This story comes from NPR’s Next Generation Radio project:
Every Labor Day weekend, Rosa Inungaray has worked the same enchilada booth for El Paso’s St. Anthony’s bazaar since she was 13. Rosa’s enchiladas have drawn long lines, with people’s noses pressed up against the booth’s netting as the smell of burnt chile and sizzling tortillas fill the air. More than a cook, the 70-year-old has become a beloved figure of the community. She has fed thousands of people and has created a sense of belonging for many through the simple joy of food, faith and one enchilada booth.
“I’m the main cook and I’m the boss,” she said. “I tell everybody what to do and they won’t leave me alone. They won’t do anything unless Rosa says, ‘Go.’ So that’s it.”
Rosa discovered her love for cooking early on, finding joy in it despite her single mother’s limited time to cook. It was the women of the church who took her under their wing, teaching her the art of preparing traditional dishes.
After moving to El Paso in 1967, Rosa and her family joined the Catholic church on Alabama Street that was served by the same Franciscans who organized the seminary’s bazaar. Rosa’s family was quick to get involved, and eventually Rosa took over the enchilada booth.
Rosa attributes much of her success to a 6-inch-deep hand-made grill, where she can throw 20 tortillas into a pool of sizzling oil and chile at one time.
“It has to be at a certain heat. And you have to be flipping them because they’re going to get tostadas and we don’t want that, right?” she said. “So it’s a whole process. I really love it. I really enjoy it.”
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