PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

I remember how on weekdays, I would return from school to find my mother cooking seafood. She would sit my brother and me at the table and bring in exquisitely smelling plates. Coming from school, Edgar and I were usually famished by the time we got to our house so the sight of freshly cooked fish was like heaven for us. I come from a family that is used to eating seafood. My maternal grandfather was a fisherman when he was young so my mom grew up eating fish every single day. My dad has shrimp boats so you can guess what I grew up eating. Besides eating seafood, my mom learned how to cook it expertly. About fifteen years ago, my grandfather opened a restaurant and asked my mom to run it. I remember spending holiday weekends at the restaurant, watching my mom do everything from running the cashier to explaining to the chef what ingredients were available for the daily specials. I guess that some of the chef’s magic rubbed onto my mom because she began to cook extremely well. Whether it was simple breaded fish or a complicated dish like coconut shrimp, my mom always found a way to make the dish taste delicious. My favorite dish has always been grilled shrimp. I don’t know why I like it so much but whenever I came home from school and smelled the food, my day instantly became so much better. Tampico is known in Mexico for its fresh and delicious seafood. Sadly, Monterrey is not. When I decided to come study to Monterrey I knew I was going to miss a lot of things. What I did not realize was that I would miss my mom’s seafood so much. Over the winter break I decided to learn to cook from her. This way, I would be able to eat all the wonderful things my mom had cooked for me over the years whenever I wanted. Thankfully, my mom was more than happy to teach me when I asked her. I have learned to cook every single seafood dish that has ever been served in my house. Now, every time I am missing home, I can go to the fridge, cook myself a meal, and get a taste of home.