Día de Muertos

Día de Muertos (Day Od the Dead) is one of the most respected and widely celebrated days in Mexico. In parts of Mexico, it's the entire month of October, but in most parts, it's just Nov 1 and 2. If you follow me on Twitter @catlady1952 , you'll already know some things about it. Such as:
 1. The basis of it 's prehispanic and even pre-Aztec and quite ancient. The Aztecs probably have the greatest influence on how we present the altar now. The Aztecs believed that when people died, they had a long voyage to arrive at their final destination: Mictlán. There was no Hell. You were expected to be a good person. How long your voyage was would depend partly on that.

2. It is synchretic. A fusion of ancient MesoAmerican beliefs and Catholic ones. This is why the altar has both candy skulls (refers to the inevitability of death and Tzompantlis) and a cross or crosses. The Catholic church really doesn't like Día de Muertos, but after 500 years, it's given up trying to erradicate it. A Tzompantli was a  wall of racked skulls.

3. An offering/altar can be as modest or opulent as you wish, but it's not about you or showing off. It's about remembering your loved ones (We include our fur babies) and setting things that would please them. Essential items: Candles, incense (copal is used here, but any incense will do), yellow or orange Marigolds (You can substitute, if necessary), These things call the spirits home and guide them. Glasses of water to quench their thirst (It's a long trip) and salt to remind them, they no longer belong to the material world. Pan de Muerto. I realize that may be difficult to get, so improvise with some sweet bread they may have liked or if you're adventurous, I'll post a recipe for it. 

4. Other things: Food they liked. My dad loved chiles rellenos. My mom loved enchiladas. Use whatever food they loved. You can also use beer, liquor, coffee, tea, whatever they liked to drink. Also coffee and maybe something sweet for dessert. This year we will omit the food, because we seem to have been adopted by an ant colony!

5. Nov 1st is for the "little dead". The babies and children who passed on. Set up your altar on Halloween night. You should include a lot of sweets and toys.

6. Nov 6th is for the adults, who have passed on. Set up the altar on Nov 2nd.

7. A lot of people set up their offering in the cemetery on the tomb of their loved one. One place famous for it, is Mixquic.

Images are not mine.

Mixquic

Tzompantli

Albóndigas en chipotle. Meatballs in chipotle sauce.

 This is one of my favorite recipes. I cook for 4 very hungry people, and this is enough for two days.

2 lbs ground beef
bread crumbs
1 raw egg
salt and pepper to taste.
1 hard boiled egg, chopped up  or two tablespoons cooked rice.

1 large can of tomato sauce
1 small can of chipotles
a clove of garlic finely chopped. More if you love garlic.
about half a small onion finely chopped.
a small sprig of spearmint.

Mix the ground beef with the raw egg, salt, pepper and the bread crumbs until the mixture holds together, when you make a ball. Put the chopped hard boiled egg or rice in the mix. Blend it well. Form the meatballs. Set aside.
In a large pot, put about a tablespoon of vegetable oil and sauté the garlic and onion. In a blender mix up the can of chipotle and the  the tomato sauce. If you don't like very spicey food, you can try adding a little bit of chipotle at a time, until you get to what's acceptable for you. Chop the speamint and add it to the liquid in the blender.
Now that everything is mixed together pour it on the oil with the onion and garlic. Let it simmer. If it's to thick, add about half a cup of water. Lower the heat. Add the meatballs one by one and be sure they are covered in sauce. Cover the pot and continue to simmer it, until the meatballs are cooked through.
Serve with rice and beans. Don't forget the corn tortillas!


Do not brown the meatballs first!

This is a staple in every Mexican home and fondita (family owned restaurant).

BASIC MEXICAN RICE

1 cup rice (NOT Precooked!)
2 cups chicken broth/2 cups water and 1 or 2 boullion cubes.
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 small can of veggies. You can use frozen or fresh. I usually buy a small bag of precut carrots, peas, string beans, potatoes from the produce stand. If frozen, do not use the whole bag. About a third is enough.
about a tablespoon of  vegetable oil (not olive oil).
1 clove garlic

Measure the rice and place it in a colander. Rinse it under the tap and then set it aside to dry.
Heat up the oil in a pot and sauté the clove of garlic,  till golden, and then remove.
Pour the rice into the oil. Stir it around till it's all got some of the garlic-oil on it and stir it around until it begins to change to a slightly golden color.
Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of tomato sauce in and keep stirring until the tomato sauce begins to simmer.
Now add the veggies and the broth. Give it a final stir. Cover with a lid and lower the flame to medium. Do not remove the lid at all, until 20 minutes have passed. If it still has a lot of liquid, leave it uncovered for about 5 -10 more minutes. The rice should be fluffy and dry.

Mexican Mom Recipes

This is a blog dedicated to verydy Mexican cooking. The kind you find in any home. For that reason, most of the recipes rely on good, old fashioned inexact measurements such as pinches and handfuls.
Here you will not find any TexMex recipes and no taco shells or yellow cheese. You will find flavorful, healthy, homecooking, and sometimes a little bit of geography or history to go with it.

Very IMPORTANT!
Please don't use olive il. It changes the flavor.
Don't substitute wheat tortillas (tortillas de harina) for corn. In some recipes, it can lead to disastrous results.
Practice makes perfect. If you didn't get it quite the first time, you will the next!
Enjoy!