Saturday is Cinco de Mayo

We've been invited to a Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday. I've never been to an authentic Cinco de Mayo party before, but this one guarantees to be as authentic as possible seeing as it's being held in New England and not in Mexico. But even with a questionable location, the party guarantees to be fun.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated though out Mexico, but very especially in the state of Puebla and in Mexico City. There are military parades as a way of paying tribute to all the heroes, soldiers and civilians that gave their lives for their country. Schools participate in parades too. It takes months of rehearsal and preparation for marching bands to perform and compete among others to be the best. Parades are so popular that people wake up very early and rush to the streets seeking a good spot to watch and enjoy them.

In a small barrio or neighborhood in Mexico City, very near the airport, the people organize a very popular representation of the Cinco de Mayo battle. This play is a tradition that the people have kept alive for many years. Some of the inhabitants play the French invaders and others the Mexican army. They even have fights with real gunpowder rifles! And sometimes they do get hurt.

Each city has a town square, where celebrations take place and people of all ages enjoy themselves. The square livens up with music, laughter and vibrant colors. Families with young children are the first to arrive. Later the young people will fill up the place.

No celebration can be complete without food. A few days before the big event, hundreds of stalls start aligning on the streets near the square of all the towns. Restaurants all over offer the most representative of Mexican cuisine: Mole Poblano. A thick spicy sauce that comes from blending more than 40 ingredients, and is spread on top of turkey or chicken and Mexican style red rice. Mole is so popular that it is served on nearly every important occasion.

There are usually shows in the squares where there are dancing and music with the ever so popular mariachi bands.Everybody is there to have fun and make noise with whistles and rattles and horns. In most towns there are fairs set near the squares where people enjoy the rides and play games. Cinco de Mayo ends with the traditional shouts of Viva Mexico!

We've been asked to bring something to the party, and I volunteered to make Mojitos, my favorite summer drink. Although Mojitos are from Cuba, I figured that there would already be Margaritas (Mexican), so why not a bit of Cuba?

This is my Mojito recipe, the original authentic recipe from Havana Cuba. There are countless recipes for the Mojito (prounced moh-HEE-toh), but this version is for the one Hemingway himself enjoyed at the Mojito's place of birth: La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba.

1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda

Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a "collins" glass) and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You'll want about two ounces of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime. Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (a long wooden device pictured below, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn't available). Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.

recipe via [TasteofCuba.com]

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Saturday is Cinco de Mayo

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