Baking a cake.

“The sun was slanting thru the crisp white curtains of the compact kitchen– a scent of wild rose from the blossoming bush outside the window was perfuming the air as the breeze blew in– but the scent of cake baking in the oven was the star. My mother was singing “la de da...” as she whipped up a 7 Minute Frosting to ice the impending cake as we all hovered and waited in anticipation to lick the beaters. The cake batter had already been licked clean earlier by we overzealous kids fighting over who would do it first. 
I  can’t recall if the cake was for a birthday, dessert, or just ‘needed’ to be made, but all of the ingredients were there: the sun, the smells, the love, the passion, the family, the adoration, and anticipation. 

Later~
The cake is done, the frosting white, fluffy, and peaked. Who can wait?  No one– when the aroma seduces your senses: your eyes, your nose, your tastebuds. My mother takes the knife and carefully slices a piece for each of us, sneaking a lick of the wayward crumbs and frosting as she goes. The sun is now in a different place, the oven is cooling, our childish patience has waned, and we are finally ready for a bite of this beautifully baked piece of magic. 

That particular piece of Mom’s magic, chemistry, and passion, is now lovingly baked in our own sunlit compact kitchen.”
           ~ Johanna Bohoy

From an article written & illustrated for the Massachusetts Specialty Food Newsletter. 

Pastel, 5x7, $75.