My name is Edith Garcia and I am a student at CSUDH majoring in IDS. I have been working on obtaining my BA for almost ten years – yes, ten years! It is hard to say exactly when I will graduate because I have a full-time job, a family and I’m only a part-time student. My advisers say it may be another three to four years – hopefully less than more.

I chose chilaquiles because this dish reminds me of my mom and my childhood. It was a special dish that she would make on the weekend. I learned how to make them shortly after I got married because I wanted to make them for my family as well. Although I have made a few changes to my mom’s recipe, my kids love mine as much as hers.

I start by cutting up tortillas and frying them (I fry them completely to get a crunchy texture) and set them aside. After boiling the tomatoes, garlic and chiles (ancho, arbol, habanero, California, guajillo), I put them in the blender along with salt and a couple of eggs to help the sauce stick to the tortilla chips. I warm another pan and pour the sauce and then the tortilla chips and mix them. I prefer to have mine served in a bowl with lots of salted Mexican sour cream and queso fresco as well as queso cotija – one can also add onion and cilantro, but I prefer not to.

I like the red ones as opposed to the green ones and I won’t eat them at just any place because many restaurants make them soggy. I do recommend having them at Cafe Vida in Culver City – all their food is delicious. Chilaquiles take a while to prepare, but they are well worth the time and effort put into them. They’re also a reminder of my family at the table on a weekend, enjoying my mother’s cooking and each other’s company.