Last year, Cinco de Mayo fell during the height of the first COVID-19 wave, nixing the traditional food and drink tie-ins. With dine-in restrictions now loosened up a bit and takeout options going strong, here are five recipes fit for a 2021 celebration on May 5.
These loaded nachos are a meal in themselves, piled with cheese sauce, smashed avocados, crema, pico de gallo, salsa verde and grilled steak. At Twin Peaks, chef Alex Sadowsky creates a quick queso by heating a beer-flavored sharp cheddar cheese spread with milk until smooth.
Moles are a classic Mexican sauce typically blended from nuts, chilies, spices and chocolate, but they vary in composition depending on the cook and region. Chef Charles Schermer of Aramark uses walnuts as the nut to thicken his mole, rounding it out with tomatoes, shallots, chiles, cocoa and spices.
Birria tacos are trending now in taquerias and food trucks around the U.S. Birria originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco, where it is traditionally made with goat meat. Lamb is more common north of the border, as in this version created by chef Alex Seidel.
Chef Dana Rodriguez of Work & Class restaurant in Denver combines three types of chilies, tomatillos and beans to load up french fries with bold flavor. The dish is a hybrid of an American staple and a typical Mexican sauce, but is a fitting Cinco de Mayo bar snack or appetizer.
Grilled street corn, also known as elote, is usually served as a walk-around snack in Mexico. At Bodega Taco Bar in Connecticut, it's topped with lime aioli, crumbled cotija cheese and chili powder, and works as a side or starter.
The endlessly colorful cuisine of Mexico is always in season, but Cinco de Mayo is a great time to bring some new recipes to the party, starting with El Rio Picante, an alternative marg, and finishing with DIY churro sundaes.
Last summer, a group of college and healthcare chefs came together at the University of Michigan for FoodService Director’s 2023 Culinary Immersion. Here are some of the recipes they developed.
Kara Blanton recently took on her late father’s role of senior concessions manager at Murray State University Dining. Here’s a look at how she continues her father's legacy.