There’s a gazillion ways to do the holidays, but everyone has their favorite. One of mine is an annual ugly sweater party hosted by the lovely Robles family.
The event features Mexican staples served to ugly-Christmas-sweater adorned guests. The centerpiece of the evening is a big steamy pot of menudo soup — a Mexican holiday season staple made of hominy, spices, and tender tripe, garnished with onions, cilantro, and lime. It’s not for the faint of heart.
The delicacy made for the bold takes a whole day to prepare. The tripe softens to a jelly like consistency and melts in your mouth as you slurp it up with onions and Valencia hot sauce.
And for those keen on more conventional choices, there’s more — either ceviche, made of lime, marinated shrimp or bass, and mixed with jalapeños, bell peppers, red onions and avocado; or perhaps Birria, yummy beef that traditionally is slowly roasted in a hole in the ground.
After a few shots of tequila someone puts on banda tunes. As the hostess and some guests begin to sing along to Vicente Fernandez’s ballads, others begin to dance.
And even though there are infinite ways to do the Holidays, the Robles Ugly Christmas Sweater Party is one I’ll never stop looking forward to.
Penned by Alina K. A. 