Hey fellow chowhounds, i’m Veronica and just like you, I enjoy a good meal.

And
because of our shared interest, I thought i’d teach you a thing or two about a delicacy that is
called enchiladas. You don’t have to be an expert at cooking to create this meal, or even Mexican
for that matter because with tortillas, shredded chicken and enchilada sauce anything is possible.
Though I will admit that this dish is a big part of my Mexican culture. Eating enchiladas meant
celebrating a birthday, a baptism and christmas. If you don’t believe me guys, believe the article
“Fresh is Best” when they say “Enchiladas originated in Mexico. Even back in Mayan times the
people of that time would roll other foods into tortillas”(Fresh is Best Paragraph 2). I think it’s
beautiful to enjoy a meal that your ancestors worked so hard to create because it’s warmth
comforted me on days where I didn’t know I needed it. Now you may ask, Veronica how are you
able to find such comfort in food? Of all things? Well i’m going to tell ya because I’m confident
this dish can do the same for those of you listening. So stick around if you want to gain more
knowledge on the significance of enchiladas to my culture or quite simply want to learn how to
cook a new tasty dish! So let’s get started, I decided to observe Servin and Mayra, an immigrant
couple cooking the traditional mexican dish enchiladas.

This isn’t going to be your typical recipe, this is going to be an interpretation of that
recipe prepared by immigrant parents. Note, that the first step in preparing ANY meal is to
gather all the ingredients and materials to not waste time during the actual making of the meal!
Because I know we’ve ALL been there before, looking for that pot or plate just before we finish
preparing our meal, but not today ladies and gents. The first thing Servin did in this case was
gather all the necessary ingredients to bring this dish to life. He began by boiling a small pot of
guajillos chiles, a crucial step in the enchilada making process folks! This minimal step added a
bit of warmth to the small kitchen, making the environment laid back and chill. If your kitchen
doesn’t make you feel that way, I feel sorry for ya. Mayra was on the other end silently humming
to herself while she waited for her turn in the enchilada-making process. She would make a
remark every now and then about what Servin is actually suppose to do opposed to what he
thinks he’s suppose to do. Smirking to herself after their repartee, I could tell these two bonded
the most when in the kitchen. The next step for Servin and Mayra was to prepare the delicious
sauce that is the heart of the plate.

In my culture everyone, seasoning and spice is everything! We thrive off of it as Servin

perfectly demonstrates with his use of various spices throughout. To create the spicy sauce,
Servin loudly peeled a single garlic clove to add to the enchilada sauce, and by this time the
aroma of the chiles wafted through the air right into my nose but like a strong girl I toughed it
out. Now about those chiles, they burn man. They make your nose tingle and have you sneezing
every ten seconds but when that scent hits your nose you just know your parents are cooking up
something good. Servin added the boiled chiles and some of the water into the blender along
with a garlic clove and onion. The mixture created a deep red, this color signifies a successful
enchilada sauce as that’s where the dish gets most of its flavor. After blending these ingredients,
Servin started dicing up the chicken breast with quick precise cuts. The raw chicken contrasted
with his vitiligo skin, both tan brown and white. As he emptied out the chicken on a hot pan it
sizzled loudly, he even stepped back a little because he thought some of it would burn him. If it
were me, I would have cooked that chicken with a 10 inch spoon because no way was I going to
get oily stains on my clothes. But that just meant the hot pot was putting in work. He then
seasons the chicken with a creation of his own which consists of: onion, black pepper, italian
seasoning, crushed pepper, kosher salt and cayenne pepper. These ingredients everyone, are
readily available at your local Mi Familia Market or Trader Joes whichever you prefer. The final
step in the enchilada making process is to actually cook the tortilla in the sauce.

When the chicken is ready to be eaten, Mayra takes this as her cue to prepare the tortillas.
She pours the bright red sauce onto an equally as bright red container to keep warm. Servin then
drenches a lone tortilla in the sauce and proceeds to cook it in oil afterwards on another pan. I
can’t begin to express how loud the crackling noises were that emitted from the pan, but trust me
it was ASMR worthy. Though unfortunately the sacrificial tortilla didn’t cook as planned, being
that it was slightly overcooked. But this was no problem for the pair, they laughed it off and
quickly got onto the next tortillas. Another thing i’d like to point out about this easy going
environment, they didn’t judge each other for not cooking the perfect first enchilada and that’s
the fun of it all! Because it took a couple of tortillas for them to get their groove and when they
did the job was quickly done. As Mayra finished up the last couple of tortillas Servin got to
preparing the toppings. He diced some lettuce, set up the sour cream and cut up the queso fresco.
Although the heart of the dish is the enchilada sauce, what people don’t really tell you is that the
toppings are just as important because they complete the meal. This proved to be true by the
satisfaction on their faces as they bit into an enchilada. Then they called their children into the
kitchen so they could revel in the greatness they had just prepared. The children silently enjoyed
the dish the remainder of the afternoon, appreciating the effort Mayra and Servin had made to
prepare such a savory plate. Isn’t that what family and culture is all about yall? And if you beg
differ feel free to comment about it below.

Kelsie Kenyon made some points when she said “Enchiladas are easy to make at home
and are a tasty Saturday night family dinner or casual main dish for a gathering of
friends”(Kenyon Paragraph 1) because it’s true. This family just attested to it, the steps are made
easy and are available for everyone. There is no judgment here on what your interpretation on
the dish may be, as long as you find solace in it afterwards. When I think of enchiladas only
good memories are associated with it, that’s why it brings so much comfort to me. And that
comfort is available to you if you choose to act on it. On that note, I thank you all for tuning in
today and if you’re ever looking for tasty dish to cook for your friends or even yourself, I invite
you to try authentic Mexican Enchiladas. You won’t regret it, goodbye everyone!
 Works Cited

Fresh is Best. “The History of Enchiladas.” Fresh Is Best on Broadway, Freshisbestonbroadway,

7 Apr. 2017, freshisbestonbroadway.ca/the-history-of-enchiladas/.

Kenyon, Chelsie. “Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Perfect Homemade Enchiladas.” The

Spruce Eats, TheSpruceEats, 19 Jan. 2019,

www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-enchiladas-step-by-step-2342681.