Born: Mexico City, Mexico, 1944
Mother tongue: Mexican
Grandchildren: Sofie, Bella
They call her: Abuela
What has always been a part of the way I dine is the concept of sobremesa. It’s the Mexican tradition of spending hours and hours at the table. Even between meals we will stay at the table and snack. It’s something I’ve done since I was a little girl at my own grandmother’s house. For this reason, I always have many snacks here.
We also have strong breakfasts in Mexico. We love our proteins and cheese, chicken, eggs and beans feature quite heavily in a Mexican breakfast. Not forgetting tortilla. We make chilaquiles and have a bowl of fruit after that, as well as our coffee and sweet bread. My grandmother loved combining sweet and savoury things, so my breakfast always has a good selection of both. We Mexicans really love our food. We can eat tingas de pollo quesadilla for breakfast too. So this dish can move from breakfast to lunch and dinner.
My mother would make tingas de pollo and I loved it so much I’ve been making it for many years. My granddaughters now have also taken a liking to it, so it’s a classic dish I always cook for the family. It’s so simple but very full of flavour and goodness. It’s also very typical of Mexican cuisine. I can barely remember when I first made it. I make it one time a week, minimum.
Photo Credit: Maureen M. Evans