Its been a few rainy days, and another soup is in order. Im working with one of my patients, an older Mexican women with dementia. As I have her do various physical exercises to maintain whatever strength she still has, I also keep her mind engaged through conversation, and discover she likes to cook. So of course I have her tell me her recipe for albondigas. Did I mention she has dementia? I would ask her a question about her recipe, and only about 50% of it really made sense (since I actually have a pretty good idea how to cook this, I am able to know that it doesn't make sense) but it lit her up to talk about cooking and how her family loves her albondigas, so it def still served a purpose! (one even better than making good food)
On my way home I still didn't have the recipe for albondigas, so I called my mom. ring, ring, ring, no response. Dam Im hungry! So i went to the grocery store and just bought whatever I remembered from having ate it. Sometimes you just gotta play it by ear ;)
Ground beef, celery, onion, carrots, calabaza, tomato, repollo ....
It came out good.
Here's the recipe in 3 steps:
1- Sautee 1 onion (cut in half) & 2-3 cloves garlic, then fill pot with water (leave enough room to add meatballs and chopped veggies)
2- Throw in all chopped veggies and cabbage cut in 1/4's
3- Add in ~ 1 inch meatballs seasoned to taste ( i used garlic, pepper, salt)
Important: Let it sit after its cooked, be patient, that's when all the flavors really come together!
PATIENCE. An interesting thing with patience, cooking, food, and life. A lot of times when im cooking I eat so much along the process, a little bit here, a lil more there, that by the time the meal is ready im not even hungry at all anymore! Today at work I helped a hundred year old women eat her oatmeal. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took an hour. Bite by bite, I helped her move her fragile wrist to scoop it up, then slowly bring the spoon to her mouth, carefully because of the pain (joints aching, muscles aching) After that, she chewed......slowly....she closed her eyes after each bite because it took all her little bodies energy to chew and swallow the soft oatmeal. And I stood there patiently as she enjoyed each bite. Literally enjoyed each bite. Once she swallowed she would open her blue wrinkly eyes, look up at me, and say "Mmmm". then look down at her plate to get ready for the next bite.
THAT is a beautiful example of taking the time, to take the time, to enjoy.
Lately since I've been cooking, Ive been thinking of the ingredients as materials, grab the cutting board and knife and think to myself "time to make art". cooking is a time to be creative, "CREATE". & I can be patient enough to wait and enjoy an original masterpiece. Which every meal is! ("masterpiece" not to be confused with good food, haha) regardless who makes it, how many times they've made it, where, with what, its a one time deal. each meal is one of a kind.
Conclusion:
to be Patient.
to be present.
to Enjoy.
