Spanish Rice, or as I like to call “Grandmas Orange Rice.”

I chose Spanish Rice for my food presentation, as this has always been a very sentimental dish to me. My grandmother Ernestina is a second generation Mexican-American from a city called Guadalajara. She had 5 brothers and 1 baby sister, and was considered to be the cook of the siblings. She also has been a housewife for the last 50 years, therefore has cooked my grandfather each breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My grandmother is a phenomenal cook however her Spanish Rice has always been my favorite since i was a kid. I myself having 2 brothers and 3 sisters, have also been bestowed as the cook of all of us. I have truly mentored my grandmothers cooking and continue to do hoping I become just as good. This particular dish took me roughly 2 1/2 hours (longer than normal rice) to make and I confidently say its pretty darn close to hers.

A little bit of background information I found when researching Spanish Rice was that it has went a long way from its origin. When the Islamic Moors (from North Africa), ruled Spain in 711 AD, they introduced rice. Spain then brought this rice to Mexico through the port of Veracruz. The Spanish also introduced this type of rice to the Philippines so there is also a heavy influence there. With each migration, the recipe has been slightly modified but overall pretty consistent. The basic necessities for Spanish Rice are white rice, tomato sauce, onions, water, lemon, salt and pepper. All of these items combined in a pot with a low simmer will create a creamy dish (in different quantities of course). What I love best about this dish, is that rice is universal. I made it a point to acknowledge how rich and poor it can be. It can be dry or creamy, as well as eaten alone or complimented with protein.  Although this is a simple recipe, I have yet to find a restaurant or store that makes it as wonderful as my grandmothers.