How Many Hot Chiles in Your Cinco de Mayo?

   By SheSpeaksTeam  May 01, 2012
21

This year Cinco de Mayo, the traditional Mexican celebration on May 5th, will fall on a Saturday evening. This seems like a great excuse to have some fun with your family and friends and cook up a mexican fiesta. 

DId you know this celebration first began to mark the 1862 victory of the Mexican army against France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). Cinco de Mayo is not related to Mexican Independence that was established in 1810 on the 16 September.

There are many wonderful things about taking this Mexican festival and making it your own.  For most of us in the US, Cinco de Mayo involves an array of popular traditional Mexican foods, such as tacos, enchiladas and fajitas with a range of tortillas, dips and sauces such as salsa, gaucamole and mole.  With just a few inexpensive and delicious  ingredients you can whip up a terrific family style feast with lots of great flavors and colors.  Kids can enjoy the dips and the fun of build-your-own taco bar choices and the adults can indulge in the hotter side of Mexican cuisine and perhaps a margarita.

A really great Mexican feast can start with just a dozen key ingredients and the rest is really up to you. The work is really in making your selections for flour or corn tacos or for picking the heat in your chiles such as ancho, jalepeno or habenero.  You could make a simple gaucamole with just lime, salt and garlic or really get more creative and add your taste in chiles and other ingredients.  And it seems everyone has their own little twist on how to make good rice and beans!

So to help get the party started we have put together a basic shopping list for your Mexican feast but for your chance to win this week, we'd like you to add your favorite Mexican recipe OR review a food product that you use to create your mexican feast. For example you could review a bottled hot chile sauce, a favorite brand of wrap or bag of tortilla chip, jar of salsa, or packet of gaucamole or queso.  We'd like to know what secret ingredients you use to make your Mexican magic in the kitchen! 

review  OR  review

 

So to get you started here are our 12 suggested shopping items for this Cinco de Mayo, but we'd love to hear what you would add to this list.

  1. Limes
  2. Mexican Cheese blend
  3. Queso
  4. Tomatoes
  5. Salsa
  6. Cilantro
  7. Corn & Flour Tortillas & Burritos
  8. Tortilla Chips
  9. Avocados
  10. Garlic
  11. Chiles
  12. Beef, Chicken or seafood

The winners, selected at random from all review and recipe entries, will win one of these great prizes to help for their next party:

               

Each entry for a review and/or a recipe will count as an additional entry in the giveaway.  All entries must be submitted by 6pm EST on Monday May 7th.  This giveaway is for US residents only. Please be sure to update your profile with your correct address to ensure we send prizes to the right place!

 

 

 

 

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Comments
basilandcatnip by basilandcatnip | GARLAND, TX
May 07, 2012

Tomatillos, nopal. And can't forget the Tres Generaciones or 1800 tequila.

Evelyn101 by Evelyn101 | Woodside, NY
May 07, 2012

I submitted a recipe, but no picture. Do we hear back if it was accepted?

cowgirlpeg by cowgirlpeg | MIDLAND, TX
May 07, 2012

I keep Holy Guacamole packaged avocado on hand at all times. It keeps in the freezer and is easy to thaw so I can make guacamole anytime without having to make sure I have that just right ripe avocado on hand.

noelrocs by noelrocs | LANCASTER, SC
May 06, 2012

Mmm I'll add: Rice, Margarita supplies (tequila), pico de gallo, and then take #1-11 and roll them into a huge burrito!!! :D Yum!! Oh, and bell peppers and onions! Oh man, you have to have those :D I just wrote a review on here for Frontera Salsa :) :)

acohen by acohen | Cumming, GA
May 06, 2012

guacamole made with greek yogurt...yum

stef42678 by stef42678 | LAS VEGAS, NV
May 06, 2012

Submitted a review for my favorite salsa, Amy's Salsa.

jjf228 by jjf228 | BOCA RATON, FL
May 05, 2012

I can not eat food that is way to hot. I get real bad heartburn.. I love Mexican food but I have to have sauces and salsa's that are mild.

heavenly41 by heavenly41 | PORTLAND, OR
May 04, 2012

I love Mexican food, the spicier the better.

valentinegirl by valentinegirl | CORP CHRISTI, TX
May 03, 2012

charro beans----easy to make-----and yummy!!

GinaLola by GinaLola | ELK GROVE, CA
May 02, 2012

My moms home made Chicken Tacos!!

applefritter by applefritter | Cedar Park, TX
May 02, 2012

"Queso" is the generic term for cheese in spanish. I assume the author is referring to Velveeta in this article. Velveeta is not a typical mexican food item. Thus the "queso" as Americans know it, is a delicious Tex-Mex concoction. FYI- Queso is not pronounced "kayso". It's proper pronounciation is "kehso".

kkenty by kkenty | STONEVILLE, MS
May 02, 2012

I just reviewed the Old El Paso Taco Dinner Kit! THANKS>

mckinneymommas by mckinneymommas | MCKINNEY, TX
May 02, 2012

I just posted a review for Royito's Hot Sauce ---------> go buy some at Whole Foods now. You won't regret it! :-) Hot Hot Hot!

tiffanysblogs by tiffanysblogs | Kittanning, PA
May 02, 2012

I just submitted a recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake! Yum!

BostonSox by BostonSox | Milton, MA
May 02, 2012

I have a guacamole recipe that is a bit of a twist -- you add mango and pomegranate seeds to the Guac. It's colorful and delicious! And I agree, beans are a must, especially black beans. I'd also add lettuce and onion to the list. Yummmmmm....