On Monday, wise grandmothers gathered at Mont Sant Benet. It was called the Great Gathering of Gastronomic Wisdom. The hosts, from the Fundació Alícia, who have been working tirelessly for years, managed to bring together grandmothers who are cooks from all over Catalonia. The mayor of Sant Fruitós, while speaking, greeted his aunt, and Councilor Ordeig, also from the podium, greeted some friends of his mother. Between selfies and slices of coca (a type of flatbread), we talked and, above all, listened to projects from across the region, all centered around the cuisine that boasts the oldest unwritten Latin recipe book in Europe. The legacy we are obligated to pass on belongs to them. They have cherished the recipes, written them down in neat handwriting, with humility and a desire to serve; I mean, without any desire for the limelight. A good cook knows that the dish is the star, not herself.
The woman and the frying pan in the kitchen extends"Women belong in the kitchen," says the Castilian proverb. What harm that has done us! "Women belong in the kitchen!" or "Go wash the dishes!" they would shout at you when you were perhaps doing a job. male Such as driving, lighting a fire, or stacking firewood. When people ask me if I like to cook, I say I don't know. I like to eat, and therefore I like knowing how things are made. I don't like cooking "in and of itself," just as I don't like playing sports "in and of itself," or digging in the garden "in and of itself." But I don't dislike it either. I like the feeling of finishing, and I like the idea of being able to think about my own things while I do the mechanical work. Do I like to cook? I like it more than scrubbing (which I don't dislike either). I like it because it's like running a marathon: if you train, you finish. I like to celebrate the wisdom of this cuisine made of patience and science. I like the act of love it represents. I like it when whoever cooks does so happily and without any sense of self-importance, because then, of course, is when the cooking transcends. By the way, at ARA we're looking for a wise grandmother to make us a Christmas stew.
