Cinco de Mayo (the Fifth of May), a celebration of Mexican culture, cuisine and heritage, is almost here.
A minor holiday in Mexico, it has become popular in the United States as a chance to celebrate American-Mexican relations, eat Mexican food and drink a lot of beer.
Beer consumption tops $600 million each May 5 according to Neilsen Media; that is more than is sold annually for the Super Bowl or St. Patrick’s Day.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It has been celebrated in California since 1863 and spread throughout the country from there.
Many of our local restaurants offer specials for Cinco de Mayo, and almost everyone has a favorite Mexican eatery where they can join the celebrations.
Another option is to make a meal at home. Tacos, nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, guacamole and salsas are easy to put together. To accompany them, here is a dip recipe from delish.com. It serves plenty in case guests stop by for this celebration or any time you feel like having a fiesta. If you’re not a beer drinker, don’t forget the margaritas.
2 (16-ounce) cans refried beans
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar, divided
1 cup shredded pepper jack, divided
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Topping:
¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
1 green onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup red onion, diced
½ pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 jalapeño, sliced
Tortilla chips, for serving
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together beans, cream cheese, sour cream, and half the pepper jack and cheddar. Fold in green onions, jalapeno, and taco seasoning. Season with salt and black pepper.
Step 2. Transfer dip to an oven-safe skillet and top with remaining pepper jack and cheddar. Bake until warmed through and cheese is melty, about 25 minutes.
Step 3. Garnish dip with queso fresco, onions, tomatoes, and jalapeño. Serve warm with chips.
For dessert, the simplest choice is this one from foodnetwork.com:
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Six 8-inch flour tortillas, whole or cut into shapes
On a plate, mix the sugar and cinnamon. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer, inserted in the oil, reaches 350 degrees. (If you do not have a thermometer, test the oil with a piece of tortilla, which should sizzle when it touches the oil and should brown in about 2 to 3 minutes.) One by one, fry tortillas until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the crisps to paper towels to drain. While still warm, transfer to cinnamon-sugar mixture, turn to coat and serve.
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