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 Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | October 2006 
Bread of the Dead and Other Mexican Holiday Treats
 Mike Danahey - Sun-Times News
| | Pan de Muerto, Mexico's classic bread for All Souls Day, is made with dough strips that look like bones. (Scott M. Bort) |
As November approaches, throughout Mexico and in Mexican-American homes it's Bread of the Dead time.
The food is an essential part of festivities surrounding Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Celebrated Nov. 1 and 2, the feast mixes the solemnity of a holy day with the spirit and humor of a family reunion.
Finding the bread in a Mexican home "is like Thanksgiving day and turkey here in the United States," said Fernando Berrum, the executive sous chef at the Grand Victoria Casino and a graduate of Elgin Community College's culinary arts program.
The bread is decorated with dough strips that resemble bones. Dough skeletons also serve as Day of the Dead treats.
Depending on the region of Mexico, meals for the Day of the Dead often include such traditional dishes as pozole, a corn and meat soup; chicken in pipian sauce, which is made with almonds, sesame seeds, olives and capers; and tamales lathered in a dark, rich mole
Berrum hails from the tiny village of Santo Nino Geurrero in the Tierra Caliente region of Mexico, more than 200 miles northwest of Mexico City. There, a custom is to serve gordas, a sort of buttery sugar cookie made with a white corn that is hard to find in the Chicago area, Berrum said.
The gordas are made about a week in advance and baked in special ovens with the wood used to make charcoal prepared about a month in advance of the holidays, according to Berrum. The key to the handmade goodies is working out the dough, he said.
The Day of the Dead has its roots in the 3,000-year-old rituals of native Mexican people. It is centered on death as a continuation after life, on the change of seasons, and on the Spanish-introduced Roman Catholic customs surrounding All Souls Days, Nov. 1, and All Saints Day, Nov. 2.
Ofrendas, or home altars constructed to honor deceased loved ones, are another Day of the Dead essential, and when he was growing up, Berrum said they were as common as finding a home here flying an American flag on the Fourth of July.
Such altars hold photographs of the deceased; candles to light a path for the dead; three candy skulls representing the Holy Trinity; a towel, soap and small bowl where a returning loved one could wash his hands; water and spirits for a spirit to quench his thirst; and flower petals that form a path leading spirits to a banquet that includes their favorite dishes.
That might include Berrum's salsa, should the ghost have had a chance to taste it before breaking through to the other side. After all, his recipe was named the best at last month's Fiesta Salsa here in Elgin.
Tropical Salsa
1/4 cup of grape red tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted
1/4 cup of green onions, grilled
1 fluid ounce extra virgin olive oil
1 orange
1/2 lime, squeezed
1/2 jalapeno pepper, grilled
1/4 cup of red onions, grilled
1/2 avocado, diced
1 ounce Kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup of peaches, canned
1/2 teaspoon garlic, fresh minced
1 teaspoon of cilantro, fresh
1/4 cup queso fresco, diced
Pinch of cumin, ground
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 cup papaya, fresh diced
Roast the red peppers on the open flame on the stove, then wrap them in a plastic bag and wait about 20 minutes to peel, seed and dice them.
Grill the red and green onions and jalapeno peppers at the grill, cool them down and cut them to medium dice.
Peel the orange and cut in segments, set aside.
Slice the Kalamata olives and set aside.
Cut the fresh avocado and papaya and set aside.
Cut the fresh cheese (queso fresco) in medium dice and set aside.
Mince the fresh garlic and set aside.
Combine all the above ingredients and add salt, pepper, ground cumin and the fresh cilantro.
Add some vinegar from vinegar peppers and adjust the seasonings.
Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator until use.
SOURCE: Fernando Berrum / Yield: 3/4 pound
The literal translation of Pan de Muerto is "Bread of the Dead." Despite its forbidding connotation, the loaf is traditional fare for the Nov. 2 religious celebration, All Soul's Day. You can omit the crossbones and teardrops, but do not miss this bread just because of its name.
Pan de Muerto All Souls Day Bread
1 package of active dry yeast
1/2 cup water at 110 degrees warm
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon orange-blossom water or plain water
1 teaspoon anise seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon orange peel, finely shredded
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 egg white
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons pink sugar or granulated sugar
Soften yeast in the warm water and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and salt. Blend in 1/2 cup of the flour, the orange blossom water, anise seeds and orange peel.
Add eggs and egg yolk; beat 2 minutes at medium speed.
Blend in yeast mixture and 1 cup of the remaining flour; beat 3 minutes at high speed.
By hand, stir in remaining flour and knead. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Turn onto lightly floured surface. Remove one quarter of the dough and set aside.
Shape remainder into a ball. Place on a greased baking sheet, flattened to a 6-inch round.
Divide reserved piece of the dough into 4 portions. Roll 2 pieces into 7-inch ropes to form "crossbones" in an "X" atop of loaf, attaching with some egg white mixture.
Roll one of the remaining portions into a 2-inch ball. Make a 2-inch wide indentation in center of the loaf; place ball of dough into four portions, shape each into teardrops and secure onto sides of loaf with egg white.
Cover and let rise in warm place 30 to 40 minutes or until nearly double in size. Bake in 325-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.
Remove to rack. Brush hot loaf with remaining egg white mixture, sprinkle with sugar. Repeat brushing and sprinkling after 5 minutes.
SOURCE: Better Homes and Gardens / Yield: one loaf |
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