May The Fifth Be With You

There's nothing quite like a holiday that tells me exactly what I'm supposed to make for dinner. Or at least narrows it down substantially. It would be convenient if such a holiday occurred weekly as to make my grocery shopping that much easier.

Yesterday, in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo I purchased as many Mexican-themed ingredients as I could with no real idea of what I was going to make. Here's what I came up with:



As with most of our minor holiday feasts there was enough food for six people which is handy because that gives us enough leftovers to each have it for lunch (and possibly dinner) the next day and probably still throw some away because we're sick of it.



Nothing much to really say here. Chips and salsa. I did use some chips from Laurel Hill out of Attleboro, Massachusetts. Having grown up fifteen minutes from Attleboro, Massachusetts I was never aware there were any food companies there. I thought all they had there was Yankee Spirits (fantastic liquor store, by the way) and The Emerald Square Mall (I'm shocked that they do not seem to have a real website but rather link to a Facebook page).

Beware of the latter. I heard it is built on a swamp and is sinking! You can even see the cracks in the floor!



For a salad I just tossed together some kale with assorted Cinco-themed ingredients: lime juice, cumin, cotija cheese, toasted pepitas, chili sauce, etc. You get the idea.



I opted at the last minute to make enchiladas rather than tacos. I browned some garlic, tossed in some jalapeno and onion, and browned up some ground beef. The beef was from Simply Grazin' in Skillman, New Jersey. While I love Simply Grazin's beef it is a little difficult to fully appreciate the beauty of the meat when it's cooked with tomato, spices, wrapped in a flour tortilla, covered in enchilada sauce and baked in the oven with melted cotija cheese.

Still, the knowledge that I supported yet another wonderful purveyor of fine food helped me digest better and sleep soundly in a state of smug satisfaction.



I served this up with simple brown rice which I tossed with some pinto beans and a little chili.



I had some sad limes, the kind that when you cut them open it's like cutting open a balloon filled with saw dust. After getting about six drops out of two lime I had a few winners and was able to make Jen a margarita with some tequila and agave.



I hadn't had a Dos Equis in years. In fact, I think the last time I had one it was purchased at Yankee Spirits and I was still in college. I forgot how much I actually liked this beer. I confess that one of my guilty pleasures are the Dos Equis commercials featuring The Most Interesting Man in the World. I'm a bit ashamed about how much I love them but I just do. I love how mild his appreciation for the product that he's selling is. "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis." It's quite remarkable. He admits to not being a big drinker then qualifies that he only prefers Dos Equis. In no way does he really endorse the product or say that he enjoys it exclusively.

And that is the most interesting part of all. Stay thirsty, my friends.