Tasty fare of Mexico’s Halloween

The Days of the Dead involve the whole family, with emphasis on the dead returning to enjoy their favorite foods and to playfully frolic among us in a celebration of life

By: Faith Bahadurian
   Instead of Halloween, Mexicans celebrate "Los Dias de los Muertos," the Days of the Dead. Both holidays have roots in very early agricultural society and have been "sanitized" by Christianity. The Days of the Dead involve the whole family, with emphasis on the dead returning to enjoy their favorite foods and to playfully frolic among us in a celebration of life.
   Preparations begin weeks ahead of time. Statues and other symbolic items are collected for an altar in the home that also displays favorite items and foods of the departed. The first day of the holiday, Nov. 1 (All Saints Day in the Roman Catholic Church) is especially marked for remembrance of deceased children. Nov. 2 (All Souls Day) is the day that whole families go to the cemeteries to eat, drink and be merry with the dear departed.
   Art and crafts associated with the Days of the Dead were popularized in the early 1900s, thanks to images of cavorting skeletons (calaveras) created by Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada. Big sellers include decorated sugar skulls, dishes, knick-knacks and tabletop dioramas in glass boxes with scenes of skeletons living everyday lives. I have several dioramas of kitchen scenes, but those with bands of musicians are also popular.
   Ruth Alegría, who used to operate Mexican Village restaurant and the café at the YWCA in Princeton, is now living in Mexico, where she plans to offer cooking classes for travelers (e-mail inquiries to [email protected]). She’s enrolled in a weeklong Day of the Dead workshop in the artist’s community of San Miguel de Allende, and she tells me by e-mail that all over Mexico, preparations for the holiday are under way. "Arrangements can be community-wide, as in most of the rural and still intact indigenous communities, or as simple as a small shelf at home … Offrendas (offerings) are everywhere — from sidewalks, shops, restaurants, to museums and even government offices."
   A note on the two recipes below:
   Pan de Muerto is a yeasted sweet bread with many variations, similar to Italian pannetone and Mardi Gras King’s Cake. It is often shaped into skulls or small oval loaves with strips of dough rolled out and attached to resemble bones. It often contains dried or candied fruits; if you want to try that variation, omit the anise seed.
   Calabaza en Tacha (Candied pumpkin) used to be sweetened with honey or sap from the maguey plant. It is regarded as a child’s treat, but adults take note: It is heavenly when finely chopped and served with vanilla ice cream or incorporated into more sophisticated desserts.
PAN DE MUERTO
"Bread of the Dead"
Adapted from www.globalgourmet.com
and other sources
   ½ cup butter
   ½ cup milk
   ½ cup water
   5 to 5½ cups flour
   2 packages dry yeast
   1 teaspoon salt
   1 tablespoon whole anise seed (or ½ cup finely chopped dried or candied fruits)
   ½ cup sugar
   4 eggs
   In a saucepan over medium flame, heat the butter, milk and water until very warm but not boiling.
   Meanwhile, measure out 1½ cups flour and set the rest aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1½ cups flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and sugar. Beat in the warm liquid until well combined. Add the eggs and beat in another 1 cup of flour. Continue adding more flour until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead on lightly floured board for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
   Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours. Punch the dough down and shape into loaves resembling skulls, skeletons or round loaves with "bones" placed ornamentally around the top.
   Let the loaves rise for 1 hour. Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and paint on glaze.
Glaze:
   ½ cup sugar
   1/3 cup fresh orange juice
   2 tablespoons grated orange zest
   Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then apply to bread with a pastry brush. If desired, sprinkle on colored sugar while glaze is still damp.
CALABAZA EN TACHA
(Candied pumpkin)
Adapted from Globalgourmet.com
   One 4 to 5 pound pumpkin
   8 cinnamon sticks
   Juice of 1 orange
   4 cups water
   2 pounds piloncillo (cone- or loaf-shaped sugar found in Mexican markets, or use dark brown sugar)
   Cut the pumpkin into medium (2½ to 3-inch) chunks. Remove seeds and strings. With a sharp knife make diamond designs over the pulp.
   Put the sugar in a large pan with the cinnamon, orange juice and water. Bring to a boil and stir until the piloncillo has dissolved.
   Place pumpkin in the pan in layers, the first layer’s pieces pulp side down so they absorb as much juice as possible. The second layer should be with the pulp upwards. Cover and simmer over low heat until tender and glazed, up to one hour, being sure there is enough syrup in pan for serving with pumpkin pieces.
   Let cool and serve with the syrup, and, if desired, evaporated milk or cream, removing peel as you eat or before serving.