A great Mexican feast!

Hello everybody! If you follow my page on Facebook The Coffee Shop on FB then you already know I had the big privilege to be invited to cook for a group of friends from church, actually they are all ladies, wives from the pastors in church, I didn't know most of them, except for the hostess, my friend Gay, she is the Senior Pastor's wife and she led a Bible Study I was part of during spring and the Mission's Pastor who I had basically just been in a meeting with once but didn't really talk to her so I pretty much didn't know anybody and I was a little nervous about cooking for other people... Leaving my nervousness aside I started getting ready on Saturday, shopping for most of the ingredients I would need, I got poblano peppers, chicken, corn, butter, pork meat, achiote (annatto seed paste), vinegar and some other things like that... I already knew what I would make! Then, hubby gave me the wonderful news that he would be able to stay home on Tuesday (yesterday) so it was great having him around because he helped me keep our girls busy and also keep the kitchen organized so I wouldn't have to lose focus from all the cooking.

Cooking it all was a lot of fun, I started at 9 in the morning with the cake, which had to bake for 2 hours because it was also submerged in a water-bath,

This is how the cake looked right out of the oven

While the Cake was baking the pork meat was being marinaded in mix of spices, apple cider vinegar, orange/lime juice and annatto seed paste, once the cake came out of the oven it was the turn for the meat to bake... after bundling it all up in Banana Leaves, just like they do in Yucatan, Mexico!

Baking dish lined with banana leaves

Marinaded meat ready to be baked

After baking for 4 hours

While the pork was baking I cooked and shredded the Chicken for my "Pollo con Rajas Poblanas"

Time flew, and it was time for the poblano peppers to roast! 

Once the peppers were roasted it was time for me to get ready, I took a shower and got dressed, it was getting a little late, I still had to "finish some details" at the Hostess house.

When I came to her house, I was welcomed with a big warm smile! I immediately felt home, I was told where I could find the cooking utensils and where I could chop my ingredients that needed chopping. I made a simple white rice there, peeled the roasted peppers and put the "Pollo con Rajas" (chicken with Poblano Slices) together and also blanched the sliced red onion to later dress it with some vinegar, oregano flakes and salt to garnish the Cochinita Pibil . The guests started arriving and I couldn't help but smile when every single lady walking through the door said: "It smells great! It smells wonderful!" I loved it!

Everybody was so wonderful! I think once again I talked too much! I talk when I am nervous (and when I am calm too! LOL!) so there I was yapping the whole time! I just felt like I knew them all and it was interesting to get to know them and what their husbands do in church. 

They all raved about the food! I was a little concerned because I know the flavors are very unique and different but they all ate their food and made comments about how much they liked it... then it was turn for the cake and everybody enjoyed it too! Even I had a thin slice of it (oh yes! I ate with them! and then indulged with a little bit of cake!) who can say no to "Chocoflan Cake"?

It was just a wonderful evening! I must give credit to my wonderful hubby who not only helped me during the day but also watched the girls at home so I could do this and have fun too! Thanks Josh! you are just AWESOME!

To end it all even better I received a beautiful card that made me feel sooo special and appreciated! I wasn't expecting that at all! Each of the ladies signed the card... that was so nice of them to do! Everything just went even better than I anticipated (and I anticipated for it to go GREAT!)

And I even got an order for a cake (another Chocoflan Cake) for a baby shower! I got work!

So... I had to share with everyone about it... Thanks for reading!

Here I am with my new friends

If you'd like to do your own "Mexican Feast" You can use my recipes... (from my Mexican cooking blog and here, from The Coffee Shop, too) here they are:

Cochinita Pibil
Pollo con Rajas Poblanas
Chocoflan Cake

© Paloma King