A Mixture of Cultures By Natalia Carbajal

Mexican Flavor Mexican food has had a great impact on the world at large. You can ask anyone on the street what their favorite food is and it will most probably end up being Mexican or Chinese. Mexican food has a story behind each recipe, whether its and accident or an experiment. Most Mexican food is derived from other foods. Most Mexican food isnt really spicy or hot. It isnt until we add chile that it becomes spicy. Some cultures are accustomed to less spicy food while others are accustomed to more bland foods. From where I come from the food is made blandly on purpose because we are all used to different amounts of chile. For example my grandfather, aunts, uncles, mother, and siblings are used to really spicy food and without the spiciness it doesnt have a lot of flavor, but my grandmother, father, and cousins do not like the burn that they feel. For example tacos arent spicy but most Mexican add chile no matter whether its more tomato than chile or more chile than tomato. Some foods are made by accident or a simple epiphany. For example, Mole Poblano is a recipe made by the simple epiphany of a group on nuns. The story of the Mole Pobalno is an interesting one. Supposedly a group of nuns were going to receive a visit from the Archbishop but had nothing to give him. Mortified that they would not be able to find anything in time they began to pray. While they were praying an angel came to them and told them to chop nuts, mix old bread along with about 20 other ingredients to make a sauce that would boil for hours. Once they thought it was done they killed the only meat they had, and old turkey, and poured the strange sauce over it. The archbishop was more than pleased and the strange sauce became a dish used for the holidays. There is another story but this one is the one seems the most interesting to me.

Some of the most popular foods are tacos and burritos. These foods did not just stay in Mexico but have become very popular in the US as well. You can find a taco truck selling anything from sopes, to quesadillas. This is the closest to original Mexican food we can get here in the US. Other examples of popular foods are enchiladas, tortillas, fajitas, tortilla chips, salsa, and nachos. These are very common and everyone has had at least one of the foods I mentioned above. Its not limited to just foods like these Mexican desserts have also started to become very popular. Things like Pelon Peloricos are starting to become very famous as well. Other famous candies are Chicletes, Pulparindos, Lucas Salts, Duvalin, Oblejas are also known for their rich taste. My favorite dish if Flan. Not very well known but very delicious. Flan is sort of like a Jell-O. You can make it with chocolate bread at the bottom and turn it into a Chocoflan or you can leave it. There are other types of Flan that do not need to be made with bread. One of them is Vanilla Flan, which you only add vanilla to. Another one is Cajeta flan which has a creamier taste than the rest. I prefer the Cajeta flan because of the creamy texture and because of its flavor. Mexican food has been stereotyped like, us Mexican but its time to leave that ideas and realize that there is a lot more to Mexican food then the spiciness.

Mole Poblano
Meat:
4 pieces of chicken still with skin Sea Salt and Black Pepper (for taste)

Sauce:
9 Mulato Chiles 7 Pasilla chiles 6 Bandwidth chiles 1 cup of vegetable oil 5 tomatillos 5 whole cloves 20 whole pepper corns 1 inch of a stick of cinnamon 1 table spoon of chile seeds tablespoon of toasted anise seeds tablespoon of toasted of coriander seeds 8 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds 4 garlic cloves 3 tablespoons of raisins 20 whole almonds cup of toasted pumpkin seeds

2 corn tortillas torn into pieces 3 stale French role piece cut into 1 inch 7 cups of reserved chicken broth 1 cups of Mexican chocolate chopped

Instructions:
In a large stock pot, parboil the chicken in water seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Drain, reserving cooking broth, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the dish. Prepare the Mole Poblano. Clean the chiles by removing stems, veins, and seeds; reserve 1 tablespoon of the seeds. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers. Fry the chiles until crisp, about 10 to 15 seconds, turning once; make sure they do not burn. Drain on paper towels. Put the chiles in a nonreactive bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking water. Puree the chiles in a blender with enough of the soaking water to make a smooth paste. It may be necessary to scrape down the sides and blend several times to obtain a smooth paste. In a heavy Dutch oven heat an additional 1/2 cup oil over medium heat and add the chile puree (be careful it will splatter). Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside. Puree the tomatillos in a blender. In a coffee or spice grinder, grind the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and toasted seeds. Add the seed mixture and the garlic to the pureed tomatillos and blend until smooth. Set aside. Heat 6 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy frying pan. Fry each of the following ingredients and then remove with a slotted spoon: the raisins until they puff up; the almonds to a 5

golden brown; the pumpkin seeds until they pop. If necessary, add enough oil to make 4 tablespoons and fry the tortilla pieces and bread slices until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side; remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Add raisins, almonds, pumpkins seeds, tortillas, and bread to the tomatillo puree and blend, using 1 to 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, as needed, to make a smooth sauce. This may have to be done in batches. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the chile puree, the tomatillo puree, and the Mexican chocolate (be careful it will splatter). Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the remaining 5 cups of chicken broth, cook over low heat for an additional 45 minutes, stirring often enough to prevent the mixture from scorching on the bottom. During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, add the parboiled chicken and heat through. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with white rice.

Side notes:
*Mulato, pasilla, and bandwidth chiles are three varieties of dried chiles often used in Mexican cooking. The bandwidth chile (a Poblano that has ripened to a dark red color and dried) is rust-colored, broad at the stem and narrowing to a triangular tip. The Mulato, a relative to the Poblano, is dark brown and triangular. The shiny black pasilla chile, a dried chilaca chile, is narrow and five to six inches long. Good quality chiles should be fragrant and pliable. Wipe them carefully with a damp cloth or a paper towel to remove any dust.

**Tomatillos are often referred to as "green tomatoes," but are members of the gooseberry family. To prepare tomatillos for the salsa, remove their papery husks and rinse away their sticky outer coating. Or, canned whole tomatillos are available under the San Marcos brand.

***Mexican cinnamon, known as canela, is the bark of the true cinnamon tree, native to Sri Lanka. It is sold in very thin and somewhat flaky curled sticks and is much softer than the more common variant of cinnamon, which comes from the bark of the cassia tree.

****Also known as pepitas, the pumpkin seeds used in Mexican cooking are hulled. When frying or toasting pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet, keep a cover handy, as they will pop like popcorn.

Cajeta Flan
For Carmel:
1 cup sugar 1/3 cup water

For Flan:
1 (10-to 11-ounces) jar Cajeta (goats-milk caramel; about 3/4 cup) 2 1/2 cups half-and-half 1 (1-inch-wide) strip of lime zest 1/2 vanilla bean 3 whole large eggs 4 large egg yolks

Equipment:
8 (4-ounce) ramekins

Accompaniment:
Whipped cream

Instructions:
Make caramel: Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber. Immediately divide caramel among ramekins and swirl each ramekin to coat bottom and about halfway up side. Make flan: Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle. Put Cajeta, half-and-half, and lime zest in a heavy medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into saucepan, then drop in pod. Bring to a simmer, stirring until smooth. Whisk together whole eggs and yolks in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in hot liquid, and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Ladle custard into ramekins. Bake in a hot water bath until edge is set but a quarter-size spot in center is still wobbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove ramekins from water and cool at least 30 minutes (custard will continue to set). Unmold just before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

History in Stripes
All flags have a history. The US flags has thirteen stripes to represent the original thirteen colonies, and fifty stars to represent the current fifty states. Flag meaning can stay the same or they may evolve over time. For Mexico the meaning of the colors have changed a lot and have a really important part in our culture. Green used to represent the richness of the lands in Mexico but the meaning of that color has evolved into hope. Everyone is always hoping but for Mexicans if you lose hope you lose everything. Ive heard my mother tell many people during rough times, not to lose hope things will get better, and they could always be worse. For Mexico to lose hope would be a horrible thing considering their situation. Mexico is always hoping. Hoping the economy gets better, hoping that drug trafficking stops along with all the people being kidnapped and killed. Hope has become something that no Mexican can live without. Its become important to even those of us who dont live there. Hope doesnt always mean that you have to hope for something bad to be over. Hope comes in many little ways. The color white use to represent all the innocent children that were lost on the day of El Grito de Independencia, a translation in English would be The Yell of Independence. Unity is a big part in my culture. For Mexicans we arent only united in a blood related way. All Mexicans are united through blood, religion, society, our communities, etc. Where I come from we show our respect and care for one another in the way we greet. It is custom to greet someone by a kiss on the check and a hug, and for elder it is very respectful to greet by giving a kiss on the hand. You can also see our unity just in our everyday lives. When one person goes away we really feel it because things change a lot. For example, my aunt recently moved out of Stockton. She was always with us during the weekends and it has had an effect on my family and me because we miss her and are not used to her, not being around. A united family is a strong family.

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Red is the only color that did not change. Red has meant and still means bloodshed. It represents the Mexican, French, and Spanish blood that was shed to get independence. In the past if blood was shed it had to be because it was for honor. Now blood is shed because of the crime. You cans see bloodshed everywhere but for Mexicans it is a really big deal. A very interesting part of the flag is the eagle on top of the cactus with a snake in its mouth. This comes from the legend of how the Mexica tribe was told by their God, Huitzilopochtli, after being thrown out of another nation that they should settle where they found and Eagle on cacti with a snake in its mouth. The cacti would be on a small island in the middle of a lake. The Mexicas were resourceful people and they created Garden Island that helped dry out the lake. As the land began to dry the Mexicas began to build. The place where they began to build is where Mexico City stands today. Like the Mexicas, Mexican people are known to be resourceful and hard working. This legend has been passed down for generations and even the youngest child knows it. Its amazing how three stripes of color and a picture can mean so much. Every flag has its story and they can have a very big impact on culture and tradition. Unity, hope, and bloodshed will never stop being part of my culture and I practice them every day in the little things I do.

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Pilgrims

Can you imagine nine days of goody bags, yummy pastries, and nice hot drinks, all leading up to Christmas Day? For Mexican Catholics this is a tradition call posadas. Nine days of going to mini parties or even hosting one, getting goody bags filled with candy, animal crackers, peanuts, and fruits. These posadas give people chance to meet someone new, spend time with their loved ones and share their religion with others. There are two stories to how this holiday was born. One of them says that this holiday has been around for 400 years. The Spanish asked the Catholic Church if they could make a holiday celebrating the nine days of pilgrimage of Maria and Jose. This celebrated how Maria and Jos went from house to house asking for a place where the child could be born. The other story tells that Mexican Catholics just started doing this because they felt the need to honor the suffering of Maria as she tried to find lodging. It was originally only celebrated in Mexico but eventually came to be celebrated here. Even though the posadas are celebrated in the USA and Mexico the same way there are some differences. For example in Mexico it is custom that on the last day there in the supper and a piata for the children. The piata consist of nuts, fruits, candies and crackers just like the goody bags. Here in the US there is a supper but there's no piata, on the way to the US this tradition was lost. What they both capture is going from house to house and meeting up in different houses for the nine days of Posada. In a Posada the "pilgrims" go from house to house and are rejected twice before finding lodging. For eight days on the little alter made for that occasion only Mary and Jose are there. Using only them they go from house to house but on the last day baby Jesus is born. He is added to the alter where Jose and Maria are.

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This is a way I can be with my family and practice my religion at the same time. I personally enjoy the goody bags and going from house to house caroling. The candle in my hand and the dripping wax burns in memories. This is a special holiday that I practice every year and hope to keep practicing even with my children someday. Posadas are a tradition that Mexican Catholics use to bond with each other and their family and it gives them chance to meet new people and to keep old traditions up. Posadas are traditions that celebrate Maria's and Jose's pilgrimage. Hopefully this tradition is not forgotten like many others and continues to be celebrated among us.

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Contradictory There are more and more Mexicans in the world every day. You see more of our food, our traditions, and our music. You hear Spanish more and more every day. The racism that there once was against us, is no longer there. The way we influence the world at large is complicated. We have good influences and bad influences. We are known for drugs. Drugs account for about 82% of the exportations from Mexico into the US, earning about $64 billion a year. This allows narcs to have a huge influence on the Mexican government. The Narcs in Mexico ally with the ones in Colombia, Europe and the US so they have many connections. What many people dont see is that 78% of the things Mexico exports to the US are foods, products made there because companies only have to pay their employees $5 a day. We export meats, fruits, candies, and other things. Mexico is the US 3rd largest importer for electric machinery ($54.3 Billion), Vehicles (Cars, trucks, and parts)($4.8 Billion), Raw Minerals, Crude Oil and Fuel($44.1 Billion), Machinery ($38.6 Billion), and precious stones(gold and silver)($9.8 Billion). Mexico is also the 2nd largest agricultural importer. Mexico imports fresh vegetables($4.1 Billion), Fresh fruits(excluding bananas)($2.4 Billion), wine and beer($1.7 Billion), and snack foods (Including chocolate)($1.4 Billion). A total of $150.7 Billion in services, and $9.6 Billion in agricultural products. We export many things but we are not recognized for the good things only the bad things. We have had a bad history but the Mexican culture and community has a lot of aspects that most the world doesnt recognize. Mexico has a huge part in business in the US and not just with illegal drugs but with things that help our economy. 14