Sunday, May 6, 2012

"OH MAYO!" Catering a Mexican Fiesta


Personally, I love Mexican food, I always have. It's not just the flavor I love, it's the comfort feeling that tags a long...warm, relaxed, and colorful. When a event comes a long with an opportunity to put a Mexican theme to it, I don't just want to serve authentic dishes, I want guests to feel the party too.


Cinco De Mayo is a good reason for a fiesta, but don't stop there! Affordable ingredients, ease of preparation and wide crowd appeal makes Mexican dishes an excellent choice for entertaining year round. A Mexican menu can be as simple as tacos, beans and rice or can have the addition of favorites like; Enchiladas, Tamales, Taquitos or Quesadillas. When made with simple fresh ingredients any Latin inspired dish is a good fit for a fiesta.

At this fiesta theme birthday party for 230 guests, a staff member, made tortillas to serve with the meal. Tortillas are inexpensive to make, and watching them being freshly made adds interest to the buffet. 


Just like menu, the festive look is easy to achieve. Bold color, vibrant flowers, warm terracotta, rustic pieces in wood, iron and clay work well for decorations. Use new serapes as table runners, fresh chilies, tomatoes and limes make great centerpieces, and paper flowers or pinatas keep cost down.



Bigger pieces rented from a prop house can turn a backyard tennis court into a Mexican village. Live Mariachi music is a wonderful treat at a special event. Having service staff in costume, and asking guests to dress up, adds to the fun.

(It only looks like the donkey is having a bite!)
The best way to offer fresh food at a fiesta is to cook on site at cooking stations or to create an open kitchen. Guests enjoy seeing the preparation which is part of the entertainment. The vegetables for this salad were grilled first, then the grill was used for cooking the Ancho Chicken for the main course. Once the vegetables cooled, the salad was assembled and served with Cilantro dressing.


 Fiesta Menu 
 230 Guests

Black Jack Quesadillas 
with Salsa Fresca
page 16
Carnitas Soft Tacos
page 142 
Taquitos Poquitos 
with roasted garlic guacamole
page 40
Cabo Shrimp Cocktail
page 20
Crab Green Chili and Cheddar Dip 
with fresh made tortilla chips
page 57


South American Grilled Vegetable Salad with Cilantro Dressing
page 97
Ancho Chili Grilled Chicken with Verde Sauce
page 132
Mexican Red Rice
page 123
Pinto Beans
Handmade Tortillas
page 216
Sliced Fruit Tray
page 65

Apple Flautas
page 184
Kahlua Chocolate Flan
page 199 

Classic Margaritas
page 227

On Lulu or also on Amazon.