Politics has always been part of my life.   Not that I have any politicians in the family, but my dad has always been really passionate about politics, especially Mexican politics.  Although he lived in the USA since the Bracero Program, he has always kept the people of Mexico in his heart.  The corrupt government has always caused him anger.  Because of that, I know about El Pri, El Pan and his favorite, El PRD (Mexican political parties).  I have known since I was a kid,  that the people in the border towns of Mexico to the USA have fear.  It’s not a recent thing.  Corruption in Mexico has existed for a very long time.  Along with fear, the people of Mexico have also lived in some sort of oppression in which the rich get richer and the poor stay poor (Not always the case but it’s common.).

I remember the weekends as a teen were always filled with us attending rallies and protests.  My dad would draw his political “cartolinas” (posters) the entire week.  When the weekend arrived, he would throw us all in his van and we would head on over to Downtown L.A. or Tijuana.  Eventually my mom got tired of it.  I recall she would say, “Otra vez con tu Cardenismo!”  The founder of PRD was Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, hence the word “CARDENISMO” which she came up with (LOL).  The PRD was formed after the 1988 electoral fraud which sparked a movement away from the authoritarian rule of the PRI.  My dad found it fitting to back up the PRD, a Socialist Democratic Party.

Growing up, I never really had the need to express my political views, I just went along with my dad and absorbed everything.  But I remember when I started college, people everywhere had a political point of view and were passionate about it. During that time, all the knowledge I had gained as a kid came back out just as I had heard my dad.  My Mexican juices began to flow in and out defending what I thought in my own mind was correct.  The Mexican Political background I had, began to draw me to specific groups.  I went through several phases.  At one point, I was almost militant, participating in rallies, wearing Brown Berets (Not even being part of the Brown Berets) and hating the word “Latino”.  I was almost a Socialist Separatist (Well, that’s how I see it now.  Not even sure if that’s a term.)  I even went to meetings for the Black Panther Party and for Native Americans.  I wanted to take back the land that was once Mexico’s!  I wasn’t even born in Mexico!!! LOL

I went from being in MEChA to trying to get into a “Latino” based fraternity.  Man, college can do a number on us if we don’t know our stuff.  Being political is hard and sometimes even sharing our viewpoint about politics is even harder.  There is always somebody on the opposing side.  You get caught up between what is right for the people or even what is morally right.  It’s hard to find a balance and sometimes even impossible.  (Now I put my faith in God.)

So the trend this year is #reclaimcinco.  Honestly, to me it’s not a trend.  I have always known that Cinco De Mayo IS NOT  “Mexican Independence Day”.  Most people use it as an excuse to have Margaritas, party and dress up like a “Mexican”… I don’t normally wear a huge sombrero, huaraches and a huge mustache… Well, maybe the “stache” LOL.

I get it, our culture loves to have a good time.  I LOOOOVE to have a good time… I love Cinco de Mayo and embrace the opportunity of sharing my Mexican roots. But don’t make it just a DRINKO DE MAYO!  We are better than that and capable of showing the world that our “celebrations” are more than just a drink fest with “Mexican costumes”.  We are a rich culture full of so much creativity and knowledge.  Let’s not waste the opportunity we have been given on “5 De Mayo” to really show those around us what we are made of…

Here is the recipe for Abuela’s current favorite salsa.  Who ever is around at the time she is done making it, is sure to get a batch of this salsa.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1.   1 pound of tomatillos.
2.   2 Chiles California
3.   5-10 Chile Japones (Depends how spicy you want it).
4.   Salt

Instructions

1. Roast all the chiles.
2. Remove the seeds from the Chile California.
3. Place chiles in blender with water for about 5 minutes so they can soften.
4. Roast the tomatillo or boil them.
5. After the tomatillo has cooled down, place in the blender and blend with the chiles.
6. Pour in a bowl.
7. Add cilantro, onion slices and salt (personal preference).

Aqui les dejo la receta de la salsa favorita de mi Abuela.  Si por pura casualidad estas cuando acaba de hacer la salsa, es por seguro que te va dar salsa para llevar.

Ingredientes

1. 1 libra de tomatillo
2. 2 Chiles California
3. 5-10 Chiles Japoneses (Depende que tan enchiloso lo quieran).
4. Sal al gusto.

Instrucciones

1.  Tostar los chiles
2. Quitar semilla de los Chiles California.
3. Poner chiles en la liquadora con poquita agua para que se ablanden.
4. Mientras los chiles se ablandan, pueden hervir los tomatillos o azarlos.
5. Despues que se enfrien los tomatillos, pongan los tomatillos en la liquadora.
6. Poner en un recipiente.
7. Añidir cilantro, cebolla picada y sal al gusto.

I truly enjoy cooking for my little family.  I love hearing them comment about my cooking while they eat.  I delight in the sounds of enjoyment they make even more.  I know they love my cooking and so I just assume other people will too. Whether that’s the case or not, I just share LOL!  Point is, I like sharing it with who ever cares to listen or in my case, watch.  I’m somewhat of a Snapchat freak and am constantly sharing what I cook.  I love when you guys screen shoot my food and I get a little high when you ask me for the recipe.

Disclaimer:  Not really a Mexican Dish

Today, I will share one that was highly requested by some of my Snapchat family.  It’s a chicken bacon penne Alfredo.  I used Jalapeños for the added kick to my palette.

Ingredients

2 Chicken breasts
1/2 Onion
1 Garlic Clove
1 lb of Penne Pasta
1 jar of Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup of Ranch Dressing
6-8 Bacon Slices
8 oz of Shredded Mozzarella
1 Small can of sliced Jalapeño (optional)

Instructions

1.  Cook chicken in a pot of water with 1/2 onion, 1 garlic clove and salt to taste.
2.  Cook pasta in water.
3.  Cook bacon and chop it up after it has cooled down.
4. In a bowl, mix together chicken, pasta, alfredo sauce, and ranch dressing.
5. Place in a pan.
6. Sprinkle bacon and cheese on top.
7. Add jalapeño slices on top as desired. (Can be also added after it’s cooked.)
8. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

A comer se a dicho!

Here is the recipe to the Chile De Arbol salsa from our Tortas Ahogadas video to spice up your life.

Ingredients

• Bag of Chile de Arbol
• Apple Vinegar
• Old Spice Pepper Corn
• Salt

Instructions

1. Boil Chile de Arbol without the stems until soft.
2. After they have boiled, place in blender.
3. Add 1/4 cup of Apple vinegar.
4. Add 5 Old Spice corns and salt (personal preference).
5. Blend.

6.  Strain.

Enjoy!

Bendiciones,
From Abuela’s Kitchen

Torta Ahogada Video

Sponsored by Lunchbox.  Opinions are my own.

Earlier this week I had a chance to visit Northgate Market in West Covina for a cooking class with Chef Martin Guerrero.  Since the store was an hour away from me, I decided to take mi amiga, Mayra for the ride, company and well… we just love food!   We were excited about learning new things, but most importantly about eating!  Peeling a Chile Relleno by scraping the skin with a plastic spoon was a real “Aha!” moment for us.  We also learned how to make a quick “Capirotada.”  At the end of our class, we received a certificate naming us “Chiles Rellenos and Capirotada Experts”!  Ya nos podremos casar!  So if you want to learn how to make Chiles Rellenos, receive a free apron and a cookbook, visit a Northgate store near you! Sign up online and join in on the fun! Northgatemarkets.com/Cuaresma.  We had such a great time hanging out, tasting food and meeting new people.  All the employees were super nice and friendly.

We were so pumped that we decided we would cook something up!  Well, I would cook, Mayra would eat. LOL  Since we were already at the market, we grabbed a few items and were on our way.  Many of you have been asking for Lent dishes so I will be making a delicious dish with one of my favorite ingredients, Knorr bouillon cubes.  Knorr adds that authentic Latin flavor to our Lent dishes.  There are so many flavors to chose from.  If you have never used Knorr bouillon cubes, you should give them a try!

The next day, I hit the kitchen to make Pescado Primavera.  Below is the recipe.  Make sure you tag me and hashtag #KnorrCelebrations if you make this delicious recipe.

INGREDIENTS

·       1 1/3 cups whole almonds, peeled
·       2 tablespoons Spread Country Crock®
·       4 fillets of cod (about 2 lbs.)
·       1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
·       3 cloves garlic, minced
·       2 tablespoons of tomato broth Knorr Chicken flavor
·       4 cups water
·       3/4 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise or Best Foods®
·       2 tablespoons lemon juice
·       2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, sliced ​​(optional)
·       1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional) 

PREPARATION

1. Finely grind the almonds in a blender or food processor.

2.  Season fish with salt and ground black pepper to taste.

3.  Melt Country Crock® Spread in a nonstick 12-inch skillet over high medium heat and cold fish, turning once, until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

4.  Fry onion and garlic in the same skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for two minutes.

5.  Mix water and Knorr Chicken flavor in a bowl or sauce pan.

5.  Add the tomato broth Knorr Chicken flavored water, mayonnaise, lemon juice and ground almonds to the onion and garlic. Lower the fire to medium heat and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6.  Return the fish to the pan and cook until fish flakes with a fork, about 5 minutes. If desired, serve with rice. Garnish with red pepper and parsley.

 Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Prueba el sabor de Knorr at Northgate this Lent!

Little side note for you guys: Buy one Northgate private label cooking oil and get a free package of Knorr bouillon cubes (one 3.1 oz package, 8 cubes total)!  Can’t beat that!

Picutres Credit: Mayra Ariza  https://www.facebook.com/mayrarizaphoto/?fref=ts 

…I headed to the back in hopes to see the familiar.  I was looking for the tree that always brought back so many wonderful memories. There it was (Mi Arbol) …dead.  It had fallen all by it’s self.  What once was full of life with stories and secrets of family past… was gone. It’s almost like it had given up and died of sadness.  No more kids to climb it, no more people to use it as shade, no more laughs, and no more tears.  It was left to itself and the memories of all who used it.  I was saddened to see it there laying on the land with vines growing all over it.  I had been looking forward to sitting under that tree like the generations before me and write until I could no longer think.  Now I have to find a new place to write.  I’ll tackle that problem tomorrow.

(Taken from part 5 of my trip to Purepero.  Video below)

My favorite salsa to make is in the molcajete my mother-in-law gave me.  This last time I went to Michoacan, I witnessed how  chile for the Carne Con Chile was made.  They actually mixed tomatillo and regular tomato.  So when I made my first batch of salsa after my trip, I decided to make my own version of chile de molcajete based on different things I have seen Abuela and my mom do.  So here is my version as many of you have requested.

Ingredients for one molcajete
3 Tomatillos
1 Red Tomato
1-2 Serrano Chiles
1/2 Garlic Clove
Pinch of Sea Salt
Lemon or Lime
Cilantro
Onion

Instructions
1.  Roast tomatillo, red tomato and chile on a comal or pan until tender (low to medium heat to get a good roast).
2.  While everything roasts, sprinkle Sea Salt (as desired) on your molcajete.
3.  Add 1/2-1 garlic clove.
4.  Mash garlic and salt together until it turns into a paste (Add a sprinkle of water if needed.)
5.  Add serrano chile to the molcajete and mash as much as you can.
6.  Add one tomatillo and tomato at a time, mashing each one.
7.  Add chopped cilantro and slices of onion to the mix.
(For added flavor, mash some of the onion in the molcajete.)
8.  Mix and taste.
9.  Add salt or lemon if it needs more.

Enjoy!

My mom loves to be innovative in the kitchen.  She loves to experiment by meshing all sorts of ingredients.  Below I leave you the recipe of the Chile Poblano Sauce she used in the Crepes video.  Enjoy!

Chile Poblano sauce

Ingredients
1 Chile Poblano
¼ Chopped Onion
Small carton of Heavy Cream
2 tbsp. of Sour Cream
Salt

Instructions
Roast the chile.
Peel off the skin.
Cut the chile into little pieces making sure to take out the seeds.
In butter, fry the chile and the onion until soft.
Add heavy cream and sour cream to the pan.
Cook well until the sauce thickens.
Cool
After it has cooled, place in blender, and salt to personal preference and blend.

Our road trips through Mexico were always so much fun and full of adventure.  These were the kind of road trips where the things that happened are now almost unbelievable.  But I can sit back and reminisce about these trips, and only imagine what I experienced in those days–now in a full length movie.  We all have these memories about our families, because adventures with the family are priceless.

Not only were our trips to Mexico fun and adventurous, but they were full of learning.  I learned how to self entertain for hours at a time.  I didn’t have nifty gadgets like all the kids have these days where they watch movies for hours or play games till their eyes fall out.  My imagination grew as I looked out the car window, for countless hours observing and absorbing the landscapes before me.  I learned to read facial expressions and body language at first glance.  With one look I could tell when someone needed to use the restroom.  I was the first one to make everyone in the car aware we needed to pull over to relieve ourselves.  I could tell when my dad was about to get mad at the men in the “aduanas” (customs).  As soon as I saw my dad’s bushy eyebrows go up and down one at a time and began sniffing like a boxer, I knew I needed to pray to sweet Jesus and all the saints I’d ever heard my Abuela mention.  I didn’t even believe in religion at the time, but I knew not to mess with Mexican officials.  If I could have knelt to pray in the back of the van, I would have.  Luckily, we never did anything illegal, other than drip cold beer on my brother’s burnt back from too much sun exposure.

Another thing I learned was that even if the beach in La Paz, Baja California looked amazing after driving for hours through a road of black and grey volcanic rock on both sides in 120 degree weather didn’t mean it was safe to run through the sand into the beach.  OUCH!!! At first I couldn’t feel it from the excitement of finally reaching the water, but seconds into my run, my feet were scalding hot.  My brother who is 4 years younger than me ran right behind me.  Once I heard him crying, I picked him up and ran back to the car.  Our poor feet were hurting.

Our trips took about 3 days.  My dad loved to stop everywhere.  It’s like he had family or friends in every state and if he didn’t, he would make some.  When we finally got to our destination of Purepero, Michoacan, we were so happy to finally be able to stretch for long periods of time and sleep laying down.  I loved our 3 day travels but there was ONE THING I really really dreaded.  LAS VITAMINAS!!!!!

My Great-Aunt had 3 kids around my age group.  Some how the vitamins topic always came up.  She would recommend my mom and dad the vitamins she was giving my cousins at the time.  She would tell them all the benefits.  But my parents were convinced as soon as they heard, “Y les da mucha hambre!”.  I was such a picky eater and didn’t have a good appetite according to them.  They thought if I took these vitamins my appetite would for sure increase, eat all the veggies in the world and gain weight!  Ayyyyyyyy!!!!!!  What was wrong with being a thin kid? LOL

There was this one time my mom went straight to “La Farmacia” to buy the vitamins.  From a distance I saw her approaching me–vitamins in hand.  My heart began to pound so hard, I could see my pulse over my shirt.  As she walked into the door, she went straight to the “garrafon”to get a glass of water and then walked towards me.  As she walked to me, she was opening up the vitamins box to pull one out.  They were HUGE!  She gave it to me and said, “Tomatela”.  I took the pill, put it in my mouth and quickly chug the water.  As quick as I took it down, was as quick as it came back up.  I could taste the “disgusting-ness” of the pill.  I can’t even begin to describe it–something between rotten Bacalao and old sewage water.  Every time I would try to take it down, I would practically through up.  When my dad heard all the fuss he came to see me take them.  After 30 minutes of crying, gagging and a red face, by some miracle of God, the pill slipped down my throat as I used my fingers to pretty much push it down my esophagus.  I wish I could say this was the only occasion this happened, but those pills went home with me to California!

Till this day, I don’t take pills very well.  I don’t take any medicine very well.  Something has to be pretty extreme for me to even take Tylenol.  Call me whatever you want, I ain’t taking that pill!  Y Vitaminas?  Ay no!!!

***Not advertising these pills or endorsing them.   Consult a doctor.