In 1862, the Mexican army defeated the French at Puebla, and the Cinco de Mayo festival was born. While considered a relatively unimportant holiday in Mexico, in the United States, May 5 is a day of celebrating all things Mexican, honoring the culture and heritage of Mexican-Americans. Not to be confused with Mexican Independence Day, which came on September 6, 1810, Cinco de Mayo is the perfect excuse for a party – a real fiesta!
Set the tone for the party by decorating with serapes, or woven Mexican blankets, as table runners and papel picado banners or placemats. Papel picado is the intricately carved paper decorations popular at Mexican festivals. Add some maracas around tiny pots of cacti and some red, white and green fringed napkin rings made from colored paper or yarns and fibers.
Carry the theme through with traditional Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes. Serve empanadas or set up a make-your-own-tacos bars. Surprise your guests with smoked pork, shredded chicken or grilled or fried fish to add to flour or corn tortillas, along with shredded lettuce or cabbage, chopped tomatoes, chopped red onions, grated cheese – try a blend of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack – guacamole and salsa.
Make your own guacamole for the freshest taste. Slice around the seed of the avocado the long way and twist the pieces to separate them. Carefully pop your knife blade into the seed; twist it to remove. Slide a spoon around the avocado half, between the flesh and the skin, for easy removal of the buttery deliciousness. Mash the avocado, add freshly squeezed lime juice, salt and pepper for the purists, or stir in your favorite additions, like tomatoes, onions, chili powder, cumin and jalapeños. Make a quick salsa with a can of diced tomatoes, chopped jalapeños and chopped onion seasoned with a little salt and pepper.
Finish your meal with a tres leches cake and bunuelos. Make your favorite sponge cake recipe or cheat a little with a white or yellow cake mix. Next, blend one can of sweetened condensed milk, a can of evaporated milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Resist the urge to spoon this awesome straight into your mouth, and pour it over the cake that you’ve punched with a fork. Allow the mixture to soak into the cake. If you want, you can gild the lily with a whipped cream topping, but you really don’t need it. Take a shortcut to bunuelos by frying flour tortillas until they are puffy and golden, then sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.
Take care of your thirsty guests with margaritas for the adults, after rimming the glasses with red, white and green sprinkles or colored sugar. For the children and teetotalers, offer horchata, a traditional rice-based beverage, or offer a pretty red or green punch.
Entertain the kids with a craft table at which they can make maracas or piñatas. One way to make the maracas is to start with plastic Easter eggs. Put a spoonful of rice or a few beans inside and then glue the pieces together. Use markers, beads, or other embellishments to decorate the eggs before carefully adding a dowel or other handle. You can also use liquid laundry starch and newspaper strips to make a papier máche version of the maracas or piñatas. While everyone is working on their masterpieces, play some mariachi music in the background to keep the party hopping.
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