This cold weather has me dreaming of beaches in Tulum! If you can’t escape to the warm weather of Mexico, than your next best bet is to create a tropical evening at home. I threw this Tulum Inspired Dinner for a few girlfriends a couple months ago, but I will definitely be re-creating it tonight!
I started the planning of this dinner with the theme and décor. When I think back on my travels to Tulum I remember a very laid-back vibe with natural beach huts scattered down an off-the-grid beach road; lush rainforests draping the small restaurants and boutiques; and wood burning outdoor stoves cooking up delicious authentic Mexican food. Also, maybe because of the bright pink room I stayed in once, I think of pink! With this in mind I set my base table linens as pink, layered it with lots of natural wood serving dishes and added accents of tropical plants.
Whenever I host a Mexican inspired party, the Mexican street corn salad by Camille Styles has to be on the menu – guests LOVE it!
https://camillestyles.com/food-and-drink/from-camilles-kitchen/mexican-street-corn-salad/
I wanted to include some meat, so I adapted the tequila lime chicken recipe from Rasa Malaysia to chicken skewers. I cut the skewers in half to make them into more bite size portions. I really liked this recipe and will definitely use it again.
http://rasamalaysia.com/tequila-lime-chicken/2/
And of course, every good Mexican party must have guac! I’ve developed my own recipe over time which is on the limy/garlicy side (see recipe below). I like to serve my guac with blue nacho chips to add some colour to the spread.
4 avocados diced; two tomatoes diced small; 1 clove of garlic chopped; juice of half a lime; handful of cilantro; salt; mix together and enjoy!
Last, but definitely not least, is the wine selection. As Mexico is not known for it’s wine, the closest option to stay on theme is a Spanish wine. Rosé is a good wine to pair with Mexican food, as it’s typically versatile and food friendly. A warm weather Spanish rosé will compliment warm weather Mexican cuisine quite well. I chose the 2016 Conde Valdemar Rosé from Rioja. Made with Garnacha and Macabeo grapes, this wine’s floral flavours and extra dry/light body paired with the dishes perfectly. The Conde Valdemar Rosé is available in the LCBO vintages for $13.95
http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/conde-valdemar-rose-2016/168278#.WlETHoWcGhc
I hope this Tulum Inspired Dinner brings you some inspiration to escape the cold weather with your own tropical evening indoors.
Cheers! ~ GDW
