Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over the French occupational forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

While celebrated only regionally in Mexico, this holiday is often observed as a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture in the United States.

Why not bring the festivities into your kitchen as well with some south-of-the-border flavor? We’ve got plenty of great selections for the occasion, plus delicious video recipes and culinary DIY guides.

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Every fluffy mashed, crunchy roasted, crispy fried, or creamy boiled potato cries out for a bath of concentrated richness of pan juices treated right.

Leftover gravy need never go to waste. So versatile, you’ll run out of gravy before you run out of ways to incorporate it into other recipes—from pot pies, hot sandwiches, and rice dishes to a topping for breakfast hash or Benedict-style egg entrees.

But don’t worry, you can always make more.

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The tenderest cuts of beef come from the aptly named tenderloin. And, when you look at the price of the most desirable center portions of tenderloin, filet mignon and Chateaubriand, they are also the most expensive cuts of beef.

However, the tenderloin also yields cuts that, by comparison to the filet and Chateau, are less expensive yet have the same tenderness and flavor as the prized center cuts.

The shape of the tenderloin tapers from the head (large end) to the tail (small end). Both ends can be roasted, sliced into small steaks, or cut into cubes or strips for kabobs, stir frys, stroganoff, and so much more.

So, with a couple of sharp knives and a game plan, buying a whole tenderloin is a comparatively economic way to enjoy of range of meals with some simple home butchering skills.

To watch a video of this tutorial, click here.

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Bacon, bacon, and more bacon. Bacon at every turn.

Has any other sort of meat ever caused such frenzied euphoria?

No, it’s not a cult—too many believers, and more and more converts every day.

The fascination with bacon has exploded exponentially.  It is a mass movement, or—some might say—mass hysteria over salty, smoky strips of lean and fat joined in a marriage made in epicurean heaven.

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When you mean “I love you,” say it with steak

Here’s a delight for the eye as well as the palate: The Sweetheart Steak—a boneless rib or strip steak butterflied into the shape of a heart. As you might imagine this is a popular presentation for birthdays, anniversaries and, of course, Valentine’s Day.

And while you can have one of Lobel’s master butchers butterfly a steak for you, here are DIY instructions to butterfly at home.

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Dumplings are one half of the quintessential comfort food: chicken and dumplings. There’s a reason we’ve already written about it in our Culinary Classic: Chicken and Dumplings. Sure, you can have chicken soup without dumplings and you can certainly enjoy it that way, but once you add dumplings to soup, you really take it to the next level.

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Butter makes everything better, right? Spreading some on a freshly baked roll, adding a pat to a muffin that’s hot out of the oven, slathering it on toasted cornbread—or just about any baked good.

Did you know you can even make butter better? Try making a compound butter. You might have tasted a delicious concoction in some form or another at a restaurant. A compound butter is very simply butter with a few additional ingredients that can enhance the flavor of whatever you’re making.

Think it would be too difficult to create at home? It’s not!

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Queso, which is Spanish for cheese, is an appetizer of melted cheeses and peppers. Queso is typically served as a sauce for nachos in Tex-Mex restaurants. Want to wow your guests with a homemade version of this restaurant-style appetizer? We’ll walk you through the steps for a seriously good queso!

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Every fluffy mashed, crunchy roasted, crispy fried, or creamy boiled potato cries out for a bath of concentrated richness of pan juices treated right.

Leftover gravy need never go to waste. So versatile, you’ll run out of gravy before you run out of ways to incorporate it into other recipes—from pot pies, hot sandwiches, and rice dishes to a topping for breakfast hash or Benedict-style egg entrees.

But don’t worry, you can always make more.

(more…)