Meet my Teacher Lucia (78)

I have a friend and master of cooking here in Palermo. Her name is Lucia. She is 78 years old, from Corleone and is Vincenzo’s mother.  She is dedicated in her life for her family, for cooking, for art and history. She makes her food with love and long traditions. And you must know that the way they make the food in Corleone is very different from how they make the food in Palermo! We have known each other for 9 years. In February 2017 Karin and I visited Palermo and started to plan our year of sabbat. Lucia asked me what I was going to do for one year in Palermo? I said I would like to make a blog. She replied: “How do people have time look at internet? Where is the time for work and taking care of the family?” And then she asked: “What are you going to write about?” I answered: “You”. “What?” she replied. “Me? Why?” I answered: “I would like to write down your recipes, your way of cooking, your experiences in the kitchen and your stories about the Sicilian food”. She looked at me as I was from the moon.

Now, we are doing it. I follow her in the kitchen. She teach me hands on how to make Sicilian food. She helps me with the pictures and make sure that the measurements are right. The most important thing I have learned until now is her way of paying attention and focus. Her mindful rhyhtm. Being with her in the kitchen is mindfulness in practice. When she steps into the kitchen she says: “This will take time. You have to forget about everything else. Pay attention to each little step. Don’t stress, that will impact the taste of what you are cooking”. Then she startes to cook and tell me how her grandmother taught her and how she today teach her 5 year old granddaughter. And us. You and me. Forever thankful!