Happy Cinco De Mayo 2012!

The holiday of Cinco De Mayo, The 5th Of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico, and especially in U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population. It is not, as many people think, Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually September 16.

Today's Celebration: For the most part, the holiday of Cinco de Mayo is more of a regional holiday in Mexico, celebrated most vigorously in the state of Puebla. There is some limited recognition of the holiday throughout the country with different levels of enthusiasm, but it's nothing like that found in Puebla. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo has become increasingly popular along the U.S.-Mexico border and in parts of the U.S. that have a high population of people with a Mexican heritage. In these areas the holiday is a celebration of Mexican culture, of food, music, beverage and customs unique to Mexico. 

Commercial interests in the United States and Mexico have also had a hand in promoting the holiday, with products and services focused on Mexican food, beverages and festivities, with music playing a more visible role as well. Several cities throughout the U.S. hold parades and concerts during the week following up to May 5th, so that Cinco de Mayo has become a bigger holiday north of the border than it is to the south, and being adopted into the holiday calendar of more and more people every year.  (Source: The Mexico Online website. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://www.mexonline.com/cinco-de-mayo.htm)



Foods to Help Celebrate: Cinco de Mayo falls on Saturday this year. Create these HOT sweets to serve your family & friends when celebrating! The recipes are from REAL NEW MEXICO CHILE by Sandy Szwarc. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, Phoenix, AZ.

PEANUT COOKIES WITH RED CHILE CRACKLE
Peanutty & chocolatey cookies with a touch of heat in the red chile sugar coating. While they bake the red sugar cracks, creating an interesting and colorful coating. If you like your cookies chewy, wrap them airtight while they are slightly warm. For crispier versions, let them cool completely before serving. They freeze well, wrapped airtight, if you can resist eating them hot from the oven!

• 1 cup BUTTER
• 1 cup freshly ground PEANUT BUTTER
• 1 cup SUGAR
• 1 cup packed BROWN SUGAR
• 2 large EGGS
• 1 tsp. VANILLA
• 3 cups WHOLE-WHEAT PASTRY or ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
• 1 Tbsp. BAKING SODA
• 1 cup dry-roasted, skinless, unsalted PEANUTS
• 1 cup SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
• 2 Tbsp. NEW MEXICO RED CHILE POWDER
• ¼ cup SUGAR
• ¼ cup CAYENNE

In a large bowl, beat with a mixer the butter, peanut butter and 1 cup each of white and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour and soda until well combined. Stir in the peanuts and chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for one hour.

In a small bowl, stir together the chile powder, ¼ cup sugar and cayenne. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

Take heaping tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the chile sugar and place on the cookie sheets, allowing 2 inches between the cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes until they are lightly golden and just set. Leave on the cookie sheet one minute, then remove with a spatula to a wire rack to cool.

Yields about 5 dozen cookies.


ORANGE FIRE CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS
These are a cross between a cookie and a candy. The rich chocolate binds the granola-like base. The chile heat is sweetened by the perfume of the oranges . These scrumptious bites will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

• 2 cups SUGAR
• ½ cup MILK
• ½ cup COCOA POWDER
• ½ cup BUTTER
• 1 Tbsp. NEW MEXICO RED CHILE POWDER
• 1/8 tsp. CAYENNE
• 1 tsp. VANILLA
• 1-2/3 cups ROLLED OATS
• 3/4 cup RAISINS
• 3/4 cup dry-roasted, skinless, unsalted PEANUTS
• 1-½ Tbsp. ORANGE LIQUEUR
• 1 Tbsp. ORANGE CONCENTRATE

In a large heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar, milk, cocoa and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted. Continue to gently simmer for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cool a few minutes. Butter a cookie sheet and drop the slowly thickening mixture by heaping teaspoonful onto the sheet. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour until the clusters have set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yields about 3 dozen clusters.   

Happy Easter 2012!

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Happy Holidays from Kokopelli's Kitchen! 

You won’t find them in the Bible, but many cherished Easter traditions—from the Easter bunny to decorating and hunting for eggs—have been around for centuries.

Easter Bunny

The Bible makes no mention of a long-eared, short-tailed creature who delivers decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday; nevertheless, the Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity's most important holiday. The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws." Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit's Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.

Easter Eggs

Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century, according to some sources. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.

Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which children push decorated, hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn, is an annual event held the Monday after Easter. The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was president. The event has no religious significance, although some people have considered egg rolling symbolic of the stone blocking Jesus' tomb being rolled away, leading to his resurrection.

Easter Candy

Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America, after Halloween. Among the most popular sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe. Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus' resurrection. Another egg-shaped candy, the jelly bean, became associated with Easter in the 1930s (although the jelly bean's origins reportedly date all the way back to a Biblical-era concoction called a Turkish Delight). According to the National Confectioners Association, over 16 billion jelly beans are made in the U.S. each year for Easter, enough to fill a giant egg measuring 89 feet high and 60 feet wide. For the past decade, the top-selling non-chocolate Easter candy has been the marshmallow Peep, a sugary, pastel-colored confection. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based candy manufacturer Just Born (founded by Russian immigrant Sam Born in 1923) began selling Peeps in the 1950s. The original Peeps were handmade, marshmallow-flavored yellow chicks, but other shapes and flavors were later introduced, including chocolate mousse bunnies.

Easter Parade

In New York City, the Easter Parade tradition dates back to the mid-1800s, when the upper crust of society would attend Easter services at various Fifth Avenue churches then stroll outside afterward, showing off their new spring outfits and hats. Average citizens started showing up along Fifth Avenue to check out the action. The tradition reached its peak by the mid-20th century, and in 1948, the popular film Easter Parade was released, starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland and featuring the music of Irving Berlin. The title song includes the lyrics: "In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it/You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade."

The Easter Parade tradition lives on in Manhattan, with Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street being shut down during the day to traffic. Participants often sport elaborately decorated bonnets and hats. The event has no religious significance, but sources note that Easter processions have been a part of Christianity since its earliest days. Today, other cities across America also have their own parades.

(Source: The History Channel. Retrieved April 7, 2012.)

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2012.....Hey, who was St. Patrick??

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders:  It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

Guided By Visions:  After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice—which he believed to be God's—spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.

To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation—an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than 15 years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)

Bonfires and Crosses:  Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries—spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.

(Source: The History Channel. Retrieved March 16, 2012.)

Happy Valentine's Day 2012!

Surprise your valentine with a "hot Mexican breakfast" in bed this year!  Kokopelli's Kitchen has found some great recipes for Huevos Rancheros. The recipes we found in are from "Arizona Cookbook". Permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Golden West Publishers in Phoenix, Arizona.

Huevos Rancheros (Mexican Eggs)

1 cup GREEN CHILI SALSA (recipe below)
4 oz. Longhorn CHEESE
4 corn TORTILLAS
4 EGGS
OIL and BUTTER for frying

Dip tortillas in heated oil and remove quickly. Set tortillas on baking pan to keep warm. In a frying pan, panfry eggs in butter until the whites are set but the yolks still soft. Put a fried egg on each tortilla. Heat salsa and spoon over each egg. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Slip baking pan under broiler until cheese melts. (Variation: try adding heated refried beans on the tortillas, before topping with eggs, salsa and cheese.)

Green Chili Salsa

1 tablespoon OIL
1 chopped ONION
1 small can chopped GREEN CHILI
1 clove chopped GARLIC
2 cups whole TOMATOES
SALT

Heat oil, add onion, and simmer for three minutes in small saucepan. Add chili and simmer for an additional three minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes. Simmer five to ten minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill.

Valentine's Day Quotations
Authors, poets and playwrights have been trying to capture love in words for thousands of years. Their work speaks to the enduring power of love across the ages of human history. Check out this collection of quotes about love from some of the world's most famous romantics.


Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
- Aristotle

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
- Lao Tzu

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable.
- Henry Ward Beecher

Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.
- Anais Nin

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires; To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
- Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
-Helen Keller

Love does not dominate; it cultivates.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.
- Zora Neale Hurston

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love.
- Leo Tolstoy

Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it, and it darts away.
- Dorothy Parker

I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart.
- Alice Walker

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this: where I does not exist nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
- Pablo Neruda, "Love Sonnet XVII"

(Source: The History Channel. Retrieved February 4, 2012.)