It’s Sunday morning in Mexico City. What are we having for breakfast? The one, the only, Chilaquiles! Pronounced “chee-lah-kee-less”, this wonderful dish not only reminds me of growing up in Mexico, but it also reminds me of a stand up skit by Sofia Nino de Rivera where she comically reminds us that many traditional Mexican dishes are just a shaped shifted version of themselves.

Chilaquiles, like many traditional Mexican dishes, start with a couple of tortillas. These tortillas are cut up into cubes, stir fried until golden brown and then topped with homemade salsa, cheese, cream and avocado (you can also add chicken). Many people swear this dish can cure the worst hangover in the world. If you ask me, this dish can also cure a home-sick Mexican living in a foreign country. (#truestory)

Mexican food is so nostalgic to me. It hits such a special spot in my heart. I will never forget my senior year in college when I was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad for a mini-mester in Florence, Italy. The first week there was nothing short of breathtaking. My eyes, heart (and stomach) could barely contain it all. I was eating pizza, panini, pasta, you name it, and truly living the dream.

Three weeks into my trip, and you could have sworn I had been away from home for decades. I was homesick. This little Mexican needed her mexican food fix, so she traveled far and wide along the streets of Firenze until she spotted it, there, tucked away in a tiny corner: “Tijuanas Restaurant”. 😍😍 It was like striking gold!

The little Mexican restaurant offered all the signature dishes you could think of. Nachos, margaritas, enchiladas, tacos, you name it. My friends and I stuffed our faces, drank margaritas, and recovered from our Mexican food withdrawal symptoms in one sitting. This week, I made myself a plate of chilaquiles for breakfast and smiled at the memory of craving this dish while in Italy.

This month, my goal is to start a mini-series titled, “Tortillas: The Shape Shifting Masters” where I will show the versatility of tortillas in Mexican dishes. My first recipe will be ::drumroll🥁:: CHILAQUILES of course! If you want to learn how to make this simple dish, feel free to check out my Tik-Tok or Instagram and let me know what you think in the comments!