THE DAY OF THE DEAD IS CELEBRATED IN OLD MESILLA - Sunny discovers the meaning behind Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). A new restaurant and grocery store sells chile-charged salsas and sauces.
CHILE OFFERINGS
I knew little of the Mexican celebration Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) until my visit last Sunday to Old Mesilla, which hosted a public observance on The Plaza. Held traditionally on November 1 and 2, the Day of the Dead blends the Catholic and Indian customs into a unique display that celebrates the living as well as those departed. The theory holds that the spirits of the beloved deceased return to their homes for a brief visit with family and friends. On November 1 - All Saints Day - the souls of departed infants and children arrive, and on November 2 - All Souls Day - the spirits of adults join them.
Rather than a mournful experience, the Day of the Dead is regarded as a blessing - a time when the departed are reunited once again with loved ones. A profusion of fascinating customs, the origins of which vary from region to region in Latin America, add interest to the celebration but common to all are the religious rites and the colorful commemorative altars, such as those that lined The Plaza on Sunday. Anyone can participate in the event. My daughter and I already have made plans to create a shrine for next year's celebration.
Traditionally, the last two weeks of October are spent in preparation, which includes assembling the makeshift altar: a table (sometimes tiered with overturned crates) dressed with clean linens upon which is displayed orange and yellow marigolds - the Flower of the Dead, papal picado (paper cut-outs), intricate wreaths and crosses, mementos of the deceased - a watch, a pipe, cigarettes, books, a toy, etc. - and votive lights and burning copal (incense), which help the deceased find his or her way home.
Many altars showcase handsome loaves of sweet bread called "pan de muerto" (bread of the dead) that are decorated with dough bits shaped like bones, and favorite foods and drinks of the deceased. Last Sunday I saw bottles of beer, tequila, cups of horchata (a luscious Mexican rice drink sweetened with cinnamon and sugar) and platters of scrumptious-looking chile-laden entrees.
While walking The Plaza, I couldn't help but think of what an altar remembering me would look like. Marigolds would be in abundance - my mother grew scads of them in the home garden and I couldn't wait for the tiny buds to blossom at the nip of autumn. I also envisioned photos of my family, friends and beloved cats. And like many of the altars I visited, chile would be a featured item: the chile apron my niece deftly created for my birthday one year, the homemade paper ristra gift the kids from a local school crafted and penned affectionate notes on, a crock pot of capsaicin-laced green chile stew, tongue-blistering salsa, and more important, a sack full of fresh roasted and steaming green chiles to power my way home.
INTERNATIONAL DELIGHTS
International Delights is the name of a new coffeehouse located at Brazito Plaza on the corner of El Paseo and Idaho. The coffee shop not only offers international brew, but they also sell homemade pastries and sandwiches and imported groceries - many itmes of which are spun with the chile pepper pod (powder, Indian relishes and sauces such as tandoori).
CHIPOTLE SEARCH
A reader continues to search in supermarkets and specialty stores for dried chipotles. Please call or email if you can help.
ONE FINAL CHILE NOTE
Musician and conductor Zubin Mehta is so addicted to chile that he carries two dry red peppers in a matchbox each time he visits restaurants. "Without hot pepper I feel like I am eating hospital food," he said in an interview with Amal Naj, the author of Peppers: A Story of Hot Pursuits.
