Joy, Fear, Confidence, Anger, Sadness, Friendship, Disgust Calm, Surprise, Shame, Enmity, Anticipation, Compassion, Kindness, Envy, Emulation, Contempt, Gratitude, Admiration, Pride, Jealousy, Sympathy, Obfuscation, Irritation…
The expression of amazement on a child’s face when they receive a pleasant surprise or discover something new for the first time, reflect the purity of his heart that overflows with joy; the innocence of his thoughts and the love that surrounds them.
Yesterday, it rained all day. There were times when the rain became very heavy with a lot of wind. Then it turned into a gentle drizzle; over which, my thoughts rushed to navigate a mighty river of memories. While listening to music from the seventies, my spirit moved to the streets of my town, to the years of my childhood. To those streets of dust and stone on which I used to run barefoot.
As a child I learned to enjoy the colors of nature by carefully observing the different shades that could be seen in the bark of a tree, in the leaves of a bush, in the shell of a fruit, in the skin of an animal, in the reflection of the light on the water, in the dawn of a hot day, in the sunset of a cold day, in the darkness of the night where the moon shines covered with silver, in the raindrops and in the eyes of the people I love.
Since I was a child, I’ve liked cooking and modifying cooking recipes to give them a very personal touch and somehow, I always convert the recipes into original combinations of ingredients and flavors creating my own particular style of preparing them. On this occasion I want to share with you a recipe, which I’ve given the name of “Maria Amelia”, as a tribute to a great woman. She was an example in many aspects of life and she touched the lives of many people. I’ve used this recipe every Christmas season to prepare “María Amelia Cake”, and whenever I do, I remember how Maria Amelia ate almost the entire cake and with a jovial smile she told me, “You are to blame for making it so good, it’s perfect!, and then she asked ; “Could I take a little piece for Papa?, that as usual he had decided to stay at home”. So, every time I baked, I would make a special cake just for her and since it has been a few days since her passing I want to say that her joy and sweetness will become infused in the flavor of this cake. Even though this Christmas season will be the first of many in which Maria Amelia will not be eating the cake.
EMOTIONS AND PAPER STRIPS 