Cinco de Mayo Menu and Tales of Mushrooms and Pasta Past

Planning to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or just need a fresh Mexican night to get into the warm weather season? This Cinco de Mayo menu has a little something for everyone.

Ole has been out of town this week. Days seem longer when there’s no one to share in the daily duties with you, the teeth brushing, hair braiding, sheet washing, diaper changing duties that come with four kids. I instantly miss having that other person there to call on and share with. When your hands are full and you can’t reach the phone or one child is getting into something they absolutely should not be while you’re trying to discourage the behavior by yelling across the house. Those moments. The moments in which a significant other becomes priceless.

In addition to staying up two hours later than normal to make up for lost work time I’d usually have when Ole appears, I also missed a neighborhood cookout this afternoon. Seeing that it was the first sunny and warm day in weeks, a little part of me died as we sat inside and ate this evening. I plan on making up for it the very next chance I have, and perhaps we’ll even have margaritas and a Mexican-inspired meal with plenty of food to pass around.

To pair with chips – Guacamole, Roasted Five-Pepper Salsa, Texas Caviar

The main event – Margarita Fish Tacos, Portabella Fajitas, Chicken Empanadas, Steak Fajitas, Green Chile Chicken Tamales

To drink– Strawberry Margaritas with Flaming Strawberries, Agave Margaritas

Dessert for all – Strawberry Margarita Popsicles, Churros with Nutella Sauce,

The Preparation Shortcuts:

1. Make salsas and prepare condiments ahead of time. Basically anything without avocados in it can be prepped and mixed the day before.
2. Premix your drinks. Having them ready to go will make the day run more smoothly. We make a big pitcher of margaritas, and when the pitcher starts to get low, we fill it up again. This way you aren’t playing bartender the entire time.
3. Make desserts interactive or do-ahead. If it’s something you can have ready to go, great, but if you need to bake or fry desserts on the spot, try getting guests involved in picking dipping sauces, flavors or cooking their own.

I know that this is a Cinco de Mayo menu, and on the top of this page there is a big ol’ photo of Portabella and Halloumi “Burgers”. They were just too fabulous not to share, and you can see them over on the Mushroom Channel.

Second, I’d love if you would stop by and say hi to the kids over at the Cooking with Kids channel on Barilla’s Piccolini TV. We’re making a series of videos for them, and the site just officially launched today. The kids have been having such a good time playing celebrity chef, and I can’t wait to see how things go this summer.