El Restaurante Mexicano
Fall 2002
From the archives:
Bazaar del Mundo restaurants celebrate Días de los Muertos
©2002 Maiden Name Press LLC
Late fall is an especially festive time at the popular Bazaar del Mundo, a group of restaurants and shops in Old Town San Diego, Calif.
That's when the Bazaar's restaurants – Rancho El Nopal, Casa de Pico, Casa de Bandini, and even Lino's Italian Restaurant – celebrate Días de los Muertos (Days of the Dead) in true Mexican style.
Diners come not only to feast on the food but also on the sight
of elaborate altars decorated with sugar skulls, candles, marigolds (the fiesta's traditional flowers), gifts, family photos, food, drink and art – all integral to this important Mexican holiday.
Días de los Muertos is rooted in the ancient cultures' belief in an afterlife. The festival, which honors deceased relatives, traditionally begins at midnight Oct. 31 and is celebrated Nov. 1 and 2, when spirits of the dead are said to return to earth.
"Días de los Muertos is a wonderful time of remembrance of family and friends that is celebrated throughout Mexico," Diane Powers, Bazaar del Mundo's owner/operator, says.
"Every year, our restaurant employees look forward to putting together the extravagant altars for those we are honoring."
Bazaar del Mundo altar
• Offer dinner specials featuring Pan de Muerto or other traditional breads.
• Have a procession. Staff (and/or customers) could carry marigolds, pictures, crosses or wooden or papier-mâché skulls and place them at a table set as an altar.
• Contact your local newspaper, radio and/or television station to see if they're interested in covering Days of the Dead. You could offer food editors a recipe to include in their publications. It might be a publicity-generating alternative to the all-too-common Halloween coverage.
From Spirit of the Earth: Native Cooking from Latin America. Text copyright © 2001 by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs. Photographs copyright © 2001 by Martin Jacobs. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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T'ant'a Wawas | |||
| 1 | pkg. dry yeast, or 1 T. bulk yeast | ||
| 3 | t. sugar | ||
| 2 | c. white bread flour | ||
| 1 | c. quinoa or whole wheat flour | ||
| 1 | t. salt | ||
| 1 | egg, beaten | ||
| 6 | T. lard or solid veg. shortening, melted and cooled to lukewarm | ||
| Whole cloves or raisins and slivered almonds, for decorating | |||
| 1/4 | t. annatto (achiote) seeds (opt.) | ||
| 1 | egg + 2 T. water for egg wash | ||
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In small bowl dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 cup lukewarm water. Place bread flour in large mixing bowl. When yeast begins to bubble, make a well in center of flour and pour in yeast mixture. Gradually mix flour into yeast until well combined. Cover with slightly damp towel. Let dough rise in warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and add quinoa flour, remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, salt, egg and 4 tablespoons melted lard. Mix well. If dough seems dry, add enough lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to get a soft, smooth dough. Knead dough for 5 to 10 minutes on lightly floured surface until it is elastic and doesnŐt stick to your hands. Place in bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes. Punch down dough and divide in-to 6 to 8 pieces, depending on size figures you want. Form into shapes, decorate with cloves, raisins, almonds. (Dough may be halved and baked in 2 lightly greased 4 x 8-inch loaf pans.) Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Mix annatto seeds with remaining 2 tablespoons lard. Place mixture in small saucepan over medium-low heat and melt, pressing on seeds with wooden spoon until they tint the lard. Strain and brush the lard on the faces. For egg wash, whisk egg and water. Brush lightly over figures (not over faces if you have tinted them). Bake 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
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