Cinco de Mayo Party Recipes
It’s here, it’s finally here! Cinco de Mayo is THIS weekend! I’m kinda a little bit sorta maybe excited, in case you couldn’t tell by the torrent of Mexican and Tex-Mex themed recipes I’ve bombarded you with this past month. Sorry about that. I just couldn’t help myself.
And no worries if you missed any of them, because here they are in one, convenient list.
Pineapple Habanero Salsa
I recently had the opportunity to do a guest post for Dishfolio and just had to share this recipe with them. It’s one of those tried-and-true recipes that’s been hanging out with me for quite awhile. It’s too good not to share here as well, so…
What’s your favorite food? This question always stumps me. I don’t even think it’s possible to answer. How can you pick just one? Even narrowing it down to a single cuisine is pretty darn impossible. More than anything else, I love variety in my food. Italian one night. Maybe some Thai the next. I do, however, have one recurring, predominant food love. Chips and dip.
Oh how I love thee. And just to be clear, we’re not talking about that peel back container of commercially-packaged self-stable gunk they sell in grocery stores. Fresh, homemade dips, spreads, salsas, and guacamole is where it’s at. That’s the stuff that gets me excited.
I’m pretty much required to make this pineapple habanero salsa at almost every party during the spring and summer. A couple of my friends demand it, threatening to disown me from the circle of trust if I fail to deliver. Just kidding… kind of.
Ultimate Queso with Roasted Poblano Sauce
You have to try pretty hard to not love tortilla chips dipped in melted cheese. Like come on, who doesn’t love queso? My dad, who is notorious in our family for being the pickiest of picky eaters (the man eats almost nothing that’s actually delicious and flavorful), absolutely loves queso. He didn’t even eat pizza until meeting my mom, who quickly changed that absurdity by threatening to end their relationship immediately. But queso? My dad is all over queso.
This isn’t just your ordinary bowl of melted heavily-processed-cheese. Heck no. We can do better. We deserve better. This, my friends, is ultimate queso time.
Do you remember that show Captain Planet? That was the stuff. Earth. Water. Fire. Wind. When our powers combine… That’s what I feel like this queso is all about: Real deal queso. Flavor-packed roasted poblano sauce. Sweet-spicy-tangy pepper relish. When their flavors combine… (more…)
Swiss Chard and Onion Tacos
There’s always one. You’re about to throw an amazing party, have a killer menu planned, and then it hits you. You remember that one friend of yours that’s a vegetarian. Doh! Being the amazingly generous, caring host that I know you all are, your brain immediately starts thinking of a meatless alternative for your plant-loving friend. That’s just how you roll. You’re thoughtful like that. And that’s why I like you.
And good news. This taco is good enough for all the omnivores in your life as well. It’ll make them feel like they’re being all good and healthy.
Southwest Wontons
I first made these wontons a couple of years back for a little happy hour I threw for friends from work. I remember enlisting the help of my good friend Steve to be my sous chef to make sure everything was ready and done on time. The first task he tackled was filling and wrapping the wontons. We both had never done it before but he decided, very stereotypically, that since he’s Asian, that skill must have been inherently imbedded somewhere in his DNA.
Steve was totally right. He filled and wrapped the first wonton with careful approach. After that, he was like a wonton savant. We both had no idea how he was prepping them so fast. We laughed and laughed about this new-found career opportunity… that is, until he realized that now every time I make these southwest wontons, he’s in charge of filling and wrapping them.
Anyway, I think you will really love these Southwest Wontons. They are an insanely addictive party snack and after making them for your next friendly get-together, will definitely up your “cooking street cred”.
Simple Pico de Gallo Recipe
It has many names. Pico de Gallo. Salsa Fresca. Salsa Mexicana. I’ve even heard some restaurants call it “mild salsa”. Hey, it’s flexible. Like my wife, it will answer to almost anything.
We actually just had this conversation yesterday. Her name has an extra “E” in it: Asheley. Do you see it? So naturally, she always gets the question, “Do you pronounce it Ashley or Ash-e-ley?” And her answer is always indifferent. Either way. It doesn’t matter. You can call me whatever. I avoid this conundrum all together and affectionally just call her hun. It’s easier that way.
So feel free to call this popular Mexican condiment whatever you wish. I just wouldn’t recommend “hun”. That would be weird.
Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onions and Salsa Verde
This past Saturday Asheley and I spent the day cruising around the city for a little food tour with another couple, showing them some our favorite spots. It’s one of our favorite things to do on weekends. Good food. Great friends. Creating memories. That’s what life’s all about.
On the way home, we were talking about what the favorite food of the day was. That’s always a tough question, because everything is so freaking good. And there was much to choose from. We kind of ate a lot. That tends to happen. Our one friend mentioned that he absolutely loves tacos… like he could happily eat them every day, so Dos Toros Taqueria and Brooklyn Taco Company were some of his favorites.
I love tacos too. They are little bundles of joy. It’s the perfect food, at least in my mind. And they are so versatile. The combinations are endless. This is one I think you’ll really enjoy. I know I did 
How to Make Perfect Carnitas
We’ll get to the carnitas. I promise. But first, there’s something we need to talk about. Today, along with over 200 other food bloggers, I dedicate my post to Food Bloggers Against Hunger.
I know I’m normally pretty light-hearted and laid back in my posts. One very, very kind person even said they find my writing witty. But today we need to have a chat. It’s a pretty serious one. And I’m asking that you really take a couple minutes and read through this entire post. Don’t just skim through the pictures and the recipe. I’ve never asked you to do that before, but for this, it’s important.
What if you woke up tomorrow and didn’t have the financial means to feed your family? What if literally, your refrigerator was empty. Pantry empty. You’re not a slacker. You work hard and put in long hours to try to provide for your family, but the cost of living is simply more than the wage you’re paid.
Or maybe you lost your job and were able to successfully apply for food stamps, but that only allots you $4 per day for food. Four dollars.
What would you do?
That’s what filmmakers set out to answer in the recently released documentary, A Place At The Table. Movies don’t often disturb me. This one did. A lot. Here’s what I learned…
How to Make Corn Tortillas
The humble tortilla. A tabula rasa. A perfect, innocent, beautiful blank canvas. It’s the foundation on which so many of my favorite foods are built. I love tortillas. I’m uncertain if life would be worth living without them.
I have to admit, I’m more of a flour tortilla kinda guy. Judge me as you will. There are times that I do totally dig the corn tortilla though, and I know a lot of you might be partial to them as well. I figured the safest bet would be to learn how to make both kinds to appease the masses. For those of you who share my flour preference, stay tuned for that post. Today is all about the corn.
This was actually my first attempt at making tortillas. I’ve always wanted to, but figured it would be a lot of work. And store-bought tortillas do the trick just fine, don’t they? Wrong. And wrong. I can’t believe how simple and quick it was to whip up a batch of homemade tortillas, and they taste so much better than the commercially packaged ones.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
I hope you like Mexican food… because I’m bringing it non-stop for the next few weeks. One of my absolute favorite holidays is coming, and I want to make sure you (and I) are ready.
Cinco de Mayo. Three beautiful words that bring tears of joyful anticipation streaming down my face. Okay, well not really, but you get the idea. It honestly is one of the holidays I most look forward to.
By the end of the month, you will have enough recipes to throw one ridiculous, slightly out-of-control Cinco de Mayo party. People will be talking about it for weeks. You’ll be a legend within your circle of friends. And it starts right here, right now.
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