VOA标准英语2012--US Immigrant Restaurateurs Share Dishes of Mexican State

US Immigrant Restaurateurs Share Dishes of Mexican State

Gilberto Cetina Jr. and his father are conducting a special class to teach high school students about the food of Yucatan, their native state in southern Mexico. The food is distinctive¹, with marinades made from tropical spices and citrus.
Chef Cetina says his restaurant, called Chichen Itza after an ancient city of the Mayan people, appeals to people of all ethnicities. “We try to show our culture to the world,” he said.
Gilberto Cetina Senior worked for 20 years as an engineer. But for the past 11 years, he and his son have run this small restaurant in a Los Angeles marketplace. Critics have praised their cooking and included Chichen Itza on lists of the top Latino restaurants in the country.
Some of the food is standard Mexican fare, including tortillas, the ubiquitous Mexican flatbread. Other dishes have roots in the cultures of southern Mexico: the ancient Mayans and the more recent Lebanese immigrants. When they settled in Yucatan a century ago, they introduced a popular treat called kibis, fried patties of meat, bulgur wheat, mint and spices. Dutch merchants brought gouda cheese, which is now a local staple².
The signature dish, called cochinita pibil, is pork simmered in spices and wrapped in banana leaves.
The lives of Mexican immigrants revolve³ around family -- often extended families whose members live in both the United States and Mexico. Son Gilberto Cetina Junior was raised on both sides of the border. “So I really got to experience the culture, the food. I was very involved with our family and obviously, anything that involves family with us involved cooking,” he explained.
The Cetinas have shared their family recipes in a cookbook called Sabores Yucatecos, or Yucatan Flavors. Most of the recipes come from Gilberto Cetina Senior’s mother and had never been written down.
Coauthor Katharine Diaz says the Yucatan peninsula, although a part of Mexico, remained somewhat isolated⁴ after the Spanish conquest 500 years ago. “And so it’s always maintained a bit of independence. Hence, its food is very different as well,” she stated.
Members of this immigrant family take pride in sharing their cuisine⁵ and traditions with their neighbors.

1 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

2 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

3 revolve   

vi.(使)旋转；循环出现

参考例句：

• The planets revolve around the sun.行星绕着太阳运转。
• The wheels began to revolve slowly.车轮开始慢慢转动。

4 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

5 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。