According to accounts from the book Fridas Fiestas, on Sept. 16th, 1942 the Rivera household is in full swing preparing a grand dinner for Diego’s old revolutionary comrades to celebrate Mexico’s Independence day, a rousing national holiday. Grand military parades, rodeos, carnivals and food vendors fill the packed streets of Coyoacan where everyone is happily setting off firecrackers and dancing in the streets.
Frida sets her dining table with her usual creativity. On a beautiful white lace tablecloth she scatters miniature Mexican flags of red white and green. She brings out her best green serving platters from Michoacán and sets out her favorite white dishes from Puebla. Her edible centerpiece fills a beautiful ceramic bowl filled with green, white, and red prickly pears, juicy green limes, and sparkling red pomegranates cut in half to expose their beauty. Fridas life was her art and this still life centerpiece becomes one of her famous paintings.
Frida’s cook prepares authentic dishes for the esteemed guests that are customarily served on this auspicious day when Mexico declared it’s political independence from Spain in 1910. The party menu includes; Chiles en Nogada*, snapper soup, national flag rice,* corn pudding with chiles in cream, and refreshing “agua frescas”* to drink. It is a patriotic menu as all the ingredients for these dishes are the same colors as the Mexican flag.
* These recipes included on this website