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	Editor's Note Fiestas To-Go! Day of the Dead Recipe of the Month Tequila Tasting Contact Us


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Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance. ~ unknown

It is October and the weather has been perfect. October is one of my favorite months on Cape Cod. The streets are quieter, the bogs and marsh grasses are changing color, and it is the month when Halloween occurs, one of my favorite holidays. We also start celebrating early, Dia de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead that falls on November 1 and November 2. It is a time to honor those who are gone but not forgotten.

Each year Ralph erects an altar honoring those who have passed before us with ofrendas or offerings that consists of photographs, food and drink, music, flowers and other symbolic items for the deceased to feast on and enjoy. It is beautiful tradition.

It has been quite a few months since our last newsletter and a lot has happened in that time. As many already know, we closed our Falmouth restaurant July 28. Unfortunately, the restaurant never caught on in Falmouth; it just was not profitable. Closing the doors was a very difficult decision not because of the money lost but because we had such high hopes and had invested so much of ourselves in the place and met so many wonderful people.

But as Judy Garland sang in Jerome Kern’s song so beautifully,

Look for the silver lining
When e'er a cloud appears in the blue.
Remember somewhere, the sun is shining
And so the right thing to do is make it shine for you.

The closing of Falmouth has allowed us to put the focus back on Harwich and all our marvelous friends and guests who we truly missed as we ping ponged back and forth between Harwich and Falmouth. We feel like we are home again.

Party Platters ~ Taco & Tostada Bars ~ Mexican Style Cook-Out ~ Holiday Parties

Planning a party or special event? Have Ay! Caramba cater your next affair. Ay! Caramba works with you to provide a customized menu designed specifically for your special occasion. Party platters, full service buffet, a Mexican style cook-out or passed appetizers whatever your needs we will accommodate you. And, we are not limited to a Mexican style menu. Whether it is a birthday, rehearsal dinner or Christmas party we can create a personalized menu to suit you and your guest’s needs. For more information please email us or give Ira a call at (508) 360-9233. To help make your menu and party planning a little easier we have created a catering menu filled with sample menu items and ideas. click here.

El Dia de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead; it sounds grim and so morbid but in fact it is quite the opposite. The ritual celebrated through out Mexico is a reunion with those who have passed. Altars are erected in homes commemorating the deceased to please and honor their returning souls. Ofrendas (offerings) of food, beverages, photographs and Christian icons adorn them. The elaborately decorated sugar skull (Calaveras de azucar), representing the sweetness of life and the sadness of death is also found on many altars.

The skulls made from a mixture of sugar and meringue is blended in to a thick paste and pressed in to clay molds of skulls of all sizes until it hardens. The hardened stark white skulls are then removed and embellished with colored icing, beads, and flowers the name of the departed on its forehead.

Each family has its own ritual. They may make the skulls themselves or buy them from one of the many Mercado’s that carry a large supply of the Calaveras for the holiday. Artisans start creating them as early as May to ready for the celebration on November 1 and November 2.

If you would like make your own sugar skulls follow this link to order molds and find the recipe. http://www.mexicansugarskull.com Have Fun!

For more information on El Dia de Los Muertos see our article from last year's newsletter.

This month we chose Mole verde de pipián (green pumpkin seed mole) as our recipe to share, a recipe that not only reflects the flavors of autumn but also is a popular dish during dia de los muertos. The mole has a wonderful slightly spicy, nutty flavor. This recipe is made with chicken, however, Ira makes a fabulous pipián dish using scallops. We frequently offer it as a special during this time of year. It is not an easy dish to make but well worth the effort.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

In support of the Harwich High School Friends of the Arts (www.hhsfota.org), Ay! Caramba will host its third annual tequila tasting. Always great fun, this event not only raises money for the students of Harwich High School but it is an opportunity to taste and learn about some of the wonderful tequilas we offer. There is more to tequila than Jose Cuervo! Last year the Gran Centenario Anejo was the crowd favorite.

For more information stop by the restaurant, email info@aycarambacafe.com or call (508) 432-9800. We will also keep you up to date on the website, as we know more.

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