Remember how sophisticated you felt
sipping the 'new' drink called a Margarita? Remember discovering that
an avocado could be mashed to make a dish called guacamole?
The United States emerged from culinary
ignorance by embracing each new discovery offered by the world's great
cuisines. Due to immigration into southwestern states, as well as travel
across national boundaries that had few restrictions, one of the earliest discoveries was Mexican food
and the great, complex culture that gave those foods to us.
Retro Fiesta: A Gringo's Guide
to Mexican Party Planning celebrates the discovery anew and inspires
us to hang up a piñata and dig into an enchilada. Whether you
want to wax nostalgic about our entry into culinary awareness or celebrate
a Mexican holiday, such as Cinco de Mayo, this is the guide to have.
There are 100 Mexican inspired recipes and menu suggestions as well
as ideas for decorations and party games. The recipes are based on the
more sophisticated awareness of ingredients that we have today.
Vintage drawings and photos of Mexican
food, of button-nosed señoritas and almost-button-nosed señores
evoke memories of our delighted discovery of our neighbors south of
the border. The author includes a list of Mexican holidays and advice
to set the scene for a perfect fiesta. One carefree suggestion is a
do-it-yourself burrito buffet, complete with Mexican ingredients.
This is a lovely gift book, especially
if accompanied by a jar of homemade salsa.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR: Geraldine Duncann is a food writer and cooking instructor
and a fifth generation Californian. Educated at the California College
of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley with a major in design, color, and composition,
she became fascinated by the foods of other people and other times.
She lives in Sonoma County, California.
ABOUT THE
RETRO SERIES: There are now fifteen titles in the Retro series.
You can see other titles when you click the Amazon link above.
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