“The Problem That Has No Name”

The Feminine Mystique is about “the problem that has no name” or about the unhappiness of women that was widespread in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, in America. It basically discusses the life of housewife’s who were unhappy despite being married, having children, and living in material comfort.

Today, I often wonder if my mom ever asks or asked herself this question that Friedan explores: Is this all?

My mom raised, fed, and cooked for seven children since she was married at the age of twenty one and beyond. Technically, my mom has all she needs to be happy. She has a nice kitchen, nice clothes, and my father does not force her to work long hours or to even contribute to the family expenses. He likes to come home to a nice hot meal after a long day at work. But, my mom on the other hand, loves to work because she says, “It gives me a break from the kitchen.”

I know my mom loves us. She never explicitly complains about having to cook two meals every day, seven days a week. She is always the last one to eat. She never leaves the house unless it is clean, but I wonder, I wonder, if she ever ask herself: Is this all?

My dad, most of my brothers, most of my Hispanic family would applaud my mom’s “femininity,"
 but not me. I tell my mom to take a break every now and then, to spend less time in the kitchen. Instead, she treats me with yummy Guacamole. 

Guacamole Recipe

*Serves 8

Ingredients:

1. 3 large ripe avocados
2. 1 small onion, chopped
3. 1 medium ripe tomato, chopped
4. 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped 
5. 1 jalapeno, chopped 
6. 1/2 tablespoon salt
7. 1/2 tablespoon lime (optional) 

Directions: 

1. Placed chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno in a large bowl
2. add the salt 
3. scoop out the "meat" of the three avocados 
4. squirt lime juice 
5. mash the ingredient to a creamy, yet chunky consistency. Stir gently to mix flavors. 

• ENJOY! 

Homemade Tortillas Recipe

“Mexican food without corn tortillas is like Chinese food without rice.”

*Making homemade tortilla’s requires a little practice before arriving at the preferred size and consistency. I encourage you to try this homemade tortilla recipe and to experience fresh homemade tortillas! 

*Makes 15 tortillas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of fresh-ground corn masa for tortillas or 1 3/4 cups masa harina-corn flour for tortillas
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of warm water
• 1 pinch of salt.

Equipment:

• Tortilla press (1st option)
• Roller (2nd option)
• 2 sheets of plastic
• Comal or iron skillet

Procedure:

1. Place the corn dough and salt in a container.
2. Add water a little at a time and begin to knead.
3. Continue to hand knead until you have obtained a good soft consistency that is not sticky.
4. Cover with a cloth and let the dough stand 10 minutes.
5. Pre-heat a lightly greased frying pan.
6. Take about 1 – 1 ½ spoonfuls of the corn dough at a time; hand roll it into a small ball.
7.  If you use the tortilla press then line it with the sheets of plastic. A ball of corn meal dough is placed in  center and it gets flattened once you press. If you use a roller: Place the ball of corn dough on a sheet of plastic then place another on top. Use a roller to flatten it out.
8.  Place a lightly humid cloth on a large tray where you can begin placing the tortillas.
9. Cook the tortillas on each side until done.
10. Serve hot, wrapped in a nice cloth to preserve warmth.

The finished product should look like this:

My mom does not always make homemade tortillas, only when she feels like it. It is a new attitude she has taken on over the years. 

I have yet to learn how to make homemade tortillas. I have tried, but they come out looking like Africa, Asia, Europe, or Hawaii. My mom has tried teaching me a multiple of times, but she says the best way to learn is by watching. 

My Dining Experience

Growing up, my family of nine always had lunch and dinner together. However, our dining table never consisted of enough chairs to sit my family of nine. In fact, growing up, our dining table consisted of six chairs. When necessary, we would pull out extra chairs lying around in bedrooms (this is no longer necessary because we have stools and an island in our kitchen, apart from a dining table). Ironically, extra chairs were never really needed anyways, unless my mom cooked up some Ceviche (a type of fish eaten with tostadas) or Pozole (a lightly spiced hominy soup), or any other meals that do not require a side of warm tortillas.

Tortillas were and still are a big part of every meal my family consumes. This means that someone always has to heat up the tortillas while the others eat because no one wants cold tortillas or cold food. But, it is a fact that someone is always up and about either heating up tortillas, serving up food, pouring up drinks, and serving extra food to the fast eaters that extra chairs were never needed and still really aren’t needed. Guess who was and still is usually the last one to sit and eat her lunch or dinner? Bingo if you guessed my mom. The last ones to eat is either my mom, my sister, or me…or all three of us.

To give you a better idea of a typical dining experience at my house imagine:  

My entire family is stretched out in our living room. The TV is on and there is either a soccer game or soap opera playing on the screen. The air is filled with the smell of roasted peppers, arroz, and chile con carne. The smell is familiar. Our stomachs are growling. We can almost taste the meal my mom prepared. We are waiting for a special call…

Mom: “A comer” or “Dinner is ready. Come and eat.”

Everyone jumps off the coach. My dad and brothers head straight to the dining room and take a seat. I head straight to the kitchen. I began to flip torillas while my mom serves up the food. She goes and sets the stuffed platters on the table. I feel like I have cooked over thirty tortillas, but they are being eaten fast. By the time tortillas are no longer needed, someone has finished eating. A chair is empty. I can serve myself now. But, before I do I will offer my mom the seat. She refuses. I serve myself. Two or three people are left at the table and the rest have headed back to the living room. My mom finally serves herself and takes a seat. If either of us needs anything extra like a spoon or napkin, we get up and get it. But, like I said, my mom sits and enjoys her meal in peace, with no disturbances, knowing the “can I have more” or “serve me juice” has been taken care of.

The Traditional Mexican Female

Cooking is considered a gifted talent for housewife’s in the Mexican culture. Cooking for the family, for family gatherings, or celebrations is considered to be a woman's main role.

I write in present tense although it is not necessarily like this anymore because cooking in Mexico means bringing a family together at the dinner table. Family is very important to Mexicans and there is no better way to unite a family than through a family meal, a meal that identifies the identity of a people.  The female is seen as the ideal individual to accomplish this because she is viewed as the creative one, the loving one, and the motherly figure.

As I mentioned above, the role of women has evolved. Beginning in the 1970’s, the role of women changed dramatically. She became an active participant in the work force and it became more acceptable for her to pursue a career. However, marriage or childbirth typically resulted in her returning to a domestic life. By the 1980s, females were actively encouraged to return to the work force in order to help supplement to her husband’s income. Consequently, changes in social attitudes meant men and women ought to share childcare and housekeeping responsibilities.  Nonetheless, the women’s role depended on a family’s income or educational level. For example, low income or minimally educated families continued to see household tasks as a female role.

My mom obtained a minimal education. Her contribution to our household is seen as "femininity" worth being prideful for. I have obtained a great education. I love food. I love family gatherings. I love my culture, and I love sharing about it with the world through food, but I do not agree with the idea that the female ought to be entirely responsible for the household tasks, like cooking. Yet, I understand that food for Mexicans is about uniting families. I respect that. I just wish we received the same respect as mothers, females, and as individuals. 

Salsa Verde

Mexican salsas are popular because they are homemade, simple, fast, and easy to prepare, and delicious!

If the only time you have tried salsa has been at a restaurant, chances are it was red salsa. Have you ever tasted salsa verde?  Salsa verde is a green colored salsa made from green tomatoes. It is a favorite at my parents house when we eat tacos. 

Salsa Verde Recipe 

*makes about 1 cup 1/2

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 small green tomatoes (tomatillos), husked and rinse
• 1 cup water
• 2 fresh medium size jalapeno peppers or 4 serrano peppers, stemmed
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped white union (optional)
• Salt and pepper added to taste.

Procedure:

1. Boil the peppers and tomatillos in water until soft.

2. Cut the softened peppers in half in order to remove the veins and seeds from the interior.

3. Blend to a coarse: puree the peppers, tomatillos and cilantro. There should be about 1 1/2 cups puree.

4.Scrape the mixture into a serving bowl.

5.Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove excess moisture and stir into the salsa. (optional)

6. Season with salt added to taste.

7. Serve as a condiment for scramble eggs, tacos, grilled meats, chicken...or whatever you wish.

*Always remember that the sky is the limit when it comes to creating your own special version of green salsa or any other salsas! 

How HOT Is It?

Do not be deceived! Not all Mexican food is spicy!

However, chilli peppers are an indispensable ingredient to Mexican cooking. Since Pre-Hispanic times, they have been cultivated and consumed by the indigenous people of Mexico, South and Central America.

The chilli pepper is celebrated for coming in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, and for varying in taste, ranging from sweet and mild, to hot. But, its ultimate flavor can be influenced by the way it is picked, dry roasted, and ground up or frozen.

In modern times, the chilli pepper has been verified to have nutritive and medical value. Not to mention that today we have the choice between pico de gallo, a moderate salsa, a very spicy salsa, sweet salsas, lemony salsas, and many other types of salsas imaginatively thrown together and often including anything from corn, avocados, beans, cucumbers, and many other ingredients. 

Do you still not trust me? Learn for yourself. Here is a guide to help inform you of the different types of chili peppers: 

*CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

My mom's cooking is mainly moderate in heat. She mainly makes use of the Habanero, Poblano, Ancho, Arbol, and Anaheim chilli peppers. Personally, I don't like spicy food (neither do my five brothers, excluding my older sister who loves spicy food), but I also don't like sweet Mexican food. (I only like sweet food if it is Asian food.) I like Mexican food that is spiced, but one that won't cause me to blow my nose after every bite I take. My sister, on the other hand, does not mind a runny nose or a burned tongue from eating food too spicy. 

Mexican Cuisine

The video above is called: The Conservatory for Mexican Gastronomic Culture (Mexico 2012). Although the video aims to address the importance of conserving Mexico’s cuisine,  pay close attention to the meaning of food. The video does a great job summarizing the Mexican cuisine in its historical, cultural, and social aspects. 

Bienbenidos: Welcome!

Tortillas, salsa, tamales, enchiladas…nothing stirs up memories of home like the smell of a home cooked Mexican meal.  

 My mom was born and raised in Mexico. She is an authentic cook who learned to cook traditional Mexican food by “watching” my grandmother, who learned by watching her mom, and so on. When my mother and father obtained their American citizenship, they decided to leave their birthplace behind and move to America, where I was born and raised. Thankfully, my mom brought her knowledge and experience of the Mexican cuisine with her. I am full of gratitude because I grew up and woke up to the smell of posole, menuda, caldo and all other types of traditional Mexican foods in my American home. Because food is an essential part of my culture, it has been through my personal experiences with food that I have developed most of my understanding and appreciation for the Mexican culture and way of life.

Today, Mexican food is as diverse in America as it is in Mexico or around the globe. In fact, it is hard to see a recipe made the same twice, with the omissions and additions of ingredients common throughout cookbooks, restaurants, and even within Mexican families. Follow me on this food smelling journey as I trace the meaning of traditional Mexican food and the role it plays in many social and cultural aspects, as well as in my own life.