A Mexican Thanksgiving

Possibly no other country in the world has as many festivals, fairs and feast days as Mexico. National holidays, religious holidays and people's santos (saints' days) are all celebrated with gusto, as are the observances of the patron saints of virtually every city, town and pueblito. The santoral, or calendar of saints' days, is so crowded with names that nearly every day brings a reason for a fiesta in any given neighborhood, and one of the most essential elements of these festivities is food. So important is the cultivation, preparation and consumption of nature's bounties that there are ferias (fairs) dedicated solely to the local harvest.

The feria is a regional celebration, usually of a particular town or village. Fireworks, games, rides and food stalls offering local specialties are all featured at a feria. There is music and folk dancing, as well as verbenas - the night time dances that are held in the town plaza.

Mexico does NOT have an American-style Thanksgiving celebrating when the Pilgrims thanked the Indigenous people for not attacking them for the Imperialistic takeover of their land.

But, don’t get me wrong. Mexicans are indeed a thankful lot.

In fact, there has never been a culture where the word “thank you” is used as much. Bus passengers will even make it a point to thank their drivers when they leave the bus. Some thank the drivers for not killing them with their reckless driving. I am not making this up. Getting to your destination alive on a Mexican bus really is something for which to be thankful. Believe me!

Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and the variety of spices that it has. Mexican gastronomy, in terms of diversity of appealing tastes and textures, is one of the richest in the world in proteins, vitamins, and minerals, though some people characterize it as excessively spicy.

When Spanish conquistadores arrived in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (on the ruins of which Mexico City was built), they found that the common people's diet consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chilis and herbs, usually complemented with beans and squash. Later on, the conquistadores added to their original diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic, and onions that they brought with them from Spain to the indigenous foods of pre-Columbian Mexico (including chocolate, maize, tomato, vanilla, avocado, papaya, pineapple, chile pepper, beans, squash, sweet potato, peanut and turkey). The totopo (tortilla chip) (cooked in a fire oven) may have been created as part of this cuisine.

Most of today's Mexican cuisine is based on pre-hispanic traditions, including the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. The indigenous part of this and many other traditional foods is the chile pepper. Foods like these tend to be very colorful because of the rich variety of vegetables (among them are the chili peppers, green peppers, chiles, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes) and meats in Mexican food. There is also a sprinkling of Caribbean influence in Mexican cuisine, particularly in some regional dishes from the states of Veracruz and Yucatan. The French occupation of Mexico also yielded some influences as well: the bolillo, a Mexican take on the French roll, certainly seems to reflect this.

Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying degrees.

This year Mexico played a very important part in our lives. Kathryn and Rob’s wedding in February in Puerto Vallarta was truly a memorable event and allowed me to experience “real” Mexican cuisine for the first time. In order to continue the celebration this past spring with our Wedding Fiesta in Cape May I was inspired to learn all I could on Mexican cuisine to come up with over 50 dishes served.

It only makes sense to continue the celebration with a Thanksgiving Fiesta. Especially from the land that gave us turkey, corn, tomatoes, and squash. Finding authentic Mexican recipes centering on traditional Thanksgiving fare was not very difficult. I had a great deal of fun doing the research and many of the recipes were used for the Wedding Fiesta. I believe this may be one of our most memorable celebrations. I have paired the food with Spanish wines (Mexico is not known for it’s wine).

Please join Evelyn and me as we celebrate the 21^st annual Lovitz-McCabe Thanksgiving.

· Thursday, November 23^rd, 2006

· 1012 Cape May Ave – Cape May, NJ 08204 – 609-898-9820

The activities will begin at 4pm with “aperitivo” (appetizers) and Margaritas.

A Mexican Thanksgiving Fiesta

Aperitivos (Appetizers)

· Guacamole Picado “Chunky Guacamole (Avocado Relish)”

· Salsa Mexicana “Fresh Chopped Tomato-Green Chile Relish”

· Tostaditas “Chips”

· Tostadas de Seviche “Classic Seviche Tostadas”

Margarita Clasica “Pure and Simple Shaken Margarita”

Sopa (Soup)

· Sopa de Picante Calabaza “Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Poblanos, Mexican Cream and Toasted Pepitas”

Bodegas Naia Naia Verdejo (This modern-styled Spanish white should be sought out by people looking for light to medium-bodied, crisp, zesty whites with loads of character)

Ensalada (Salad)

· Ensalada de Jicama “Spicy Jicama Salad with Tangerines and Fresh Cilantro”

Pavo y Salsa y Relleno (Turkey and Gravy and Stuffing)

· Pavo al Horno con Relleno en Mole Teloloapense “Herb Roasted Cornbread Stuffed Turkey with Teloloapan Red Mole”

Numanthia Termes Termes (This elegant red has a dense ruby/purple hue and is accompanied by sweet aromas of black fruits, charcoal, licorice, and pepper. Spicy, rich, medium to full-bodied, and exuberantly fruity.)

Verduras (Vegetables)

· Calabacitas con Creama “Zucchini with Roasted Chilies, Corn and Mexican Cream”

· Frijoles Refritos “Fried Beans”

Papas (Potatoes)

· Papas con Rajas “Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Poblanos”

Arandano agrios (Cranberries)

· Salsa de Arandano agrio, Naranja, y Cilantro “Cranberry, Orange and Cilantro Salsa”

Pan (Bread)

· Tortillas de Maiz “Corn Tortillas”

· Tortillas de Harina “Wheat-Flour Tortillas”

Postre (Dessert)

· Flan “Vanilla-Flavored Caramel Custard”

· Pay de Nuez “Pecan Pie with Raw Sugar and Spices”

· Pastel de Chocolate y Chiles “Mexican Chocolate and Chile Brownies”

Café de Olla “Pot-Brewed Coffee with Raw Sugar and Spices”

Limonada “Mexican Limeade”

Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera (The impressive Pedro Ximenez Solera, boasts a dark amber color as well as an extraordinary nose of creme brulee, liquefied nuts, marmalade, and maple syrup. Huge and viscous, yet neither cloyingly sweet nor heavy.)