Cinco de Appropriation!

Our office does potlocks around holidays or sometimes, just for the heck of it. I work in advertising and marketing, so any excuse to break the day up in a fun way. Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo and in true American tradition, we've appropriated someone else's tradition. Hopefully, not in a completely irresponsible and insensitive way.

I made Enchiladas (not pictured, 'cause they are boring compared to the other stuff that I made), Cafe de Olla (Mexican coffee) and Cochinos/Marranitos (Mexican piggy cookies, kinda like gingerbread).

Cochinos are a cookie made with molasses, vanilla and cinnamon. They have a consistency and similar taste to gingerbread men.

Cafe de Olla is coffee made by making a simple syrup of piloncillo/panela sugar and cinnamon, then adding coffee to it after it's boiled and melted. You turn off the heat and steep for about five minutes with a lid on your pot, strain and drink. Kind of like cowboy coffee, you end up with some grounds in it.

I made these more out of cultural respect and interest, unlike my younger self that would have just gotten stupid drunk on Happy Hour margaritas. I'm still making margaritas this afternoon, but they'll be more traditional, as well. :)