MmMm Rellenos (Final)

Looking at me you probably can’t tell that I am of Latin descent. I know every person thinks that their families cooking is the best but I our families food is enjoyed by everyone. Our family was among a very few early immigrants from Mexico that brought a language, culture, and amazing food in the early 1900s. Our food isn’t the same as every other Hispanic family because different parts of Latin America have different cuisines. Our families’ food is probably the most well known though. It consists of green chili, red chili, salsas, meats, beans, tortillas, sopaipillas, tamales, and rellenos. Now many people often try to imitate the food that our family makes but cannot duplicate it. The food has been passed down from generation to generation. Each generation perfecting the recipes. I consider myself really lucky because of the great foods that I have eaten and I have learned to cook.

I learned how to cook sopaipillas and tortillas at the age of five while I visited my grandmother with my father. I can still remember the smell of the dough frying and watching the dough as it started browning. After putting together the perfect amount of massa, lard, and salt; My grandmother would instruct me on how to make perfect shaped sopaipillas and tortillas. The reaction of the oil to the moist dough sounds similar to any other thing you may fry but the smell of homemade Hispanic breads fills a room and lingers afterwards. This was one of many cooking sessions that I have had with my grandmother.

One of my favorite foods to eat and cook is a chili relleno. The spice of chili mixed with the coolness of the cheese and the crunch of the fried batter create an amazing experience. As I sit here and write my mouth waters thinking about good chili rellenos. The recipes are similar for all rellenos (this recipe is not mine but is very comparable). First you must clean a chili. You can use a variety of chilis as well. The most common are jalapeno and anahiem. Make sure to dice the cheese small enough to fit in your chili. I have always used blocked cheeses like cheddar or monterrey. After the prep work stuff the chilis with as much cheese as you can possibly fit.

I have learned to make rellenos breaded and fried or in an egg and fried. The most popular is the battered and fried. Prepared in an egg then fried is more commonly served for breakfast. The way the batter is prepared sets our chili rellenos above our peers. Some people choose to use a premade breading that they can wrap a chili and cheese with quickly. This is not the way that I was taught (this is a video of chili relleno preparation). Starting with a good batter makes an authentic chili relleno.

My grandmother is similar to everyone’s grandmother. She always has hugs, kisses, and kind words for everyone. She worked at the local hospital until she was hit by a car and almost had to have her leg amputated. After this experience she engulfed her work into the school system. Anytime one of her eight kids would have a school function she would cook. If someone lost a family member my grandmother would cook for them. It could have been the loosest social connection or no connection at all and she would still cook if someone wanted her to. My grandmothers cooking helped her community in time of grief and in time of happiness. This is probably why our families food is loved by everyone.