Many of the most beautiful memoirs I have of my life were built around food. Making it, tasting it, craving it, it doesn't matter in what shape or form, food has always been present in my life and I wouldn't have it in any other way, I mean, even my first serious injury was related to food.
When I was 6 years old I wanted to make a simple tomato salad, I was hungry and didn't have any intentions of waiting till lunch. The knife slipped through my fingers and ended up jabbed between my left thumb and index. I covered my hand and went outside to try and stop the bleeding. That didn't work and by lunchtime, I was at the hospital, thankfully it didn't need stitches, but I got scared, not by the injury, but by the scolding I got. Luckily it wasn't that bad, and that was the start of my relationship with food.
That accident far from getting me out of the kitchen, I decided to learn how to handle a knife and not cut myself slicing a simple tomato. My brothers and I made special treats for our parents on mother's and father's day, and I even won a contest in a vacation camp doing a Coliflour Salad.
By the time I was twelve I already was immersed in the music world and didn't have time to do much in the kitchen, but, as my weight issues started, the diets began, and when I had time I tried different stuff to make them less boring. By the time I was 18 and left home to live in another city, I had sufficient knowledge to be able to feed myself without any trouble, my big sister and I made our monthly purchases and according to the budget we had, we didn't lack delicious food even if it was cheap.
Living alone I learned how to bake a whole piece of meat, I learned how to make Filet Mignon, Paella, and I did my first batch of Hallacas by myself. That was a joyous day, and I had my parents crazed over the phone asking all sorts of questions. I created some recipes also, like Dripping Potatoes or Mushroom-Lemon Rice, which my brother loved very much.
Then I got sick and I came back home and joined a Culinary School, but that didn't pan out. However, I started to bake cakes to sell, and then I added cookies and other pastries to make some money, but I often did them also for my family and friends. That and the medication I took for my illness made my weight over 70kg which was way too much for me given my height. 1.54mts.
But even then, food provided comfort and safety, not in a sick way, but therapeutically, because the time I spent in the kitchen made me vent maybe in a similar way music does. It healed me whenever I was angry, or sad, or frustrated, and the best foods I've ever made were the ones I made while being very happy because the look on the faces of my loved ones was priceless whenever they tasted something I made on our kitchen.
Food is the way I show love, a tangible love, a full love. Music conveys a rainbow of emotions through sounds, and food does the same through flavors. You can transport to different places in your head just by tasting something that's linked to some memory, either happy or sad, and you can show people how much you care about them by preparing something tasty, and fun, and hearty, that's why, for me, food equals love.
This is my entry to @JonicaBradley Writing Prompt #20 and I must say, I cried while writing it, so many memories and the ones that are left to tell.
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The pictures are mine, some of them recent, and taken with my Samsung GT-E2550 from Prehistoric Ages and my sister's Techno Spark 6Go.
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✨✨Blessings✨✨
Saturday, October 30th, 2021.
I wanted to know how to bake a cake I'll try before doing carrot cake but it failed😁😅your cake looks yummy and delicious, baking is one of the best stress relievers.😉