Rediscovering Dios Los Muertos

 Today is Dios Los Muertos , or Day of the Dead. It's a 3,000 year old tradition in Mexico and it's where the souls of  dead children come down today and adult relatives come to be with their living ones. Special foods are cooked and baked to celebrate this reunion.

Americans always assume that Mexican food is just tortillas ans tacos but it's much much more than those.The foods made for today are called offrenda or offerings. Families bake  two pan de muerto , sweet  breads that have the distinctive taste of oranges and orange blossom water. anise seed and orange zest are also added to increase the bread's rich flavor.Bread afecionados  will love making this , because it's a nice change up from the regular white and sourdough. It can also be shaped to form an angel, skull and crossbones  or even a spirit animal.There is also tortillas di cempazuchitl or marigold tortillas. Marigiold figure prominently in the tradition as many home altars are festooned with them. Their strong scent is what leads the souls back to their families Marigold petals are edible and they are beautiful in these.The taste is sort of citrusy or spicy and have been also known as "the poor man's saffron". They can  even be added to tequila to give it a sweeter , earthier taste. Whole ones look pretty floating in glasses too

There is also heartier fare with tamales and mole sauce. Tamales  require corn husks which are filled with masa harina, finely ground cornmeal.  ground beef or chicken, queso fresco and chili peppers. They're spiced with cumin and chili peppers. They're then steamed for twenty minutes in a pressure cooker. Mole is another tasty tradition many don't know about.It's an easy make using unsweetened cocoa powder or chopped Mexican chocolate for its' rich brown color. Ancho, pasilla and mulato peppers are also added giving it some zing. Chicken or vegetable broth is added as are tomatoes along with more spicing.Coriander and cinnamon are also added. shortening is added for thickening as is bread. Raisins and pumpkin seeds along with almonds give it sweetness and crunch. The sauce is mostly served with pulled chicken.Mexican hot chocolate is sipped to ward off any nighttime chill. It's a fiery mix of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne or chili powder.Milk is the base. Atoles is also served. This is passed down from the Aztecs and it's a mix of masa harina, milk and vanilla. It's usually eaten with a sweet cookie  and not the sugar skulls which are not edible.

Mexican food, especially the recipes served today on DIos Los Muertos is rich and layered. It reflects both the country's ancient tradtiions and recipes and the newer ones taken from Spain.The result is flavorful, dishes desserts and drink that bring all -  from the living to those who have passed together.

Leftover Fun

Most Americans are probably staring at all the leftovers in their fridges right now. What to do with all that turkey, stuffing and sides? Create some tasty sides and fun new dishes with the old ones.

Most have what's left of a small to midsize turkey right now. Of course you've been through all the sandwiches right now , from hot with gravy and bread to cold with tomatoes and mayo. You could take a tip from The New York Times Food section and make turkey tamales. A variety of chiles are used to make the meat more flavorful (although turkey doesn't need this) along with tomatillos and cilantro. The tamales have the classic corn and husk coverings, softened with either chicken or turkey broth. You could also make tacos with the meat using cold shredded turkey and the usual taco fillings such as sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce. Add a dab of mayo to moisten the meat too, eliminating some of its' dryness. A hot soup is great for right now and again leftover turkey fills that bill. Think a rich cream of turkey soup, made heartier and creamier with the addition of half and half. Rice or orzo can be added too along with carrots and peas. Turkey pho is a different spin. The meat's earthiness will work well with the five spices, brown sugar and fish sauce.

What about the stuffing and sides? Again the New York Times suggests turning the stuffing into dumplings. It's mixing your leftover stuffing with eggs, flour and baking powder and then dropping them into a turkey soup, complete with repurposed sweet potatoes. Yet , what about just cooking the dumplings in turkey stock and have them swim in left over gravy as a delicious side. They can also be turned into cups, filled with turkey, peas and sliced carrots along with gravy for an instant version of turkey pot pie.  You could also flatten the stuffing , frying it into two circles and make a stuffing panini with it. Fill with turkey and gravy. As for those leftover sweet potatoes,, turn them into puffs. It's mashing them with eggs , flour and salt and then frying or air frying them. These make for a tasty lunch or fun dinner. Sweet potato mash can also be used for waffles too.They'd be a great side with fried chicken or even turkey. Greens such broccoli and green beans can be repurposed into tasty salads , dressed with a simple vinaigrette.

Thanksgiving leftovers provide such a wide variety of tasty new dishes. Get creative with that bird and sweet potatoes. Make something exciting with that stuffing and broccoli. It's a whole new table of delicious dishes.

Celebrating All Soul's And All Saint's Days

Today is All Soul's Day while tomorrow is All Saint's Day. Before Halloween became a big holiday , these two holy days were filled with remembrance and feasting throughout the Christian world. The souls gone and the saints who protect can still be remembered with prayers and food.

Today is huge in Mexico. It's a time when families visit cemeteries , bringing favorite foods for loved ones lost as well as for  themselves.The indigenous people originally celebrated in the beginning of summer and the holiday was then moved to coincide with the Christian days of remembrance after  Spanish colonization.Many celebrate the day with homemade tamales for both the living and deceased along with pan de los muertos., a type of sweet bread. Anise seeds flavor it , giving the same taste as the Italian biscotti.Drinks to toast and commemorate are Jamaican iced tea, a type of tea made with Jamaican hibiscus  plant's flowers and leaves along with pulque  -a type of alcoholic beverage made with the fermented sap of the agave plant. Other drinks are atole and champurrdo, corn or masa based drinks flavored with sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.Guatamalens make fiambre ,a kind of picnic course that includes sausages and cold cuts along with pickled baby corn, beets and onions.. There are also various cheeses, chicken and olives. Some families even include Brussels sprouts and pacaya flowers, from the pacaya palm. The last is dipped in egg batter and then fried.

Europe also celebrates  as it has since the Sixth Century AD. In Italy, France and Spain families roast chestnuts, cutting a cross in each one to allow steam to rise. This is symbolic of the soul leaving the body. The Spaniards also make pannellets or almond cakes. The dough is formed with mashed potatoes, sugar and almonds.and then rolled in  beaten egg and pine nuts. They resemble the Italian cookies, pignoli. In England, it's soul cakes, popularized in Sting's song of the same name. These are yeast breads , flavored with cinnamon and decorated with raisins. They were baked in the shape of men and women ,and given out to children who went begging.All Saint's day also gets special treats, especially in Italy and Sicily. Children who pray for the passed are rewarded with the homemade favi de morti , beans of the dead. These are almond paste cookies that have been spiced up with lemon and cinnamon.It's kind of like a baked marzipan that's have been rolled into long rolls then cut into pieces to resemble broad beans.

All Soul's Day  and All Saint's Day are a time of prayer and remembrance. They are also a time to celebrate those we have lost with good food and feasts. They are solemn days but days filled with flavor.

Crazy About Pies

Pie is one of those great desserts that should get more play. Now thanks to a new cookbook that features both sweet and savory one this all American treat is coming into its' own.It now can be made with any filling and every occasion.

Crazy About Pies  (Sterling Publishers) was written by pie enthusiast Krystina Castella who elevates this simple dessert to trendy status. This is a great book. The pictures make you drool and there are all sorts of sweet and savory pie recipes. I love how she has pies for almost every holiday , such as Easter and Valentine;s Day along with Christmas and Halloween.They're not just for Thanksgiving.although she has some amazing recipes for pecan pie bars and an old fashioned pumpkin pie. There are also wedding and new baby pies. refreshing alternatives to the traditional cakes.Dinner pies are also mentioned and these includes one with macaroni filling as well as tamale [pie and the English classic , shepherd' s' pie.

I love this book for the sheer variety of recipes. There are sweet as well as savory empanadas along with my all time fave Cornish pasties.. Ms. Castella also includes recipes for brunch  pies, tasty little quiches  with suggestions for all sorts of yummy combos.This also includes a deep dish pear cheddar pie, perfect with a side of fruit salad. There are also fun holiday ones like the Halloween baked caramel apple one that is a crusted apple with the extra fun of caramel oozing out of it. The Christmas mint pie with the chocolate crust looks like a real show stopper and would be perfect for any family party.

Any homemade pie is a real treat. With Crazy About Pies, pie lovers can bake any sort, from sweet to savory, from fruit filled to cream filled. This cookbook is definitely a dream come true and a kitchen library must have.

Holiday Tamales

Christmas foods are always traditional no matter where you are in the world. It certainly is true in the Latin America  where centuries old dishes are brought out to every one's delight. In this case it's the tamale,  standard fare in any Western meal .It's made special with different ingredients and a lot of love.

It was the topic of an article in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. The piece , written by newcomer, Fernanda Santos, explores this Latin.Tamales are a big part of Latinos holiday fare and also everyday fare.They truly are an American food, their origins dating well before Columbus where for centuries; before him various tribes were making different types of corn rolled baked in clay pots. The premise is easy .Tamales are a stuffed corn based roll, wrapped in parchment or corn husks and steamed. With practice anyone can make them.

Tamales vary fron country to country, Mexicans like theirs stuffed with pork or beef although chicken is also preferred too.Along the Mexican Gulf Coast, in Tabasco, the husks are filled with garfish. In Oaxaca ,it;s chicken with a spicy chocolate based mole sauce, Venezuela also has this tradition however they sweeten their fillings with raisins along with olives. The meat of choice there is pork. The Brazilians have something similar too filled with cheese and meat.Most beginners usually stick with a simple beef tamale and a tomato sauce made with cumin and chiles.

Tamales are a part of the Christmas feasting tables as any roast or ham, They can  be made in the traditional style or according to the region. They're a different and tasty way of celebrating a holiday.