From Recipes to Festivals - Cinco de Mayo in San Diego

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One of the wonderful things about Americans is they can turn any international holiday into a hometown party. St. Patrick's Day? Hey, I'm not Irish but I have this overwhelming need to head to a pub and drink Guinness every March 17th.

The 1862 Battle of Puebla? Grab your sombrero and go. Join your friends and family on May 5th to indulge in margaritas, beer, and burritos - just don't ruin the festivities by asking why. When you're surrounded by good food and drink it's best to just surrender to the flow of the party.

This Cinco de Mayo in San Diego head out to local festivities or leave the crowd behind and host your own. We have suggestions for everything you need to plan your very own party, as well as a list of San Diego Cinco de Mayo festivities and hot spots for when you're ready to kick the party out of your bachelor pad.

Hostess with the Mostess
You've got the guest list prepared, a frightening number of people accepted your invitation, and you've just realized with horror that you're going to have to serve Mexican-inspired food, which you don't know how to cook. Fabulous party-throwers do not buy appetizer trays from Costco (you don't have a membership anyway) and laying out a variety of tortilla chips doesn't cut it after college. So what's a host to do? What anyone does in this situation - consult the experts.

If your culinary skills are lacking, learn how to prepare a Cinco de Mayo feast by enrolling in a cooking class. Kitchen Witch Gourmet Shop & Cooking School (127 N. El Camino Real, #D, Encinitas, 92024; 760.942.3228) will be offering a Cinco de Mayo Dinner class on May 1st. Impress your guests with a menu that includes Spicy Chicken Lime Soup, Grilled Marinated Shrimp with Jalapeño Tarragon Cream Sauce, and Chile Rellenos.

Sur la Table (1915 Calle Barcelona, Carlsbad, 92009; 760.635.1319) offers to teach you to cook a menu that includes the ever-exciting Mexican Fondue (everyone has fun when a fondue is involved), Mole Verde Served with Mexican Rice, and the exotic Chocolate Chipotle Brownies with Avocado Ice Cream - even the most jaded gourmand can't fail to be impressed by that dish.

Whether you want to learn to cook in the comfort of your own home or in a nicely equipped culinary studio, Events by Christopher (5580 La Jolla Blvd., #428, La Jolla, 92037; 858.454.2267) will be able to accommodate your needs. Menu options are customized to suit your taste and creativity but if, after a consultation, you decide that cooking for forty is really not how you wanted to enjoy your Cinco de Mayo holiday, Events by Christopher is happy to cater your affair.

Eat, Drink and be Merry
At a dinner party (or booze-fueled fiesta) it's the small touches that matter, so set the stage for your Cinco de Mayo party by investing in a little Mexican love for your home. If you can't make it down to Tijuana, buy your colorful paper decorations or ironic devotional candles from Babette Schwartz Inc. (421 University Ave., San Diego, 92103; 619.220.7048).

For Mexican candies and piñatas, head on over to Piñata World (821 Kuhn Dr., #106, Chula Vista, 91914; 619.397.1700) where their piñata package includes everything you'll need to get your tipsy, blindfolded friends to swing a stick in your home. Piñatas add a fun twist to any occasion of course, but if you're really dedicated to the idea of hosting the best Cinco de Mayo party that any of your friends has ever attended, you'll unplug the iPod in favor of booking a Mariachi Band from GigMasters (gigmasters.com).

If you're confident in your cooking prowess and so have passed on the cooking classes try just a few simple recipes in large quantities to please the crowd you've invited. Simply prepared food made from fresh ingredients serves the dual function of pleasing your guests while eliminating the stress of slaving in the kitchen for 48 hours. The recipes below are quick and easy and come courtesy of Whole Foods (wholefoodsmarket.com).

Set up a salsa and guacamole bar so your guests can help themselves while they mingle. Mash four avocados with the juice of one lime then add three pressed garlic cloves, five or six green onions (sliced), one cup of chopped cilantro, and one or two seedless jalapeños - instant guacamole! Up the spice factor by serving a salsa made of two medium-sized tomatoes (diced), 15 sprigs of cilantro (chopped), one minced garlic clove, half of a medium-sized onion (diced), fresh lime juice, sea salt, and minced serrano and jalapeño chiles (discard the seeds).

A large number of guests won't be sated on chips and dip, and unless you have the resources to host a large sit-down dinner (we're assuming you're popular and all your friends will want to come) you'll have to find a way to feed the crowd. Burritos can be made ahead of time and cut in half before serving to make them more of a substantial finger food. The following simple recipe will make about six large burritos, and the ingredients can be easily multiplied to accommodate your throng of party-goers.

For six burritos you'll need: one jar of black beans (drained), one tomato (chopped), three green onions (chopped), ¼ cup cilantro (chopped), one crushed garlic clove, the juice of one lime, ¼ cup canola oil, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper, ¼ tsp hot sauce, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, six flour tortillas, two ripe avocados, two cups of cooked rice, and one block of grated Monterey Jack cheese. In a bowl mix together the beans, tomato, green onion, and cilantro. In another bowl, mix together the garlic and lime juice. Mix in the oil and then combine this dressing with your bean mixture. Stir in the crushed red pepper, hot sauce, and the salt and pepper. Spread the mashed avocado onto a tortilla, followed by the cheese, rice, and bean mixture. Roll up the tortillas and refrigerate them if making ahead (you can make them the morning of your party). When you're ready to cook, place the burritos in a pre-heated 350° oven for 15 minutes.

You've got the food covered, now what about drinks? Your loud and obnoxious neighbor has also been preparing for his Cinco de Mayo party - you saw him unload cases of beer and margarita mix just this morning. Make sure your party is the envy of the block with cocktails that don't involve bags of mixes or boxes of wine.

Take a tip from Modus Supper Club and serve their Cherry Poppin' cocktail, a blend of Cachaca, fresh muddled cherries, limes, sugar, and Cherry Heering liqueur served on the rocks. Sure the Cachaca may make you think Brazil instead of Mexico, but the cocktails are so yummy your guests won't complain. Bar Pink Elephant's Margarita Ole is a blend of tequila, triple sec, sweet and sour, and mango nectar. Make it your own by blending in mango cubes and rimming the edge of the glass with a mix of salt and superfine sugar.

My handy go-to drink bible, Atomic Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for Modern Times (Karen Brooks, Gideon Bosker, Reed Darmon; 1998 Chronicle Books) offers a recipe for a little something that they call the Mexican Firing Squad: combine one ounce of good-quality tequila with 1½ teaspoons lime juice and 1½ teaspoons of Kahlúa in a shot glass. Moisten the rim of the glass with the lime wedge and drink it all in one shot. Now sit back, and let the good times roll.

Festivals, Downtown Dining, and Tequila
If the thought of hosting your nearest and dearest plus their entourages is causing you some stress, San Diego has an abundance of Cinco de Mayo festivities to choose from instead. Old Town is hosting Fiesta Cinco de Mayo over the weekend of May 3rd and 4th, with plenty of family-friendly activities to enjoy, while South County's big party is in downtown Chula Vista on May 4th and boasts entertainment, food, carnival rides, and dancing. Also on May 4th, the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park hosts an evening of food, drinks, and dance, with a little bit of the history of the day's significance thrown in for good measure.

Anyone looking for a taste of Mexico rather than a whole festival, should check out Ortega's Bistro (141 University Avenue, San Diego 92103; 619.692.4200) in Hillcrest, Ranchos Mexican & Vegetarian Cuisine for meat-free choices in North Park, or Candelas San Diego for more upscale downtown dining. If you are already downtown eating, you might as well head on over to The Lime where the specialty is tequila, tequila, and more tequila. Serious partiers in the Gaslamp will compete with those working for their hangovers in Old Town at perennial favorite Old Town Mexican Café, or El Agave Tequileria, the classiest tequila joint in town.

Finally, don't forget to rest up after all of your San Diego Cinco de Mayo excitement as other international holidays are coming up sooner than you think. Canada's May 19 Victoria Day holiday is just around the corner - the perfect time to think about hosting a hockey-themed party with plenty of Labatt's and Molson's!