Proper Mexican food is an ideal way to brighten up even the dullest day

The holiday honours a failed French invasion in 1862 after Napoleon thought it would be the ideal time to try and build an empire there. The French invaded early on the morning of the 5th of May but had retreated and been defeated by early evening. In America the holiday has really taken off with a day of parades, parties and traditional Mexican food.

Proper Mexican food is exciting and vibrant – ideal to brighten up any day. Tacos al Pastor is a traditional Mexican dish using pork. Al pastor translates as “shepherd style” and was initially a dish based on lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico.

The first recipe uses pork shoulder marinated in pineapple and lime. The pineapple tenderises the meat and it’s ideal for threading onto skewers and grilling on the barbecue. It’s accompanied by the grilled green chilli sauce and served on warm soft flour tortillas.

You could buy tortillas but homemade ones are infinitely nicer. They’re a simple mix of flour, butter and water, rolled thinly and cooked on a hot pan or griddle. Once you’ve made your own, you’ll never go back to shop bought.

Mole is a sauce native to the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Puebla. It’s thought to have originated in the convent of Santa Clara in Puebla. An archbishop was coming to visit and the nuns panicked because they were so poor and had little to cook with. They prayed and gathered together a sauce of what they had available – chillis, spices, nuts and a little chocolate. They killed an old turkey, served it with the sauce and the archbishop loved it. When he asked one of the nuns what it was called she said “mole” meaning mixture.

My version slowly cooks tomatoes, chilli, garlic, spices and almonds, blends into a sauce to cook chicken with. Can be served with rice or tortillas.

For something sweet I’ve taken inspiration from the classic Mexican cocktail, the Margarita. Tequila, orange liqueur and lime are blended in a sugar syrup and frozen into a sorbet. Serve with some new season local strawberries for a culture collision.

Sunny dishes to brighten the dullest day.