice avocado into small chunks and place in a serving bowl. Add tomatoes, onion, jalapeño and cilantro. Squeeze fresh lime juice over mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Fold together gently. Add pomegranate seeds. Mix gently and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Carne Asada Tacos - Cinco de Mayo

Carne Asada Tacos - Cinco de Mayo

2 1/2 chile de arbol peppers
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 pound rib-eye steak
12 small corn tortillas

Combine all ingredients except steak and tortillas in a blender. Puree to the consistency of a marinade, and marinate the steak overnight.

Grill the steak and cut into thin strips. Put steak strips into tortillas that have been warmed on the grill. Garnish with pico de gallo, if desired.

Makes 4 servings (3 tacos each).

Seafood Tacos with Spicy Cabbage - Cinco de Mayo

Seafood Tacos with Spicy Cabbage - Cinco de Mayo

1 pound cod (firm white fish)
5 ounces shrimp (also great with all shellfish)
1 1/4 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup adobo sauce
Olive oil
18 small corn tortillas

Garnishes: Spicy Cabbage, chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced radishes and avocado, guacamole, sour cream

Chop raw cod and shrimp. Stir together honey, onion, soy and adobo sauces, and then mix the sauce into the chopped seafood. Sauté the mixture in olive oil until the fish is cooked and the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Spoon the mixture into warmed tortillas. Serve with garnishes on the side.

Makes 6 servings (3 tacos each).

Roasted Tomato Salsa - Cinco de Mayo

Roasted Tomato Salsa - Cinco de Mayo

1 pound plum (roma) tomatoes
1 medium red bell pepper
1 jalapeño pepper (two if you want it hot)
2 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped - (or use dry after they sit in water)
1/2 cup vegetable juice (such as V-8)
1 lime juiced and the zest taken off
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt - check salt at the end

Heat broiler rack 8 inches from flame or coil. Place tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic on broiler pan. Broil until evenly blackened, turning often, taking care not to burn, and removing each as it gets done. Or you can use a cast iron skillet and brown the above on the stove top. Better yet, BBQ the mix!

Peel bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic. Seed and trim ribs from bell pepper and jalapeño. Peel only some black away from tomatoes. Add broiled tomatoes, bell and jalapeño peppers and garlic, shallots and chipotle pepper to food processor. Coarsely chop by pulsing briefly. Place tomatoes and vegetables in large bowl. Swish out processor container with vegetable juice; add juice to bowl. Add lime juice, oregano and cumin to mixture. Blend well. Cover. Taste for salt. Chill at least 4 hours.

Margarita Shrimp Salad - Cinco de Mayo

Margarita Shrimp Salad - Cinco de Mayo

2 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces peeled shrimp
1/4 cup tequila
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 cups torn iceberg lettuce
2 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1 cup chopped mango
1/2 cup chopped jicama
1/2 cup chopped avocado
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Salad dressing of choice

Coat a sauté pan with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté shrimp in tequila, pineapple juice and lime juice until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain shrimp and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and toss well. Add shrimp to salad.

Makes 2 servings.

Red Sangria - Cinco de Mayo

Red Sangria - Cinco de Mayo

8 ounces apple juice
8 ounces mango nectar
2 ounces triple sec
24 ounces red wine
Fruit (cherries, lemons, strawberries, watermelon, lime, pears or melon)
Juice of 1 lime or to taste
Juice of 1 orange or to taste

Mix all ingredients in a container or pitcher large enough to allow stirring. Stir well and refrigerate until cold, at least two hours.
Cut several pieces of fruit, such as cherries, lemons, strawberries, watermelon, lime, pears and melon, and add desired amount before serving. Garnish pitcher with fruit and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

White Sangria - Cinco de Mayo

White Sangria

8 ounces apple juice
8 ounces mango nectar
2 ounces triple sec
2 ounces brandy
24 ounces Sauvignon Blanc (or other white wine)
Fruit (cherries, lemons, strawberries, watermelon, lime, pears or melon)
Juice of 1 lime or to taste
Juice of 1 orange or to taste

Mix all ingredients in a container or pitcher large enough to allow stirring. Stir well and refrigerate until cold, at least two hours.

Cut several pieces of fruit, such as cherries, lemons, strawberries, watermelon, lime, pears and melon, and add desired amount before serving. Garnish pitcher with fruit and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Arizona Biltmore Original Tequila Sunrise - Cinco de Mayo

Biltmore Original Tequila Sunrise

From Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa

Cracked ice
1 1/4 ounces premium tequila
3/4 ounce crème de cassis
Squeeze of fresh lime
Soda water
Orange wheel for garnish

Fill a tall glass with cracked ice. Add tequila, crème de cassis and a squeeze of lime. Fill with soda water. Garnish with orange wheel.
Makes 1 drink.

Ok
Check it out
Now as the seasons are in change we think about what fresh eatables abound and things to lighten up
Just as the first of the season give us really good tomatoes, asparagus, bright strong fresh herbs and sweet citrus. Makes a type of comfort food that almost everyone likes
Heirloom Tomatoes salad on fresh herb crisp thin pizza
**
Grab a bag of the prepared pizza or fuccasia dough available at trader Joes and whole foods as well as some gourmet markets. Or a fresh ground corn/masa based crust…
Fresh rosemary, oregano, basil, washed and ready
Whole Lemon
Olive oil sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Set the oven to bake at 425 and prep a cookie sheet, pizza stone, round pan, even a Pyrex brownie pan works when you’re in need but it’s all good –
Grind some pepper corns with one garlic clove fresh rosemary and oregano salt and a table spoon of herbes de provence with a strong ¼ to ½ cup virgin olive oil – grind well and set aside
Wash the basil and set it aside
One ball fresh mozzarella cheese let warm to room temperature before slicing
Stretch out or roll out the dough
Brush heavily with the herbs/oil mixture corner to corner
Let rest until the oven comes to temperature
When it does; bake for 15 minutes or until it’s getting very brown but not burned; turn temperature to broil
While that is in the oven quarter your tomatoes and place in a mixing dish with the sliced mozzarella cheese, all the fresh basil leaves, one scoop of the herbs/oil mix from earlier and mix really well. Probably will need some more pepper. Mine did
The above is ready so when the crust comes out; you can simply pour out the salad and get a sizzle from the crust.
Dash the pan under the broiler, now hot, and warm up the toppings and the crust sizzle but not so you brown the toppings. Pull the pizza out at that time and set on slab or other cool but cutting save surface
Slice into slightly larger than brownie size, serve without delay