By Abigail Lewis

One thing Americans love is a celebration, so when May 5 comes around, we welcome it with a snap of our fingers, a toss of a Margarita and a resounding olé! Popular lore holds that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day. Rather it commemorates a fateful event in 1862, when the Mexican army demolished the invading French cavalry. Thus we celebrate with tortillas instead of crepes.

Our south of the border neighbors are known for spicy, flavorful cooking, and Americans count burritos and tacos among their favorite foods. But what’s an herbivore to do? Veggie stir-fry simply can’t compare to a fragrant chicken enchilada, swimming in melted cheese and crowned with a dollop of sour cream.

Vegan Jenny Goldberg has taken up the challenge. A passionate chef trained at New York’s Natural Gourmet Institute, where she “learned how to heal people through food,” Chef Jenny and her environmentally-oriented sister Heather have made it their mission to inspire, educate and delight with animal-free cuisine via their gourmet vegan food company, Spork Foods. I joined a class at their airy, light-swept Los Angeles apartment one sunny Sunday, pleading for alternatives to broccoli and brown rice.

The ladies greeted our group — the third of four they entertain most weekends — with clear eyes, engaging smiles and margaritas, virgin or otherwise. Made with pure, organic lime juice, our drinks were refreshing and light, without the cloying sweetness of their corn syrup mixer cousins.

Jenny began artfully assembling our feast while we, her eager students, watched intently and took copious notes. The dishes she lovingly prepared were complex but not difficult, and utilized foods we all see on the market shelf but may be too timid to try, like quinoa (in shades of yellow, red and purple!), spelt tortillas and tofu sour cream. Instead of the familiar cheddar cheese, Jenny incorporated golden squash and orange bell peppers. Her prep counter was allegre with color: ruby tomatoes, rainforest green guacamole and sunny yellow corn.

Our fiesta was full-flavored and satisfying, stimulating and saturating my tastebuds as Mexican food should, with nary a nibble of queso. I ate to my heart’s content, and still managed to lose a pound that day. And our second round of margaritas? This time, we all said si to tequila.

Check out Spork's delicious recipes for Butternut Squash and Spinach Enchiladas and Chipotle Dip.

Writer Abigail Lewis can be reached via abigaillewis.com.