Chocolate and Espresso Mousse Cake, St Augustine, and the First Thanksgiving

September 26, 2024

Natacha Sanz Caballero

Desserts and Sweets, Occasions & Journey
espresso, First Thanksgiving, Florida, San Agustín de la Florida, Spanish dessert, Spanish heritage, Spanish historical past, Spanish Mission, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will probably be in simply a few months, so it isn’t too early to start out pondering and planning for it. In my case, it means getting flights for my sons to come back house! Nevertheless it additionally means beginning to consider scrumptious meals to organize whereas they’re house. I feel they’ll love this chocolate and low mousse cake. It may very well be made for the massive day, but in addition for any of the opposite few days they are going to be house, since every of these days will probably be treasured and celebratory.

Castillo de San Marcos, on Matanzas Bay

The chocolate and low mousse cake is a Spanish recipe, however not a really conventional one. Nonetheless, and like all of the dishes that I make, it’s a easy recipe that doesn’t take a lot to place collectively, but appears to be like stunning and tastes scrumptious. The chocolate cake base, topped with a silky, barely espresso flavored creamy mouse, will delight everyone. Contemplate including this chocolate and low mousse cake to your celebration!

And whereas this chocolate and low mousse cake will probably be an incredible choice in your Thanksgiving feast, try all the opposite unbelievable concepts steered within the article “How one can Make Thanksgiving Dinner at Residence: The Excellent Unfold.” I contributed to this text from ApartmentGuide with some adorning concepts. Try the weblog article right here!

Statue of Fr Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales, the primary priest to rejoice a Catholic mass within the continental United States, on the positioning

Coffin of Pedro Menéndez de Avila, St. Augustine founder, on the Mission Nombre de Dios Museum

Shrine of Our Girl of La Leche at Nombre de Dios Mission

Talking of Thanksgiving, I assumed it acceptable to accompany this recipe and this theme with some photographs of our journey to Saint Augustine, Florida, final Spring. I fell in love with the town! Not shocking, since I had wished to go to it for a really very long time. You see, Saint Augustine is the oldest Spanish settlement in the USA, and the place it’s mentioned the primary Thanksgiving happened.

A little bit of Saint Augustine historical past

In 1513, Juan Ponce de León, already the primary governor of the island of Puerto Rico, arrived in Florida and claimed it for Spain. Spanish settlements wanted to be inbuilt Florida, so King Phillip II despatched Pedro Menéndez de Avilés with this goal. On September 8, 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived on the shores of Florida with a fleet of 5 ships and round 700 troopers and settlers. No Spanish expedition traveled with lower than one priest, since evangelization was one of many primary missions of the Crown. On that day, Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales celebrated the primary Catholic mass within the new settlement, named after the saint whose feast was celebrated that day, Saint Augustine.

Saint Pothios Orthodox Shrine, on George’s Avenue, on the positioning of the previous Minorcan Chapel

St. Augustine’s Previous Metropolis Gate

Inside St Augustine Cathedral

St. Augustine Cathedral and statue of Minorcan Fr Pedro Camps

After the mass, the Spaniards invited the natives from the village of Seloy to feast collectively. It isn’t identified what dishes have been served, however we might assume that the Spanish ships introduced sufficient components from the motherland to make some type of cocido (Spanish stew). The natives would have contributed with turkey, deer, turtles, corn and pumpkins. Barrels of wine have been all the time transported on Spanish ships, so wine in abundance might have been loved by all as nicely.

In speaking concerning the significance of the Mass and the meal, famous historian Dr. Michael Gannon wrote in his e-book Cross within the Sand:

“It was the primary group act of faith and thanksgiving within the first everlasting (European) settlement within the land.”

This was the primary act of thanksgiving with a spiritual celebration and meal to commemorate the everlasting settlement of Europeans in North America. So, some 56 years earlier than the English colonists arrived at Plymouth Rock, the primary Thanksgiving had already occurred.

In entrance of the Governor’s Home

Flagler Faculty, the positioning of the previous Ponce de León Resort

Dinner at Casa Reina

Within the years to come back, Saint Augustine’s settlers, remoted and sometimes close to hunger, lived in fixed concern of assault by pirates who roamed the coast. Diminishing provides and rising hostility of the natives made life treacherous as nicely. Pirate Francis Drake burnt the village and picket fort to the bottom in 1586 and the city was sacked once more in 1668 by pirate John Davis. In 1672, below the Queenship of Queen Mariana of Spain, building of a fort was began. Castillo de San Marcos took 23 years to finish. It was constructed of coquina, a regionally quarried, smooth shell rock that made partitions virtually impenetrable.

View of Matanzas Bay from Castillo de San Marcos

The armory at Castillo de San Marcos

Coquina, the principle building materials at Castillo de San Marcos

The Spanish Crown inspired the marriages between Spaniards and natives in what is named mestizaje

In 1702, seven years after its completion, British troops from South Carolina besieged the castillo, the fortress, for 50 days. 1500 Spanish residents fled into the safety of the fortress and refused to give up. The British lastly gave up the siege and burnt the city. This occasion is why there are not any buildings older than 1702 in Saint Augustine at the moment. The Castillo de San Marcos is at the moment considered one of Saint Augustine‘s most iconic buildings, and a vacationer vacation spot.

England defeated Spain in The Seven 12 months Warfare, and Florida was transferred to English management by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Nevertheless, your entire Florida Peninsula returned to Spain as a part of the negotiations ending the American Revolution in 1783.

Spain dominated in St. Augustine and Florida for an additional 37 years, generally known as The Second Spanish Interval, from 1783 to 1821. It’s throughout this era that building of the cathedral, considered one of Saint Augustine‘s most iconic buildings, begun.

Strolling alongside St George’s road

The duplicate of nao Trinidad, one of many 5 ships that sailed within the first voyage world wide (1519-1522), was docked on the harbor!

Ice Plant restaurant

However upon their return to Florida, the Spanish discovered that Saint Augustine had modified. Settlers from a failed colony in New Smyrna, south of Saint Augustine, had moved to Saint Augustine in 1777. This group, identified collectively because the Minorcans, included settlers from the island of Menorca in Spain, in addition to from Greece, Italy and France, all of whom made the preliminary journey to Florida in 1768 to work as servants to the Brits on an indigo plantation 70 miles south of Saint Augustine. The Minorcan established a Catholic Church on Saint George Avenue that got here to be generally known as the Minorcan Chapel, and which is now the Saint Pothios Greek Orthodox Nationwide Shrine.

In the course of the Second Spanish Interval, Spain suffered the Napoleonic invasions at house in Europe. With that and different issues in Europe, Florida not held its previous significance to Spain, whereas the increasing United States regarded the Florida Peninsula as important to its pursuits. In 1821, the Spanish settlements in Florida, and with them, Saint Augustine, have been turned over to the USA.

Spanish heritage

The affect of its wealthy Spanish heritage will be seen in Saint Augustine, from its city plan with a central Plaza and Cathedral, to the Castillo San Marcos and the Nombre de Dios Mission, the place the primary Catholic Mass in North America happened in 1565. The Franciscan mission Nombre de Dios can also be thought of the primary mission established within the continental United States.

The streets with Spanish names, the open balconies and shaded patios, together with a bunch of vacation traditions, and the Spanish character of a lot of the meals and wine, replicate the robust affect of Spanish tradition that continues in Saint Augustine to today.

Our journey to Saint Augustine was a delight, and I can’t wait to return and be taught extra concerning the metropolis and its historical past. We stayed at an oceanfront seashore resort, one other of Saint Augustine‘s primary sights —the seashore! To make it to city, we needed to drive over the Bridge of Lions, by the harbor, and I couldn’t imagine my eyes with what I noticed there. The duplicate of Nao Trinidad, one of many 5 ships that shaped the Armada of the primary journey world wide, was anchored there! I (clearly) walked over to the ship and talked to a number of the crew members, Spaniards like me, who sail the ship and dock it in numerous harbors so guests can be taught concerning the historical past of the primary circumnavigation of the world, began by Magellan and accomplished by Juan Sebastián Elcano.

As you recognize, I revealed a e-book about this most unbelievable journey of discovery, I used to be the primary in English and Yo fui el primero, it’s Spanish model). You possibly can be taught extra it right here, right here, right here and right here.

Different sights in Saint Augustine:

If you happen to plan a go to to St. Augustine you’ll be able to’t miss visiting these historic websites:

Eating places in Saint Augustine

These are a number of the scrumptious eating places the place we ate throughout our go to:

• Harvest and Reel, positioned throughout the spectacular Embassy Suites by Hilton Oceanfront Resort, Harvest & Reel gives farm recent and shore-to-table delicacies in an unparalleled coastal setting. It’s on the seashore, and was considered one of our favorites.
• Ice Plant, farm-to-table, excellent atmosphere and upscale dishes and cocktails. The unique constructing dates again to 1927, and it contains the unique bridge crane that was used to choose up large blocks of ice to then be damaged down and offered to native prospects and the shrimp boats.
• Salt Life Meals Shack, positioned straight throughout the road from St. Augustine Pier, with ocean views and a largely American menu, however ample in fish dishes. Laid again ambiance
• Spanish Bakery, alongside Saint Georges Avenue, good for a fast lunch. The Spanish Bakery stays true to its roots of St. Augustine with a stone fireside oven, a separate wooden siding smoke home and a Spanish type white stucco shingled-roof.
• The Kookaburra, an Australian-American cafe subsequent to the Cathedral. One other good lunch choice
• Casa Reina, Situated on the bay entrance on the foot of the Bridge of Lions. The restaurant is impressed by the flavors of
  Mexican, Latin American and Florida Coastal delicacies

I hope your Thanksgiving preparations get off to a very good begin with this chocolate and low mousse cake! For extra dessert concepts, you’ll be able to browse the DESSERTS + SWEETS part on this weblog, below the RECIPES tab.

Associated