Mexican Christmas Traditions

Wordless Wednesday: A peaceful view in Cancun

2 · Nov 21, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Sometimes we get caught up in the madness that is work, regular life or the holiday season and we forget to be thankful for the small things. My cuñada was recently in Cancún and sent me this photo of the beautiful turquoise ocean. I've been looking at it often, whenever I need a slice of tranquility. And it won't be long before I see the ocean again, so looking at the photo is a nice reminder that my holiday vacation is not very far away.

Do you have a photo that you look at often to remind you of a place in Mexico or that takes you to your happy place? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Pumpkin flan

17 · 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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Turkey stuffing, Mexican-style

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

6 · 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.

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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?

Arroz poblano

22 · Nov 12, 2012 · 5 Comments

With the cold weather and the holidays approaching, I can think of nothing but comfort food. Arroz poblano is a staple comfort food in my home during the winter months and is a filling dish that can be served as a side or even as a vegetarian meal. Because the holiday rush has already begun and my schedule is getting tight, this is a great quick recipe because I use one big cheat to cut down on prep time: ready-to-serve microwavable rice.

This arroz poblano recipe also has a unique twist from the typical one you might be familiar with that has chopped poblano and yellow corn kernels mixed into white rice. In my suegra's house they always add crema Mexicana, which is something I've adapted into my own version of this family favorite. My recipe uses a blended poblano crema to coat the rice and keep it moist and a thin layer of cheese both in the middle and on top....