Chocolatada: Day of the Dead Chocolate Party

I threw a chocolate party last Friday to commemorate the Day of the Dead holiday. Why chocolate? Well, everyone loves chocolate! Chocolate was also a sacred food to ancient Mexicans so I found it very appropriate to celebrate this ancient holiday using a chocolate theme. Here's some tips if you want to organize a Day of the Dead chocolatada (chocolate feast) of your own:



Start your party late in the evening so your guests get a chance to eat dinner on their own, if they choose to. Any time after 7:00 or 8:00 pm should give your guests plenty of time to eat a light meal.



I set up two food tables: one with dark chocolate and vegan alternatives, and a more festive "ofrenda" (offering) with more traditional Mexican elements and milk chocolate. My ofrenda had the customary pan de muerto (pictured above), fruit, paper cutouts and traditional marigolds that have been used to honor the dead in Mexico for centuries. I baked two batches of chocolate cutout cookies the night before for both tables. They are relatively easy, and a lot of fun to decorate.


I served two kinds of chocolate fondue with fruit skewers for dipping. Chocolate melts better if you apply even heat slowly. Start melting your chocolate at least an hour before the party starts on a double broiler. Make sure all your utensils are dry and no moisture gets in the chocolate or it will clump. In order for your guest not to get overwhelmed with too much sweetness its a good idea to serve some savories. I made some black bean guacamole and mango salsa and served them with blue corn chips and beet chips. I also had mini pastry shells with mole sauce and roasted veggies. To complete the dark chocolate table I added cascades of black lace, dry pasilla and negro chiles, figs, black grapes and plums. A chocolate cake and brownies completed the table.

No chocolatada can be complete without some hot chocolate. I used tablets of Chocolate Ibarra and Chocolate Abuelita and mixed them with hot low fat milk and soy milk. A little bit of the pasilla and negro chiles was added to the blender in order to make a delicious spicy and sweet drink. A little bit of Mexican vanilla also gives the chocolate a wonderful scent. Please make sure you get authentic Mexican vanilla, it really makes a big difference. One of my guests said it was the best hot chocolate she had ever tasted! You can get Ibarra and Abuelita hot chocolate tablets at MexGrocer, I get my vanilla from Xanath in San Francisco.






MORE RESOURCES:
The black clay skull and candle holder come from Oaxaca, but any dark hued pottery or tarnished silver will do if you want to create a dark table. The man shaped candle comes from a botanica on the Mission district. I also found several goodies and decorations in my neighborhood and on-line. The chocolate cosmos and dark dahlias are from Birch. The chocolate skulls and licorice/chocolate lentils are from Miette. The plastic plates and cups are reusable. I got them from Smarty Had A Party. Have a safe and fun holiday. And remember to brush your teeth!

(:= X

Mayo Crowns of Flowers

Sorry it is taking me so long to post, I'm having technical difficulties. Enjoy this beautiful series of children wearing crowns of flowers. It comes via Flickr, thanks to the gracious Memo Vasquez. They show a Mayo Easter celebration. The Mayo is an indigenous group of Northern Sinaloa an Southern Sonora, Mexico.



According to the potographer the children are referred as Marias and Joses, or simply "Promeseros", all participants of the feast are referred as promise keepers. On Easter Friday children light up candles and look over the grown up's prayers.


According to Memo: "On the feast of resurrection (children) have a job. They sing the "Gloria" and throw flower petals, like confetti, up in the air. At noon, once they have ran out of petals, they take off the crowns at thow them up in the air as well, with great joy. Life continues". Happy Spring, everyone!

Sopa de Flor de Calabaza - Squash Blossom Soup

Squash blossoms are the "holy grail" of the farmer's market. The season for squash blossoms is brief, so I was so happy when I saw big golden bunches selling for just five dollars! Cooking with flowers is wonderful. These particular flowers are very versatile; you can toss them in salad, use them in stir fry, or prepare them as a stuffing for quesadillas. You can also make this classic "Flor de Calabaza" soup. My personal recipe uses seasonal veggies for a perfect Summer treat. It is no wonder the delicate squash taste of this dish has been enjoyed in Mexico for more than five hundred years! To prepare the blossoms get rid of the stems and pistils, wash and use only the beautiful golden petals. This is a vegan recipe, but you can substitute butter for the vegetable oil if you wish. Makes four servings. You'll need the following ingredients:

• Two bunches of squash blossoms (approximately four cups of blossoms, when chopped)
• Half of a small white onion, chopped
• One ripe tomato peeled, seeded and chopped
• Kernels of two fresh ears of corn
• One cup of fresh green beans, chopped
• Two medium white potatoes (or four small creamers) peeled and cubed
• Four cups of vegetable broth, or filtered water
• One corn tortilla, cut in strips
• Two tablespoons of vegetable oil
• Dash of white pepper
• Salt to taste

In a large pot saute the chopped onion with oil until it becomes transparent. Add the chopped tomato and stir until it starts to release its juices. Add the cubed potatoes, chopped green beans and kernels of corn. Make sure you scrape inside the pot what remains on the ears of corn, using a blunt knife to release the juices. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes and then add the flowers. Add the broth or water and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Puree half of the soup in a blender and return to the pot for a creamier consistency. Garnish with tortilla strips that have been toasted in a pan with a little bit of oil, or crisped in a 350-degree oven.

Inspiration Board: Gothic Mexican Wedding

I used to sell my original Day of the Dead bride and groom figurines on E-bay. Several folks told me that they used my figurines as toppers for their wedding cakes. I was incredibly flattered, having my art be a part of someone's special day. Hoping to colaborate with wedding planners and other artists I came up with this inspiration board. Many designers use these boards to help their customers choose a color scheme and a theme for their wedding.

The concept:
The inspiration for this board came from bull fights, the Day of the Dead holiday and embroidery. The colors are basic black and white and fuchsia (or "Rosa Mexicano" as we call it in Mexico). The feeling is slightly Gothic, but modern. I wanted to avoid the obvious chili peppers, maracas and colors usually associated with a Mexican theme wedding. Here's more information about the items, from right to left:


Clothing and accesories:
Bolero Jacket. The amazing southern gothic designs from Bayou Salvage are made with recycled, reclaimed and vintage materials. If you happen to travel to New Orleans make sure to visit them...or shop on-line at Etsy. The concept is southern gothic, but I think a senorita would feel right at home wearing one of their lacy bolero jackets. Guayaberas. Traditional Guayaberas are light weight shirts for men, they come in a variety of designs. The ones pictured in black and white are gorgeously embroidered, you can get them from Caracteristico. The pink and onyx earrings are from Bryan Johnson Creations. The Wedding Lasso is traditional in many Mexican weddings, it symbolizes the couple's new life together. In my board I included a double fresh Jasmine lei from leijl.com , instead of a more commonly used rosary shaped lasso.


The Cake
The beautiful black and white "brushed embroidery" cake is from The Butter Cream Studio in the San Francisco area. The realistic fuchsia anemone flowers are edible. Tracy, the owner and head baker is truly a cake artist!

The Cake Topper
The inspiration for this post: this topper is very detailed, but no taller than 3.5 inches tall. The bride and groom are cast together, they are carefully painted and decorated with tulle netting. Please contact me directly if you are interested in one, I can customize the colors of the figurine so it matches your wedding colors.

The Venue:
I wanted to keep the feeling of the board light and contemporary. An event like this could be held at a museum, art gallery or a hotel. The image in the inspiration board is from Habita Hotel in Monterrey, Mexico. Habita is a slick, modern hotel decorated in a clean and simple black and white palette.

Flowers:
The fuchsia anemones and eggplant mini calla lily bouquet comes from Ambience Floral Design, in Sacramento.

Santeria Inspired Mini Flower Arrangement

Flower arrangements doesn't have to be big in order to be decorative, meaningful and cool. I created this little flower arrangement and "shrine" of sorts for my bathroom using just a few flowers and other unusual elements. You can use materials you already have at home and a handful of flowers in order to economize.

Arrangements for your bathroom can be made in a variety of themes: A sunken ship, a beach vacation or a favorite movie (pirates, jaws anyone?). I was loosely inspired by the Santeria belief of "Orishas", or spirits of nature, in this case Yemaja/Olokun. Yemaja is the female aspect of the ocean, she is the great mother and giver of life. Olokun is the male aspect, the mysterious bottom of the ocean - very powerful and at times deadly. To make a similar arrangement you'll need the following materials:

• A glass or ceramic tray. I'm using a recycled bottle glass tray I got in Mexico City.
• Smooth pebbles, stones or aquarium gravel
  
• Shells, coral, driftwood or any other ocean elements.
• Flowers, seed pods, twigs, etc.
• Figurines, folk art or aquarium decorations

I chose a big "pin cushion" flower as my focal point. It reminded me of anemones and other sea life. I cut the flower's stem fairly short and secured it inside a water container using a few stones. I placed the container on one side of the glass tray and gathered a few shells around the container in order to anchor it. I added a few more flowers and fern spirals to create balance.


On the other side of the glass tray I placed a miniature folk art mermaid from Mexico. The mini Poseidon porcelain charm comes from Castle in the Air. I surrounded the figurines with abalone chips and miniature shells. Finally I placed the tray on a shelf in my bathroom. If you don't have space on a shelf you can make a smaller version for a windowsill or even the top of your sink. Have fun!

Faux flowering cacti

When I was a kid I used to buy mini cacti from a woman at the San Angel market, in Mexico City. It took me a while to figure out why every single cactus I bought from her died after a few days. Hers were not grafted, potted living things. She took bits and pieces of cactus and other plants and held them together with toothpicks. At the time I was outraged when I discovered this, but now I've come to appreciate her creativity and her whimsical "Frankenstein" creations. This humble Mexican woman was not a gardener, she was an "eco sculptor" and inspired this flower arrangement! I think it would make a cool center piece for a Mexican themed party. To make something similar you'll need the following materials:

• Clay pots
• One or two "nopal" paddles per clay pot
• A bouquet of small seasonal flowers
• Acrylic paint
• Bamboo skewers
• Wooden toothpicks
• Plasticine or modeling clay
• Decorative gravel or pebbles
  

Start by decorating the pots with acrylic paint. Place a square of modeling clay inside the pot and stick a skewer in it. Fill the rest of the pot with decorative gravel to give it weight. Using gloves, stick the nopales in the skewers so they stand upright. Play around with your arrangement's composition; you can cut the paddle in half, lean it to the side or even place two paddles in the same pot.

The final step is to stick the flowers to the top of the cactus using the toothpicks. Do it just before your party, since the flowers won't last long in that state. Note: I recommend not using real potted cacti for this project. Instead use "nopales", cultivated edible cactus sold in Mexican markets. If you have any leftovers you can always make a salad with them!