Hi guys ! Celeste again,
As most of you know yesterday was Dia de Los Muertos, one of my favorite Mexican festivities.
“On the Day of the Dead, it’s believed that the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolve. During this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink, dance, and play music with their loved ones. In turn, the living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations, and leave the deceased’s favorite foods and other offerings at gravesites or on the ofrendas built in their homes. Ofrendas can be decorated with candles, bright marigolds called cempasuchil and red cock’s combs alongside with sugar skulls , and Pan de muerto (a sweet mouth watering butter based bread mixed with orange blossom representing the dead).” (mostly from history.com)
On this day is when I have my Great-Grandma present the most. An old cute lady from “Valle de Guadalupe” ( Jalisco, Mexico) . I remember her front yard was intensively filled with different kinds of flowers, sizes, and colors. I thought it was amazing. I pretended it was a labyrinth and I would “hide” from everyone to spy on them .
She was very humble and very kind. She would always make lunch for us, regardless if we already ate. She was smiling all the time , even in her last days. I wish i had the chance to talk to her and get to know her better. I was almost a teen when we got the news that she already had moved on . Honestly it is never enough time that we get to spend with our loves ones.
I want to share this poem with all of you :
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.
by Mary Elizabeth Frye
This week’s pick list:
Eggs
Rose Finn Fingerling, Harvest Moon Purple, and Yellow Finn Potatoes
Rhonda Beets
Yaya Carrots
Cortland Yellow, Monastrell Red, and Sweet Cipollini Onions
Takrima Leeks
Kolibri Kohlrabi
Purple Top Turnips
Bora King and Cheong Du Radish
Balena Celeriac
Hablinge Parsnips
Caraflex, Primo, and Kilmaro Cabbage (both green and red types)
Gypsy Broccoli
Calypso Celery
Lettuce
Ruby Red Chard
Champion Collards
Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale
Tres Fine Frisee
Parsley and Cilantro
Winter Sweet Kabocha, Delicata, Sweet Reba Acorn, Burpee’s Butterbush, & Spaghetti Winter Squash
Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin
Saltonstall Olive Oil
Revolution Bread
Celeste remembers her grandmother loving nata and mostly drinking it.
From mexicanrecipes.me:
“The main ingredient in this dessert is the “Mexican Nata” not to be confused with the nata from Spain, which is simply how they call heavy cream, more specifically whipping cream. In Mexico, Nata is from the thick layer that forms above raw milk, and it is with this Mexican nata that these gorditas are made; we could of course substitute the nata with ricotta cheese or cream cheese but with different results.
Nata isn’t particularily cheap in Mexico, as the amount of milk needed to make it can be quite phenomenal. Recipe makes about 30 to 35 gorditas of normal size; making these will give a nice bakery scent in the house....”
Recipe for the Gorditas de Nata (from mexicanrecipes.me as well)
* 1 and 2/3 cups [400 ml.] of Mexican Nata
* 4 eggs
* 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 tablespoons vanilla
* 7 cups of flour
* 1 tablespoon of baking powder
* 1 tablespoon sodium bicabonate
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons sour cream
Making these cakes:
1) Mix the nata first, breaking it up; this can be done with a hand mixer, or it can be done whisking by hand very fast with a whisk.
2) Add the whole eggs and mix until it is smooth then add the sugar ... and beat some more; now mix in the vanilla.
3) Add in the sodium bicarbonate and mix. Now is the time to add the flour, and mix in the seven cups of flour with a spoon.
4) At this point, add the three tablespoons of sour cream, especially if your dough is too dry and cannot absorb the flour. Add more flour, if your dough feels too damp; if the dough feels dry, add another tablespoon of cream or milk.
5) The dough should be soft; after making the dough, we leave at least half an hour in the refrigerator well covered so it does not dry out; you can leave it longer for better results.
6) At this point we form the gorditas, roll with a rolling pin and cut with a round mold, a cup or a saucer; remember that gorditas, by definition should be thick…
7) Put a comal (or metal skittle) on the stove and heat it up over low heat setting. This is important because this will help make our gorditas fluffy and thick. Because they are thick, we have to make sure they are well-cooked and the middle doesn’t stay raw; so they are cooked rather slowly.
8) We will put them on the hot comal to cook, flip them once when still half cooked, and cook the other side for the first time. We will flip them 4 times.
9) And when they are the same color on both sides, remove and let them cool down.