Ooh, look, it’s a parade downtown!  Ooh, look, it’s another parade, this one with kids!  Ooh, look it’s a mariachi band!  Ooh, look, it’s the flamenco dancers at the Mission!

Is it just us or does a hammock in the back yard also sound really inviting?  Whether you partake of the annual Santa Barbara festivities or enjoy a relaxing celebration at home, we have a few suggestions for your fiesta menu.

By the way, our favorite local community treat, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (227 N. Nopal Street), serves up homemade tamales and all sorts of traditional Mexican dishes and is always our first fiesta stop.

You can also check out this year’s Fiesta schedule here: Old Spanish Days

Layered Taco Dip

This can be made a day ahead, and it looks great in a 10″ pyrex pie plate.

3 cans bean dip with jalapeño (you can find this near the potato chips at the supermarket)
3 – 4 avocados, mashed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Mixture of 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and 1 package taco mix seasoning
6-8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
2-3 cans chopped black olives
2-3 green onions, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, diced
8 ounces cheddar cheese

Layer in order.  Then put under broiler for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted on top.  Serve with lots of tortilla chips.

Santa Barbara Crab Enchiladas

(adapted from the Santa Barbara Junior League’s A Slice of Santa Barbara)

6 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups crabmeat, flaked
6 tablespoons onion, minced
Tomatillo Salsa (recipe below)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream sauce (recipe below)

Heat tortillas one at a time in hot oil until soft.  Place 1/4 cup crabmeat in center of each tortilla and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon onion.  Spread with a little salsa, roll up and place seam side down in 8 x 11-inch baking dish.  Cover with remaining salsa.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes until hot and cheese is melted.  Serve with sour cream sauce.

Tomatillo Salsa:

(adapted from Cafe Pasqual’s Cookbook by Katherine Kagel)

Makes ¾ cup salsa
1/3 pound tomatillos, husks removed
1/2 small white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic 1 fresh Serrano or jalapeño chile, stemmed
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, stemmed

Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, chile, and water in a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Add the cilantro or parsley and whirl until smooth.  Do not add the cilantro or parsley until just before serving because it will lose its flavor and bright green color.

Sour Cream Sauce:

1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons green chiles, chopped

Mash garlic with salt; combine with other ingredients.  Add more chiles if you prefer a spicier sauce.

Red Wine Sangria

(adapted from a recipe by Bobby Flay)

2 bottles red Spanish table wine
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup triple sec
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pomegranate juice
Orange slices
Apple slices
Blackberries
Pomegranate seeds

Mix all ingredients together and let stand in a tightly sealed container or pitcher for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before serving.