Burrito Baby

Exhausted and hungry, there was only one thought on my mind as I rode my bike home from cross-country practice at seven in the evening. And that one thought was dinner; and not just any dinner, but Mexican food to be exact. It was a Friday night, and as Fridays go in my family, we always get take -out to celebrate the end of the busy work week. Today would include yet another order to our favorite restaurant, Dos Coyotes, a trendy (but fairly priced) “border cafe” located only five minutes away from our house. This was the best stuff in town. Fresh tortillas, perfectly seasoned meat, and gorgeously healthy salads were the main enticers, not to mention the homemade tortilla chips and no-charge salsa bar.

Having grown up in California, to me nothing is more comforting than a chewy flour tortilla overflowing with black beans, seasoned rice, monterey jack cheese, grilled chicken, lettuce, and pico de gallo. I think to most this would resemble the makings of the Mexican "sandwich" known as the burrito. And they could not be more correct. Burritos are the most conveniently delicious food available in my opinion, as they are simple to eat, while extremely healthy and filling at the same time. Not only do I enjoy picking up burritos at local taquerias or cafes, but my family has also been known to make some pretty decent ones ourselves. As an easy-to-make meal loved by all, my mom can always count on a happy crowd when burritos are on the menu for dinner. She’ll make a stop at the local food Co-Op to pick up fresh tortillas, lettuce, beans, and cheese, pick tomatoes from our garden, and then sauté a pan of ground turkey, squash, corn, and taco seasoning. And instantly, a hungry family is grinning at the prospect of eating this delicious Mexican treat for dinner.  

That being said, I do consider myself a real-live burrito baby, if there is such a thing.  Not only was I wrapped up like a burrito in blankets when I was a baby (according to my mom), but this is really the food that I have lived with my entire life.  I love burritos, to me they mean California, Davis, my family, and my friends.  This past year I became even closer to burritos than I ever knew was possible.  I got a job at the our family favorite Dos Coyotes.  So with three to four free burritos a week, I definitely got my fill in while I could.  Strangely enough, I never got tired of them!  Never have I had a burrito taste the same as another, as the proportions of ingredients is always perfectly varied and uneven.  Just like life in general.  It would be boring if everyday was the same.  That's the beauty of burritos, and perhaps why I am so fascinated with them--they are always there to keep you on your toes, taste buds alert, and stomach pleasantly full.

Similar to the Islamic families enjoying Southern cuisine at community gatherings as described by Carolyn Rouse and Janet Hoskins in Soul Food, Purity, and Sunni Islam, I find myself identifying with an ethnic food that I do not biologically identify with, as I am not Mexican. This just comes to show what an amazing melting pot the United States really is. Home to millions of immigrants from around the globe, living in this country makes eating Indian food in Ohio or Greek food in Nevada possible and every-day. With all of these abundant ethnic choices, we can enjoy food and culture from around the globe. Some of it can even become more familiar to us than the “American” hot-dog or hamburger, as Mexican food has become for me.  After all, we all need our comfort foods now and then to remind us of home.