Neurosis and a Faberware Pressure Cooker

I forget, sometimes, how fun/neurotic it is to cook with my mother =)
I had so much fun cooking with her tonight - I'm still learning the fine tuning of cooking brasilian food, so it's nice to work with the expert.
If anything the more we work together, instead of learning more of the craft, I learn more of me. I see the "why's" of what I do, how I chop, how I clean, where things go, how things should be. I didn't get all of her ways, but each culinary adventure is a lesson in Humility (I do more dishes than cooking with Gema), Creativity (Hmmm, sure, let's try it with the pork instead of the chicken) and Quick Thinking (you'd better have that bowl, that knife, that utencil ready for her when she calls for it).
We talk when we cook about... well... what ever suits us, or more like what ever suits Gema =)

It's been such a crazy year, when mom is not tending to her tailoring gig 3 times a week, she's tending to her grandsons 3 other days of the week. Sundays are her days for tending home and my dad. We didn't have much of our outtings: Mom and I would spend a lazy Sunday with each other or I'd sneak out of work to meet her for an afternoon out. I've missed her. When she had to leave in December, I was sad - it's odd for us not to chit chat every day. She was home just in time to miss the Garcia Colon/Belly Virus (she brought me presents =))

So tonight - a stolen evening she shared
I cooked up more than black beans and rice, I cooked up another moment to reminisce on, to remember. She was cranky (Dad's vacuuming skills seem to be falling below standard) but she was fun tonight. Another Gema tale to tell. I'm selfish when it comes to Mom - I share her with freinds, but sometimes I just want Gema Time all to myself.

I'll leave you with a true Gema-ism: Cooking tonight is for a lunch tomorrow I'm sharing with a few coworkers (my bosses too). Mom was preparing one of the dishes on the stove and I was about to start preping the salsa/pico to go with meal. "Mom, I'll start that dicing up the green onions and tomato, I used the olive oil on it right?"
She smiles and says, "Oh, no Maggi, that's ok, I'll do it"
"Mom, I can do it"
[pause] Said with a sweet smile in the most perfect, non Brasilian accent, "No, they'll know I helped and I have a reputation to maintain"
Oh so Gema
She did end up letting me cook some of the meal