MOTHER’S DAY

I believe many will agree with me that these dates — be it Mother’s Day or Father’s Day — are becoming increasingly commercialized. Yet, without a doubt, there is a shared fulfillment in showing our mothers a meaningful gesture. Gift-giving is a blend of art and science. To do it right, you must truly know the other person and even «anticipate» them: because if you know exactly who they are, what they own, and what they lack, it is much easier to get it right. The fundamental rule when buying something for someone else is to completely forget about yourself and your own tastes — to forget about «practical gifts» for Mother’s Day, because this date is meant to surprise her, not to remind her of her daily chores.

Do not even think about gifting her the most sophisticated iron on the market; it yields the impression that you are simply asking her to work a little harder. If your mother enjoys cooking, she probably enjoys eating well too. Why not surprise her with lunch or dinner at a restaurant? Or better yet, cook for her yourself. Any occasion is a good one for a gift, and when the recipient is our mother, it is clear that the choice must be deliberate. A «one-size-fits-all» approach simply does not work with mothers. It is far better to give something small and special than something grand but completely devoid of meaning. And if your experience mirrors mine, perhaps an «innocent» gift can trigger lifelong changes.

Indeed, I remember gifting my mother a book on the Scarsdale diet. Back then, she was developing a keen interest in «healthy eating». After that book entered my home, anything that could bring a caloric burden to our table vanished entirely. Meals became increasingly bland, tasteless, and dull. Subsequent gifts mutated into steam-cooking gadgets, tupperware storage containers, juice extractors, egg yolk separators (to ward off cholesterol), and a long, exhausting etcetera.

Meanwhile, my grandmother — indulgent and pampering as all grandmothers are — would prepare arepas de chicharrón (pork rind corncakes), torrejas (fried dough pastries), or a rich pelao de cochino (Venezuelan pork and rice stew). Thus, while one mother condemned my palate, the other exalted it. Naturally, it didn’t take long for me to rebel against this new dietary regime. Ironically, it was from that very gift that my interest in cooking indirectly emerged.

To tell the truth, I became an enthusiast of the culinary world more as a survival mechanism than out of a desire to pursue it professionally. Of course, the seed was planted there. Driven by unsuspecting paths, cooking is today the central axis around which my daily endeavors revolve.

There is nothing that brings me more joy than cooking for my family and watching my mother wholeheartedly enjoy my dishes, completely free from the constraints of caloric counts or dietary worries.

Ultimately, let us not forget that it is Mother’s Day, not Housewife’s Day. We must surprise them with something truly special.

Angelo Campione