[Abby Brown] When it comes to learning about cultures, there are
places we can visit, like a monument or a museum.
But, even everyday locations can be a great
opportunity to learn, like a grocery store.
Come on, let's check it out!
(music)
[Abby] My friend Dawn is meeting me here.
She has invited me to dinner for a traditional family meal, enchiladas!
We'll get some of the ingredients here at the store.
(music)
[Dawn Oropeza] So we have a whole wall full of different kinds of chiles.
[Abby] Wow, how do you pick?
[Dawn] Well, we always use anchos for enchiladas. So, we start here.
(music)
[Dawn] And so we just get one of these
and just grab the ones we want and how many we want.
(music)
[Abby] So next we have bread.
[Dawn] This is the pan dulce section, my favorite part.
You do it a little different than you would another store.
But you get the pinchers and you get a tray of some sort.
So you just kind of load up.
So then we just take this up to the counter and
they'll weigh it and package it.
[Abby] Perfect!
(music)
[Abby] So, there's lots in this store that is just
like any store I've ever been to.
There's canned goods, there's vegetables, there
is a meat counter.
But we had to do the chiles and the bread a
little bit differently.
And even if you're not totally comfortable making
your own Mexican dish, they have some prepared
meals for you too.
So, tell me about what we have here.
[Dawn] Well, we have a lot of really delicious things.
We have tamales, chicharrónes, fried pork
and carnitas.
[Abby] Well I think we have everything that we need for today, right?
[Dawn] Yes, we're ready to go make enchiladas.
[Abby] I'm so excited!
[Abby] Dawn, thank you so much for having us in your home today.
It smells delicious!
Tell me about what we're going to be doing.
[Dawn] We're going to be making the famous Martinez enchiladas today.
I'm really excited to share the stories with you
and the ingredients.
And my family is here and they help assemble
everything for us.
(music)
[Dawn] This is my grandma Augustina's recipe
and the reason why ours are very different than
they were in Mexico is because she had nine kids
and my Uncle Albert, he's out here, is one of those kids.
And so she used what she could get.
They weren't rich.
And so she would add the potatoes and the carrots
and the peas to fill it and then she would get
government cheese.
So that's our secret ingredient. I use Velveeta now
because you can't get government cheese.
But that is the secret ingredient.
So these are very special and unique to Iowa and to our family.
Do you want to try a little of it?
This is how my mother-in-law does it.
But she puts a little like this so then you don't get
things dirty and then you can taste it.
So go like that.
[Abby] And then just lick it?
[Dawn] Uh-huh.
(music)
[Abby] That's delicious!
(music)
[Dawn] That's Grandma Augustina.
[Abby] Wait, this is Grandma Augustina, who's recipe we're making?
[Dawn] Yeah.
It's time to make the enchiladas!
[Abby] Time to roll the enchiladas!
(music)
[Dawn] Your fingers are going to get dirty.
[Albert Martinez] The ingredients basically are the same but each
family makes them a little bit different.
[Dawn] Fold in so that the stuffing doesn't come out.
And then you start rolling it.
[Abby] How often do you make enchiladas?
[Juan Carlos Oropeza] Maybe once every few months.
[Abby] And you'll help?
[Augustin Oropeza] No, you don't.
(laughter)
[Juan Carlos Oropeza] Well, we eat them once every few months.
(laughter)
[Abby] Do you know how to make enchiladas?
[Agustin] I do, he doesn't
[Juan Carlos] Kind of. Not as much.
(music)
[Abby] Is this how you would make enchiladas?
[Caroly Coronado Vargas] No, it's totally the opposite of everything.
My enchiladas don't include any meat or really
any filling and they're not even rolled up.
So they're completely different.
[Abby] And why is your recipe so much different than the
way Dawn's family does it?
[Caroly] I think it's because we're from a different part of Mexico.
I'm from the northern region whereas they are
from the central south region.
(music)
[Mary E Campos] We want our children to preserve our
customs and to know different foods like any
family would like to have that recipe passed on.
You may not make it exactly like they made it
but at least you're trying.
(music)
[Abby] Dawn, thank you so much for having me in your
home today and welcoming me to your family table.
I got to learn about your famous enchiladas.
So kids, next time you sit down for a family meal in
your home or sit down for a family meal at anybody's
table, ask about the ingredients, about the
recipes and the traditions behind those great meals.
You might learn something about the heritage in your
own home or someone else's.
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