Cinco de Mayo Food Tips From Nana

Cinco de Mayo may not be until Thursday, but the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market got a head start on the celebration this past Sunday.  With a giant balloon arch over the entrance on Grand View Boulevard, the colors of the Mexican flag flew proudly. J.R. Organics hung a piñata for the festivities, and Nana’s Chips and Salas stretched traditional papel picado (colorful perforated paper) across its booth.

Cinco de Mayo, according to Wikipedia, is not a Mexican holiday, but rather an American Civil War holiday that celebrates the victory of the Mexican army over French forces in the Battle of Puebla.  The holiday was “created by Mexicans and Latinos living in California” in support of the war effort.  Surprising to some, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day – that is later in the year on September 16^th.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get to the food.  I stopped by the most obvious choice for the celebration, Nana’s Chips and Salsa, to find out what to eat this week. What I got was a whole lot more.

Lupe has been in the Mexican food business for 40 years, and those who know her call her Nana, which means grandma.  She had a restaurant in East Los Angeles until her second child finished college and then she called it quits. 

But if you think Lupe stayed home and retired, she’s got news for you.  “No way!” she said. She started selling her Mexican food specialties at farmer's markets in South Pasadena 11 years ago.  Mar Vista is lucky to have had her these past three years, where she offers chips and salsa, guacamole, tortillas, tamales, beans and chile rellenos. Lupe also sells nopalitas – a traditional cactus salad that is sure to please if you’re craving some south-of-the-border authenticity.

“Come on and eat!” she encouraged me with a smile. Then she pushed several containers of salsa toward me. “I call this one mild with a kick,” she said, pinching her fingers together.  Nana’s salsas range between $2.00 - $3.50, and the guacamole is $4.25. 

After tasting Nana’s fine food offerings, perhaps you’ll want to try making some on your own.  You’ll find some authentic recipes for Cinco de Mayo celebratory dishes at World Wine and Food.com.  Of course, no holiday feast would be complete without dessert, so finish off your celebration with Tres Leches Cake, or Pan Dulce.

You’ll find many of the ingredients needed for these recipes at the Mar Vista Farmers' Market, if you aren’t too full from Nana’s cooking to shop.