New Year's Eve

I can remember a time, decades ago, when New Year's Eve in Mexico was celebrated quietly at home with families waiting for midnight.  At some point, hotels, restaurants and bars started throwing New Year's Eve events, and then the Paseo de la Reforma near the Independence Monument became the place to ring in the New Year, a la Times Square in New York City.  This year along Reforma they held what was being touted as the world's biggest electronic music party with several hundred thousand people expected to attend.  It was held from 6 PM until 2 AM, and featured numerous recording artists from Mexico, France, Venezuela and the U.S. (None of them are names that I had ever heard of!)  No thank you!!!

We celebrated, as I suspect the vast majority of Mexican families did, the old fashioned way at home.  New Year's Eve supper was served just after midnight  Alejandro prepared another dish that is traditional for the holiday season, pork loin.  He cooked it according to the directions on the package, placing in the oven in a deep pan with wine, chopped pears, and dried apples.  After cooking, he put the juices and fruits, along with several dried hot pepper into the blender to create a delicious sauce.

It was served with apple salad which his sister prepared.

Something that somehow I never realized was that baguettes are such an important part of the holiday dinners.  

Just as on Christmas Eve, Alejandro went to the bakery and bought two bags of baguettes to accompany the supper.  I went with him to buy the bread, and I was rather amazed at the baguettes which had taken over the shelves at the bakery.  I didn't know if this is a Mexico City thing, or if it holds true throughout the country.  I asked Alejandro, and he said that some years ago baguettes took the place of the smaller "bollilos" as the bread of choice for the holidays.  And he said that it was mainly a Mexico City custom.

Anyway, it was a delicious start to the new year!