“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Hippocrates
My mother’s way of showing her love was cooking. She often fell asleep with a Gourmet magazine on her chest as she marked what recipes she would cook for her family and friends.
As a refugee of two Communist revolutions, first Cuba and then Nicaragua, she found solace in the kitchen. It was her medicine and grounded her. It connected her to her Spanish ancestors and to friends in Argentina, Peru and Spain. There was quite a diaspora of her community after fleeing two wars and the recipes she learned from beloved friends helped keep her connected. My godmother was Peruvian and from her we learned Ceviche and other Peruvian recipes. Some of my family’s best friends were Argentine and from them we learned gnocchi and chimichurri.
It has been interesting for me that when I hear back the most from patients after newsletters, it is about the stories where I shared my personal journey were the ones that touched them and guided them in what they needed to heal.
If you had a challenging childhood, cooking is part of self-parenting. It is your nourishment, your connection to the Earth from a Five Element acupuncture point of view.
I remember Mami’s cooking and feel her when I make the time to cook. Her cooking explored many salads and vegetables, paellas and a wide palate of recipes.
One of my colleagues, said “I love encouraging cooking, because when you encourage cooking, you address lifestyle and people slow down and spend time with their loved ones.”
It is a way of nourishing yourself and others.
This picture was taken at my mother’s Mardi Gras themed 75th birthday. Months later, she had a stroke which started her descent into a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Cherish your loved ones today because you don’t know how long you will have them with you.
Chimichurri sauce: a sauce for vegetables and meats…
Ingredients:
1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
3 to 4 garlic cloves
2 TBSP fresh oregano leaves OR dried oregano (I prefer dry)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. Red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Method:
- Finely chop the parsley, fresh oregano and garlic (or process in a food processor with several pulses). Place in a small bowl.
- Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving. Can keep for a day or two.