Host a Mexican Housewarming!
 You’ve unpacked all the boxes and
your move is finally over. Time to relax! But how to thank the many
friends who so generously lent a helping hand? Invite them to a
housewarming! What better way to celebrate your new address than to
host a Mexican fiesta! From mild to very spicy, Mexican cuisine is
known for its specialties and native dishes -- varied, rich in
colour and flavour.
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A Hot and Colourful Menu ? Mexican Style ! |
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A Cuisine Steeped in Tradition |
- Mexico's culinary arts date back a thousand years. Spain's
conquistadors arrived to discover two great cultures, the Aztec and
the Mayan, both enjoying refined culinary traditions.
- Sumptuous banquets were laden with poultry, venison and fish
cooked in tens of ways, exotic fruit, fermented drinks made from
cactus and corn as well as chocolate beverages with honey or
vanilla added.
- Corn, tomatoes, bean crops, squash, avocados and even chocolate
and vanilla were unknown in Europe before Christopher Columbus
returned with them.
- Spain's explorers introduced the new world to wheat, barley,
rice, olives, lemons, vineyards and cattle. All found their way
into Mexican recipes. Little by little, cultural traditions
influenced Mexican cuisine as it flourishes today.
- Synonymous with Mexico, tortillas are thin crêpes made
from corn flour. They are the daily bread without which Mexican
cuisine would not exist as we know it. Tortillas are corn-based but
prepared and cooked in many ways, all named differently.
- Tacos , eaten with your fingers, are rolled
tortillas filled with guacamole, tomatoes, peppers, meats, beans or
even fish.
- Empanadas are turnovers stuffed with meat,
poultry or fish.
- Tostadas are fried tortillas served with
sauces with an aperitif base.
- Stuffed, cooked in tomato sauce and occasionally served
“au gratin”, tortillas become
enchiladas.
- Sort of a turnover with melted cheese,
quesadillas are often enjoyed with red or green
salsa.
- Tamales are tortillas stuffed with meat or
vegetables and cook wrapped in corn or banana leaves. Food won't
dry out -- and takes on a characteristic flavour -- following this
approach.
- Corn has served as a staple for thousands of
years. It is eaten cooked, boiled, in flour, cereals, as a
vegetable with rice or in salads. You'll even find corn
ice-cream!
- Peppers or chiles, form the second basic
ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Fresh, dried or powdered, yellow,
red, green or brown, peppers come in hundreds of varieties. Not all
dishes necessarily have to be hot or spicy, though. Use as many or
as few as you like!
- Beans or frijoles, basic to many dishes, are
fried, boiled or sautéed and served in soup, as a side dish
or garnish.
- Sauces or mole are essential. Creamy smooth,
they need to simmer several hours to acquire all their flavour.
Made from peppers and spices, almonds, peanuts, tomatoes, cinnamon
or onions also are added, depending on the region.
- Nopal is a plant in the cactus family. Its
tiny leaves are consumed cooked as a vegetable in salad or with
eggs, after taking care to remove all the thorns, of course!
- Guacamole, widely considered the national
sauce, calls for avocados, tomatoes, onions and coriander. It is
served as a first course or to accompany meat dishes and
tacos.
- Chocolate, drunk hot or cold, is popular at
lunchtime. Bitter tasting, cinnamon and vanilla flavours are
added.
- When it comes to alcohol, tequila is the
national drink. It is taken straight with a little salt and lemon
or mixed in a cocktail such as the well known margarita.
- Beer or cerveza also has a following and is
consumed very cold, often accompanied by a slice of lime slipped in
the neck of the bottle.
- Mexico evokes sun, holidays and ... feasting! So a Mexican
fiesta makes for an ideal way to celebrate your new home!
- A few props symbolic of old Mexico – a cactus, a
sombrero, a poncho, lively colours and, especially, a warm summer
night, are all you need to create just the right atmosphere for
your fiesta! Dim the lights and put a red “spot” in a
corner to lend a torrid effect to the occasion.
- Music and dance are an integral to the Mexican way of life and
mariachi bands are present almost everywhere in Mexico. For that
olé olé ambience, get out your guitar and trumpet or
dance to rhythms of the “bamba”, the
“cucaracha” and “guantanamera.”
- Children of all ages will welcome the piñata. The
piñata, in the shape of an animal or other form, is made of
paper mâché and decorated with coloured paper and
ribbon. Fill it with prizes and candy, then hang it up in a spot
where each guest can take a turn at trying to break it open with a
stick. It's a traditional game and one that is invariably a part of
any great occasion.
- Go for a colourful table setting including a basket of hot
tortillas, nachos chips, salsa, guacamole and, certainly, a platter
of tropical fruit such as mangoes, papayas, pineapples and figs,
all of which will be heartily appreciated.
- The dish considered most prestigious in all Mexican cuisine is
the mole poblano. Roast turkey with a sauce made
from peppers rendered milder or sweeter by adding peanuts,
chocolate, sesame seeds and cinnamon. The recipe varies from region
to region and sometimes includes tomatoes, raisins, almonds and
coriander seeds.
- Ceviche is raw fish marinated in limejuice and
seasoned with tomatoes, onions, peppers and coriander. Perfect for
white fish, scallops or salmon, it's a dish for any day among
Mexicans.
- Rompope is a rum based aperitif including egg
yolk, milk, sugar and cinnamon served in terracotta jars. It's more
popular among the ladies, though. Men prefer tequila!
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Droits de reproduction et diffusion: © Metro Richelieu Inc 2009
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