My dish is a traditional meal in my family: green enchiladas. Ever since I was little in Mexico, my mom made them at least twice a month. The recipe starts with a green sauce made from chili peppers, green tomatoes, and seasonings. The tortillas are filled with shredded chicken, rolled up, and topped with the sauce, lettuce, sour cream, and cotija cheese. It may look like a simple dish, but for me it carries an important memory that changed the way I see life.When I was a child, my mother had to work long hours to support us, so she often left my sister, my aunt, and me with a woman named Adela. She had five children of her own and very little money to feed everyone. One day, with only 70 pesos for food, she made enchiladas for us. They were different from the ones my mother made because they only had tortillas and salsa. When I asked why, she simply said that was all she could afford. She called them “Enchiladas Pobres.”That moment stayed with me because it made me realize that even a simple meal can be difficult for some families to prepare. Since then, I’ve learned to appreciate every plate of food and every moment shared around the table. Now that I live in another country, I’ve learned to cook green enchiladas myself, and wherever I go, they will always remind me of home.

– Lluvia Flores

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant