What's For Dinner: Mescal Negroni And Chicken Tamales

Get in the spirit of Día de los Muertos with mescal and tamales

Not feeling inspired by your usual dishes? Here's what's for dinner.

Halloween may be over, but Día de los Muertos festivities are still on. The Mexican holiday, which ends today and explains any intricately painted sugar skulls you might have seen lately, is a time to honor and celebrate the lives of dead loved ones. Throw your own fiesta with these Mexican dishes.

① Drink: Mescal Negroni

The holiday may be about death, but with all the festivals and parades that go with it, it's anything but solemn. We can't think of a better way to celebrate than with mescal, one of Mexico's native agave-based spirits.

② Main Course: Chicken-and-Poblano Tamales

Feed a crowd with these impressive hand-rolled tamales. You can fill them with whatever you have on hand (or left over from the weekend), but we're fond of these salsa-, pepper- and chicken-filled bundles.

③ Side Dish: Amaranth "Polenta" with Tuscan Kale

Amaranth is essential to the holiday's festivities, called upon in everything from raw sugar-skull making to a religious offering. Though this recipe leans Italian, the tiny but mighty grain brings to mind classic Día de los Muertos celebrations.