Sure, you could celebrate Mexico’s victory against the French at a restaurant or bar, but personally, there’s nothing more alluring than festivities held in the comfort of my home (especially if there’s drinking involved). So, if you’re like me, the following eight recipes will allow you to bring the Cinco De Mayo fun wherever your heart desires, whether that be at your house (yes, please!), a friend’s, or a family member’s.
For their clear and crisp finish, unaged agave or Blanco tequilas are ideal for margaritas, which present strong and citrusy flavor profiles. This classic prickly pear margarita recipe offers a refreshing cocktail with a touch of acidic sweetness.
We challenge you to come up with a better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the year, than with this Pork Belly Taco recipe featuring Oyster Mushrooms and Pajeori.
Spaghettini is Spaghetti’s little bambino cousin. People often confuse it with “angel hair,” which is a thinner spaghetti. Spaghettini is thicker than angel hair, but thinner than spaghetti. Picture the pasta spectrum like this: angel hair is the thinnest, spaghettini is thinner, spaghetti is the middle, and spaghettoni is the thickest, an O.G. spaghetti that can hold the maximum amount of sauce, if you will. Bucatini is then thicker than all three and the best for red sauces. Spaghettini is better with olive oil drizzle and seafood because of its lighter texture, as it appears in this recipe.
1 ½ cups whole Liokareas black olives, pitted and crushed with a heavy mug
4 anchovy fillets
½ cup fresh carrots peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp capers
¼ tsp Greek oregano
4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp pepperoncino flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
16 oz spaghettini pasta
Instructions
In a large skillet, sauté the garlic in Liokareas lemon olive oil until tender but not brown. Add black olives, carrots, anchovies, and capers. Stir and sauté gently for 5 minutes. Let rest.
Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and season with salt until it tastes like seawater. Cook until not quite al dente. Before draining, add ½ cup water to the skillet.
Once pasta is drained, add it to the skillet with parsley, lemon zest and juice, pepper, and perhaps just a dash of extra salt. On high heat, Stir constantly until the pasta is al dente.
Plate with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley and enjoy!
Recipe by Keith Recker Styling by Justin Matase Photography by Dave Bryce
These chicken or turkey meatballs are a runaway hit.
HERB-CRUSTED CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH SMOKED GARLIC AIOLI
INGREDIENTS
For the meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken (or turkey) 2 eggs
2 Tbsp. bread crumbs
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cracked black pepper 1⁄4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp chopped thyme
salt to taste
For the garlic aioli:
1 bulb of garlic, roasted 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise juice of one lemon
1 tsp smoked sea salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Chop herbs and set them aside; use these last.
DIRECTIONS
Drizzle the whole head of garlic with olive oil and smoked sea salt. Wrap a bulb of garlic in a piece of foil nice and tight, pop it into your oven, and roast at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until the garlic is nice and soft.
Once the garlic is roasted, cool it down until you are able to handle it. Squeeze the bulb and the roasted garlic cloves should easily pop out of the papery part around the garlic. Smash this with the side of your knife to create a paste.
Mix together roasted garlic paste, lemon, mayonnaise, and a little extra smoked sea salt. Set aside to serve with your meatballs.
In a bowl mix together ground meat, egg, breadcrumbs, and seasoning. Stir until evenly incorporated.
Roll into 1-inch balls and then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast at 375 degrees for 20 min or until the meatballs reach an internal temp of 165 degrees.
Toss cooked meatballs in the freshly chopped herbs and serve with the garlic aioli.
RECIPE AND STYLING BY ANNA CALABRESE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE
Dive into this Citrus Salmon Carpaccio with Green Goddess Sauce. When you can, we suggest utilizing sunny, sweet-and-tart citrus varieties from quality produce departments like your local food co-op or grocery store. Perhaps take a vinegar trek out of town to farm-fresh naturally-fermented offerings into your dressing. However you slice it, this salad brightens the mood in nutritious and delicious ways. You can try this and other winter citrus recipes to brighten up the season for yourself and your loved ones.
What’s the Difference between Mandarin Orange, Blood Orange, and Cara Cara Orange?
For this Citrus Salmon Carpaccio, we tripled the amount of citrus. You’ll notice we have three varieties: Mandarin orange (needs no introduction, the classic orange), blood orange, and cara cara orange. Part of this aesthetics. Their sweet insides have different colors, so they create a more varied-looking plate. Blood oranges have a deep, almost maroon color, while cara cara oranges are paler pink-orange, and Mandarin oranges are somewhere in between with a yellower tone of orange. Cara cara oranges tend to be sweeter than the other two, also, making them a favorite in citrus-forward cocktails and salads since they complement other ingredients on the bitter or sour side of the palate.
We challenge you to come up with a better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the year, than with these Pork Belly Tacos featuring Oyster Mushrooms and Pajeori.
Pork Belly Tacos Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 lb pork belly, sliced to your preference (thick or thin) Sesame oil Black pepper 1 package oyster mushrooms 8 tortillas 9 large scallions (green parts only) ⅓ cup Kewpie mayo 2 tsp Doenjang paste Sesame seeds for garnish
Pour a little sesame oil over the sliced pork belly. Season generously with black pepper.
Sear the pork belly on a grill or cast iron skillet. Set aside.
Then, grill the oyster mushrooms in the same pan and set aside.
Thinly slice the green parts of your scallion lengthwise with a sharp knife. Combine all the ingredients for the pajeori marinade, but do not add to the green onions until you are ready to assemble the tacos.
Stir the doenjang paste and mayo together. Adjust the amount of the paste you use to your taste preference.
Heat your tortillas on a hot pan and assemble while still warm.
To assemble the tacos, spread the seasoned mayo on a tortilla, top with the pork belly, mushrooms, and the green onion pajeori. Garnish with some sesame seeds and enjoy!
Recipe by Veda Sankaran / Styling by Anna Franklin / Photography by Dave Bryce
Ever since I was a young girl reading the story of a racehorse in A Horse Called Wonder, I’ve dreamt of attending the Kentucky Derby. The flamboyant hats, the red-carpet-worthy ensembles, the signature mint juleps, the quest for the Triple Crown, and the rose drapes combine to create an iconic event, a celebration of Southern culture, and incidentally, the longest-running sporting event in US history.
A DIY Kentucky Derby Party Rooted in Sustainability
While attending the derby remains high on my bucket list, I’m also a big believer in making my own fun in the meantime. I’m not alone in my DIY-derby sentiment. If you’re lucky enough to be a close friend of Becca Ringham Myerburg and Mike Myerburg, you don’t have to travel to Kentucky for the first Saturday in May. You simply have to arrive at their home, where they have been hosting derby parties for decades. You do, however, have to wear the appropriate millinery.
Collecting Flowers the Right Way
Becca does come from a long line of Southern belles, and some things are sacred. Among those things: using locally and sustainably grown flowers to embellish your hat and your table.
The Kentucky Derby, known for its iconic crowns of roses, is often called the “Run for the Roses.” While you will see horseshoes, family heirloom julep cups, pecan pies, and a flight of bourbons at the Myerburgs’ derby party, you will not see a single rose. What you will see are the fruits of Becca’s labors as an organic flower farmer.
Making Eleven Mile Farm a Dream Come True
Sharing a passion for gardening and the outdoors, Becca and Mike dreamed of moving to a farm where they could learn about and practice sustainable growing methods while raising their family. They purchased a 50-acre farm and named it after a farmhouse located on the property that dates back to the late 1800s. According to an old map, it was called “Eleven Mile House” because it was located approximately eleven miles from downtown Pittsburgh, and very fittingly for a derby party, it was a stagecoach stop where patrons could water their horses.
The flower component of Eleven Mile Farm emerged after Becca took an online floral farming course. The following spring Becca turned a 25 x 50-foot plot of land into an experiment to answer the questions, “Can I do this?” and “Do I like this?” The answer was a resounding yes, and the farm has been growing ever since, as has Becca’s mission to educate others on the slow flower movement.
Support Local Growers at Your Kentucky Derby Party
Through her Instagram posts (@elevenmilefarm), flower sales, and workshops, she aims to highlight how challenging farming is, why we all need to support local growers, and how we can adapt more sustainable practices into gardening projects of all sizes. Her goal is to cultivate healthy soil, so she can grow the healthiest flowers possible. It turns out that healthy, locally-grown blooms look as, if not more, beautiful on wide-brimmed hats as red roses.
This spring, take a few cues from Becca and Mike, so you can celebrate the pomp and circumstance of a two-minute race. Then take a few more cues from Becca and Mike, so that your party can be part of something bigger: a movement to appreciate and support local blooms and all the hard work that goes into growing them.
Be sure to check out the farm’s website to learn more about their CSA bouquet program, workshops, and special events, or simply, to learn how you can buy local blooms to deck out your derby hat.
Tips to Host a DIY Kentucky Derby Party
To Eat: The Derby Grazing Board
Make like a winning racehorse, and … graze! A variety of fixings means your guest can pick and choose their own adventure, and nothing keeps up with the alcohol content of Mint Juleps more than an authentically Southern Wise County Biscuit with Pimento Cheese.
To Drink: The Quintessential Julep Station & A Pennsylvania Bourbon Flight
Kentucky and bourbon go together like, well, they go together like Kentucky and bourbon! However, the good folks at PA Libations would like to give Pennsylvania its fair share of the aged-and-oaked spotlight. They’ve rounded up a julep-worthy station from their tried-and-true collection, as well as some special releases. There’s always something new and interesting, so be sure to talk to an employee for the back stories, flavor profiles, and sustainability initiatives. A distillery that grows its own grains? Yes, please! palibations.com
Eight Oaks is a grain-to-glass distillery. It creates world-class spirits from the grains grown right on their farm in New Tripoli, PA, in the heart of the Lehigh Valley.
After purchasing an old Hershey company facility and renovating it into a top-notch distillery, their handcrafted approach to whiskey making has made them a fast-growing favorite across the Keystone State.
Liberty Pole Spirits, Bourbon (made with heirloom heritage Bloody Butcher corn), Rye Whiskey Peated Bourbon
In the heart of Washington County, where the infamous Whiskey Rebellion took place, the name is a reference to the liberty poles that were erected to protest the whiskey tax levied on distillers in the earliest days of the new republic during the 18th century.
Their Vatting House concept is an attempt to find some of the most delicious whiskey and spirits casks from Pennsylvania and around the world. Each product is unique and limited in quantity, giving an aspect of hunt-and-chase for each release.
A Classic Farm-Fresh Mint Julep
When serving a crowd, skip the muddling, and just pack each glass with a hearty bunch of farm-fresh mint.
1/4 oz simple syrup (try making it with raw cane or coconut sugar)
A hearty bunch of farm-fresh mint
Instructions
Combine the bourbon and simple syrup in a julep cup, then pack the cup tightly with crushed ice. Stir until the cup is frosted on the outside.
Firmly slap the mint sprigs on the back of your hand before garnishing to release the oils, making the mint more aromatic. Garnish generously with mint, and enjoy!
To Entertain
Engage in some friendly wagers. Ask each guest to contribute a donation in the name of their charity of choice. Place all the competing horse names in a (stylish) hat, and have each party guest draw their “bet.” Whoever wins gets to donate the whole pot to the charity of their choice. Conversely, you can also play what the derby calls the “lucky longshots” and follow the same process to bet on the losing horse. Since everything goes to a good cause, it’s still a win!
Story and Styling by Quelcy Kogel Photography by Christine Armbruster
April showers seemed to have carried over to May — don’t let that stop you from exploring Pittsburgh!
Photo courtesy of City of Asylum
Jazz Poetry Month City of Asylum, May 3 to 31 City of Asylum’s International Jazz Poetry Month kicks off Wednesday, continuing the tradition of celebrating “experimentation, collaboration, and connection between art forms and between artist and audience.” View the performances from over 50 artists in person or online.
Photo courtesy of Contemporary Craft’s Facebook
Meet the Makers Contemporary Craft, May 5 You’ve seen their work at Contemporary Craft’s store; now meet the creatives behind the creations. Artists local to the Pittsburgh area — including glass artists Drew Kail and SaraBeth Post, jewelry artists Tammy Schweinhagen and Maia Leppo, and basket maker Dan Brockett — will be available to chat about their art and practice as well as share demos.
Installation view of Lyndon Barrois Jr., Guardians Gate (Farfanicchio), 2022, and Masters of Fine Arts, 2011/2022.
Lyndon Barrois Jr.: Rosette Carnegie Museum of Art, May 5 to August 27 Through film stills, posters, sets, and props, Pittsburgh-based artist Lyndon Barrois Jr. explores the heist genre and acts of art conservation and forgery in his newest exhibition. He asks the question, “How can the preservation of a thing lead to it being replaced with its simulation?” Running until August, the exhibition opens with an artist talk and celebration this Thursday at 6 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Phipps Conservatory
Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter Phipps Conservatory, May 6 to June 25 As the name suggests, horticultural displays intersect with fashion designs in Phipps’s latest flower show — all inspired by local icon Billy Porter’s work as a singer, composer, actor, and more. Prepare for the term bespoke to be taken to an all-new level.
Photo courtesy of Kelsa Blaine
Flowers & Freedom Workshop Fulton Commons, May 6 Alexa, play “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus. During this workshop hosted by Shatter Studios Kelsa Blaine, enjoy a garden-themed brunch featuring floral-themed cocktails and mocktails before taking part in a conversation about the meaning of freedom and creating a floral arrangement with flowers from The Farmer’s Daughter.
Photo by Sam Levy
Hanya Yanagihara Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland, May 8 If you ever feel like crying, pick up Hanya Yanagihara’s acclaimed bestseller A Little Life. The novel, which won the Kirkus Prize in 2015, stunned the literary world, leaving readers craving more Yanagihara. Last year the author released another sweeping epic: the three-century-spanning tour de force, To Paradise. Yanagihara discusses the newest book as part of Pittsburgh Arts & Lecture’s Ten Evening series.
Warm and complex on the palate, this Smoked Bourbon Old Fashioned recipe offers an undeniably delicious and robust flavor. Whenever you’re craving a classic but want to take things up a notch, mix up this cocktail that offers a richer flavor. Not to mention, it only uses three ingredients for utter simplicity. Plus, you can store the excess demerara syrup you make for this cocktail to use in other drinks.
What is Demerara Sugar?
Demerara sugar is a type of unrefined cane sugar that’s known for its distinctive golden color and coarse texture. It’s minimally processed, which means it retains some of the molasses from the sugarcane juice. This action gives it a subtle caramel or toffee-like flavor. Unlike brown sugar, which adds molasses to white sugar, demerara sugar gets its flavor naturally from the molasses it retains during processing. This type of sugar is great for baking, adding to hot beverages, or sprinkling on top of desserts. But for our Smoked Bourbon Old Fashioned we turn it into a delectable syrup. You can find demerara sugar at Whole Foods Market or on Amazon.
Built like a gin and tonic, this spritz combines the bright, floral flavors of hibiscus syrup, mint, fizzy soda water, herbal gin, and a zing of lime juice. It’s an easy-drinking, warm-weather sipper meant for end-of-summer celebrations.
This cocktail also responds well to improvisation! If it’s too sweet, cut out the simple syrup. Or, swap the plain syrup for a raspberry-infused variety. Emphasize the floral notes of hibiscus by adding in a touch of elderflower liqueur, or play to the garden feel by throwing in a few leaves of basil.
Healthy, plant-based side dishes can lighten a meat-centered meal, or they can be a fantastic meal in and of themselves. TABLE’s Italian correspondent, Sara Ghedina, tucked into some cold-weather classics which blend the irreverence and freshness of California, where she once lived, with the culinary wisdom of Europe, where she was born and raised and currently resides. Buon appetito!
This quick and easy side dish uses only a few basic ingredients but turns out super delicious. Adding the fried onion is optional but gives the dish extra crunchiness.
Can I Make This Dish for Non-Vegetarians?
For a non-vegetarian option, cook 3/4 pound diced bacon in a skillet until browned and then transfer it to a paper towel to drain. Cook Brussels sprouts in the bacon fat and follow the recipe. Add back the bacon towards the end and serve, omitting the onion.
A sweet addition to your regular brussels sprouts side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
2 lb Brussels sprouts, cut in half
6 tbsp apricot jam
6 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp chili oil
1 piece of fresh ginger, about 2 inches long, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fried onion (optional)
Instructions
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil and cook Brussels sprouts for 2 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and set aside.
Mix apricot jam with orange juice and balsamic vinegar, place in a bowl and set aside.
Heat chili oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat, add garlic and ginger, stir and cook for 1 minute until golden. Add Brussels sprouts, increase the heat to high and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add orange apricot sauce, lower the heat and cook stirring one more minute, until sauce thickens. Sprinkle with fried onion and serve.
