Day of the Dead

Today was Dio de Los Muertos, the Mexican holiday honoring those who have passed. As a lover of all things skull-ish, I've always adored the traditional Day of the Dead skeleton decor.

But in my tradition, I honor the dead on Halloween, when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its thinnest. But since I went to Me-maw's on Halloween night (see last night's post), I held my annual feast honoring my dead friends and family on Sunday night.

Every year, I make the same delicious stew for this occasion — Smoky South American Seitan Stew from Grub by Bryant Terry and Anna Lappe:

I sat a place at the table for all my deceased, and this year, I had to add three extra plates to the table since that many friends have passed since last Halloween. There were plates for Xander, Daniel, Smoky, David Ray, Alexeis (my kitty that died of feline leukemia years ago), Patches (my kitty from childhood), my Grandpa Haas, my Aunt Ruth, and the newly deceased friends Trudy, Tammy, and Adam.

I enjoyed the hearty stew of homemade seitan, chipotle peppers, red potatoes, and fried plantains in silence as I honored their memories.

On the side, I made my Pear Salad (a recipe from my cookbook) made with fresh farmer's market pears from Jones Orchard, walnuts, green onions, and a homemade pear vinaigrette:

And not pictured is the slice of walnut-scallion bread from Memphis-based Shoaf's Loaf. For dessert, I enjoyed a Maple Spice Cupcake purchased from Imagine Vegan Cafe:

It was a nice meal to enjoy with friends and family who have passed. We will remember.