The Day of the Dead tradition, known as Día de los Muertos in Spanish, is a vibrant and colorful celebration that honors deceased loved ones. This Mexican holiday, which takes place on November 1st and 2nd, is a time for families to come together to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have passed away.
One of the most important aspects of the Day of the Dead tradition is the incorporation of food. Families prepare elaborate altars, known as ofrendas, that are adorned with photographs of the deceased, candles, incense, and most importantly, their favorite foods and drinks. It is believed that the spirits of the departed return to the world of the living during this time, and the offerings of food and drink are meant to nourish and welcome them.
In addition to food, flowers play a significant role in the Day of the Dead celebration. Marigolds, known as cempasúchil in Spanish, are the traditional flower used to decorate altars and gravesites during this holiday. The bright orange and yellow colors of the marigolds are said to guide the spirits of the dead back to the world of the living. Other common flowers used in Day of the Dead celebrations include roses, lilies, and gladioli.
The color scheme of the Day of the Dead tradition is also an important aspect of the celebration. Vibrant hues of orange, yellow, red, and purple are commonly used to decorate altars, sugar skulls, and other decorations. These bright colors are meant to symbolize the festive and joyful nature of the holiday, as well as to honor the spirits of the departed.
Overall, the Day of the Dead tradition is a beautiful and meaningful celebration that combines elements of food, flowers, and color to honor and remember loved ones who have passed away.
That being said,
Welcome to our Death cafe, Bon Appétit!
Drinks please!
Marigold blood see below for non alcohol options
Ingredients
• Blood Oranges – While I’m deeply obsessed with the crimson hue of these wintry beauties, you can easily swap in regular naval oranges instead. Another tasty option are Cara Cara oranges if you can find them!
• Limes – Whenever you make cocktails at home, do yourself a favor and reach for fresh citrus juice. It’ll taste so much better than the bottled kind!
• Tequila Blanco – You’re free to use plain white tequila if you like, but if you have a few extra minutes, go the extra mile and infuse it with marigold petals and cinnamon for a fun seasonal twist.
• Orange-Flavored Liqueur – This is the only sweetener needed for these tequila blood orange cocktails. If you can swing it, opt for a premium brand like Cointreau or Grand Marnier for the best flavor.
• Ice – Since these are shaken margaritas, I’m considering ice an ingredient. Do yourself a favor and reach for ice made with filtered water for the brightest taste.
• Coarse Salt – I’m a sucker for a salted rim. You are free to omit it, mix it with sugar and/or citrus zest, or trade in a seasoning blend like Tajin instead.
• Marigold Flowers – Optional, but beautiful. And, in case you didn’t already know it, marigolds are totally edible.
Step 1: Shake. In a cocktail shaker, add the freshly squeezed juices, tequila, orange liqueur, and ice. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.
Step 2: Strain, dividing the mix equally between two salt and marigold-rimmed glasses. Garnish with a blood orange slice. Salud!
Optional Variations
When looking for alternatives to alcohol, there are several ingredients that can be used to create flavorful and enjoyable beverages. White kratom, known for its energizing properties, can be a great substitute for alcohol in cocktails or mixed drinks. Green kratom, on the other hand, offers a more balanced effect and can be used to create calming and relaxing beverages. Red kratom is popular for its sedating qualities and can be a suitable replacement for alcohol in drinks meant to promote relaxation.
Aside from kratom, there are various herbal mixes that can be used as alcohol substitutes. For example, kava kava, a root from the South Pacific, is known for its calming and anxiety-reducing effects, making it a popular choice for those looking to unwind without alcohol. Another option is damiana, a shrub native to Mexico and Central America, which is believed to have mild euphoric and relaxing properties when consumed in beverages.
Furthermore, ingredients like valerian root, passionflower, and chamomile can also be used to create alcohol-free beverages that promote relaxation and stress relief. By incorporating these diverse ingredients into your drinks, you can explore a wide range of flavors and effects that offer a unique and satisfying alternative to traditional alcoholic beverages.
How to Make Horchata for Día de los Muertos:
Rinse the rice and blend it with water until smooth.
Add cinnamon sticks and let the mixture sit overnight.
Strain the liquid and discard the rice solids.
Sweeten the horchata with sugar and vanilla extract.
Serve over ice for a refreshing drink.
How to Make Atole for Día de los Muertos:
Mix corn masa with water to create a smooth paste.
Heat milk with cinnamon and piloncillo until sugar is dissolved.
Whisk in the corn masa mixture and cook until Atole thickens.
Serve hot in mugs, garnished with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Day of the Dead bread
Ingredients Day of the Dead bread
• Bread
• 1/4 ounce active dry yeast
• 4 cups bread flour, divided
• 2/3 cup milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (you can save the paper to grease the bowl, or just use cooking spray)
• Topping
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
Directions
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, mix the remaining 3½ cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and orange zest for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs, the remaining ⅓ cup of the milk, and the yeast mixture. Mix at low speed until the dough starts to come together. Add the butter in small pieces while continuing to mix; increase the speed to medium. The dough will look sticky, but resist the temptation of adding more flour. Continue to beat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is soft and comes off the sides of the bowl. If the dough is still sticky after 15 minutes, add a little flour (no more than ⅓ cup).
• Lightly grease a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch down, gather the sides together, and flip so that the bottom is now the top. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight (chilling will slow the fermentation process and dull the butter, making it easier to shape).
• Remove the dough from refrigerator, uncover, and place a towel on top. Let rise in a warm place (about 70°F) for about 1 hour, until it comes to room temperature.
• Separate a little of dough by cutting, NOT pulling (about the size of a large lime) to form the "bones." Divide the remaining dough in half and form into 2 rounds on a smooth flat surface, making sure that the dough is "tight." Place on paper- or silicone-lined sheet trays. Flatten the tops lightly with the palm of your hand.
• Take some of the dough for the bones and form into 2 small gumball sized-balls; set aside on the sheet trays. Divide the remaining dough for the bones into 6 pieces. Roll out with your hands from the center of the dough out, making strips that are about 1 inch longer than the width of the rounds. Spread your fingers and press lightly, making knobs that resemble bones. Place 3 strips on top of one of the domes, crossing each other (the strips should be a little longer than the width of the round). Repeat with the remaining strips, then cover the dough lightly with a towel. Let sit in a warm place until doubled in size. To test if the dough has doubled, press lightly with your finger. It should come back slowly all the way back.
• Heat the oven to 350°F.
• Tap the bottom of the reserved dough rounds with a little water so that they stick. Place the rounds in the center (on top) of the bread, where the strips meet. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes total, until the bread has a nice even dark golden color, then cover loosely with foil and continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 190°F and the bottom of the dough is browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly.
• Topping
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Brush each loaf with the butter, making sure to brush all around the knobs.
• Hold the bottom of a loaf (if it's too warm, use gloves or a piece of cardboard to hold it) and tilt to cover evenly with the sugar. Repeat with the remaining loaf. Let cool completely.
• Variations: The orange zest may be substituted with anise seeds, and milk can be used in place of the orange blossom water.
Toasted, coarsely ground canela may be used instead of the orange zest, and milk can be used in place of the orange blossom water. The bread is then topped with powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar.
The original recipe, above, may be made by brushing with egg yolk and topped with sesame seeds before baking (no butter or sugar would be needed in the end).
Street Corn
Ingredients
• 6
ears corn, shucked, rinsed
• Vegetable oil, for brushing if air frying
• 1/4 c.
mayonnaise
• 1/4 c.
Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1/3 c.
grated cotija cheese
• 3 tsp.
chili powder
• Chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
Directions
• For Grilling:
• Step 1Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; heat 5 minutes (or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat).
• Step 2 Grill corn, turning often, until slightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.
• Step 3 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and crema.
• Step 4 Transfer corn to a platter. Brush with mayonnaise mixture. Top with cotija, chili powder, and cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature with lime wedges alongside.
• For the Air Fryer:
• Step 1 Cut corn to fit in air-fryer basket (you may need to cut cobs in half).
• Step 2 Brush corn all over with oil. Working in batches, arrange corn in basket and cook at 400°, turning halfway through, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Step 3 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and creama.
• Step 4 Transfer corn to a platter. Brush with mayonnaise mixture. Top with cotija, chili powder, and cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature with lime wedges alongside.
Main Dish
Sopes
Ingredients Sopes
Salsa Roja
• 2
roma tomatoes
• 1/2
white onion, coarsely chopped
• 2
cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp.
fresh parsley
• 1 tsp.
kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp.
ancho chili powder
Refried Beans
• 1/4 c.
neutral oil
• 1/2 c.
chopped white onion
• 4
cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1
(15-oz.) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp.
ground cumin
Sopes & Assembly
• 2 c.
(185 g.) masa harina
• 1 c.
plus 2 tbsp. warm water
• 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
• 1/3 c.
vegetable oil
• 1 c.
cooked shredded chicken
• 1/2 c.
shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 c.
chopped white onion
• 1/4 c.
crumbled cotija
• 1/4 c.
Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1/4 c.
thinly sliced radishes
Directions
• Salsa Roja
• Step 1Arrange a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 400°. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Place tomatoes on prepared sheet.
• Step 2Roast tomatoes until softened and blistered, about 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Step 3In a blender, pulse tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and chili powder until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside until ready to use.
• Refried Beans
• Step 1 In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onion is lightly golden and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Step 2 Stir in beans, salt, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Using the back of a fork, roughly mash beans; set aside until ready to use.
• Sopes & Assembly
• Step 1 In a large bowl, combine masa, water, and salt. Using your hands, shape dough into a ball.
• Step 2 Divide dough into 6 (2.5-oz.) pieces. Using a tortilla press or a flat plate, pie dish, or skillet, flatten dough into 1/2"-thick rounds 3 1/2" to 4" in diameter.
• Step 3 In a medium cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat, cook 2 rounds at a time, turning once, until barely golden and still pliable, 1 to 2 minutes per side; a light skin will form and begin to look like a tortilla. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Using your pointer fingers and thumbs, form a 1/4"- to 1/2"-high border around sope. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Step 4 In same skillet or comal over medium heat, heat oil until an instant-read thermometer registers 325°. Cook 3 sopes at a time, turning once, until lightly golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Step 5 Build sopes with chicken, lettuce, onion, cotija, crema, radishes, beans, and salsa.
Fiambre, Guatemala’s Traditional Day of the Dead Dish
• November 2023
• By Jeannifer Hernandez
• Recipe from Guatemala
Fiambre is an enormous cold salad made in Guatemala for Dia de los Muertos on Nov. 1 every year. The platter is typically made with an astonishing combination of sliced meats, cold cuts, cheeses, vegetables and pickled delicacies — piled high. ”Fiambre has more than 18 ingredients and can go as many as 100, depending on each family’s tradition and tastes,” says Chicago mom Jeannifer Hernandez.
This November 1, Jeannifer is proudly bringing her fiambre family recipe to her daughter Sophia’s Day of the Dead celebration at Sacred Heart school in the city. Her dish will be served alongside a very special chocolate marquesa cake from Venezuela and hot, chocolatey champurrado from Mexico that other Sacred Heart parents are bringing in honor of the many culinary ways Day of the Dead is celebrated across Latin America.
Ingredients
• 6 beets, peeled and diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 head cabbage
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1⁄2 tsp oregano
• 1⁄2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp salt, divided
• 1⁄4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 10 radishes, sliced in half (in traditional zigzag pattern, if you can)
• 3 eggs, hard boiled
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 can Manzanilla olives
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 can baby corn ears
• 1 bunch asparagus, fresh
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Cheeses
• 1 package American cheese
• 1 package queso fresco
• 1 package parmesan cheese
• Meat
• 1⁄2 lb steak, grilled or roasted (like carne asada)
• 2 breasts chicken, boiled and sliced
• 1⁄2 lb pork, al pastor-style or marinated, cooked (Jeannifer uses store-bought)
• Cold Cuts
• 1 lb ham
• 12 hot dogs
• 1⁄2 lb salami
• 1⁄2 lb sausage, including chorizo and mix of others
Directions
• Make the Curtido, Usually the Day Before
• Chop beets and carrots into dice-size squares.
• Thinly shred the cabbage.
• Fill a saucepan with 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Add beets, carrots and bay leaves and boil for 8 minutes.
• Add shredded cabbage and boil for 5 minutes, until the cabbage is just tender.
• Add vinegar, oregano, thyme, 1 tsp salt and pepper. (The curtido is typically made at least 1 day in advance to give it time to lightly ferment, says Jeannifer. It is similar to sauerkraut.) Set aside.
• Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a low boil. Add 1 tsp salt.
• Boil the chicken breasts for about 12 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and set aside.
• Add cauliflower and boil until the florets are tender. Remove and set aside.
• Toss the asparagus in olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Boil the eggs. Remove and let cool. Peel and slice in half. Set aside.
• Chop the parsley. Set aside.
• Slice the American cheese in thin strips. Set aside.
• Crumble the queso fresco into tiny pieces. Set aside.
• Slice all the cold cuts into thin strips. Set aside.
• Shred the breasts from a home-roasted or store-bought rotisserie chicken. Set aside.
• Slice the cooked steak or carne asada into thin pieces. Set aside.
• Chop the al pastor-style cooked pork into small pieces. Set aside.
• In a very large, festive serving platter, place the curtido mixture of cabbage, carrots and beets (already lightly fermented).
• Add the rest of the cold cuts, each in their own section.
• Add the radish halves, their tops cut into a zigzag pattern for decoration, if possible.
• Add the Manzanillo olives.
• Add the cooled, roasted asparagus.
• Add the slices of meat, each in their own section.
• Top with the slices of cheese, slices of cucumber and baby corn.
• Enjoy!
Sugar sugar sugar rush & an honoring
How to Make Sugar Skulls Ofrenda Recipes for Día de los Muertos
For those looking to celebrate Día de los Muertos with a traditional touch, sugar skulls ofrenda recipes are a perfect way to honor loved ones who have passed. These intricate and colorful treats are not only visually stunning but also hold deep cultural significance.
Ingredients:
Sugar
Meringue powder
Water
Instructions:
Mix sugar, meringue powder, and water to form a moldable paste.
Press the paste into skull-shaped molds.
Leave the skulls to dry.
Decorate with icing, beads, and other embellishments.
Each sugar skull can be personalized to represent a specific individual or a personal connection to the holiday. Some ideas include adding the name of a loved one, incorporating meaningful symbols, or using special colors.
Placing the sugar skulls on an ofrenda altar alongside candles, marigolds, and photos creates a beautiful and meaningful display to honor and remember those who have passed.
By following these sugar skulls ofrenda recipes, you can participate in the rich tradition of Día de los Muertos and create a heartfelt tribute to your ancestors and loved ones. The process of making these sugar skulls can also be a meditative and reflective practice, allowing you to connect with the spirit of the holiday and celebrate the lives of those who have come before us.
Dinner Conversation
The story of La Catrina, also known as the Day of the Dead, is deeply rooted in Mexican culture and traditions. La Catrina is a well-known symbol representing the cycle of life and death, often depicted as an elegantly dressed skeleton wearing a fancy hat. This iconic figure was originally created by the Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada as a satirical image to mock the upper class during the early 20th century.
Over time, La Catrina has become a beloved symbol of the Day of the Dead celebrations, which take place annually on November 1st and 2nd. During this time, families gather to honor and remember their deceased loved ones, creating altars adorned with marigolds, candles, photos, and favorite foods of the departed.
The story of La Catrina not only serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death but also celebrates the memories and legacies of those who have passed away. It is a time for reflection, remembrance, and celebration of life, making the Day of the Dead a unique and vibrant tradition that continues to be cherished by many.
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