ONCE De Los Muertos Dos
Tis' the season for holiday celebration, but last week we said “Halloween, schmalloween!” in favor of Dia de los Muertos, the two-day Mexican jubilee thrown in honor of passed family and ancestors. The Center for Arts at the Armory in Somerville provided the setting for our ceremonial feast, complete with an altar, mariachi band, and local versions of authentic Mexican fare. Lively dancing followed an all-you-can-eat buffet fit for all planes of existence.
This event was particularly special as we invited our crew of loyal Myrmadons--fierce, local-loving warrior-volunteers--to assist us in piecing the space together. With much gratitude I want to bow to everyone who came out. We could not have had such a smooth and wonderful time without you!
Special thanks to C.McIntosh Photography for the amazing pictures! And now for the ghoulish cast:
But the real stars of the evening were the stunning, strumming mariachi bands...
...and the food!
Chicken Mole: 
We baked Stillman's Farm chickens and shredded them into a unique mole created by our amazing chef Brian. “Sway Mole” was a hit, featuring a hearty list of ingredients lovingly prepared and lavishly eaten.
Sway Mole!: Garlic scapes, white onions, ground coriander, epazote, oregano, paprika, dark chili pepper, cayenne, Taza 80% dark chocolate, Mexican cinnamon, cloves, red onions, corn tortillas, red tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, chicken stock, salt, cider vinegar, garlic, mole chiles, pumpkin squash.
Stillman's has more than just chickens. If you're in need of a local turkey for Thanksgiving, you can order one from them here!
Pork Verde:
Our pork verde dish featured Stillman pork—pork so delectable because the pigs have been eating melons, peppers, apples, and other farm veggies, all summer. We baked it with pureed tomatillos, onions, garlic, and spices. It's incredible how such a simple dish can become so splendidly delicious!
Black Beans:
Baer's Best Beans simmered on our stove for hours in loads of spices before being served to guys, gals, and ghouls of all sorts.
Baked Red Wheatberry:
We baked local spelt from Four Star Farms with Stillman's Farm tomatoes for a toasty and delectable locavore version of Spanish red rice.
Salsas:
No Mexican feast would be complete without an abundance of condiments! We created three delightful salsas—corn, tomatillo, and chipotle-tomato—for chip dipping and mole/verde topping. Our veggies were sourced from Red Fire Farm and Stillman's Farm.
Tortilla Chips:
Our chips were sourced from El Potro, right up the street from Kitchen Inc., our headquarters in Union Sq.
Pickles:
Stillman Farms jalepeños, cauliflower, peppers, and cabbage were transformed into scrumptious pickles with which to add a kick to every mouthful.
Watermelon Agua Fresca:
We puréed Red Fire Farm watermelon, added mint and lemon verbena simple syrup (made with fresh herbs from the big boss's garden stash!), and water to create a refreshing, palette-cleansing beverage.
Pan de Muertos:
Many thanks to Paula's Mexican Bakery and Restaurant for baking our traditional “bread of the dead”. Made of sticky sweet bread with marshmallow eyes, the Pan de Muertos served as dessert for our guests on both sides of the veil.
Hot Sauce
We were so lucky to have Alex of Alex's Ugly Sauce join us for the festivities! He provided a wealth of tongue-tingling delights for guests to spice things up.
Are you a local-loving Myrmadon? Want to be on the list to assist at upcoming Cuisine En Locale events? Just email me at luc@cuisineenlocale to receive call outs for hands in the future!
