Cinco de Mayo has become a time to down margaritas and stuff your face with all the guacamole your stomach can handle, but it is really the holiday commemorates when the Mexican army defeated France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, during the Franco-Mexican War.

But, did you know: Cinco de Mayo is a minor holiday in Mexico. In America, the day is a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, especially in areas with large Mexican-American communities. The American festivities consist of authentic foods, parades, parties, mariachi music, and traditional Mexican dancing. The largest festivals take place in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston.

Molé Pablano–a thick, creamy red sauce–is the official dish of the holiday and rumored to be the national dish of Mexico. You can serve the sauce over turkey, Mexican Street Corn, chicken, tostados, rice, enchiladas, and so on. The complex sauce enhances most dishes, mostly savory, even though it is sometimes called “chocolate sauce.”

How do you celebrate the fifth of May?

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

Molé Pablano

• Prep Time: 1 hr
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total: 1 hr 30 mins
• Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 6-7 Ancho dried chiles
• 6-7 Mulato dried chiles
• 5-6 Pasilla dried chiles
• 1/2 onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2-3 Roma tomatoes
• 1/3 cup sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 2 oz. chocolate (1/3 cup chocolate chips)
• 4-5 cups stock
• 2 tablespoons lard (or oil)
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

Directions:

1. Wipe off any dusty crevasses on the dried chiles.  De-stem and de-seed the chiles, but don't worry about getting rid of every last seed.
2. Roast the chile pieces for 1-2 minutes in a 400F oven.  Alternatively, you can flash roast them in a skillet on the stovetop for 15-30 seconds per side. Once roasted, add the chile pieces to a bowl and cover with hot tap water.  Let the chiles reconstitute for 20-30 minutes.  If they float to the surface you can use a small bowl or plate to keep them submerged.
3. Rinse and de-stem 2-3 Roma tomatoes. Roast the tomatoes in a 400F oven for 20-30 minutes.
4. Roughly chop 1/2 onion and peel 6 garlic cloves.   Add a glug of oil to a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and whole garlic cloves until lightly browned.  Once cooked, add the onion-garlic mixture to the blender.
5. Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup sesame seeds, 8 whole cloves, 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns to the skillet. Toast until the sesame seeds are turning golden brown, stirring occasionally. Towards the end, add the powdered spices to the skillet (1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano) and cook briefly. Add the mixture to a food processor or spice grinder and grind into a fine powder, setting it aside until you need it.
6. By now the chiles are reconstituted. Take a taste of the chiles' soaking liquid. If you like it then you can use it to liquefy the sauce. If it tastes bitter to you then use stock to liquefy the sauce -- I used stock for this batch.
7. Drain the dried chiles and add them to the blender along with 2 cups of stock (or soaking liquid). The onion-garlic mixture should already be in the blender. Combine well. It's worth it to take a taste at every step along the way, starting now!
8. Add the roasted tomatoes to the blender and combine well.
9. Add the finely ground spice mixture to the blender and combine well. I also added another splash of stock at this point. You'll need 4-5 cups total for the recipe -- I usually just keep track of what I add when blending and then add the rest for the simmer.
10. Add 2 tablespoons raisins, 1/4 cup almonds and 1 teaspoon salt. Combine well.
11. Add 2 tablespoons lard (or oil) to a large saucepan over medium heat. Once heated add the Mole sauce. Cook briefly and at this point you can add any additional stock that was not added to the blender. Use a splatter screen if you have one, otherwise a lid or foil will do the job.
12. Once heated through add 2 oz. chocolate (optional). I used 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use Mexican chocolate if you want. For a sweeter batch you can double or triple the chocolate amount.
13. Once the chocolate is incorporated into the sauce take a final taste for seasoning. I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch, but keep in mind this will depend on which stock you use.
14. Serve immediately or simmer longer if you want to thicken it up. You can optionally strain the sauce at this point.
15. I kept it simple and made some impromptu Enmoladas. I rolled some cooked, shredded chicken and cheese in corn tortillas, crisped them up in the oven, and drenched them in the Mole Poblano sauce.

5-Ingredient Black Bean Tostadas

• Prep: 5 mins
• Cook: 20 mins
• Total: 25 mins
• Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 tostadas
• 2 c. shredded pepper jack
• Avocado, sliced
• Hot sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add beans and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and let simmer until beans are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Smash with a wooden spoon until most of the beans are smashed with some whole remaining. Add more water as needed to help create a smoother consistency.
2. Meanwhile, place tostadas on a large baking sheet and sprinkle cheese evenly over each. Bake until cheese is melty, about 5 minutes.
3. Top tostadas with beans, avocado slices, and hot sauce.
4. Optional other toppings: cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

Horchata

• Prep: 15 mins
• Inactive Cook: 6 hr
• Total: 6 hr 15 mins
• Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 quart warm water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Whole cinnamon sticks, optional, for serving

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine the rice and warm water. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the rice breaks up but does not form a powder. Let the rice mixture stand in the refrigerator for 6 hours or up to overnight.
2. Strain the rice mixture into a container through a fine-mesh sieve or several layers of cheesecloth to remove the rice solids.
3. Pour the rice water into a blender and add the milk, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and sugar. Blend for 1 minute until well combined and smooth. Serve the horchata over ice with cinnamon sticks as stirrers.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 5 mins
• Total: 20 mins
• Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 c. frozen corn, thawed
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1/2 c. quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 medium red onion, diced
• 1/4 c. freshly chopped cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp. honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 c. crumbled cotija

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, jalapeño, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, oil, honey, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss to combine. Add cotija and toss again. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Flan

• Prep: 30 mins
• Inactive Cook: 5 hr
• Cook: 55 min
• Total: 6 hr 25 mins
• Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• Pinch salt

Directions:

1. To make the caramel: have ready a 2-quart round flan mold and a large roasting pan. Combine 1 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a heavy-bottomed pot or pan. Place over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar begins to melt. Swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup darkens to a medium amber color, about 10 minutes; don't stir with a spoon. Remove from the heat and immediately add the lemon juice, swirl the pan again to combine, and then pour into the flan mold. Tilt the dish so that the caramel evenly coats the bottom and a bit up the sides, place in the roasting pan and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, bring a kettle of water to a boil for the water bath and keep it hot.
3. Combine the cream, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low flame. Bring the cream to a brief simmer, stirring occasionally. Take care not to let the cream come to a full boil to prevent it from spilling over.
4. In a large bowl, cream together the whole eggs and yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar; add a pinch of salt. Whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in the hot cream mixture; don't add it too quickly or the eggs will cook. Pass the mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup to ensure that the flan will be perfectly smooth. Pour the custard into the caramel-coated mold.
5. To create the water bath: pour the hot (not boiling) water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the mold; be careful not get water into the custard. Carefully transfer to the middle oven rack, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the custard is barely set and just jiggles slightly. Let the flan cool in the water bath, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the flan. Place a dessert plate on top of the flan and invert to pop it out.