Adriana Carpio de Palma

Helen López Strom

The pot belonged to my mother and was given to me when I married. The ingredients make a dish that is my favorite and is now my family’s favorite too: arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas.)  Food is one of the ways in which I am passing my heritage on to my children.

Laura Bedolla

My mother's sister gave me this dress when I was 5 years old on my very first visit to Mexico. It was my first time meeting her and my grandparents as well. It  is a reminder that despite the great distance my family always thinks of me.

Dr. José Torres

My hammock brings to mind pictures of times spent  with family, with my grandmother , surrounded by palm trees and mountains.  Relaxing in it, on the roof of my building, is the ideal way to slow down life and think.  Some of those memories and ideas make it into my journals, which I have been writing and keeping for many years.

Tina Birkholz

Just a few weeks ago I discovered my grandmother Hoffman’s recipe collection in my father’s basement.  Those recipes brought together both sides of my family and include lemon freeze bars from my cousins in Monterey.  The teapot was given to my parents by my dad’s grandmother after they were married. 

Patricia Arroyo

My grandmother Elodia Cortés knows how much I love to collect jewelry so she gave me this this jewelry cabinet that she had made for me in México City.  She is now 99 and I don’t see her as often as I would like.  Being able to have this object that I look at and use every day connects me with her.

Carmen Berríos

My flag tells about my country of Colombia through its colors: yellow for gold; blue for the sea, and red for the blood of the heroes who fought for its Independence.

Luciana Feliciano

This ‘dita’, made from the higüera fruit, belonged to my mother.  The Taíno indians of Puerto Rico used them as bowls to eat from.  The wood carving of the “Three Kings’ belonged to my father.  This picture  shows how I remember him.

Verónica Noland

Twenty-four years ago I met my family in Chile for the first time.  I brought this rain stick back, which reminds me of the Andean music typical of the region they are from.  I enjoy listening to it as much as the music.

Cristina Castro

My family shapes who I am.  The photos are of my ancestors, migrant workers who arrived here from Texas as they worked on fields. Their hardships are always on my mind, as are those of others in Elgin today who are experiencing some of their same struggles.  As an elected oficial I try to be a voice for them.

Tara García Mathewson

This ‘cuatro’ is a gift from my grandfather. The song Love Story was my grandfather’s favorite, and I learned it so I could play it for him. My cousin makes ‘cuatros’ in Puerto Rico. 

Betty Martínez

The aroma of coffee smells  like mornings in my country, Colombia.  My mother gave me this coffee cup in 1991.  We have three of them in my family because there are three of us.

Laura Segura

My father brought me this straw bag from Mexico 5 years ago.  It was full of ‘camote’ (sweet potato) candies.    It brings memories of all the fairs my mother used to take us to at which we savored the candies.

Lucy López

Trinidad Armenta

I carry my faith with me and that means I carry this image of the Virgin of Guadalupe I painted with me.  She is the primary example of my Mexican heritage and the strong faith in our culture.  I am now 86 and started painting at 65.

Tina Viglucci

When my grandfather Segio Muñoz Dieppa and my grandmother Angela Saras Torres moved to a new home, the story goes, the first thing he would do was to hang his painting of Governor Luis Muñoz Marín and she to install her mortar in the kitchen.  Now wherever I go, like ‘mama’,   I take the mortar, redolent of  adobo and home.  

Yesenia Mendoza

The ‘molcajete’ is a cooking utensil that goes back to the indigenous people of Mexico.  My mother gave me this one.  The green blouse is from the state of Cuernavaca, the ‘City of Eternal Spring.” It was a gift from my sister-in-law.

Estefanía Romero

Corn is widely grown in the mountain range north of Puebla.  My grandparents used to say that before harvesting the corn they had to pray asking the earth for permission to pick it.

Ivonne Callejas

I identify with objects from my country because they represent my culture and traditions.  The clay pot is for making beans and the ‘molcajete’ (mortar) is for making the best salsas.

Claudia Díaz

The serpent is representative of our origins.  I treasure images such as this one, which which are proof of the ability and creativity of the indigenous artisans of Mexico.

Saul Díaz

Receta para: Sopa Azteca/Aztec Soup
El país/ región de origen de esta receta es: México
Si esta es una receta de familia indica quién te la dio:  Yvonne Callejas

Ingredientes:
3 tazas de caldo de pollo
3 hojas frescas de epazote
sal (a su gusto)
3 tomates pequeños
1 chile pasilla (sin semillas)
1 chile ancho (sin semillas)
¼ cebolla
3 dientes de ajo
un pellizco de orégano
pimienta negra (a su gusto)
totopos
aguacates
crema

Direcciones:
Coloque los chiles y los tomates en una olla y llénela hasta la mitad con agua.
Cocine en fuego medio hasta que los tomates se abran.
Añada el aceite a un sartén y cocine el ajo y la cebolla picada hasta que estén suaves. Cole los tomates y colóquelos en la licuadora junto con los chiles, el ajo  y la cebolla. Añada orégano, pimienta, y totopos. Caliente una cacerola y añada la mezcla de la licuadora (colada). Cocine por 15 minutos, agregue el caldo de pollo y el epazote, cubra y deje sentar por 15 minutos. Añada sal a su gusto. Acompañe la sopa con aguacates, crema, y  totopos.

Receta para: Sancocho Colombiano de Pollo/Colombian Chicek Sancocho
El país/ región de origen de esta receta es: Colombia
Si esta es una receta de familia indica quien te la dio:  Terry Gordon

Ingredientes:
3 espigas de maíz fresco (cada una cortada en 3)
12 tazas de agua
1/2 taza de salsa de ají picante
1 pollo entero
1 cucharada de sal
2 plátanos verdes cortados transversalmente en 2
2 cubos de pollo bouillon
6 papas blancas peladas y cortadas a la mitad
1 libra de yuca hervida y cortada en trozos
1/4 taza de cilantro picado
1/4 cucharada de pimienta molida

Direcciones: Coloque el pollo en una olla grande junto con el maíz,

la salsa, pollo bouillon, sal y pimienta y plátanos verdes.Añada el agua y 

deje hervir. Luego cubra la olla y baje a fuego mediano. Deje cocer durante 30-35 minutos. 

Agregue la papa, yuca, y pimienta y continúe a cocinar por 30 minutos más o hasta 

que la yuca y la papa se ablanden. 

Agregue el cilantro y pruebe para ajustar los condimentos a su gusto 

Receta para: Colombian Hot Sauce / Ají Picante)
El país/ región de origen de esta receta es: Colombia
Si esta es una receta de familia indica quien te la dio:  Terry Gordon
 

Ingredientes:
1 semilla de pimiento rojo pequeño habanero
1/2 taza de vinagre rojo
1/2 taza de agua
1/4 cucharadita de sal
1 cucharadita de azúcar
1 cucharada de jugo de limón
2 cucharadas de aceite de vegetal
1/2 cilantro fresco picado
1/4 taza de perejil fresco picado
1/2 taza de cebollín picado
1/2 taza de tomate picado

Direcciones:

Ponga el vinagre, el agua y chile habanero en una licuadora durante 2 min. 

Coloque los ingredientes restantes en un tazón y mezcle.

Agregue el vinagre y la mezcla de habanero al tazón y mezcle bien. 

Puede ser refrigerada hasta diez días.

Recipe for: Frijoles a la Charra/ Charro beans
The country/region of origin of this recipe is: Mexico, Moterrey
If this recipe was passed down to you indicate by whom: My mother (Claudia Díaz)
 

Ingredients:

1 kg of beans

Red huaje tomato

Cilantro

Onion

Chile

Cooked bacon

Cooked sausage 

Salt 

Garlic

Directions: 

Boil the beans, when they are done you will add the rest of the ingredients so 

they can all boil together. 

The sausages, the bacon, the onion, and the chile, and 

the tomato are browned together, then added to the beans.

Recipe for: Mixiotes with White Rice
The country/region of origin of this recipe is:
If this recipe was passed down to you indicate by whom: My mother

Ingredients:
Chicken legs
Guajillo chile
Carrots
Bay leaves

Directions:
Grind the guajillo chile and strain in aluminum foil.
Place one chicken leg with the chile and one piece of carrot, potato,
and one bay leaf. These are then
steam cooked and they are accompanied with white rice.

Recipe for:  Mole Oaxaqueño / Oaxacan Mole (Gethsemani E. Feria)
The country/region of origin of this recipe is: Mexico, Oaxaca coast
If this recipe was passed down to you indicate by whom: n/a

Ingredients:

Guajillo Chile

Tomato

Onion

Garlic

Almonds

Pepper

Cloves

Sesame seeds

Chocolate

Oregano

Bananas

Animal Crackers

Raisins

Directions:

Roast the chiles and put them in water to soak. Saute the tomato, onion, 

garlic, almonds, pepper, oregano, cloves, sesame seeds, bananas and raisins. 

Next you want to grind the chile and season it so that you can 

add it to the rest of the sauteed ingredients. 

Then, you are going to add the chocolate and thicken 

it with the animal crackers. Add salt to taste.

Recipe for: Pipian Rojo/Red Pipian (Laura Segura)
The country/region of origin of this recipe is: Mexico
If this recipe was passed down to you indicate by whom: My grandmother

Ingredients:
Chile de Arbol
Peanut butter
3 Tomatoes
3 Garlic cloves
Chicken

Directions:

Roast the chile, tomatoes, and garlic.
Then, boil the chicken. Once the chile, tomatoes,
and garlic have been roasted, blend them in a blender
along with the peanut butter.
In a pan, roast all the ingredients together.
After this, you will want to boil the liquid,
add the chicken and enjoy!

Recipe for: Polvorones / Shortbread Wedding Cookies
The country/region of origin of this recipe is: Puerto Rico
If this recipe was passed down to you indicate by whom: Titi Carmelita

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

1/8 tsp of salt

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of vegetable shortening

1 beaten egg yolk

1 egg white

1 tbsp butter

Directions:

Mix the flour with the salt.  Beat the vegetable shortening 

until it is not too thick and then slowly add sugar. Add the egg yolk, 

the whites and the butter and mix well. Add the flour to the shortening and 

stir so that they combine well. Make small balls and place on platter, then 

press thumb down to squish down a little. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

El país/región de origen de esta receta es: Puerto Rico
Si esta es una receta de familia indica quien te la dio:  Madre de Helen Strom

Ingredientes:
aceite de oliva de calidad
1/4 taza de cebolla roja picada
1/4 taza de pimiento rojo picado
1 lata de gandules drenados
1-2 dientes de ajo
cilantro picado (al gusto )
sal y pimienta (al gusto )
1 lata de salsa de tomate
1 1/2 tazas de arroz blanco
1/3 – 1/2 taza de aceitunas manzanilla sin hueso
3 3/4 taza de agua

Direcciones:

En una cacerola eche suficiente aceite de oliva para cubrir el fondo. 

Caliente a fuego medio. Sofría las cebollas y los pimientos 

durante 5 minutos y agregue el cilantro , la sal y la pimienta.

Cocinar unos minutos más y  eche la salsa, aceitunas y arroz a la cazuela. 

Revuelva para cubrir el arroz. Suba el fuego durante 1-2 minutos y eche el 

agua sobre la mezcla. Revuelva una vez más cuando hierva y luego cúbralo. 

Cocine a fuego lento durante 15 minutos. 

Destape la cacerola y dele vuelta con un tenedor y cubrir de nuevo 

por otros 15 minutos hasta que se seque el arroz.

Recipe for: Tortas Ahogadas/Drowned Sanwiches (Adriana Carpio)

The country/region of origin of this recipe is: Guadalajara, Mexico

If this recipe was passed down to you indicate by whom: n/a

Ingredients:

Baguette or Bread Rolls

Carnitas (pork meat)

Fried beans

Tomato sauce

Chile de Arbol Sauce

Sliced red onion 

Directions:

Open the baguette or bread roll in half. 

Spread the fried beans on the inside surface of the bread. 

Next, fill the bread with Carnitas and close the bread. 

Pick up the baguette with some tongs and submerge it in the tomato sauce. 

Then, submerge the baguette into the Chile de Arbol sauce for a spicy flavor.

 Finally, spread the onion slices on top of the baguette, 

and pour some more sauce on the completed torta.