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The closest I ever came to experiencing salsa in my youth was my mother’s tomato chow-chow. Of course, black-eyed peas or field peas from the farm mixed in wonderfully with the chow-chow, but I never had salsa on a tortilla chip until much later in life! On a recent trip to Cozumel, my wife, Roberta, and I had the opportunity to attend an afternoon fiesta called “Salsa, Salsa, Margarita!” Ironically, it was the margaritas which met us first when we walked through the door. Drinks in hand, we began learning how to make seven variations of authentic salsa. We then concocted our own margaritas, which were summarily consumed with our salsa creations. By the end of the night, we were not only eating salsa and drinking margaritas, but we were also improving our salsa dance — hence the title, “Salsa, Salsa Margarita!”
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The rich variety of vegetables, spices and seasonings inherent to any salsa recipe lends itself to becoming a personalized dish — like a good homemade mac-n-cheese. Whenever anyone claims, “My mother makes the best _____,” I think about how my own mother always made the best tomato chow-chow out of fresh vegetables from our garden. As Florida residents, we are often granted the freshest ingredients for salsa and margaritas. This month, I want to share a selection of the recipes we made in Cozumel that you can personalize for your own fiestas, along with a festive tablescape to be enjoyed by you and your friends at your Cinco de Mayo parties by the pool!
Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
