A Taste of Home: Why I Love Arroz Con Pollo
NBCNEWS.COM ・ JULY 2012
“I’ll never forget coming home after my first year away at college. As I walked into the house, my mother gave me a teary hug and I peeked over her shoulder toward our dinner table. It was set with the flower-printed table cloth she reserved for special occasions, a sign that lunch was ready. Served straight from a caldero, the arroz con pollo my mother had made that morning was perfectly golden. Its consistency resembled a stew-like risotto and there were thin strips of red pimentos on top. She scooped some on to my plate, placed it in front of me and said “Come, m’ija.” I inhaled the aroma and felt as though I could smell it in my heart. I placed a forkful of rice with a sliver of chicken into mouth and took my time chewing. The chicken was impossibly moist and the saffron, tomatoes and peppers danced in the creaminess of the rice. My eyes welled up. I tasted home.”