Andrea Lopez Labrador

Professor Lacey
English Composition 111
September 16, 2019

Magic Words and Spanish Food

“Let’s eat!” - Those two words that sounded like magic from my mother’s mouth. Nothing
else was needed for all the people in the house to leave what they were doing and sit at the table.
It was never a planned menuú since we have never been the type of family to mark dates such
as “ Friday night pizza” or “Sunday family meal.”, At we have used it at home, we to intuit that
what was the for dinner of by the smell that came from the kitchen.
There were only two things that were always the same, the places aton the table and the salad
in the center. Was like if each chair had our name.: I was in the front on the table, the best place to
watch TV. My mom at my right, because is the closest place to go to the kitchen and my mom
always forgeot something there. And mMy grandma at my left, because she does not need to go to
the kitchen and this is the place with most space on the table. I can watch the TV in on those
occasions, but I prefer to listen to my grandma and her stories, which are always about her past or
present, always are so interesting.
The second thing is always there is the salad with tomato, olives and lettuce, essential
ingredients, in the center of the table. Depending on the day and the time of the year, it was
accompanied by one or others ingredients: the classic Mediterranean salad in cold seasons,
although it was such a typical dish that you could find it at any time of the year. That salad is
formed by the indispensable ones (lettuce, tomato, olives) and could include items such as carrots,
onions, and corn along with a special vinaigrette that we bought at the supermarket. In hot seasons,
like summer, more typical were pasta or lentil salads, since my mother makes these salads while
resting them in the fridge and they always have a cool point that is appreciated when it is very hot.
These could add corn, onion, carrot, crab, boiled egg and a soft delicious cocktail sauce. And,
indeed in themthese, you also ended up finding the indispensable (tomato, olives, and lettuce). The

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salad can never be missing in the center of the table in my house as if it were somehow our tradition.
Since my mother always says that it is important to eat vegetables every day and it was the only
way for me to eat vegetables when it was more littleI was younger.
I have never liked green foods too much, but I love salad and, for my mother, while eating
something healthy, it was enough for her. So I think that I am the reason why I ended up the
convincingfor the tradition to of always putting a salad on the table.
Always arriving at the table, before sitting down, I used to ask: -“What about breastfeeding Commented [KL1]: I’m slightly confused here.

today?” I knew perfectly well that two possible answers could have been: The first one, she tells
me exactly the dishes I had prepared, or the second option, his subtle response of “A very good
thing” followed by a mischievous smile, as if he were seeing her right now. Commented [KL2]: Who is “he”?

This second possible answer meant that there was a 99% chance that the menu of the day
would include dishes not especially to my liking. But for these occasions, my savior appeared, my
dear grandmother.
When I touched encountered this most unpleasant menu, I knew that my grandmother would
reward that bad taste in my mouth, then I looked at her. With just one look my grandmother and I
understood each other, we have never needed words to know what we thought or what we wanted
to say. I have always had a special connection with my grandmother, it has always given me the
feeling that I am hershe protects meed, as if she I were her favorite. Maybe it's because I'm the last
granddaughter she has had, I'm the little girl in the family and maybe that's why she protects me
more than others.
But even so, the relationship we have goes beyond that. With a look, we understand each
other, with an expression on his face he perfectly knows what he feels at that moment, or what Commented [KL3]: Be aware of your pronoun usage. If
you’re talking about females, use “she/her/hers.”
goes through his mind. Sometimes we even talk at the same time and say exactly the same. I adore
my grandmother, and not only because she is my only grandmother and the best cook on the planet,
but because she is a special person in every way, affectionate, funny, affable, tender and very wise.
And well, returning to the menu and the main theme, she knew what to do or rather that
cooking to take that anger out (because I always beat myself with food): cooking her star dish for Commented [KL4]: What anger? Why? Explain it for your
readers.
dinner, potato omelette.

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 My grandmother never needed helpers in the kitchen, but and she liked to teach me how to
cook the dishes she did as she did before with my mother. The clothes he wore were always Commented [KL5]: I’m slightly confused. Do you mean
she changed her clothes to cook in? Why? Explain for your
different, so I imagine he didn't follow a custom to cook with certain clothes. The only thing that readers.

always did exactly the same was the process of cooking your special tortilla.
When she made potato tortillas, she sat on the sofa two hours before making the tortilla and
while watching the news, she took a potato peeler and began to peel 4 to 5 potatoes (the largest
ones there were). He cut them into semicircular slices. When he had already accumulated the 5
potatoes, he went to the kitchen, took the largest pan, sprinkled it with olive oil and let it heat for
2 minutes. Then, put the potatoes to fry, and in the meantime, beat the eggs. He used to use 3 to 4
eggs (he always liked the tortilla to be bigger than small). When the potatoes began to look toasted,
add the eggs to the pan and cover for 5 minutes.
When the time of 5 minutes was completedAfter five minutes, he took a plate, and with a
subtle movement of the wrist, he turned the tortilla around and left it frying for a few more minutes.
I loved (and I still love) to see how my grandmother cyclists, to see the passing of the years Commented [KL6]: Wrong word

on her skin and her same vitality and happiness when doing her dishes that 15 years ago. It seems
that time only passes in it physically because its vitality remains the same as always and that is
why I admire it so much. Commented [KL7]: I’m not sure you need this paragraph.

After a few minutes, I was ready! The best dish in the world just in time for dinner.
This dish was always accompanied by other primordial Spanish food at the table: you could
find bread with tomato, oil and salt, serrano ham along with other Iberian sausages, gazpacho,
olives, and and of course not forgetting the salad in the center of the table.
So I wanted to hear the magic words and run to the table, chat with my mother and
grandmother, gather the 3 generations in one place enjoying something as beautiful as joining food
and family and create memorable magical moments.

Grade: C

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