Loaves&Fishes Love Mexican Food!

Thanks so much for all of the brilliant name suggestions for my book! I really loved reading through them and will let ye know as soon as we've decided on the best title. Thanks a million!x

Now back to the business at hand: The Loaves & Fishes menu for next weekend. The loose theme will be Mexican so feel free to dust off your ponchos! I've resisted the temptation to make a huge pinata but there's a few days to go yet so you never know! Nothing on the menu will be crazy hot and loaded with chilli. It'll all be lovely and full of fresh lime,coriander and my favourite secret ingredient in the kitchen: Cacao!

Black bean Sopa Azteca 

Guacamole, Salsa, Torilla chips and other lovely bits & pieces

Chilli con cacao, Green Rice and homemade cornbread

Citrus Tart

Homemade Chilli chocolate truffles

Tea & Coffee

The citrus tart is my recipe from 'The Book'. I was planning on making Thomasina Miers Vanilla Cheesecake with pineapple caramel, I made it and it was gorgeous but very messy for a large group! The green rice, soup and truffles are all from her brilliant book Mexican Food Made Simple.The cornbread is addictive! It's a mish mash of an Ottolenghi (suprisesuprise) recipe and a Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall recipe. It'd be gorgeous with spaghetti bolognaise too! 

I love wine but always drink beer with Mexican Food, I just associate it with Corona or Sol with lime and kicking back and relaxing. But if you don't want to stick with wine then I found this great Article called 'Beyond Beer: Wine with Mexican Food.' Here are the main tips on pairing wines with Mexican food:

1. The most successful wines are fresh, sleek, and crisp with acidity. Good white choices include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio (also known as Pinot Gris), dry Riesling, and Albarino, a crisp, citrusy knockout from northwestern Spain that's phenomenal with green tomatillo-chili sauces. Acidity however, isn't the exclusive domain of white wines. High-acid reds include Spanish Riojas (based on the Tempranillo grape), Italian Chiantis (based on Sangiovese), and Pinot Noir.

2. A second group includes wines with a plush, thick, jammy mouth-feel. Soft, juicy Zinfandels with massive fruit flavors can be sensational with earthy red chile adobo sauces, and supersupple Shirazes and Shiraz blends from Australia, with deep berry flavors, can cushion robust seasonings. If you're not a lover of such powerhouses, try a simple, overtly fruity beaujolais (made from the red grape Gamay); since it's often served chilled, it's refreshing with highly seasoned dishes.

3. Avoid Chardonnay. Its typical oaky, toasty character fights with bold, complex Mexican flavors, and the wine ends up tasting coarse and bitter. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot don't fare much better. Both have a lot of tannin, and when tannin hits the flavor of chilies, it sets your mouth on fire and you miss all the complexities of the food.

Anyway that's it, We're all really looking forward to it and I'll post photos and recipes here after the event!

Lilly x