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.

A Dash Of Citrus For Spring

Spring cooking usually means lighter fare, from breakfast to lunch, from dinner to desserts.What gives any food a bright, light taste is a dash of citrus. Add a squeeze of lemon or a wedge of grapefruit for a refreshing, airy flavor .They're the perfect addition to any meal., drink or dessert

Grapefruits were the subject of an article in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.David Margolick, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair Magazine wrote about the classic white seeded grapefruit most people grew up eating.It became almost extinct but thanks to preservationists , it's on its' way to becoming an heirloom breed. Napoleon's surgeon brought it to Colonial Florida and it has been a classic in American cooking from then on.. If you want a tasty Spring side dish try another Food writer Melissa Clark's recipe for grapefruit slices with olive oil and salt.It's just slicing  the fruit into rounds and drizzling olive oil over them. Flaky sea salt is  then scattered on top of them. Try this with roasted chicken or even the first outdoor grilled salmon of the season.It can also go into a salsa with lemons and limes along with oranges for sweetness. A grapefruit cake also makes a lovely change of pace for an Easter or bridal shower dessert.It can also be turned into a refreshing sorbet or even gelato for the warm days ahead.

Lemons become a popular flavoring in the Spring. It is vital in preparing a Greek Easter feast.Lemon juice  along with olive oil, and  Greek oregano are poured over the cut and then cooked for two hours. The meat's juices mix with this heavenly combination  called zoumi. It's spooned over the lamb slices and potatoes along with being sopped up with crusty bread. It also figures in their salad dressing too, adding zing to a garlicky vinaigrette. Lemon along with lime will be key to  creating deliciously refreshing ades and iced teas when the Spring temps start rising. They'll be a nice change to all those sodas . Add some seltzer to make them fizzy and fun.Limes will also get double duty when barbecue season kicks off soon. Mix a cup and a half of it with garlic, olive oil and garlic for a tasty marinade for chicken wings and legs.The verdant green fruit can also be perfect for marinating shrimp in cerviza.Mexican beer and two tablespoons of tequila  are mixed with it to create a tasty marinade. Oranges are still in season so include them in any recipe. Add their juices to pulled pork for a different spin on a classic sandwich or marinate a steak in freshly squeezed juice. A perfect Spring dessert is orange cake with orange icing,

Spring is here. Add a jolt to Spring cooking and baking with a touch of any citrus. Their zing is a refreshing touch to creating a light and airy meal.

The Future Of Our Imports

What will the  new administration be like for food importers and overseas growers? It's going to be a tough time however long it lasts. What should we do? That's a good question and there's not a solid answer.

This blog has stayed away from all things political - that's not my direction with it. I write about trends and recipes, nutrition and new products However with the new American administration, Americans are going to be hurt by certain bans, Our fruits and vegetables that come in from Mexico will now be higher in price thanks to our president wanting to build a wall on our border  with the Mexicans paying for it. How does that affect us?  Mexican farmers will charge more for the vegetables they grow. That means tomatoes and avocados will cost more and to many families that means going without. Some fruits such as strawberries will also be in the crossfires along with bananas and raspberries. The Chihuahua region gives the US most of it' pecans, contrary to the popular belief that they come from Georgia. Pecans are usually used in pies around the holidays so many  home chefs and bakers won't be that affected by them. Restaurants, however, do use them, namely in salads and some chicken dishes. This will increase in pricing. with the larger chains and smaller, privately owned ones.

Beer drinkers will also be affected. Corona and Dos Equis both come from there as does tequila. These along with drinks made with them, across the US will also go up in price thanks to the building of this "wall". Agave syrup, now popular with hipsters and health, will also be affected. Organic agave is expensive enough with prices ranging from eleven  dollars to fifteen may go up  in pricing starting at sixteen at the cheapest and twenty at the most expensive. If all this occurs what can we do? Luckily the US has some great summer harvests with fruits and vegetables coming in from all areas of the US. The winter will be a little more trickier. We'll have to rely on Hawaii, California, and Florida for produce. Americans will probably be returning to  using Georgia raised pecans. Since New Mexico and Arizona have the same kind of desert conditions as most of Mexico, they can be the producers of both agave syrup and even tequila.  We can also protest the wall and stop all this nonsense too.

Hopefully, this new president  will renege on his pledge to "build that wall". It will not only create animosity with the Mexicans but also hurt our trade and eating habits. He should come to his senses and realize a wall is not the answer.

Agave-Trend Or More?

Everyone's raving about the benefits of agave. Celebrities can't live without it. It's creeping into regular folks diet s, too. This low calorie sweetener could be a trend ,.it could also become mainstream and here to stay thanks to all its' positive claims.

What is agave exactly?It's part of the succulent family, sort of similar to aloe vera. It;s gown mostly in Mexico and in the American Southwest. The sugar comes from a rush of sap at the base and this is called agave nectar or agave syrup. The section is called pina and resembles a pineapples. Pinas can grow between 50 and150 pounds.The agave plant has long been used to make tequila however it;s only in recent years that the nectar is now prized.Agave nectar tastes like a milder form of honey.

Agave is the new love of dieters. It's low in calories and makes the perfect sugar substitute However research has found that it doe shave it;s detractors. According to some research it can cause everything from diabetes to liver problems to even heart attacks. It's not the guaranteed health food some may think it is. The plus is that you may not gain weight if you add it to your cooking or baking. if you are curious there are sites that offer free samples(however you do have to pay for shipping and handling)


Is agave here to stay? Probably - however it will lose its' popularity when the next greatest thing comes along.Use it now see what you think. As with all foods, it works best in moderation

Gourmet Lollipops - They're Not Just For Kids

There's something satisfying and comforting about a lollipop. It brings us back to our childhoods while letting us take a mini break from our daily, hectic adult lives. Luckily the sweet treat has emerged into something that appeals to adult tastes and trends. It's not just a fruit flavor kiddie sucker anymore.

Lollipops in some form or another have been around since pre historic times. Cavemen routinely put something sweet such as honey on a twig and ate it. During the Middle Ages , candies was placed on small sticks and eaten. Later boiled sugar treats were favored in the American colonies and then in 1908 the modern lollipop was born. Both California and Wisconsin can lay claim to it. A Russian immigrant, Samuel Born, made a automated lollipop machine around the same time as the Racine Confectioners Machinery Company did. The last was known for making up to forty pops per minute.

Today candy companies have gone a step further and introduced all sorts of interesting flavors to the lollipop. Instead of the usual fruit flavors such as grape or cherry, they now come in banana, chocolate mint, bubble gum, cinnamon, cotton candy and root beer float. For real foodies there's Chupa Chups, those Spanish lollies that were first made in Barcelona, Spain fifty years ago and became a worldwide sensation. This favorite of Madonna's has different tastes such as cola , chocolate and vanilla. For a really wicked treat try Lollyphile's absinthe lollipops(they also sell maple bacon flavored ones too). They are candies made with that taboo liquor absinthe (the same one that practically did in poet Oscar Wilde). You won't get the same hallucinatory kick as sipping a glass but you'll feel something. There are also margarita lollies (covered in salt) and tequilas ones complete with a worm in them from the online candy company Lollies Galore.

Foodies everywhere - indulge your inner child with one of these grown up suckers. They not only fun but kind of naughty in a good way!

You can order the absinthe lollies at www.lollyphile.com. Tequila and margarita lollies can be bought at www.lolliesgalore.com