Food has become a way to connect with people who are meaningful to me. In preparing meals, I’m aware of the power of memory: A special dish uncovers memories from one’s childhood, of being cared for and loved, and being in communion with each other. Flavors in food are associated with spending time with family and friends, and will ultimately be codified in our hearts as memories that give meaning to our lives.

I have ventured into cooking various types of foods that are especially delicious to our family –I love making tom kha kai (Thai coconut chicken soup), have perfected my own recipe of Korean bul go gi, and make an Algerian chicken with lemon, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. I also love some French and Spanish dishes. With these international dishes, it’s mostly about exploring flavors from other parts of the world; food is culture, and with food one is able to know and appreciate a fundamental element of a people.

From my mother-in-law Myrtali, I learned how to cook Greek dishes, among which avgolémono (egg lemon soup) and yemistá (rice-stuffed vegetables, primarily tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini) are my family’s favorites. I cook these dishes because it connects my sons to their Greek heritage, and they have built layers of good memories over the years with these flavors that speak of home to them.

Now, for Mexican home cooking, one of my go-to dishes is enchiladas. Growing up, my mother would make these because they were my dad’s favorite dish. As soon as she started the sauce, the aroma of roasted chilies, garlic, onion and tomatoes would fill the house.

The key to good enchiladas is the sauce –a sauce from scratch will bring out a harmony of flavors that the various types of chilies bring to the palate.

The recipe is mild but very flavorful. If spicy is the goal, I gave options for that as well. Here you will find this recipe, so you can recreate this special dish with your own loved ones during this time of gratitude, family and memories. The trick with recipes is this: one follows a recipe as a guideline, and after making it multiple times, you will see how you will adapt to new ingredients, add more or less of one, or modify to your liking. My goal in sharing this recipe is to provide a path that will lead you to create your own special recipe that you can share with others and create meaningful memories.

I wish you a warm, reflective and happy holiday season.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Ph.D.
President