Pan de Muerto ~ Bread of the Dead

Being from a Greek family, I have always grown up celebrating both American holidays and Greek traditions. At New Year’s we count down to midnight and pop confetti, but we also bless the Greek vasilopita (New Year’s bread) with branches from the Christmas tree. At Easter time we hunt for Easter eggs, and when it’s Greek Easter we say “Chistos anesti” (Christ has risen) and crack dyed Easter eggs with one another.  We always sing “Happy Birthday” in English and in Greek, and we celebrate our Name/Saint Days, which are kind of like a second birthday.

So, one thing I love about being married to a man from Mexico is incorporating all of his traditions with my American and Greek ones. I like to dress in green, white, and red when it’s Independence Day (September 16th) or  wear red or yellow underwear at New Year’s for love and prosperity. And, I truly love incorporating El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) into our year’s ritual.

Salsa Verde de Pepitas ~ Green Pumpkin Seed Salsa

When a salsa is creamy, my immediate thought is that it contains milk or even avocado, but this salsa contains neither. The secret to its silky texture is the pumpkin seeds. When they are pureed, they create a velvety sauce that is fresh in flavor thanks to the jalapeños and cilantro.