Dia de los Muertos - Frida´s Fiestas and a Visit to the "Casa Azul"

Fruits of the Earth - Frida Kahlo

Come with me to Mexico today.

" El Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the dead)  is a holiday many Mexicans celebrate tomorrow and although it is not really a custom in the US, I take it as the perfect excuse to write one more piece on food, art, making and creating.

In summer, I'm not that interested in cooking, but the fall season always inspires me to return to baking, cooking and thinking food. I really appreciated all of your wonderful recommendations regarding cookbooks and became inspired to share one of my favorites: "Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo".

Years ago, I spent several months in Mexico visiting friends, learning about the country and experiencing its incredible cultural heritage. There are so many wonderful places to visit: ancient ruins, dark green jungles and small indigenous rural villages in Chiapas close to the Guatemalan border. Two places were particularly memorable, both in Mexico City: One was the The National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologia), but my favorite was Frida Kahlo's "Blue House"  or "La Casa Azul" in Coyoacán, where she lived and worked. What a magical place. Walking through the house where she lived and created was a moving experience. It felt almost like I was intruding on her privacy, because everything in the house was so intimate and authentic, not really like a museum at all.

What I didn't know at the time, was that Frida Kahlo's art extended to the kitchen. She was a fabulous and enthusiastic cook and loved to throw big dinner parties. Guadalupe Rivera, Diego Rivera's daughter and Kahlo's stepdaughter assembled a cook book together with Marie-Pierre Colle with over 100 authentic Mexican recipes, that Frida Kahlo served to family and friends. The book also features photographs, anecdotes, some reproductions of her paintings and is between a cook, art and scrap book.

Here are some impressions from my own copy, which I picked up in Germany, but it's also available in English and Spanish:

We´ve had many Mexican themed dinners using this book and there are many more to come, because it not only features wonderful recipes, but also satisfies my appetite for art and history. Kids love to hear about life in Mexico as well and enjoy assembling their own burritos (even if it's just rice and beans and some mild salsa). Add some music and spice and call it a fiesta, very much in the tradition of Frida Kahlo. I love when dinners are enjoyable for both adults and kids alike.

And here is one more reason why the internet is fabulous:. I promised to take you to Mexico....If you can't go yourself to the "Casa Azul", here's a virtual visit. Wander through her studio and the gardens where her many friends gathered.  Imagine the house filled with people. The tour takes a minute or two to load, but it's worth the wait. You can even peek into her kitchen.

There´s no doubt in my mind: cooking and baking, making and creating all go together very well.

Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo

Marie-Pierre Colle (Author), Guadalupe Rivera (Author)

# ISBN-10: 0517592355

# ISBN-13: 978-0517592359