May's Featured Holidays and RecipesWritten by Lara Velez
There are three great days in month of May that I would like to talk about...Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day. I will share a brief history and include a couple of delectable recipes. Happy May!---------------------------------------- Cinco de Mayo - May 5, 2005 - Cinco de Mayo means "The 5th of May." Many people believe that it is Mexico's Independence Day. This is not true. Independence Day in Mexico is September 16. The history of Cinco de Mayo dates back to mid 1800's. Mexico was in substantial debt with France, Spain, and England. France decided to use this to their advantage and invade Mexico. The first invasion attempt was on May 5, 1862. It is known as The Battle of Pueblain. The Mexican army was out numbered and out matched, yet, they defeated French army and kept control of their country. Unfortunately, they lost a battle that took place about a year later and French gained control from 1864 - 1867. Although Mexico lost out to French in end...they still celebrate bravery shown at first battle. I have included two delicious recipes to fit any Mexican celebration. Make 'em Smile Guacamole (read entire recipe before starting) 1 very small onion, finely chopped 1 medium-large tomato, cored and very finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and very finely chopped 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 3 ripe, medium avocados, peeled, seeded, roughly mashed 1/4 cup of finely chopped leaf lettuce 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) pepper to taste Juice of one small lime In a medium bowl, mix onion, tomato, garlic and cilantro. About 1/2 hour before serving, add avocado with rest of ingredients. Your goal is to create a thick mass of yum. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to let flavors blend. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or Mexican dish. Pinto Beans 4 cups water 2 cups dried pinto beans 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic 2 thick slices of bacon 1 teaspoon cumin Mix water, beans and onion in 4-quart Dutch oven. Cover and heat to boiling; boil about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 1 hour. Add just enough water to cover beans. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender, approximately 2 hours. (Add water during cooking if necessary.) Drain, cover, and refrigerate beans. Use within one week.
| | Sot Suppe (Norwegian Sweet Soup) for ChristmasWritten by LeAnn R.Ralph
My mother was daughter of Norwegian immigrants who homesteaded our small Wisconsin dairy farm in late 1800s. When my mother was a child, sweet soup was a traditional part of Christmas Eve, served cold with julekake, lefse, Christmas bread, or open-faced sandwiches. Sweet Soup is made with dried fruit and tapioca.Sot Suppe 6 cups water 1/3 cup sugar 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (depending upon how well you like taste of cinnamon; you can also use a cinnamon stick) 2 cups dried fruit (use any kind you like: apples, apricots, peaches or a mixture of dried fruit) 1 cup raisins (dark or golden) 1 cup dried prunes 1 tablespoon lemon juice (you can also use 1 teaspoon of dried lemon rind or several slices of fresh lemon) In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and water. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in fruit (including lemon if youre using sliced lemon) and heat to boiling again. Cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until fruit is tender.
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