Create a stay-at-home fiesta for Cinco de Mayo

With the current restrictions on dining out, our local restaurants haven’t advertised their usual Cinco de Mayo special events. No word of a taco toss, giant margaritas or mountains of nachos. There will only be two ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year: Order take-out from your favorite Mexican eatery or get the ingredients to make your own feast.

Although sometimes confused with the commemoration of Mexican Independence, Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for the fifth of May) is the anniversary of the 1862 Battle of Puebla. This Mexican victory over the French forces of Napoleon became cause for celebration as the small band of ill-equipped Mexican fighters defeated the large group of well-armed French. 

The anniversary was first celebrated in southern California the following year in a show of solidarity with Mexico against the French. Today, Mexican Americans across this country celebrate their heritage on Cinco de Mayo, while in Mexico, festivities are concentrated in the state of Puebla with parades and speeches.

Since an opportunity to celebrate with a group of friends or family isn’t available, we’ll have to focus on re-creating traditional dishes associated with Cinco de Mayo. To begin, we’ll shake up a crisp margarita made from tequila, lime juice and simple syrup. As many of you know, tequila is a potent spirit distilled from the blue agave plant and is the potent basis of a margarita.

Many commercial preparations of margaritas will use a lemon-lime mixer instead of simple syrup, but the latter will give you a much smoother and cleaner flavor profile. Simply boil together equal parts sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved. Cool and refrigerate in a sealed container until you’re ready to make your next batch of margaritas.

Guacamole is a favorite dish to share on Cinco de Mayo. I’ve included a basic recipe for this delicious avocado mash, but you can always add more heat with minced jalapeño or hints of color with diced tomato. Some people like to add minced onion or sliced scallion for another bit of spice. And, of course, it’s delicious on toast.

As part of our preparation, I thought of making one of those layered dips you find at parties, usually served in a huge glass trifle dish. Since it’s just the two of us, I went with a miniature version. As you can see in the photo, starting from the bottom, there’s roasted red pepper hummus, black beans mixed with green onions, salsa, cilantro and a generous dollop of guacamole.

For a different dip to serve with tortilla chips, consider queso blanco, which translates to “white cheese.” This is a simple combination of sautéed onion and jalapeño mixed with white American cheese melted over low heat. The sharp bite of the pepper is smoothed out by the creamy melted cheese, making an addictive dip. 

You can round out your meal with tacos or quesadillas, some of the easiest and most delicious ways to combine hot, crunchy, salty and creamy. Always be sure to include shredded cheese or sour cream, as the dairy helps quell the heat. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Margarita

2 oz tequila
3/4 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
lime wedge (for garnish)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice; cover and shake vigorously for about 25 seconds. Strain into a glass and garnish with lime wedge. Yield: 1 serving.

Guacamole*

2 ripe avocados
2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 T chopped cilantro
salt, to taste

Cut the avocados in half, remove pit, peel and chop coarsely into a serving bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips. *Optional ingredients: diced tomato, minced jalapeño, sliced green onion or diced red onion.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2 whole red bell peppers
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 C lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt
15-oz can chickpeas
Salt, to taste
1 t olive oil

Move top oven rack to the highest position. Preheat broiler. Core peppers and cut them into flat pieces. Arrange pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer, skin side up. Broil until the pepper skin has blackened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Place pepper pieces in a zip-top plastic bag, seal and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Gently peel away the charred skin and discard. Reserve 2 pieces to use as garnish and roughly chop the rest; set aside.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice; process for 1 minute, scrape down the bowl and process 30 seconds. Add the olive oil, garlic, cumin and salt to the bowl. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the bowl and process 30 seconds. Add half of the chickpeas and process for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl; add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped roasted peppers and continue to process until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Finely chop the reserved peppers. Spoon hummus into a serving bowl, make a small well in the middle and garnish with chopped peppers and a swirl of olive oil. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Yield: 1 1/2 C.