by alextabar
Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday widely celebrated in all of Mexico and abroad as well. On this special day, people of Mexican heritage pay homage to their loved ones who have passed away.
During this celebration that begins October 31st and ends on November 2nd, family members create elaborate altars to pray for their loved ones, decorating them with photographs, colorful ornaments and food offerings. To honor your loved ones who have passed away, organize a gathering with friends and family and make these traditional Mexican recipes as an offering.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
What sets Mexican Hot Chocolate apart is the spiciness from the chilies, which perfectly complements the sweetness of the chocolate. To make it, bring milk and cinnamon to a simmer until cinnamon is fragrant, whisking constantly. Add chocolate, sugar, vanilla, salt, and dash of ground chile and cook, whisking frequently until chocolate is smooth and creamy. Serve with whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder.
White Pozole
Pozole is a hearty hominy soup with an onion and garlic broth, usually cooked with pork or chicken. To cook this traditional Mexican soup, mix onion, cloves of garlic, salt, and water in a blender until smooth. In a large pot, add hominy, pork chunks, the garlic onion mixture and water, simmering for 3 hours until the pork is very tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve in a bowl with sliced radish, avocado, chopped white onion and lime wedges.
Calabaza en Tacha (Candied Pumpkin)
Candied Pumpkin
This sweet Mexican delicacy has hints of spices and the natural sweetness of the pumpkin enhanced by sugar and molasses. To make it at home, pour water in a pot and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and allspice along with sugar and molasses. Place wedges of pumpkin in the spiced water and let them simmer until the pumpkin is tender. Remove pumpkin from the water and take half of the remaining water and reduce down to a syrup, strain and pour over the pumpkin wedges. Add vanilla ice cream or cream for a special touch!
Mexican Corn on the Cob
This Mexican corn on the cob is really easy to make and so flavorful. To try it at home, simply slather sweet corn cobs with butter and grill until tender. Spice up some mayonnaise with chili and paprika, drizzle over the grilled corns and sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese, cilantro and a splash of lime. What’s not to love?
Empanadas de Camote (Sweet Potato Empanadas)
These empanadas are the perfect treat for your Día de los Muertos celebration. Similar to other Mexican dishes, these empanadas are sweet and spicy. To prepare them, use your favorite store-bought flaky pastry dough. Boil cubes of peeled sweet potato with cinnamon and sugar until tender. Remove the sweet potatoes from the water and mash until you get a chunky puree. Fill your empanadas, seal with a fork and bake until golden.
This Día de los Muertos, which loved one will you honor?
by Alex Tabar & Erika Morillo
