RECIPE + VIDEO | Celebrate Norfolk Festevents’ Latino Music Festival with good eats + good drinks

RECIPE + VIDEO | Celebrate Norfolk Festevents’ Latino Music Festival with good eats + good drinks

By Patrick Evans-Hylton

In celebration of Norfolk Festevents’ Latino Music Festival on July 24, 2021, we’re sharing a good eat and a good drink. Enjoy our Pasada de Moda con Tequila, a tequila old fashioned cocktail, and our Guacamato Dip.

The Norfolk Latino Music Festival takes place Saturday, July 24 at Town Point Park, on the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront from 5 until 10 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. 

Eat, drink, and salsa the night way with Latin music, Latin food, dance lessons, face painting, crafts, soccer, bilingual story time, and more to spice up the evening. 

A list of the live entertainment, tips before you go (such as consumption of alcoholic beverages on-site), and more information can be found on the Norfolk Festevents website, www.Festevents.org 

Here are a few sassy recipes to enjoy this weekend, too:

THE EAT:

GUACAMATO DIP

A simple summer pleasure are rich, red, ripe tomatoes. Slice these bad boys and serve on soft, white bread. Cut them up and add them to a green salad. Grill slices along side burgers and dogs; it’s all good.

Also good: our recipe for Guacamato, a spreadable dip that’s one of our favorite ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes. 

Enjoy it any way you would guacamole: as a dip with chips, spread it in a burrito or other wrap, use it as a condiment on burgers or other sandwiches, as a topping on grilled chicken or seafood,or make bite-sized nachos by adding a dollop on a blue corn tortilla chip and topping with a steamed shrimp and sprinkling of seasoning. 

Here’s how you make our Guacamato Dip: 

Finely chop one large, ripe tomato and add to a medium bowl. Optionally, add a few tablespoons of chopped onion. Toss it with a tablespoon of lime juice, a teaspoon of hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. 

Then fold in the flesh from two peeled, pitted and mashed avocados, a few sprigs of cilantro (or flatleaf parsley) that has been rough chopped, and a quarter cup of sour cream, stirring until well combined. 

Chill for about an hour before use; store covered and refrigerated for 2 days. 

THE DRINK: 

PASADA DE MODA CON TEQUILA

We love a cocktail that refreshes without being coy or sweet. Our Pasada de Moda con Tequila, or tequila old fashioned, fits the bill.

Natural sweetness from orange slices and a bit of agave nectar balance the generous amount of spirits in this drink. A dash or two of bitters brings additional flavor to the party.

Our recipe uses either tequila blanco or tequila reposada. So what is tequila, and what types of tequila are there? Glad you asked.

Tequila, a type of mezcal, is a Mexican spirit distilled from the blue agave plant. The blue agave is grown in the state of Jalisco and some areas in surrounding state. 

+ Tequila Blanco: sometimes called Tequila Silver, this white, or “blanco” tequila is clear and, having been aged for under 4 weeks, is great to use in cocktails. 

+ Tequila Joven is a pale, golden spirit generally with unaged Tequila Blanco  blended with some aged tequila. It is good in cocktails. 

+ Tequila Reposado: “Reposado” translates from Spanish to mean “rested,” and indeed this tequila has rested from 2 months up to 1 year, turning golden from the barrels in which they age. Reposado is good for making cocktails that may otherwise use Tequila Blanco a bit more robust. Tequila Reposado is also good for sipping. 

+ Tequila Anejo: “anejo” translates from Spanish to mean “vintage,” and indeed this tequila is aged 1 to 3 years. The amber-hued spirit, which comes from barrels where they rest during aging, is best for sipping. It can also be used as a base for many cocktail recipes that call for whiskey or other brown spirits.  Tequila Extra Anejo is tequila that has been aged for at least 3 years. 

You may also encounter gold or golden tequila, which is Tequila Blanco mixed with artificial color and artificial flavoring. This has not been aged, like Tequila Reposado or Tequila Anejo, and the artificial additives could be off-putting. If you drink Gold Tequila, it’s best for shots.

Note: alcohol is not permitted in Town Point Park and many other public spaces, so enjoy this cocktail in your backyard before or after the Norfolk Latino Music Festival.

Ready to make our Pasada de Moda con Tequila? Here’s how we do it:

Over an Old Fashioned glass, squeeze two orange slices and add to glass. Pour in 1 teaspoon of agave nectar and 2-3 dashes of bitters, such as Angostura. 

With a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon, mash the mixture until the orange slices are slightly pulverized and ingredients are incorporated. Add 3 ounces tequila blanco or tequila reposado, stir well, and fill glass with ice. Garnish with an additional orange slice. 

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