The Sweet Life : Quinceanera: Cinderella for a Night

Pink blossoms lined the hood of the white limousine that brought Jacqueline Lissette Oviedo to her quinceanera party. Radiant in a swirling, satiny pink gown, her hair twined in ornate ringlets, she could easily have upstaged Cinderella. The site wasn’t a palace, however, but the front yard of a house in Maywood. Instead of courtly minuets, guests danced the boisterous quebradita. And instead of delicate royal fare, they ate platefuls of robust birria , beans and rice.

Oviedo, of Huntington Park, was celebrating her new status as a young woman. In Latino communities, this transition traditionally takes place at the age of 15 ( quince anos ), though Oviedo waited until she turned 16. It calls for a party that can be as costly and elaborate as a debutante’s coming out.

Oviedo’s party attracted lots of Prince Charmings. One was her official escort, or chambelan. There were even dainty Cinderella-style slippers, trimmed with pink beads and ribbons. These were party favors. At midnight, the hour when Cinderella fled in rags, Oviedo was still dancing with a string of admirers, and neighbors were out on their lawns listening to the music.

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Just before the party, Oviedo attended Mass. Like a bride, she walked up the aisle attended by a flower girl, a maid of honor and the chambelan. Also in the procession were her parents, Ana Oviedo and Jorge Ascensio; older sister Veronica, baby sister Ana Sylvia and family friends-- padrinos and madrinas-- who helped stage the event. Custom required that she leave her bouquet, a sumptuous arrangement of pink lilies and baby’s breath, before the statue of the Madonna.

Meanwhile, vast quantities of food were being prepared. Raul Perez of Downey had volunteered to put together the birria. Although this dish is usually made with goat, Perez used beef, the way his mother did in Michoacan. Chunks of novillo-- tender young steer meat--had marinated overnight with chiles, spices, red wine and vinegar. Then it steamed in huge pots for hours, until it was so soft it fell apart at a touch.

Perez made salsa too, blending tomatoes with oregano and jalapeno chiles. Guests would eat the meat taco style, adding the salsa, chopped onion and cilantro. Throughout the evening, women heated tortillas in the kitchen, plopping them directly onto the burners.

Ana Oviedo made the beans, which were richly flavored with bacon and herbs, tomatoes and chiles. She also cooked the rice, adding colorful chopped vegetables. For dessert there was cake decorated with whipped cream and strawberries. The layers were elaborately tiered like a wedding cake and topped with a tiny figure of a girl in a pink dress. A bottle of Champagne and glasses for a toast stood on a tray wrapped in plastic and tied with pink ribbon. Jacqueline sipped from one engraved with her name.

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Pink is a traditional color for a quinceanera , so the tables were covered with pink and decorated with baskets of pink and white flowers. Guests ate from pink plates using pink cutlery and pink napkins. The invitations, embossed with a fan, had been pale pink, printed in deeper pink.

As soon as night fell, pink gave way to brilliant green, orange and magenta lights. And a revolving white globe turned the yard into a glittery disco. Later, it was time for a romantic tradition--the quinceanera waltz. Jacqueline danced this first with her father . Then she danced with her chambelan , the padrinos , young men from her school and other friends.

Jacqueline may have just turned 16 for this occasion, but her sister, Veronica, now 19, was a true quinceanera. Veronica’s party took place on her 15th birthday in El Salvador, where both girls were born. There, as many as 700 guests crowded into the Mass, then walked to the party at a club nearby.

Jacqueline’s menu was Mexican--that’s what family friends wanted to eat. Veronica’s afternoon party featured chicken sandwiches, soft drinks and cake, a typical menu in El Salvador and easy to serve to a large group. Veronica followed quinceanera tradition by having 14 attendants accompanied by 14 chambelans. They represented each preceding year of her life.

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Five years ago, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles issued guidelines aimed at trimming the expensive celebrations and focusing on spiritual goals. Jacqueline had just two attendants, the dama de honor and flower girl. And the financial burden was shared by the padrinos and madrinas , who provided the favors, limousine service, ceremonial glasses, cake and other party elements. Jacqueline’s cake came from a bakery, but the rest of the food was homemade--less expensive to be sure, but all the more delicious.

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Raul Perez cooks birria in a huge tamale pot equipped with a rack to keep the meat from touching the bottom. If any of the meat should burn, the entire pot would be ruined, he explains. It took 100 pounds of meat to feed the guests at the quinceanera party. Smaller amounts would fit into ordinary steamer inserts, or in pans fitted with a rack. Novillo, the meat that Perez favors, is carried at Maloney Meat Company, 3255 Firestone Blvd., South Gate. Ordinary beef chuck roast will also work if novillo is not available.

RAUL’S BIRRIA

6 dried California chiles

4 dried pasilla chiles

1 1/2 cups hearty red wine

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 cinnamon sticks, broken up

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon untoasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons whole allspice

1 teaspoon whole cloves

3 bay leaves, crumbled

1 head garlic, separated into cloves

1 tablespoon salt

6 pounds chuck shoulder clod of young beef (novillo) or boneless beef chuck roast

6 dozen tortillas, heated

Salsa

Chopped onions

Chopped cilantro

Remove stems and seeds from chiles. In pot cook chiles in boiling water 10 minutes. Drain and place in blender.

Add 1 cup wine, vinegar, cinnamon sticks, cumin, sesame seeds, oregano, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, bay leaves, garlic and salt to blender and puree. Rinse out blender and lid with remaining 1/2 cup wine. Makes 3 cups sauce. Divide meat into 3 (2-pound) pieces. If using small chuck roasts, leave whole. Add marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, place meat on rack in large pot or in large steamer insert, first adding water to level of rack or steamer insert. Cover pot securely. Bring water to boil, reduce heat and simmer 3 hours. Add more water if needed to keep pan from boiling dry.

Remove meat to platter, reserving drippings. Shred meat with fork, adding about 2 cups pan liquids to make meat juicy. Mix well.

Accompany with tortillas to make tacos. Add salsa, chopped onion and cilantro as desired. Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Each of 12 servings, without tortillas, contains about:

276 calories; 707 mg sodium; 88 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 28 grams protein; 1.25 grams fiber.

Salsa

1 1/4 pounds tomatoes

1/2 (12-ounce) can nacho sliced jalapeno chiles

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

In pot cook tomatoes in water to cover generously until soft. Remove with slotted spoon. Peel and cut out core end.

Place in blender container and puree. Stir in jalapenos and oregano. Makes 3 cups.

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It would be hard to find tastier beans than these. Ana Oviedo experimented with an American herb seasoning and liked the results so well she always includes it in the recipe.

CHARRO BEANS (Frijoles Charros)

2 pounds dried pinto beans

1/2 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup bottled Pinch of Herbs seasoning

2 (1-pound) packages bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces

3 large tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

6 serrano chiles, chopped

Place beans in 12-quart Dutch oven. Add water until pot is 3/4 full. Add onion half, garlic cloves and herb seasoning. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer 1 hour 15 minutes, or until beans are tender. Remove onion half.

Cook bacon in large skillet until tender. Drain off excess drippings, reserving 3 tablespoons. Continue cooking bacon until browned. Drain on paper towels.

Heat reserved drippings in skillet. Add tomatoes, onion and chiles. Saute until thoroughly cooked. Add bacon and tomato mixture to beans. Simmer until heated through. Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Each of 12 servings contains about:

705 calories; 565 mg sodium; 51 mg cholesterol; 45 grams fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 5.48 grams fiber.

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Mexican rice isn’t always red with tomato. This version is white, decorated with vegetables. Cilantro over the top gives a nice finish.

ANA’S RICE

3 3/4 cups long grain rice

6 tablespoons oil

7 1/2 cups water

1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic

1 tablespoon salt

Chopped cilantro

In large pot, saute rice in oil until light brown. Add water, mixed vegetables, onion, garlic and salt. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

Turn out onto large platter. Garnish top with chopped cilantro. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

298 calories; 612 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.68 gram fiber.

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Dancing was the main attraction at Veronica Oviedo’s quinceanera in El Salvador, so the food was kept tasty but simple. Her mother made these sandwiches, and a friend baked a variety of cakes for dessert.

CHICKEN SANDWICHES (Sandwiches de Pollo)

1 (4 1/2-pound) chicken

1 small onion, halved

3 cloves garlic

1/2 small bunch cilantro

2 chicken bouillon cubes

3 tablespoons salt

1 small head cabbage, shredded

2 large carrots, shredded

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Mustard

64 slices white sandwich bread

Place whole chicken in Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, cilantro, bouillon cubes and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Drain chicken, reserving broth for soup or other use. Shred chicken.

While chicken is cooking, place cabbage in large colander. Pour boiling water over cabbage, then transfer to bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons salt and 1 cup hot water. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. Drain cabbage. Squeeze by handfuls to eliminate as much water as possible. Add cabbage and carrots to chicken and toss. Add mayonnaise and Worcestershire and mix well.

Spread half of bread slices with mustard. Top with 1/4 cup chicken mixture, then cover with plain bread slice. Cut in quarters. Makes 128 small sandwiches.

Each small sandwich contains about:

62 calories; 256 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.10 gram fiber.

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Jacqueline Oviedo’s strawberry cake was bakery-made, but this recipe is just like it. The recipe comes from “Aprendamos a Cocinar II” by Dona Vilma G. de Escobar, a cookbook published in El Salvador.

STRAWBERRY CAKE

1/4 cup margarine

1 cup sugar

3 egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sifted flour, sifted 3 times before measuring

3 teaspoons baking powder

Dash salt

2/3 cup milk

1 pint strawberries

Sugar

Whipped Cream

In mixer, beat margarine with sugar until light and fluffy. Lower speed. Add egg whites, 1 at time, and beat thoroughly until incorporated. Add vanilla.

Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add gradually to mixture in mixer, alternating with milk. Beat just until incorporated. Do not overbeat. Pour into in greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees 30 to 45 minutes, or just until wood pick comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn out and cool completely.

Rinse and stem half of strawberries. Sprinkle to taste with sugar. Let stand 15 minutes. Split cake horizontally, making 2 layers. Fill with 1/3 of whipped cream and sweetened strawberries. Place ramining cake half on top, frost with remaining whipped cream and decorate with whole strawberries. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

426 calories; 212 mg sodium; 83 mg cholesterol; 27 grams fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.19 gram fiber.

Whipped Cream

3 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chill beaters and small mixer bowl in freezer 15 minutes. Combine cream, sugar and vanilla in bowl and beat at medium speed until cream starts to thicken. Continue to beat, scraping down sides of bowl, until stiff.

* RELATED STORY: Sources. H19