So–every Mexican family in every state of Mexico celebrates Christmas identically?
Nah. However, you’ll find one or more of the items I mentioned in most homes.
It’s like this: imagine if I’d posted a new thread, announcing I was organizing an “American Thanksgiving” and saying that I’d be grilling some hamburgers. Is that really an “American Thanksgiving”?
Or would someone come in and tell me about turkeys, and so on? Even so, in many homes there are different traditions about Thanksgiving (I remember someone saying they used goose meat or something).
I don’t mind anyone eating tamales and chilaquiles and having a taquiza and whatnot on Christmas. To each their own. But I just don’t think it’s a “Mexican Christmas Dinner”.
Which is why this:
“Give me your best suggestions for a festive Feliz Navidad! (Let’s not turn this into a hey-that’s-not-authentic-but-this-is debate. Just looking for some fun and tasty treats!)”
was a part of my OP.
Thanks for all of the great replies, so far! I may cheat and pick up some tamales at the Mexican Grocery store up the street. I think they sell homemade ones every now and then. They sound pretty labor-intensive when added to what we’ve already got going on. I’d love to try to make my own someday, though!
Mexico is a big place. Food varies a lot depending on where you are. The U.S. is the same, so I don’t know why “authenticity” should be the issue as much as flavor.
I say authentic but heavily work-intensive foods, while really good, could just put excessive pressure on the cook. I love home-made mole, but food more easily-prepared could just as easily impress the guests.
I can get homemade tamales from the woman who walks down the street yelling, “Ta-mallllll-es! Ta-malllllll-es,” at a very good price.
Yes, I agree.
Back in the days of when I worked as a pastry chef for Border Grill, one of the rotating dessert specials was Capriotada–well, their version, at least. I think the cream cheese was to bend it to more American tastes, and it was incredibly good. Also, mind you, if you do this recipe, the brown sugar that’s used is the piloncillo (the little pressed cones of brown sugar), not the boxed stuff.
These work intensive holiday foods only succeed if you get your guests to sit down at the kitchen table and prepare them together. A mountain of tamales that would take one person 6 hours to stuff can be knocked out in one hour by six people and it can be fun. But you’ve got to know ahead of time if your guests are up for it.