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Holidays

How to Make Pan de Anis

40 · Jan 12, 2021 · 8 Comments

Pan de anis is a type of Mexican pan dulce that comes in various shapes, but always has anise seed to give it its flavor.

My favorite version of these sweet, pillowy anise rolls known as pan de anis are a staple at the famous El Cardenal restaurant in Mexico City, which has been serving traditional Mexican dishes in the capital since 1969 and has an extraordinary bread and pastry service. If you’ve ever eaten breakfast at El Cardenal, then it’s possible you’ve passed over this pan dulce for a concha or other sweet bread you recognize. And while their conchas are amazing, you’ve been missing out if you’ve never ordered these anise rolls!

Mexican anise rolls in a square baking pan, topped with sugar
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Christmas, Holidays, Pan dulce, Recipe El Cardenal, pan dulce

Sugar Crunch Rosca de Reyes

12 · Jan 4, 2021 · Leave a Comment

This modern version of Rosca de Reyes has only one topping: everyone’s favorite crunchy sugar crust!

If your family is anything like mine, certain family members clamor for the piece of rosca with the sugar crunch topping every Día de Reyes. There’s never enough pieces for all the people who want that addictive crunch, and somebody is inevitably disappointed they had to eat a piece without it.

Mexican rosca de reyes with sugar crust on a baking disc over parchment paper and a piece cut and served on a blue and white Mexican talavera pottery dish. There is a knife to the left of the cake.
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Baking, Holidays, Pan dulce, Recipe Día de Los Reyes, Kings cake, Three Kings Day

Polvorones

42 · Jan 3, 2021 · 2 Comments

Polvorones are also known as Mexican wedding cookies and are a tender shortbread cookie made with chopped nuts and topped with powdered sugar.

Mexican wedding cookies known as polvorones on a blue and white talavera pottery plate

These crumbly, buttery shortbread cookies known as polvorones or Mexican wedding cookies melt in your mouth. This particular recipe was passed down from my grandmother and one that my family enjoys every year between Christmas and Día de los Reyes Magos. I especially love to eat them alongside a mug of ponche navideño, champurrado, or spicy Mexican hot chocolate. These are also delicious to eat with rompope, the Mexican version of eggnog!

The origin and many names of Mexican wedding cookies

These cookies, in general, are often referred to as having European origins, and many versions exist.

The Moors brought a type of these cookies to Spain when they occupied the country from the 700s through the 1400s. When Spaniards settled in Mexico, nuns who traveled to the new world brought their knowledge of these cookies as well, and that’s how polvorones became known in Mexico as beloved convent sweets.

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Baking, Christmas, Dessert, Holidays, Recipe Christmas, Navidad

Pan de muerto

78 · Oct 5, 2020 · 1 Comment

Pan de muerto is a yeasted sweet bread perfumed with orange blossom water or orange zest and dusted with a sugar topping. This pan dulce is typically eaten to celebrate Day of the Dead and is also given as an offering on altars for Día de los Muertos.

close up of Mexican pan de muerto on a baking sheet

In fact, the most common offering on an altar for Día de los Muertos, aka Day of the Dead, is pan de muerto (literally: “bread of the dead”). Alongside other items included in the ofrenda, the bread is intended to honor the souls of our loved ones who return to visit us and give them nourishment. Other items on the altar may include food and drinks loved by the deceased, trinkets and other symbolic offerings such as marigold flowers (known in Spanish as cempazuchitl), sugar skulls, papel picado, candles and more. You can read more about the symbolic elements of the altar in my post about How to Celebrate Day of The Dead. This holiday is celebrated on November 2, known to Catholics as All Souls’ Day.

Mexican Day of the Dead altar with pan de muerto and other symbolic elements

Pan de muerto represents an earthly gift and the generosity of the host. The bread dough contains orange blossom water and is often topped with sugar or sesame seeds, depending on the region of Mexico. The dough decorating the top represents bones.

Depending on the region of Mexico you visit this time of year, you may notice that there are other forms this bread can take such as little people, dolls or half-moons. The traditional shape is round with the dough arranged on the top to represent bones. The dough ingredients may also vary slightly according to region, sometimes containing anise seeds or orange zest. In Mexico City, the sugar topping is the most popular. Some areas of Mexico use pink or red sugar, but the most common is plain, uncolored sugar.

In the past, it was common for pan de muerto to be sold in panaderías only a few days prior to Día de los Muertos, but with the growing interest in the holiday outside of Mexico and modern supply and demand marketing, you’re likely to see pan de muerto in grocery stores and some bakeries in Mexico City as early as late August and early September. Even for those who don’t actually celebrate the holiday, it’s common to buy pan de muerto to consume this time of year.

Mexican pan de muerto fresh from the oven on a baking sheet sitting atop a cooling rack

The pan de muerto form you see pictured here is the most common you’ll find in Mexico City; the round base represents a grave mound covering the coffin, the dough shaped like bones represents the arms and legs, and the ball of dough on top represents the skull. The bread itself is made from the same masa bizcocho dough that is used to make conchas, roles de canela, pan de anís, novias, chilindrinas, rebanadas and other similar types of Mexican pan dulce.

You might also like: A-Z Guide to Mexican Pan Dulce

In Oaxaca, the base of pan de muerto is made with their traditional pan de yema, and is sometimes adorned with sesame seeds. In other areas of Mexico, this bread carries other names and has more elaborate decoration as well.

This recipe can make 6 small individual rolls, 4 medium individual rolls, or 2 large pan de muerto breads for sharing with up to 4 people. If you want to make this recipe as one large bread, you may need to adjust the baking time by adding a few minutes.

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Breakfast and Brunch, Day of The Dead, Pan dulce, Recipe "pan de muerto", Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, pan dulce

What is a Rosca de Reyes?

50 · Jan 4, 2019 · 1 Comment

Rosca de Reyes is a sweet yeasted bread that has been a part of Dia de Reyes in Mexico for more than 400 years.

The ring-shaped cake, which is considered to be a type of pan dulce, arrived from Spain during the conquest, as part of the celebration of the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem on the Epiphany (aka Three Kings Day) to visit the baby Jesus.

Mexican rosca de reyes for Día de los Reyes Magos via theothersideofthetortilla.com

The Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 each year.

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Holidays, Pan dulce, Recipe Día de Los Reyes

20 Authentic Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

8 · May 4, 2017 · 1 Comment

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo and looking for authentic Mexican recipes for your menu? You’ve come to the right place!

Try these 20 easy, authentic Mexican recipes for your cinco de mayo celebration or to explore Mexican culture and cuisine any day! Via theothersideofthetortilla.com

But first, a quick history lesson about what Cinco de Mayo is—and isn’t.

Cinco de Mayo IS a holiday that commemorates the Battle of Puebla, which took place May 5, 1862 and was a Mexican army victory over the occupying French soldiers. Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day (that’s in September).

While many people in the U.S. might “celebrate” this day, it’s more of a bank holiday kind of day in Mexico. Only some areas observe it as an actual holiday. And while I’m all for celebrating Mexican culture and cuisine, celebrating Cinco de Mayo is more of an opportunity for me to share authentic Mexican recipes that can actually teach you more about the diverse cuisine rather than just give you an excuse to eat chips and salsa and drink margaritas.

I’m sharing with you 20 of my favorite recipes that you can make with little time on your hands to prepare for Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the year.

And my No. 1 tip that you’ll want to keep bookmarked to share with everyone you know: How to keep your guacamole fresh and green

(Because friends don’t let friends put water, milk or anything else weird in their guacamole.)

DRINKS

  • Agua de jamaica – hibiscus flower agua fresca
  • Agua de piña – pineapple agua fresca
  • Paloma – a grapefruit margarita

APPETIZERS

  • Queso fundido with chorizo
  • Esquites – Mexican street corn in a cup
  • Chicharron de queso – a classic taquería appetizer that’s a big, crispy piece of griddled cheese

PAN DULCE

  • Orejas – also known as palmiers
  • Garibaldi – the famous mini cakes from El Globo, bathed in apricot jam and covered in nonpareils

SIDE DISHES

  • Chiles toreados – a classic taquería side dish of blistered chiles and onion, soy sauce and lime
  • Cebollitas cambray – grilled spring onions with a special salsa Maggi and lime sauce
  • Sopa de fideo – the quintessential Mexican comfort dish, a tomato broth soup with noodles
  • Frijoles charros – a hearty bean stew that’s often served in taquerías

MAIN MENU

  • Tinga de pollo – shredded chicken stewed with tomatoes, tomatillos, chipotle chile, chorizo and spices
  • Baked taquitos de pollo – a healthy take on the fried dish of shredded chicken rolled in a tortilla and served with salsa on top
  • Chilaquiles verdes – shredded chicken over tortilla chips, with salsa verde, crema mexicana and cotija cheese
  • Albóndigas en salsa chipotle – Mexican meatballs served in a spicy chipotle tomato sauce, served over black beans and rice
  • Pozole rojo – a hearty pork stew with hominy, spices, and garnished with radish, onion, Mexican oregano, lettuce and lime juice

DESSERTS

  • Mangonadas – a mango and orange juice frozen treat, similar to a smoothie, mixed with chamoy and Tajín
  • Paletas de fresas con crema – an ice pop spin on the classic strawberries and cream
  • Raspados de piña – pineapple ice sorbet topped with chamoy and Tajín

You might also like: Easy Mexican snacks for Super Bowl Sunday and other party gatherings

Holidays Cinco de Mayo

How to make rompope

19 · Dec 31, 2016 · 1 Comment

Rompope is a Mexican version of eggnog. This popular drink is a staple in many Mexican households and festivities from December all the way until Día de Reyes.

Several years ago, I was able to copy down abuelita’s recipe for rompope (which was for a very large crowd, based on the portions) from a typewriter-written version in a family recipe book at my mother-in-law’s house. Thinking it was going to be difficult, I didn’t make it until a few years later. It was then that I discovered the recipe wasn’t quite complete, the directions were sparse and it didn’t taste right on the first try. So I got to work in my kitchen, testing and tasting until it seemed right to us.

rompope or Mexican eggnog

I’ve amended abuelita’s recipe slightly to my personal taste but so it still maintains its authenticity, and reduced the quantity of the original recipe to make a smaller batch in case we didn’t go through it quickly enough.

I recommend if you’ll be drinking your rompope solo, half-cup servings are best, and this recipe makes eight half-cup servings. If you’ll be serving a small crowd, make double the recipe and just refrigerate any leftover rompope.

RELATED RECIPE: Ponche navideño

One year, José’s Tía Annette hosted a fabulously catered posada, which is where I learned to put rompope in my coffee or make lattes with it. I’ve done it every December since!

rompope

A few notes:

  • If you don’t have time to make everything all at once, you can make the cinnamon-infused milk and refrigerate it overnight, and finish the rest of the recipe the next day with no problem.
  • The directions below have descriptions of how the egg yolks should look at ribbon stage, but if you need extra guidance, this video is pretty helpful. It’s easiest to do with a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid than it is with a whisk by hand. Don’t suffer! Just use the stand mixer.
  • You can find aguardiente in most Latin supermarkets across the U.S. If you don’t see it on a shelf in the store, they sometimes keep it locked in a cabinet with the pricier liquors, so just ask. It’s anise-flavored liqueur that is produced from sugar cane, and much of what is available in the U.S. comes from Colombia, in my experience.
  • I advise against using imitation Mexican vanilla extract because it really doesn’t have the same taste. I only buy Nielsen-Massey Mexican pure vanilla extract, which is available online from King Arthur Flour, Amazon, and Williams-Sonoma or in-store at Whole Foods.
Rompope, also known as Mexican eggnog, served with holiday treats next to poinsettia flowers

RELATED RECIPE: Spicy Mexican hot chocolate

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rompope

Rompope (Mexican eggnog)

  • Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 cups 1x
  • Category: Beverages
  • Cuisine: Mexican
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Mexican eggnog, called rompope, is a popular drink during the holidays.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1–1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2–3 Mexican cinnamon sticks (Ceylon cinnamon)
  • 3 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey is my preferred brand)
  • 7 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
  • 1/2 pound of granulated cane sugar (I use Zulka brand)
  • 1 cup aguardiente (cane sugar liquor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Optional: ground Ceylon cinnamon to sprinkle on top to garnish

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, heat 1-1/4 cups whole milk and Mexican cinnamon sticks over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan or getting a skin. Bring it to a boil and then remove from the heat. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature.
  2. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, add egg yolks to the mixer bowl and bring whisk to medium speed. Start adding the sugar gradually, until you reach ribbon stage. The egg yolks should turn light yellow and look creamy and fluffy.
  3. Turn the whisk speed to low and slowly add the room temperature milk and 3 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract. Slowly add 1 cup aguardiente (sugar cane liquor) until fully incorporated.
  4. While the whisk is still on low speed, add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and continue whisking for 1 minute.
  5. Pour contents of the bowl into an airtight glass bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Notes

The rompope tastes better on the second day, as the alcohol settles with the other ingredients. If it doesn’t taste boozy enough to you at first, wait to add any more alcohol until at least the day after.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Keywords: rompope, eggnog

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @maurahernandez on Instagram and hashtag it #TOSOTT

RELATED RECIPE: Champurrado

Christmas, Cocktails, drinks, Holidays, Recipe Christmas, Las Posadas, Navidad, Posadas Navideñas

Atole de calabaza

38 · Nov 16, 2014 · 1 Comment

Atole de calabaza is a masa-based beverage made with milk, and served hot. This pumpkin-flavored version tastes similar to pumpkin pie and is perfect for serving around the holidays.

Although vanilla atole, chocolate (called champurrado) and strawberry atole are the most common flavors, there are many other common flavors such as pumpkin, as well as modern, non-traditional flavors. I love to serve this pumpkin atole with conchas or orejas (types of pan dulce).

How to make Mexican atole de calabaza. Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com.
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Day of The Dead, drinks, Holidays, Recipe, Sponsored, Vegetarian/Vegetariano atole, calabaza, gluten-free, Maseca, pumpkin

Baked panela cheese and membrillo ‘pan de muerto’ for Day of the Dead

7 · Oct 17, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Baked panela and membrillo in puff pastry to look like pan de muerto for a fun Day of the Dead appetizer. Recipe via @MauraHernandez on The Other Side of The Tortilla.

This post is part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with Cacique and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions and the recipe are my own.

This recipe is a fun spin on pan de muerto, a sweet bread typically served during Day of the Dead celebrations.

Traditionally, pan de muerto is perfumed with orange blossom water, has dough adornments on top that represent bones, and then is baked and dusted in sugar. Similar to a baked brie, this dish envelopes panela cheese and something sweet into a flaky puff pastry crust that, when finished, resembles pan de muerto but has a tasty, sweet and savory surprise inside!

I’ve used quince paste in this recipe, known as membrillo in Spanish; you can also substitute guava paste if you prefer….

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Day of The Dead, Recipe, Snacks, Sponsored Cacique, membrillo, panela cheese, puff pastry, queso panela, quince paste

Atole de vainilla

63 · Oct 13, 2014 · 3 Comments

How to make Mexican atole de vainilla. Recipe via @MauraHernandez on The Other Side of The Tortilla.

This post is part of a compensated campaign with Maseca, but all opinions and the recipe here are my own.

Atole de vainilla is a traditional masa-based beverage, often made with milk, and served hot. This hot beverage goes great with tamales, pastries or pan dulce and is also most popular around Day of the Dead and the holidays. 

Atoles date back to pre-Columbian times in Mexico and are well-documented as a form of sustenance amongst the Aztec and Mayan cultures. Historical texts tell us the drink was often flavored with fruits, spices or chiles. 

Vanilla, strawberry and chocolate are the most common flavors of atole nowadays, but you can sometimes also find mora (blackberry; one of my favorites), nuez (pecan), pineapple, elote (sweet corn), piñon (pine nut), and many other flavors. In some areas of Mexico, you can even find savory atoles—one made with with green chile is called chileatole.

RELATED RECIPE: Champurrado…

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Day of The Dead, Dessert, drinks, Recipe, Sponsored, Vegetarian/Vegetariano atole, atole de vainilla, gluten-free, Maseca

Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate

25 · Nov 2, 2013 · 5 Comments

Día de los Muertos is the perfect time of year for Mexican hot chocolate. This recipe is a twist on the classic plain chocolate caliente; it’s spiced with chile guajillo, which lends a mildly spicy flavor and an earthy and fruity bouquet to this traditional beverage.

Spicy Mexican hot chocolate recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

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Day of The Dead, drinks, Holidays, Recipe chocolate, chocolate para mesa, Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, Mexican chocolate

How to make sugar skulls for Day of The Dead

76 · Nov 1, 2013 · 1 Comment

What are sugar skulls and why are they used to decorate for Day of the Dead?

One of the most common decorations on altars for Day of the Dead is the sugar skull. Decorated with colorful icing, foils and other adornments—often including the names of loved ones who have died—sugar skulls symbolize the departed souls to which the altar pays homage.

Mexican sugar skull decoration for Day of the Dead

You might not know how easy they are to make; they just require a little time (drying overnight) and patience (decorating with royal icing). All you need to make your own sugar skulls is a plastic mold, sugar, meringue powder and water. I’ve put together a detailed tutorial with photos so you can see how easy it is!

You can even do this project with the kids—but be sure to use a drop cloth in case they make a mess with the sugar.

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Cultura/Culture, Day of The Dead, Holidays, Recipe calaveras, Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos

Ofrendas: An ebook to celebrate Día de Los Muertos

3 · Oct 28, 2013 · 2 Comments

Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is one of my favorite holidays. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with our loved ones lost through constructing an altar in their honor, and it’s also an opportunity to pass on traditions and inform others about the beauty of this holiday.

I’m excited to share that I’ve collaborated with six amazing bloggers to release this beautiful ebook full of recipes and crafts for Día de los Muertos! Here’s a sneak peek at some of the pages (read the full ebook embedded below).
Day of the Dead ebook: Recipes and Crafts to celebrate Día de los Muertos…

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Cultura/Culture, Holidays Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, ebook, ofrenda, Ofrendas ebook

Happy National Guacamole Day!

0 · Sep 16, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Is it a coincidence that National Guacamole Day happens to fall on Mexican Independence Day? We think not! But whatever the case, we love guacamole any day of the year. September 16 is National Guacamole Day, though, so here’s your free pass to enjoy this treat and celebrate both holidays at once!

If you love guacamole as much as I do, you can check out some of my guacamole recipes and tips here on The Other Side of The Tortilla (just click on the image to go to the recipe):

…

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Holidays día de la independencia, guacamole, Mexican Independence Day, National Guacamole Day

Frozen prickly pear margarita

16 · Sep 16, 2013 · 2 Comments

A prickly pear margarita is just the drink you need to punch up your cocktail hour!

Red prickly pear margarita in a glass rimmed with Tajin, sitting on a napkin on a green drink tray

Grocery stores are typically overflowing with prickly pears—known as tunas rojas in Spanish—in July, August and September. You can eat them plain, use them to make agua fresca de tuna roja, watermelon and prickly pear paletas, prickly pear sorbet or even margaritas! There are so many possibilities.

Read my helpful guide on how to peel and eat cactus fruit before you begin this recipe!

Prickly pears are full of pectin, which means they’re ideal for making jelly and jam! The pectin produces a syrupy consistency that’s also perfect for blending with ice to make a frozen margarita.

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red prickly pear frozen margarita in a glass

Frozen prickly pear margarita

  • Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 minutes
  • Yield: 3 cups 1x
  • Category: Cocktails
  • Cuisine: Mexican
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Red prickly pears are the star of this spin on a classic frozen margarita.


Ingredients

Scale

4 ounces (1/2 cup) tequila blanco

1 ounce Cointreau

3 large red prickly pears (tunas rojas)

Juice of 1/2 of a large lime

1/2 cup natural cane sugar, such as Zulka azúcar morena

3 cups ice

1 tablespoon of Tajín (to rim the glasses; optional)


Instructions

Remove the skin from the prickly pears and chop roughly.

Add chopped prickly pears to a food processor or blender with tequila blanco, Cointreau, lime juice and sugar. Puree until smooth, then strain the puree to remove the prickly pear seeds.

In a clean blender or food processor cup, add the strained puree and 3 cups of ice and blend until the mixture becomes slushy.

Wet the rims of the glasses by rubbing with a lime wedge. Put the Tajín in a flat dish and dip the glass rims in it until they’re coated all the way around. 

Pour the margarita into the glasses and serve immediately.


Keywords: red prickly pear, red cactus pear, cactus fruit, margarita

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @maurahernandez on Instagram and hashtag it #TOSOTT

For more on different varieties of prickly pears and how they’re used in Mexico, Saveur has an excellent little guide you should check out.

drinks, Holidays, Recipe día de la independencia, margarita, Mexican Independence Day, prickly pear, red prickly pear, tequila, tequila blanco, tuna roja, tunas, Zulka

Happy National Tequila Day!

0 · Jul 24, 2013 · 2 Comments

July 24 is National Tequila Day and we’re ready to celebrate with our favorite tequila cocktail: The paloma! We served this drink at a party this past weekend and many of the guests were having it for the first time. It was a hit!

National Tequila Day - Paloma recipe

And although it’s the middle of the summer now, I suggest you bookmark my two favorite recipes for hot drinks using tequila that will warm you up in the winter.

WARM WINTER MARGARITA RECIPE | PONCHE DE TAMARINDO RECIPE

  • Now it’s your turn! Do you have a favorite tequila recipe to share? Food or drink, add a link to your own recipe or your favorite recipe that uses tequila as an ingredient. ¡Salud!



Holidays margarita, National Tequila Day, paloma, tequila

It’s never too early to start planning for Día de los Muertos!

1 · Jun 3, 2013 · Leave a Comment

This weekend, I visited PaperSource, one of my favorite stores for stationery and gifts. They didn’t have the item I was looking for, but I did find a few other cool things. Being that it’s only June, I was both surprised and delighted to find a few goodies for Día de Los Muertos already in the store! I had to take some photos to share what I found.

Day of the Dead goodies from PaperSource

Día de los Muertos goodies:

  • Sugar skull cookie cutters/stamps
  • Day of the Dead corkscrew, shaped like a skeleton
  • Sugar skull pint glasses (set of 4) with unique prints on each glass (they’re hand-wash only, by the way)

I especially love the cookie cutters and stamps. Now that I’ve gotten in the mood early, I’m starting to make a Pinterest board of all the Día de Los Muertos things that I can find leading up to the holiday this year so I can start planning my altar and celebration. Follow along with me on Pinterest and let me know in the comments below, on The Other Side of The Tortilla’s Facebook page, or via Twitter @MauraHernandez if you find anything that I should add to the board!

My Día de los Muertos board on Pinterest

 

Favorite things/Cositas favoritas, Holidays Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, sugar skulls

Chorizo and avocado cups with chipotle cream

1 · Dec 16, 2012 · 2 Comments

Posadas navideñas are one of my favorite times of year, but they can also be a stressful time with relatives and friends dropping by with short notice. These chorizo and avocado cups with chipotle cream are sure to please your crowd, even if you don’t have much time to prepare.

Since we typically head to Mexico for the holidays, it’s not as stressful for me because I usually don’t have to play hostess. But my family threw me a bit of a curve ball this year when they requested I bring a dish of some kind to the posada at my tía’s house the same day that I arrive. I immediately began to think about what I could make that would be simple but authentic and satisfying, and that I could whip up with only a few hours in between the airport and heading to the posada. I decided on this easy appetizer because it has only six ingredients and one of them can be bought already prepared.

Many families celebrate posadas like potluck dinners where everybody is responsible for bringing a dish. But in this case, everyone in our family is assigned with tasks ranging from bringing food to a piñata, being in charge of taking photos and so on. Everybody does their part so that the party runs smoothly, even down to the end when someone is responsible for helping clean up the dishes.

While this recipe isn’t a traditional one, like, say, an ensalada nochebuena, it’s an excellent savory appetizer that you can incorporate into your holiday traditions. I usually have most of the ingredients on hand, and I bet you do too. You can easily make this appetizer a bit healthier and vegetarian-friendly by swapping the chorizo for soy chorizo.

Print
Chorizo and avocado cups with chipotle cream

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 30 mini cups

3 cups per person

An easy appetizer for posadas and other holiday parties using Avocados from Mexico.

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes of mini phyllo shells (or a total of 30 mini phyllo shells)
  • 2 avocados
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 4 ounces of cooked chorizo
  • 1/2 cup crema Mexicana
  • 1 chipotle en adobo plus 1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce

Instructions

  1. Cook the chorizo, drain grease on paper towels and set aside.
  2. Prepare the crema in a mini food processor or blender by adding the crema, chipotle chile and adobo sauce and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350º F, then bake the shells on a cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes.
  4. Remove them from the oven, add 1/2 teaspoon or so of chorizo into each cup and put back in the oven for 3-5 more minutes.
  5. Score the avocados two ways while still in the skin and scoop out into a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the avocado and gently toss with a spoon to coat the avocados with the juice.
  6. Once the chorizo cups are out of the oven, spoon a little avocado over each cup, followed by a little crema.
  7. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
3.1

https://theothersideofthetortilla.com/2012/12/chorizo-avocado-cups-chipotle-cream/

©2009-2015 theothersideofthetortilla.com

For more avocado recipes for posadas or avocado recipes for any time, visit Avocados from Mexico’s website. And check out the blog hop below for holiday recipes using Avocados from Mexico from other bloggers.


Disclosure: This is a sponsored post through Latina Bloggers Connect to promote Avocados from Mexico. We received compensation for writing this post, but all opinions and recipes are our own.

Holidays, Recipe, Snacks, Sponsored aguacate, antojitos, appetizer, avocado, Avocados from Mexico, botanas, chile chipotle, chorizo

Christmas in Mexico: “Lalo y Santaclós”

0 · Dec 4, 2012 · 1 Comment

I was born with Christmas spirit, I think. And I’m a total sucker for organillo music. That’s why, when my cuñada introduced me to this cortometraje (short film) called “Lalo y Santaclós,” directed by Joseduardo Giordano, I immediately snapped into a holiday spirit mood.

This short film got me so excited about the sights and sounds of Christmastime in Mexico.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71QF9CvVsto[/youtube]

  • Do you have a favorite sight or sound in Mexico that makes you think of La Navidad? Share it with me in the comments.

Holidays Christmas, La Navidad

Pumpkin flan

8 · Nov 20, 2012 · 6 Comments

Pumpkin flan made with cream cheese is a decadent alternative to pumpkin pie or other Thanksgiving treats if you’re looking to add a little Mexican flair to your holiday table.

In fact, pumpkin flan is a dish I’ve added to our family’s holiday traditions only in recent years but it’s often gobbled up faster than the pumpkin pie and other available desserts. There may or may not even have been a fight two years ago over who got the last piece!

This recipe is for small, individual-sized portions, baked in ramekins. You can double the recipe if you have more guests. I like to use these souffle ramekins from Cost Plus World Market that are 3.5 inches across and about 2.5 inches deep. If you prefer to make one big flan, depending on the depth of the dish, you may need to adjust the baking time. It’s also a little more substantial with a thicker consistency than most flan, so it’s best to let it sit out for about 15 minutes before serving.

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Dessert, Holiday dish, Holidays, Recipe calabaza, flan, pumpkin, Thanksgiving, Zulka

Turkey stuffing, Mexican-style

14 · Nov 19, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, I’m always looking for a way to infuse Mexican ingredients into our family’s holiday traditions. I came up with this turkey stuffing recipe that’s a riff on my mom’s traditional turkey stuffing, but with a little kick from jalapeño chiles and soy chorizo (aka soyrizo).

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Holiday dish, Holidays, Recipe, side dishes, Vegetarian/Vegetariano chorizo, Christmas, La Navidad, soyrizo, Thanksgiving

Día de los Muertos at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood

0 · Nov 15, 2012 · Leave a Comment

In Chicago, we’re very lucky to have a lot of Mexican food and culture at our fingertips. But one of my favorite places, particularly around Día de los Muertos, is the National Museum of Mexican Art. Located in the Pilsen neighborhood, the museum is free (thanks to sponsors) and open six days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Every year, they have an excellent exhibit for Día de los Muertos. This year’s exhibit, titled “Hanal Pixán” which means “food for the souls” in the Mayan language, is no exception. And it runs until December 16 if you haven’t seen it yet.

Every year, I love going to the museum around Día de los Muertos not only for the exhibit, but also for the calaveritas de azúcar (sugar skulls) that are handmade and decorated by the famous Mondragón family from Toluca, Mexico.

But one of the things I love most about the museum is open year-round: the Tzintzuntzán gift shop, which has all kinds of Mexican treasures from art to books and music to home decorations and more. Especially during Day of the Dead festivities, the gift shop is filled with Día de los Muertos trinkets and goodies—they’ve got papel picado (that is actually reasonably priced), shadowboxes with mini ofrendas, sugar skulls, paper mache food for ofrendas such as paper mache pan dulce, and the list goes on and on.

Below is a slideshow of some of my favorite items for sale in the gift shop during a recent visit.

[imagebrowser id=3]

The National Museum of Mexican Art is located at 1852 W. 19th St., Chicago, IL 60608.

  • Have you been to the museum? What’s your favorite exhibit or thing you’ve seen in the gift shop?

Cultura/Culture, Finding Mexico in Chicago, Holidays "altar de muertos", altar, Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, National Museum of Mexican Art, ofrenda

Ponche de Tamarindo

6 · Nov 8, 2012 · 9 Comments

The holidays are coming and the weather’s getting cooler, which means I’m already starting my countdown to Christmas and las posadas Navideñas in Mexico.

A few weekends ago, I attended the Kenmore blogger summit here in Chicago where I participated in a day of cooking challenges with some old and new food blogger friends. You can check out my team’s recipes at cookmore.com (but a heads up that they’re not Mexican recipes). My favorite team challenge was one where we had to create a beverage using a slow cooker. Naturally, I suggested we make a spinoff of my warm winter margarita recipe, but with a few modifications since tequila wasn’t an ingredient option.

Our creation was a spiced brandy apple cider that wowed the judges and won us the competition; my guess as to why the recipe was such a success is probably because it had more than a little piquete of brandy, wink wink. I’ve been tinkering with some new holiday recipes recently, and the challenge inspired me to adapt a ponche de tamarindo recipe with brandy that I’ve been working on for the slow cooker.

The punch has two tart elements: whole tamarind pods and flor de jamaica (hibiscus flowers), which are mellowed by the sweetness of the guava and piloncillo. The cinnamon and brandy give a woody depth, and overall, it’s a satisfying drink to warm you up on a cold night. And of course, it’d be perfect to serve for your posadas….

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Holidays, Recipe, Slow-Cooker recipes canela, cinnamon sticks, flor de jamaica, guava, guayaba, Las Posadas, Navidad, piloncillo, ponche, Posadas Navideñas, punch, slow-cooker, tamarind, tamarindo, Zulka

Celebrating Día de los Muertos with friends: Un Dulce Hogar

0 · Nov 7, 2012 · 2 Comments

Día de los Muertos was this past week and as a special treat, I’ve asked some of my friends to send me photos and descriptions of their altars to share here on The Other Side of The Tortilla to show the variety of ways that people celebrate this holiday.

Today, I’m sharing the altar of my friend Danielly Lara from Un Dulce Hogar.

 

Danielly Lara from undulcehogar.com shares her altar for Día de los Muertos. PHOTO/COURTESY OF DANIELLY LARA

Where in Mexico are your family’s roots?
I am a first generation immigrant from the city of Cuernavaca in the beautiful state of Morelos, known for its spring weather all year long. All my family lives in Mexico, and they have been denied visas to come visit the U.S. so I literally live between two worlds. My dad lives in California, but he left me and my family when I was 8 years old. Although I’m glad he’s here, I haven’t lived with him in California.

Who does your altar honor?
My altar mainly honors my culture and my roots. I put together my altar at the last minute. I called my dad and asked him to expedite me a box full of sugar skulls (some of them arrived broken), marigolds, bread and papel picado. Then I went through my files and found pictures from two of my great grandmas and one of my tía abuela.

Why do you make an altar for Día de los Muertos?
I made the altar because I wanted my kids to learn about my traditions. This is my first attempt to recreate a Mexican tradition with them and it was a success!

How does it keep you connected to Mexican culture?
Last summer I had the chance to take my kids to Mexico to meet my family. They connected with my family in a very deep way, the Latin way. Saying goodbye to come back to the U.S. was heartbreaking, not only to me, but to them as well. They not only learned Spanish, but they also learned that there is an entire family that loves them in a different part of the world. They had never had many adults around in their lives who paid individual attention to them. Ever since we got back to Utah, they think that every airplane that goes by our house is either going to Mexico or coming back from Mexico. I know that they will forget those relationships they formed if I don’t maintain their connected to Mexico. I don’t know if they will continue these traditions, but I know that at least they will be exposed to them. They will have to decide for themselves if they want to pass them on or not, but I surely hope they do.

For more photos and a story about Danielly’s altar for Día de los Muertos, click here to visit Un Dulce Hogar.

  • Share your altar with us! Fill out this form by Nov. 10 to participate and your altar could be featured here.

Cultura/Culture, Holidays "altar de muertos", altar, Cuernavaca, Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, Morelos, ofrenda

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¡Bienvenidos!

Hi, I'm Maura Hernández. Welcome to my kitchen! I'm an award-winning food and travel blogger, recipe developer, and former journalist sharing my passion for all things Mexico. Married to a Chilango, I've traveled Mexico extensively over the last 15 years. Here, you'll find a mix of traditional and modern Mexican cooking, along with my advice on where to eat, stay and play on your visit to Mexico! READ MORE

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