| Mardi Gras / Carnaval / Fat Tuesday |
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Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Carnaval is traditionally a day to let
loose and indulge. But, where does this day of partying come
from? Mardi Gras literally translated from French means Fat
Tuesday and Carnaval comes from the
Latin words carne vale, meaning "farewell to the
flesh." Roman Catholics in the past traditionally abstained from
eating
meat during the 40 days of Lent which begins on Ash
Wednesday ending on Easter Sunday. Nowadays fasting and
abstinence are observed on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays
during Lent.
Celebrations can be found world-wide
but the biggest and most infamous are Carnaval in Rio De
Janeiro and the giant Mardi Gras
celebration in New Orleans. Now you can understand why
people drink, eat and be merry on the Tuesday before Lent
begins and with all that merriment going on you can probably
figure out why their wear masks too!
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| Mexico's San Patricio Battalion |
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As you are cozying up to the bar at Carlos O'Brien's for St
Patty's Day you'll be able to share a great tale of the fighting
Irish in Mexico. The "San Patricios" battalion was a group of
mostly Catholic Irish men led by Captain John Riley of County
Galway, that deserted their U.S. troops to fight along side the
Mexican Army during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848.
When the U.S. Soldiers looted and burned Catholic churches
many Irish-American soldiers fed up with mistreatment from
their Anglo-Protestant officers couldn't resolve themselves to
the fact they were fighting against another Catholic country and
jumped to the other side.
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| Famous Irish Latinos |
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'Che' Guevarra
(1928-1967)
This well known 20th century revolutionary was born Ernesto
Guevarra Lynch.
Alvaro Obregon (1880-1928)
Obregon (formally
O'Brien) was president of Mexico from 1920-1924.
Vicente Fox (1942-)
The current President of
Mexico was born in Mexico City to a wealthy Mexican family of
mixed Spanish-Irish descent
Anthony Quinn (1915-2001)
This famous actor
was born
Antonio Rudolfo Oaxaca Quinn in Chihuahua, Mexico to an Irish
father and a Mexican mother
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| Verdigris Praying Family Sculpture |
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Brighten up your room with this touching metal
sculpture. It's a heartwarming addition to your living room or
mantel. Does not include candle.
9 1/2" H
Retail Price: $20.00
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Tortas de Camaron |
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Many people think of Lent as the time Catholics give up meat
on Ash Wednesday and Fridays but rather than settling for a
Filet-o-Fish whip up something a little more interesting such
as these Tortas de Camaron.
3/4 cup Dehydrated Shrimp (found in Asian or Mexican
markets)
2 cups Bread or Tortilla Crumbs*
3 eggs
1/4 tsp. Salt
Vegetable Oil for frying
Mix dried shrimps and bread crumbs in a blender or food
processor. Mix until the shrimps are ground up and well
blended with crumbs. Beat egg whites until fluffy fold in
yolks, salt, shrimp & bread mixture mix until you have a batter
the
consistency of a cooked oatmeal.
Heat enough oil in a skillet to about a depth of 1/4". Put a
tablespoonful of batter in the oil for each fritter, and fry until
golden, turning once.
Serve on top of Nopales Guisados.
*To make tortilla crumbs, dry tortillas (about 12) in an oven on
low heat until crisp. Grind up in a food processor or blender.
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