A DAY OF THE DEAD PARTY

If you find Hallowe’en too kitsch, throw a Day of the Dead party, suggests chef Thomasina Miers, who co-founded restaurant chain Wahaca. The festival, which is celebrated across Latin America on Nov 2 and 3, is a chance to remember those who have died but also to celebrate the living with music, dressing up, delicious food and dancing.

Miers attended her first Day of the Dead party in Mexico City in 2003 and was struck by how life-affirming it was. “It seems macabre; people dress up as ghouls but it couldn’t be further from Hallowe’en – it’s about getting together with your loved ones, cooking and having fun.”

At the heart of the celebrations should be an altar, explains Viviane Allende, a stylist who grew up in Mexico and regularly works for Wahaca. “Decorate it with candles, photographs of your loved ones and objects they loved,” she says.

Dressing up is imperative, too: long evening dresses or traditional Mexican costume for women, tuxedos for men, floral hairbands, and face paint. “Go glamorous and elegant, with ghoulish make-up or flowers painted around your eyes,” suggests Miers. This year she will be wearing a long black dress, her grandmother’s favourite black hat and jewellery from Cassandra Goad’s new Ola Mexicana collection (cassandragoad.com). If you have children, encourage them to get involved, too: flyingtiger.com has a range of paint-your-own skulls and floral hairbands. “My daughter loves Day of the Dead more than Christmas,” says Allende.

Decorate the table with candles, confetti, paper hearts and flowers, and serve Mexican dishes – there should be a mole, a traditional sauce made of ground nuts and chillies and herbs to accompany your meat or seasonal vegetables. “Don’t forget to have a toast – go around the table and raise your glasses to your loved ones,” Miers says. “You’re trying to tempt their spirits back to earth to party with you. Day of the Dead is not just an excuse to have a party; it’s a reason to have one.”

Gently wash the blackberries and place in a large clean jar.

Add the caster sugar, the spices and the orange juice.

Secure a muslin square over the opening of the jar. Put in the fridge and gently rock or shake daily for about three to four days until the sugar has dissolved.

Once the fruit has macerated for a few days, place in a pan with the vinegar and gently bring to a very light simmer over a low-medium heat for five