Playing With My Food
By Martie Hevia | Blue Beach Song™
Cooking is one of those creative things that I have always loved doing. I thank my grandparents for that. They were amazing culinary artists, disguised as everyday home cooks, who taught me to trust my palate and create my own recipes.
Caramel Coconut Cake
Learning to cook with my grandparents was like jamming with great jazz musicians – they encouraged playing with my food, improvising, and taking risks. Whenever I tried to take notes and jot down measurements, my grandparents would insist that I put pen and paper away, and simply observe, taste, and smell.
Cooking was not a science to them, it was an art form. It was not a chore, it was fun. It was the embodiment of tradition and culture, and, in a way, the essence of family and love. You have to feel it, taste it, trust yourself, enjoy it, and share it.
Spanish Tortilla
Although most of the dishes that I learned to cook with my grandparents were based in northern Spanish cuisine and family recipes, the lesson was really about being creative in the kitchen, cooking with love, and respecting the art form.
Over the years, I have developed my own recipes, most of which I never write down, they are simply inspired impromptu culinary creations with whatever I find in the kitchen or in the garden at that particular moment. That is part of the fun, the inspired creativity, and the challenge of cooking.
Perhaps these photos of my culinary creations will inspire your own creativity.
¡Que aproveche! Enjoy! Bon Appétit!
Caramel Pecan Apple Coffee Cake
Toffee Custard Cake
Apple Stuffed Pancakes with Raisins
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Coconut Custard Cake
Valentine’s Dinner – Garlic Encrusted Lobster with Asparagus, Peas & Mushrooms
Cuban Roasted Pork
Rosemary Garlic Turkey
Marinading Rosemary Garlic Turkey
Cuban Citrus Chicken
Rosemary Garlic Lamb
Marinading Lemon Herb Salmon
Lemon Herb Salmon on Creamy Cucumber Spinach Salad
Italian Eggplant Soup
Chicken Barley Soup
Blackberry Feta Spring Salad
Cuban Yucca with Mojito
Chinese Fried Rice Toppings (Sans Rice)
Pork Chow Mein
Saucy Spaghetti with Italian Sausage, Mushrooms & Peppers
St. Patty’s Corned Beef & Cabbage
Martie Hevia (c) 2013 | All Rights Reserved
Blue Beach Song™ 
I am hungry already after reading “Playing with my Food”.
A big part of cooking and dining is the time spent with family and friends and this article brought me back to my grandmother’s kitchen where I was “helping” her bake cookies, coffee cake, and pastries. Okay, maybe it was more like helping her eat those tasty baked goods, but all the same I enjoyed the trip back to grandma’ s kitchen.
Thanks, ‘Hungry.’ You are right, there is nothing like Grandma’s kitchen! (Hope you learned something with her!)