I was born in Bogotá, Colombia and my family has deep roots in Cartagena*, but when we moved to the United States, two things came right along with us: cumbia** and cuisine. Even as new immigrants, music and mealtimes helped to nurture our sense of home, our social gatherings becoming more than just eating sessions — but really moments of shared cultural expressivity.
Growing up, the traditional menus from my motherland would gradually meld with flavors from my new American environs, and when I married Arron, wild-caught Alaskan seafood came into the mix and my gastronomic journey became a creative culinary laboratory.
Case in point, pink arepas — a lovely and unexpectedly umami-forward concoction that recently emerged when I decided one morning to flake some leftover coho salmon into my arepa batter (which is really just ground maize flour, water and a little shredded cheese that are formed into savory flat cakes for frying). Pink salmon arepas are now a staple in our home, adding an extra hit of protein and flavor to every corn-y, cheesy bite.
Similarly, I can’t wait to try this recipe for Caldo de Pescado Con Gambas (Mexican Rockfish Stew with Spot Prawns) by Aileen Cañas, Member Experience Manager here at Wild Alaskan. “My family is from Arteaga, located in the Mexican state of Michoacán. This recipe has been in our family for at least four generations,” Aileen explains, and we are so thrilled to now be able to share it with you.
And finally, behold Chiles Rellenos Con Pescado o Mariscos (Wild-Caught Seafood Stuffed Peppers), from Lifecycle Marketing Lead, Victoria Shayn. Made with mild chiles, different seafood species and fried in a light batter, these chiles rellenos make perfect seafood-filling vehicles. “My mom raised us on poblano chiles rellenos in the Midwest because of the lack of access to other chiles,” shared Victoria. But the last time they made this recipe together, they used mild Anaheim peppers — equally as good and a bit smaller than poblanos. The smaller size of Anaheim’s inspired the mother-daughter duo to use three different types of seafood to make a medley of chiles rellenos. Victoria's recipe is written for wild salmon, but you can mix and match your seafood options, too.
We wish you Happy Hispanic Heritage Month and hope these ideas and recipes help to turn the flavors up on your table.
Live Wild!
Monica
Pictured Above: From upper left, clockwise — a pile of garlicky spot prawns stacked on avocado slices atop a corn arepa; a Cartagena-inspired cazuela improvised with halibut, coconut milk, yuca and other veggies; Aileen’s Caldo de Pescado Con Gambas; a freshly fried array of Victoria’s Chile Rellenos, and then a single one slit open to reveal sockeye; a meal featuring my pink arepa prototype alongside runny eggs, feta and lemony cucumber; and lastly my pink arepa prototype in the making.
* Fun Fact: Arron and I were married on a rooftop in the old city of Cartagena, Colombia which is also the city where my maternal grandmother was born and raised.
** Cumbia [ˈkumbja] is a folkloric music genre and dance from Colombia. Since the 1940s, commercial or modern Colombian cumbia expanded to the rest of Latin America, after which it became popular throughout the continent, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The particular tune I linked above is called La Cumbia del Pescador — The Fisherman’s Cumbia.
