Here’s a variation of the popular Mexican layered salad that’s begging to be served for Cinco de Mayo. The difference: crumbled corn bread, mascarpone and ranch dressing instead of sour cream, and no guacamole.

This Chili Corn Bread Salad recipe was adapted from another recipe by Emily Carncross of Lodi, Wisconsin. She used Crave Brothers mascarpone (one of the world’s best—more about Crave cheeses) and Wisconsin Cheddar.*

Emily comments, “I was looking for something different to bring to a potluck and came across this salad. I did not have any sour cream, so I substituted mascarpone cheese and really liked the taste it added to the dressing.”

*Why is Cheddar capitalized? It’s due to editorial style. Some publications capitalize the names of foods named after places. Cheddar is a place, as are Asiago, Brie, Camembert, Gorgonzola, Parmesan (Parma), Roquefort and many others. Other cheese names, such as blue cheese, chevre/goat cheese, cream cheese and mozzarella, are descriptive rather than place names. THE NIBBLE thus does not capitalize them.

A Mexican-style layered salad with a surprise: corn bread! Photo courtesy CraveCheese.com.

Mexican Layered Salad Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BAKE. Prepare corn bread batter according to package directions. Stir in the chilies, cumin, oregano and sage. Spread in a greased 8-inch-square baking pan. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool.

2. MIX. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mascarpone and dressing mix; set aside.

3. LAYER. Crumble half of the corn bread into a 13x9x2-inch pan. Layer with half of the beans, mayonnaise mixture, corn, tomatoes, green peppers, onion, bacon and cheese. Repeat for a second layer (the dish will be very full).

4. CHILL. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer. Yield: 12 servings.

WANT A BASKET CASSEROLE DISH?

Check out this handsome white ceramic casserole nestled in a woven rattan basket:

Try slices of queso blanco with a hot mango
salsa as a first course or even for dessert
. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

You don’t have to wait for Cinco de Mayo to try Mexican cheeses, but it is one easy way to plan to celebrate the upcoming holiday.

There are fresh and aged Hispanic cheeses. The ones you may be most familiar with are the fresh cheeses:

 
Check out the different types of Hispanic cheeses. The terms “Hispanic” and “Mexican” are used interchangeably, but “Hispanic” more accurately conveys that the cheeses are used throughout Latin America.

All cheeses can be made more glamorous with cheese condiments. Among all the different condiments that can be served with Mexican cheese, salsa, not surprisingly, pairs well. A fruit salsa—mango or peach, for example, with cheese—is a spicy alternative to the conventional European fruit-and-cheese plate.

If you don’t want to serve fresh cheese with fruit salsa, put together an assorted plate of Hispanic cheeses and serve it with a variety of fruits, nuts, breads/crackers and cheese condiments.

If you do want to go the salsa route, make this recipe from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Wisconsin cheese makers create much of the Hispanic-style cheeses sold in the U.S. A large number of Hispanic cheese makers have moved from Mexico and other Latin American countries to produce the cheeses in Wisconsin.

RECIPE: QUESO BLANCO WITH MANGO JALAPEÑO SALSA

Ingredients

Cool, sweet mango, contrasted with hot jalapeño, adds an exciting kick to Hispanic-style cheeses. During peach season, you can substitute fresh peaches. You can also use strawberries, which are available year-round; fresh blueberries in season; nectarines and plums; even apples and grapes.

Some chefs are inspired to go beyond classic recipes and create their own unusual take on a dish—or a drink.

Chef Julio Medina, who has an empire* of refined Latin cuisine restaurants in New York City, likes to create special menus, including specialty Margaritas, for each location.

His latest creation, for Toloache, is an homage to spring and Cinco de Mayo that combines traditional Mexican flavors with his classic French culinary training.

*The restaurants include Coppelia, Toloache 50, Toloache Taqueria and Toloache 82, Yerba Buena Avenue A and Yerba Buena Perry.

†Today Cinco de Mayo is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state of Puebla on May 5th. It is actually a bigger event in the United States than it is in Mexico, thanks to American promotional know-how, a large population of Mexican-Americans and other Americans who like Mexican food, music and a good celebration.

A different but really good Margarita. Photo courtesy Toloache 50 | New York City.

The homage to Cinco de Mayo is the name of the drink: Invaciones Frances Margarita, French Invasion Margarita. The holiday of Cinco De Mayo† commemorates the 1862 victory of a small and poorly-equipped Mexican militia led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, over the much larger French army at The Battle Of Puebla. It temporarily stopped the French invasion of the country.

The homage to spring: the fresh spring peas and tarragon in the mixture.

Peas and tarragon in a Margarita? Absolutely—and absolutely delish. We present, for your pleasure, the French Invasion Margarita.

THE FRENCH INVASION MARGARITA

Ingredients Per Drink

Remy Martin’a unaged eau de vie, V
(pronounced “vee”). Photo courtesy Remy
Martin.

Preparation

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle together 1 sprig tarragon and the peas. Add the remaining ingredients with ice and shake well.

2. Double strain the Margarita into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a small sprig of tarragon.
  
WHAT’S REMY MARTIN V (PRONOUNCED VEE)?

Produced by the great Cognac maker, Remy V is not a Cognac but an eau de vie. Eau de vie (plural, eaux de vie) is the name given to a spirit distilled from grapes and other fruits that has not yet been aged. At this point it is a clear liquid, like vodka.

It is through aging in oak barrels for at least 2-1/2 years that eau de vie takes on the complex aromas, color and flavors of Cognac. Instead, Remy Martin V is finished with a cold filtration process, like vodka.

Hence the name “V,” a reference to eau de vie (also pronounced “vee,” and meaning “water of life”). It’s unaged Cognac.

And now the challenge: Where to find it. Remy Martin V has limited retail distribution in the U.S.

So here‘s our recommendation: Substitute pisco, a clear, distilled grape spirit from Peru that, like Remy Martin V, is produced in the manner of Cognac. Pisco Portón is an excellent brand, with good distribution.

WHAT’S A BAR SPOON?

A bar spoon is a teaspoon on a long handle, typically 11 inches in length. It is used to measure ingredients and to layer drinks (by pouring the different layers of alcohol over the back of the spoon, where they flow gently into the glass).

The long handle lets the bartender dip deep into jars to scoop up olives and cherries. If you don’t have a bar spoon, it’s inexpensive and doesn’t take up much room. Here’s a good bar spoon.

Some say there’s nothing better than hot
jalapeño poppers with a cold beer. Photo
courtesy Anchor Foods.

Who knew that jalapeño poppers were invented by a major food company? We always figured they’d come out of some hip Tex-Mex restaurant.

But it turns out that Anchor Food Products of Appleton, Wisconsin invented jalapeño poppers in 1992—making 2012 the 20th anniversary of poppers.

The original poppers were jalapeño chiles stuffed with cream cheese or Cheddar, battered and deep-fried—a spicy American snack version of the Mexican dish, chiles rellenos (stuffed bell peppers). The company is a major supplier to restaurants, and that’s where most people head for poppers (here’s a restaurant locator), along with a “Like to Party” Facebook Sweepstakes).

You can also find Anchor Poppers in the frozen foods section of the supermarket. Anchor’s expanded line includes seven flavors, the most popular of which are Original, Cream Cheese & Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Poppers and Fire-Roasted Poblano & Jalapeño Popper Bites.

Poppers are delicious with a beer, and can be served with a dip or sauce: marinara sauce, pepper jelly, ranch dressing, salsa or other favorite. We combine pepper jelly with fat-free Greek yogurt to add a bit of sweetness without the cholesterol; plus a breading of Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs.

Try some now, or save them for Cinco de Mayo (on May 1st we’ll be publishing a video recipe for grilled [not fried] poppers).

The History Of Poppers

While the actual date of the product launch is lost to time, Anchor Food Products applied for a trademark on the term “Jalapeño Poppers” on April 30, 1992. Since the end of 2001, Anchor Poppers has been part of the H.J. Heinz family of brands; the poppers are produced by McCain Foods.

Find more about Anchor Poppers.

Here’s more Margarita madness (deliciously different recipes) in anticipation of National Margarita Day, February 22nd.

This year, change it up with a Cranberry Margarita, Pomegranate Margarita or Grapefruit Margarita recipe. The first two recipes are from Avión Tequila; the last is Felix restaurant in New York City’s SoHo, where Avión Silver is the tequila of choice.

FLYING POMEGRANATE MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

Flying Pomegranate Margarita. Photo
courtesy Avión Tequila.

1. Combine tequila, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur and sour mix into a shaker and shake vigorously.

2. Fine strain over fresh ice or up in a martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist.
 
CRANBERRY MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. Combine tequila, cranberry juice and sour mix into a shaker and shake vigorously.

2. Fine strain over fresh ice or up in a martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

Grapefruit Margarita. Photo courtesy Felix Restaurant.

GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. Rim glass by moistening rim and twisting on a plate filled with salt/pepper mix.

2. Combine tequila, Cointreau and juices into a shaker and shake vigorously.

3. Fine strain over fresh ice or up in a martini glass.

Find more of our favorite Margarita recipes.

Ginger adds some heat to a Margarita. Photo courtesy Spice Market | New York.

National Margarita Day is next week: Wednesday, February 22nd. There’s plenty of time to plan a Margarita party, mixing up some special recipes. You can also throw a “Presidents’ Margarita Party” over the holiday weekend.

The original Margarita consisted of tequila, Cointreau (orange liqueur) and lime juice; but there have been many variations on the theme since then.

Here’s one riff from Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market New York restaurant. It fuses ginger, a spice from Southeast Asia, with the Mexican-origin cocktail.

GINGER MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients For Ginger Lime Syrup

 
Ingredients For Each Margarita

1. Bring lime juice and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add ginger. Let steep until liquid is at room temperature. Strain through a chinois,* pushing the pestle or (other tool) for total extraction.

2. Combine all ingredients in rocks glass with ice. Shake vigorously.

3. Crust rim of glass with ginger salt (a combination of 1/4 part ginger powder, 3/4 part coarse salt) and pour Margarita into glass. Squeeze lime wedge then drop in drink.
 
MORE MARGARITA RECIPES.
 
 
*A chinois is a cone-shaped mesh strainer. These days, they can be hard to fine. Instead, stores tend to carry what is known as a Chinese cap. It looks like a chinois, but instead of mesh, holes are punched in metal, like a colander. If you can find a mesh chinois, buy it: It’s finer and useful for all straining. The size of the holes in a Chinese cap can allow small particles, such as strawberry and raspberry seed, through.

If you’ve never cooked with plantains before, today—Cinco de Mayo—is the day to try it.

While yellow-brown, brown and black plantains can be peeled like a banana, it is much more difficult to peel a green or yellow plantain.

Instead, take a paring knife, slice off the ends of the plantain and slit the skin lengthwise. If the plantain is very long, you can cut it in half or in thirds before you slit the skin.

Then, simply slide your thumbnail under the slit and pry off the skin.

What to do with your plantains?

If you like French fries and fried zucchini, make fried plantains.

1. Cut firm, ripe plantains (yellow with a bit of mottling) into 1/8″ slices.
2. Add vegetable oil 1-1/2 inches deep in a large skillet and heat to 375°F.
3. Fry plantains for 1 minute or more on each side until golden and crisp on the outside but soft on the inside, for a total of 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
4. Season with sea salt and/or pepper, garlic salt, chipotle, grated cheese or other favorite seasonings. You can serve them with ketchup or other condiments.

The trick to peeling plantains. Photo and
peeling tip courtesy Melissas.com.

Plantains are a staple in many areas of the world. They are the same genus (Musa) as sweet bananas, called dessert bananas, while plantains are referred to as cooking bananas. Plantains are more firm and lower in sugar, and thus ready to be steamed, boiled or fried. Dessert bananas are eaten raw and made into desserts such as ice cream, pie and sautéed bananas (like Bananas Foster). The distinction is purely arbitrary.

Although they look like trees, banana and plantain plants do not have a woody trunk. Their base is made of huge leaf stalks, so they are technically giant herbs.

We love the pineapple and heat in this drink.
Photo courtesy Hornitos Tequila.

For your consideration: a sweet, spicy and smooth tequila drink called the Pico de Plata (“silver beak”). The recipe was created by mixologist Jason Littrell for Hornitos Tequila, using sweet pineapple juice and hot jalapeño purée. Jalapeño is used in two forms: the seeds infuse the vodka, and the flesh is puréed as a mixer.

Why the horn-shaped shot glass used by Hornitos?

In some regions of the world, unique glass shapes have been specially designed for the local wines and spirits. After a long day’s work, Mexican farmers used to enjoy shots of tequila from a real bull’s horn to celebrate the day’s end. Thus, the first tequila-specific shot glass was designed in the shape of a bull’s horn.

COCKTAIL RECIPE: PICO DE PLATA

Ingredients For One Drink

*Cut the skin off the jalapeño. Soak the seeds and pith (the hot part) of three jalapeños per 750ml bottle of silver tequila for 30 minutes, or to taste. Save the flesh for the purée.
** Remove stems, seeds and veins from a red jalapeño, leaving only the flesh. Toss into a blender or spice grinder and purée until smooth.

Preparation
1. Mix equal parts of salt and pepper. Place in a saucer. Moisten the rim of a rocks glass or martini glass with water and dip and twist in the salt and pepper.
2. Shake other ingredients with ice and strain the ingredients over ice. Serve.

Find more of our favorite cocktail recipes.

Check out the history of tequila.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Still looking for a special way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Combine the ever-popular Margarita with luscious blood orange juice. This recipe includes the traditional lime juice via the sour mix, and layers it with the flavor of blood orange.

Thanks to Tequila Avión for this recipe:

Ingredients Per Cocktail

Another way to enjoy luscious blood
oranges. Photo courtesy Tequila Avión.

The recipe does not use a salted rim, in order to enjoy the delicate flavors of the blood orange juice.

Preparation
1. Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
2. Shake and strain; serve over fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

The history of the Margarita.

More Margarita recipes.

More about Tequila Avión.

Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates an 1862 battle between the Mexicans and the French, is celebrated by more Americans than Mexicans (see the history of Cinco de Mayo).

It’s easy to pull together a Cinco de Mayo celebration with prepared food (just open the bottles).

Our favorite easy entertaining choice is a salsa bar with a tasting of Mexican beer. Invite friends for a Mexican Happy Hour.

There are so many different types of salsa, from salsa verde made with green tomatillos, to corn and black bean, to fruit flavors such as peach and pineapple.

For the most interesting varieties and best tastes, pick up a selection of favorites at a specialty food store. Don’t forget the tortilla chips!

Pineapple salsa and black bean and corn
salsa are two of our favorites. Photo
by Melody Lan | THE NIBBLE.

Head to the supermarket or liquor store to pick up a selection of Mexican beers. The majority of Mexican beer is produced by two large companies:

Try to find our favorite Mexican beer, Negro Modelo. It’s a dark, Münchener (Munich)-style beer: a full-bodied dark lager beer that is a model for other “Bavarian-style” beers.

One last thing: Mexican tunes for background music. Ask friends if they have any to bring.