Thursday, September 6, 2012

Grammas Enchiladas



After traveling around trying all different kinds of food from different parts of the world, you only get to realize that it doesn't matter how amazing is the food everywhere else, at the end there is nothing better than your grandmother's home-made food. The food that you grew up with, and you learned how to love, which has slowly throughout the years become part of your personal culture and which has played an important role in some of your dearest memories, is the food that ultimately becomes irreplaceable for you. And its not only until you are away from home, and you finally find yourself deprived from it, and really find out that no matter how many versions your try of that particular food, not even the best restaurants in the world can compare to the home made dish made by the own hands of your mother or grandmother.
In my case, my favorite food in the world are my grandmother's enchiladas, I cannot emphasize enough how amazing her enchiladas are. I have tried so many times to find a place that would serve something at least close to be compared with, and I haven't found a single place, not even in Mexico! Which is why I have come to the conclusion that they are irreplaceable, and now I refuse to eat them, unless I am having them at my grandmother's house. I know I may be over-reacting, and perhaps for most people they might not even be as good, but to me they form part of my whole culture, I learned to eat spicy food with this dish, I grew up having them regularly, and even now; every time I think on going back home, the first thing that comes to my mind is the amazing enchiladas made with the kind of love only grandmothers know how to give, that will be awaiting for me as soon as I arrive home.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Mexican Christmas Dinner


"Guisado de Chile Verde con Queso"  (Green Chile with Cheese Stew)
                    "Carne de Puerco en Chile Colorado"  (Pork Meat on Red Chili Sauce)


                                  "Hojas de Tamal con Masa"  ( Masa spread on Corn leafs)
                                                
Tamales ready to be cooked
                                                     End result                          

The preparation of tamales is a whole ritual that has form an intrinsic part of some Mexican families tradition during the Christmas Holidays. The whole family gathers together, (or at least the women), and they get into the task of preparing the delicious meal. Some families even form what is equivalent to "production lines" where everyone is assigned a different task. In my family, usually my grandma is the one in charge of the preparation of the Masa, which is a dough made out of dried corn and the different types of stew that will go into the tamale. The little kids (who usually are very exited to help), are given the simplest task; passing down the tamale leafs to the other person. The next person's task (which is very often me), is to evenly spread a thin layer of masa on the leaf. And finally the last person puts a small portion of the stew in the middle, folds the tamale in a specific way, making sure it won't spill out, and puts it in a big and deep pot. You leave the tamales cooking for around an hour long, and after that, everyone gathers together to enjoy their christmas dinner.