Roasted Rainbow Trout

by Carlos Jimenez Active Time: 30 Minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 2 whole rainbow trout 6 slices of lemon 2 bunches of parsley 8 cloves garlic, roughly sliced Olive oil Salt and pepper

Directions 01 Preheat the oven to 425 F, and place foil on a large baking sheet. 02 Salt and pepper the entirety (both inside and outside) of the fish very liberally. Stuff the fish’s interior with the lemon slices, garlic, and parsley. 03 Tie twine across the opening of the fish to ensure nothing falls out. 04 Liberally rub olive oil all over the fish. 05 Place into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and lightly browned. 06 Take it out of the oven, squeeze some lemon juice over it, and enjoy!

As the oldest daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was taught at a young age the significance of food. I grew up watching my mother and aunts in the kitchen, constantly preparing the most delicious and comforting meals. Whether it was something as simple as huevos con chorizo y tortillas (eggs and chorizo with tortillas) or as carefully curated as homemade mole con arroz, the women in my family made sure it was a dish they were proud to serve. I was able to witness how effortlessly friends and family bonded over meals that felt like home. When I was old enough to learn how to cook, it was difficult at first to understand the methods my mom used. In school, I had learned about measuring instruments and the importance of being accurate. Instead, my mom measured ingredients with her heart (and mostly intuition). It didn’t matter at the end of the day, though, because it always turned out just as delicious as always, and everyone would enjoy her food, anyway. Being able to provide for her family brought her extreme happiness. Although she could not provide expensive material things, she knew she could demonstrate her love for those she cared for through cooking. Food is a vital part of Latine and Hispanic culture. While each nationality may have its own twist on common meals, such as pupusas and tamales, they do so to showcase their uniqueness.

food and culture prose

Kaylinh

At the age of nine, I think I was wearing clothes from Justice and began going into an obsession with Justin Bieber. When my mom was at the age of nine, she began her journey to escape Vietnam with her family. Amazingly, my family made the journey and settled here in Iowa. As a child, Vietnamese was my first language until I started to attend kindergarten. Both of my parents then spoke English at home, which affected my knowledge and ability to speak Vietnamese. It was intended to help me not struggle with learning and fitting in at school. I am very blessed to have a household that wanted to protect me, but I can’t help but mourn the loss of a language. How I feel the most connected to my culture is through food. Since there is a language barrier, food is a love language between all of us. I have always grown up with Asian dishes in my household and love every dish from my childhood — no matter how odd or smelly it was at times. From simple dishes like fried rice and noodle soup to balut (duck eggs) and chicken feet, as a family, we would get together and enjoy eating or making food together. My cousins and I formed egg roll assembly lines and our grandma would sell them at summer garage sales. We would help her make Bao (meat-filled bun) and enjoy them together, too. It was a long process to make them, but the company and love that was built in the house made it worth it. My cousins and I are older now, so it is hard for us to all be available to spend time together. Both my grandma and my mom are very similar in how they show love and care for others. When I can go home, my mom will either offer to take me out to my favorite Asian restaurants or cook some of my favorite dishes for me. She always goes above and beyond to make sure I am eating well and have my favorite foods in stock at my apartment. Growing up with this type of love contributed to the love I show others. I love cooking and showing all of my friends food I grew up with and having them enjoy it with me. On the outside, food can be such a simple topic, but to me, it is one of the most important ways I feel and show love through my culture.