Learning how to make Mexican Rice was a labor of love for me. Someone very close to me used to make this rice and I loved it. Aurora was like family to me and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. She was not only gentle and loving but happened to be a talented home cook. She never used recipes; everything was off the top of her head and always turned out perfectly. When I would ask her for a recipe Aurora would shake her head, laugh, and tell me there was no recipe. Nothing out of Aurora’s kitchen came from a cookbook or was learned in a class. She learned everything from years spent in the kitchen watching her mother cook.

Perhaps in making this rice I was chasing her memory. The rice she made was comforting and delicious. This was her signature dish, and I wanted something like it for my family. The rice’s restaurant worthy taste made this a family staple. We love this rice with grilled chicken, tacos, or saddled up next to enchiladas.