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I Miss My Abuelita’s Home Cooking
Fortunately, she passed down her recipes to me and my siblings, so that the tradition continues
When I close my eyes, I can still smell the aroma of some of my grandmother’s signature dishes: mole, chiles rellenos, albóngidas, and espagueti con crema. I can also hear the sound of her hands carefully stirring a jar of agua fresca with lots of ice and the sounds of Spanish TV playing in the background.
Growing up in a family of six siblings was no easy task for my grandma. While my parents worked, my abuelita made the best of what was presented to her to make sure that we always had three home-cooked meals every day. Sometimes, money was abundant, and our meals were elaborate: chiles rellenos with a side of rice. The chiles were made with an expensive cotija cheese only found at this one particular Mexican store in the neighborhood where we grew up. If money was scarce, we’d have a bowl of frijoles de la olla with pieces of a charred tortilla, and a dollop of sour cream.
I recently texted the siblings' group chat and posed the question: “What is you guys’ fondest memory of gma’s cooking growing up?” The responses poured in: “Her [grandma] giving me the duty of shredding the chicken for enchiladas, and grate the cheese,” my sister Jazmin replied. “Her natural ability to make great food no matter if it was out of her comfort zone,” my sister Dalia texted. “Like when she made this red pasta meat sauce, and she was like ‘I don’t know how to make pasta so you may not like it, but I tried.’ And, it actually turned out delicious.” “How she doesn’t use any measurements, just her widdle hand,” my brother Emiliano added. “Tanteale la sal y el knorr suiza, lo que te quepa en la palma de tu mano,” however much salt and bouillon fit in the palm of your hand, she would always say when any of us were helping her in the kitchen.
Mothers and grandmothers are the unequivocal unsung superheroes in our lives.
Out of all of her encyclopedia of recipes, four stand out the most in my memory and my palate: mole (red and green), espagueti con crema, enchiladas, and albóngidas negras.
