Nothing yells “Gringo!” like Cinco de Mayo. Actually, the Roseland district of Santa Rosa keeps it real, which is great to see. As with so many holidays here in the U.S., we've made it our own and completely bastardized it. But hey, I'm not above using an obscure battle in Mexico to justify having a party, especially if it involves a French defeat. And not just any defeat, a crushing defeat, an ass whipping of the first degree. C'mon, the French force, armed with the latest weaponry, outnumbered the Mexican force 2 to 1 and still got thumped. In tech speak that's C : ### = FAIL. It's also noted by historians that the French defeat also prevented Napoleon III from using Mexico as a base to aid the South in the Civil War. 14 months after the Mexico's ultimate victory, Lee is defeated at Gettysburg. Let's get this party started!
So now that we've got a solid rationalization for anyone looking to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, let's get going. First we'll need to stay hydrated through our prep. Sangria works well. Make a batch and you're set for a good while.
• 3 1/4 cups (26 fl. oz) dry red wine
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1/3 cup Cointreau
• 1/3 lemon-flavored vodka
• 1 small lemon, sliced crosswise
• 1 small orange, sliced crosswise
• 1 small lime, sliced crosswise
• 1 medium pear, diced
• 2 medium peach, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 2 cups (8 oz) sliced strawberries
• 1 bottle carbonated lemon-lime soda
Now that we've secured a ready source of hydration, we're ready to prepare some food – in this case guacamole and grilled tequila-lime shrimp. When it comes to guacamole, I like to keep it simple and let the avocado do the talking. In its basic form, it's really just avocado mashed with pico de gallo.
• 3 avocados, cut into ½ in cubes
• 1 plum tomato finely diced
• ¼ cup finely diced onion
• 2 tbsp minced cilantro
• 1 serrano chile minced. Yes I use the seeds, besides most of the heat is actually in the ribs of the chile.
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the avocado, lime juice and sea salt. Mash together until just lumpy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. There still should be some small chunks of avocado. The key is to know how long to mash the avocado and you want it just to the point that the flesh is releasing its oil. Not enough and it will look pasty.. Too much and you've got sauce (which is actually how I've had guacamole in Mexico). It should have a nice sheen but still be firm in texture. During a recent stint training for Kitchen Manager with Chipotle restaurants, I got to the point of being able to turn an entire case of avocados in to some killer guac in 25 minutes. Bust out the tortilla chips!
I like to work my grill into just about any occasion. For Cinco, it's grilled tequila-lime shrimp.
For the marinade:
- Juice and zest of 6 limes
- Juice and zest of 4 oranges
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup good-quality blanco tequila (such as Herradura silver)
- ½ cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes
- 1½ pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, washed, and patted dry
So we're hydrated, we got our snack on, and now we're staring at an open bottle of good quality blanco tequila. It's margarita time. What can I say here? We're all pretty familiar with this libation. I do like Trader Joe's margarita mix to which I add a touch of orange juice. If you want to try all fresh juice definitely opt for sweet limes, not the usual limes you find at the grocery. Get over to the nearest Latino market (Lola's in my case) and stock up. Great, sweet flavor and amazing aroma. Try 2 parts sweet lime juice to one part each of fresh lime and orange juice. Sweeten with agave nectar to taste. Instead of the usual salt rim, try a hot chile salt or chipotle salt. How about muddling a jalapeno into your mix? Floater? Try some Amaretto. Be bold – there's plenty of tequila left in that bottle in case you wind up with a few Mulligans. I mean, what's the point of having a party if you aren't going to experiment on friends and family? Viva Mexico, cabrones!
