Doa Maria Mole and Arroz

By: Lizeth Calderon

My culture. My Mexican culture. My culture is one that is really connected with each
other, especially when we cook.
What a delicious smell, the smell of chocolate abuelita and chile rojo with
Doa Maria mole. All those smells together flowing from every corner of the house. I was
really happy and excited since El Dia de la Virgen was already here. I watched my mother as she
was cooking that rico mole with arroz with a big smile. Wanting to help my mother with the
cooking, I grabbed the spoon from the pan and I burned myself. I started to complain.
Que hicistes, eso te pasa por traviesa, ve a ponerte pasta de dientes para que se te
quite, my mom said with wide eyes and loud voice.
Im sorry mom. I am just so excited for El Dia de la Virgen, and you preparing that
great food.
After, I put the toothpaste on my hand,the burn was a lot better. I wanted to help my
mother so bad.I wanted to help her make the food for La Virgencita de Guadalupe. So I went and
asked my mother.
Ama te puedo ayudar a hacer el mole y el arroz, yo quiero hacer algo para la
virgencita, si?
My mother looked at me with a smile and nodded her head. We started to prepare that delicious
food.
Get one whole chicken cut it into eight pieces, one jar of Doa Maria mole, 2 discs of
chocolate abuelita (the chocolate abuelita make the mole taste sweet so its optional), half a cup
of peanut butter (optional too), and one garlic. Grind all of those ingredients and then when it is
done pour it in with the chicken.
While my mom prepared the rice I ground the red chili in the blender. I could smell the
chile rojo and chocolate abuelita being ground together. It was already 3:00 pm and we were
halfway finished. We were making food like it was going to last three weeks, since we had
nearly thousands of family members. The aroma of the red chile and the arroz anaranjado with
its vegetables, were really strong and delicious. I couldnt resist it. I grabbed the wooden spoon
and tasted the mole and the arroz. As I closed my eyes and tasted Doa Marias mole I
remembered how I became passionate for making food for the people I love. The taste of the
chile rojo combined with the chicken legs and its meat was so tasty that my taste buds asked for
more.
It was now late in the afternoon. I was really excited to go to church and pray to La
Virgen de Guadalupe. I was really excited to go because I wanted to pray to La Virgen de
Guadalupe and thank her for everything I had.
After church was done we went home and I was really excited for my family to taste the
food my mom and I made. It was the first type of food I had ever made. My whole family tasted
what I had done. It was really amazing.
MMMM, My tia said while closing her eyes and chewing down the rice mixed with the
doa Maria mole, Que rico te quedo el mole hija.
I was really happy. Since then I found one of my passions: to make food. Making food is
a way that I can connect with my culture and family.
My culture. My Mexican culture, is amazing in the way that we connect and show who
we are and how we are connected as a family.