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flwrkae · 1 year

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COOK YOUR WAY INTO THEIR HEARTS!

summary: Mariana, a young girl coming from a famed family of cooks isn't as blessed with the skills of the knife compared to her kin. Frustrated as she also loves food and cooking as much as them, she decides to go on a journey to learn how to cook from her family members.

warnings: none! just a 'lil breakdown but all good :] not proof read

notes: hii, so this is set in spain and im filipino who knows 0 abt spain so plz forgive me if there is wrong things, its all google translated and i wrote this 4 school a while back so dont judge kakaka, just for fun and want an outlet for my works to share to the world

The sun is just beginning to rise along the shores of Cadaques. Located in the heart of the small town is a family restaurant called “Flor de Iluvia” meaning rain flower. Even this early in the morning, many people are lining up outside waiting for a chance to have a seat. It hasn’t even opened but a long queue has formed outside the door and it caused quite a noise. Many people know that Flor de Iluvia is a busy restaurant and is always filled any time of the time but the food is just too good, you just keep coming back.

Since it's a family-owned restaurant, the family members will be the cooks and the ones running it. Tio Carlos is known for his good looks along with his Hummus, Tia Valentina with her sweet character with her rich Spanish hot chocolate that will surely provide you comfort in the rainy season, Papa Hernando with his simple yet intense Patatas Bravas that's a favorite among the dad’s and tio’s since its best paired with beer, Mama Camila with her homey Huevos Rancheros, The cousin pair: Gabriela and Antonio with their specialty of albondigas that everyone of all ages enjoys, Abuela Romana and the crowd's favorite, her Paella that started it all, and many more talented chefs under the Rodriguez surname.

And there is Mariana, the girl whose specialty is cleaning. It is clear she is the odd one out of the family since she wasn’t gifted the special skills the rest of her kin have when it comes to cooking so she makes up for it with her cleaning and decorating skills.

The winter season is beginning and the temperature starts dropping. Even if you are greeted by the warm sun, the air will just make you feel weird. This is what Mariana feels every day, she already has much on her plate with the worry that she will never get the chance to cook with her family members do her school work, and do other things. She wakes up around 5 AM which is still relatively early for her, to hear that the kitchen is already filled and operating due to the loud voices of her family members nearly screaming at each other. She groans and lazily gets up from bed trying to fight away the urge to fall asleep. She gets up, puts on her slippers, and heads out of her room to check what's downstairs. She sees that several people are waiting outside even if the temperature is like 9 degrees and turns her head to the kitchen to see her papa and Tio arguing.

“Ay Dios Mio Hernando! Have you seen the people waiting outside for the restaurant to open and get their orders while you push back the opening time just because you had a hangover?” Tio Carlos shouts at Papa Hernando, “I’m sorry hermano but have you forgotten that I’m the manager of this place, can’t you see you are just pushing the opening time more because you just keep blaming me and you should start cooking” He retorted. The argument got cut off when Gabriela asked her dad, Tio Carlos to just not mind Papa Hernando and to start working on the orders.

Mariana walked up to the counter of the kitchen and asked what's going on and Camila, her cousin, responded that Papa Hernando went out drinking last night and woke up late with a headache so Tio Carlos got mad at him, and boom that happened. Mariana just laughed since it was a funny situation, to begin with, and she had this thought in her head, what if she asked Camila if she can help out because they are in a situation but Camila said “I know that look in your face Mariana, you want to help out don’t you” and Mariana just nodded in response then Camila followed “As much as we appreciate your help, we need to rush things and can’t afford any failures but next time, when you become a better cook”. After hearing that, she just sighed in defeat, laughed it off then headed to her room.

She went up the stairs frantically and shut the door to her room as soon as she arrived. She was bothered by the comment that Camila made but decided to brush it off and got ready to go to school. She showered, put on her uniform, went down to grab something to eat on the way, and waved goodbye. On her way to school, she was still bothered by the comment and overthinked it the whole day. The comment kept her thinking, what did Camila mean by “can’t afford any failures” and kept thinking if she was referring to herself as the failure. It affected her all day and dampened her mood which caused her to keep on sighing and acting all dramatic.

After a long day of school, she arrived home and when she opened the door with a smile on her face, it instantly turned to a frown when she saw Camila. She was reminded again about the conversation this morning and ran to her room. She dropped her bag and changed into her house clothes in a hurry since she felt this sudden surge of emotion and started breaking down. She felt like a disappointment and a failure like what Camila said, why couldn’t she be like her family members? She kept beating herself up and she turned to her side and saw herself in the mirror. Mariana thought to herself that she looks funny and shouldn’t be crying over something so simple. It still pained her but she knew she had to do something about her problem instead of crying about it. She got on her phone and started scrolling through recipes on how to make simple meals and tips on cooking. She took note of this and was determined to prove her family wrong.

It’s a Saturday today and Mariana woke up to her eyes being puffy from last night. She was in a good mood because she told herself that today is the start of her epic journey of learning how to cook. She went down after brushing her teeth to see that they were just preparing breakfast. Flor de Iluvia opens later than usual on Saturdays and Sundays so the Rodriguez family could have some family time.

Mariana's mom, Mama Gabriela looked at Mariana and ran over to her, while cupping her face she said in worry “Mija, why are your eyes so puffy? Did anything happen last night?” and Mariana just held on to her mother's hand and reassured her it was for a simple reason “But in fact mama, you can help me with my problem! Can you teach me how to cook?” Mama Gabriela had a smile on her face and hugged her daughter “Of course I can, anything for you! Tonight I will teach you so come sit first and eat!”. After Mama Gabriela said that, she sat down and started eating with her family.

The day went on pretty well because if you may have guessed it, Mariana was looking forward to cooking with her Mama. Mama Camila is known for her soft and endearing nature that will always make you feel at peace and Mariana was blessed to have such a mother who was like that and who cooks like heaven was brought to your mouth. She was pretty much excited because the last time she tried cooking, she burnt an egg. All she did for the afternoon was lounge around her room and go room to room to bother her relatives.

“Mariana, Get out of my room! You know I’m doing something important!” Antonio, her cousin said as he threw pillows at her. “What do you mean important? It’s clear you were playing again” Mariana said as she leaned against the doorframe while crossing her arms. She then entered the room and lay down on his bed. “Boy, I’m so bored right now, the fun only happens tonight” Mariana complains and Antonio turns around quickly and raises an eyebrow “What do you mean fun only happens tonight???? WHAT ARE YOU DOING AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE” He screams while he stands up, “Relax Antonio, I don’t mean those things, My mom will teach me how to cook tonight! And I’m just so excited that anything else is not that exciting” Mariana explains. Antonio just pushes Mariana out and then shuts the door in front of her “Rude much” Mariana says.

The day continued without a pause and Mariana was bored out of her mind so when evening came, she decided to go out for a walk since the restaurant became busier and people started pouring in. The cold breeze hit her hair and danced along with it. Mariana shivers as she feels the wind while she stares out at the ocean. She closed her eyes and found peace with the sound of ocean waves and had this impulsive feeling. She ran to the shore of the ocean and pulled her pants a little above her shins and let the waves hit her feet. It was quite peaceful and slow-paced compared to the busy and noisy atmosphere she was used to. She remained in this motionless state for a while then sat down. Staring at the moon got her thinking what if she was as talented as her family members but she worked hard for it. She imagined all the praise she got when she opens her restaurant in the future and she makes a fist promising to herself that she will make that happen.

Closing time arrives and she rushes back to the restaurant. “Where have you been all night Mariana? We were worried sick about you!” Mama Camila exclaims while rushing to Mariana. “Ma, I was just out and nothing happened so don’t worry” She reassures her mother then Mama Camila pulls her by the hand gently to the kitchen, “Tonight, I’m going to teach you how to make my special Huevos Rancheros!” Mama Camila says then she starts getting the ingredients and things that will be used. “Mariana, can you start prepping or chopping what needs to be done so we can finish up early” Her mother ordered so Mariana got to work and started crushing the tomatoes and chopping the onions. After chopping up and prepping, Mama Camila is teaching her how to make the salsa, “U saute the onions in olive oil in medium heat then when its translucent, you add the tomatoes that you crushed and add the green chilies” Mama Camila instructed then Mariana followed but she added too much green chilies and accidentally burned them, “You can add any additional seasoning but don’t add too much as it might overpower the dish” Mama Camila reminded but Mariana decided to add her twist to it and added too much of spice chili powder.

Now the salsa is done and Mama Camila had this trick of warming the plate so she popped it in the oven just a little while that was heating. Mariana started preparing the tortillas and put them in a pan with oil to heat and while waiting, she started frying the eggs and forgot about the tortillas and they burned! While she was frying the eggs, she suddenly smelt something burning and asked her mother “Mama, do you smell anything burning?” Mama Camila panicked and said "Mariana the eggs!" then hurryingly went to the stove and turned off the heat. Mariana just stood there as the scene unfolded and took a mental note to herself to always be mindful of everything.

"Mija, go up and wash up. I'll finish things here" Mama Camila said so Mariana followed what her mother said and went up. Mariana didn't feel that sad about it because she at least got a chance to cook and learned something from her mom. She decided that when everyone is asleep, she will practice cooking the dish again.

That time of the night came and Mariana came out of her room quietly and tiptoed her way to the kitchen. Good thing she remembered the recipe and followed it without adding too much of something or anything that she only likes. It was finished and it tasted bad. It was burned and mild to her but she didn't lose hope and started again. This process was repeated many times until she got it to the taste that was okay but not really up to the restaurant's standards. She got tired and cleaned up then headed back to her room.

Days turned into weeks and Mariana spent most of her time helping in the restaurant with her usual cleaning and decorating but at night when everyone was asleep, she would try recreating the recipe that her mom taught her. It was one night when she was caught cooking by Tia Valentina. Tia Valentina laughed when she heard the reason why Mariana kept sneaking out of her room at night and why there was lots of noise coming from the kitchen. "I honestly thought there was a ghost in the kitchen but glad it was you! Anyways, I can help you with this journey of yours! I can help you make my simple hot chocolate" Tia Valentina offered and Mariana replied quickly with a nod.

Mariana was excited to learn to make something again and she was thrilled since it was something fairly easy. Tia Valentina offered to do it together since it would be easy to mimic the actions and Mariana agreed. They first used a saucepan, heated to medium heat, and poured the milk and cornstarch. Mariana was a little behind because she had a hard time understanding the medium heat but got it when Tia Valentina put the stove on medium heat. Tia Valentina got a whisk and handed it to Mariana and told her to whisk it until it starts to boil. In a matter of a few minutes, it started to boil and Tia Valentina took it out quickly but Mariana was confused and let it boil a bit until she took it out. They added chocolate and stir until it was fully melted. After they finished putting the chocolate and mixing it, they put it back on the stove and turned down the heat then stirred it constantly. They were done with the drink and Mariana was happy when it was finished.

They just added the finishing touches like whipped cream and drizzled caramel on top. Mariana was happy and started drinking right away. Tia Valentina just chuckled and drank along with Mariana. "I didn't know you had a knack for cooking, I wish I had taught you earlier," Tia Valentina remarked Mariana was happy hearing it but deep down she didn't want to tell Tia that her drink tasted a bit weird and knew that she let the milk boil some more. "Thank you Tia Valentia for teaching me!" Mariana said and Tia Valentina responded "No worries, I know that yours taste a bit weird so I hope next time, you follow instructions" And then she left.

Mariana kept making this drink every time she had guests over or if she wanted a rich drink. Every time she made it, she kept thinking something was lacking and wasn't satisfied with it. Time has passed and Mariana has never failed to come to the kitchen every night to practice her skills in cooking. She wanted to improve them drastically so she decided to ask Tio Carlos, a famous chef who has his dishes, on a special menu in the restaurant.

It was an afternoon when Mariana came home from school and saw Tio Carlos in the restaurant. "Tio Carlos! Are you back from your trip?" Mariana said while setting her bag down. "Hello Mariana, it's been a long time! You surely are big now. I just arrived earlier" Tio Carlos replied while entertaining some diners. "I also have a question or a request to make," Mariana asked and Tio Carlos hummed in response, "Would it be okay if you could teach me one of your recipes" Mariana continued and Tio Carlos agreed and told her to come to the kitchen at night.

Mariana was excited to learn from Tio Carlos and was down all afternoon to night helping around in the restaurant. When evening came, Mariana rushed to the kitchen and found there were still people cleaning up so she decided to help around to kill time.

It was around 9 PM when Mariana saw Tio Carlos. "Hello, Tio! I'm so excited to learn from you!" Mariana exclaimed and Tio Carlos chuckled "Calm down Mari, tonight we are going to let loose so don't be so uptight. I'm going to just teach you simple recipes". Mariana and Tio Carlos enjoyed themselves with the cooking because even if Tio Carlos was strict, Mariana got to pick up lots of tips. In the end, Mariana made his famous Hummus and was disappointed when it wasn't up to his standard and was just told to keep on practicing then left.

Mariana stood there for a few minutes then tears started dripping from her eyes. She didn't realize it but his words stuck to him and realized that she won't be like her family and felt anger building up in her. She threw all the things on the counter and made a mess. "Why am I a disappointment?" A plate fell, "How come I can't be like them?" Another thing went flying to the ground, "WHY AM I SO UNLUCKY AND ALWAYS LEFT OUT" and with that, she fell to her knees and cried. She kept it the whole time and invalidated her feelings thinking it was natural. All the pressure, sadness, and jealousy started crashing down. She remained on the floor for a while and kept repeating "What am I doing wrong" for a few minutes until she stopped and realized something. She shouldn't copy, mimic and be like her family members.

She had this realization that she kept on messing up because her taste isn't like her family members and kept on copying them and their recipes but added her touch that messed up the dish. She should be her person and chef and apply the skills she learned to create a dish that reflected her personality and matched her taste pallet.

She got herself together and cleaned up the mess she made, the broken plate and glass shards, wrappings on the floor, or spills made. She then sat down and started thinking about things that she would like in her dish like a dish that reminds you of home, something to be comforted by, a little spicy and easy to cook. Mariana came up with Spicy Spanish Prawns which was perfect for her because of the seafood that is often served since they live by the sea and the spicyness.

Mariana scrambled around the kitchen getting her ingredients like prawns, paprika, chili flakes, lemon juice, and more. She got a flying pan and placed it over low heat, she then added olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, and paprika. She let it sit for a couple of minutes so she decided to prep the prawns, she got a paper towel and dried the prawns then seasoned them lightly with salt and pepper. She turned the heat up and when it started to shimmer, she placed the prawns and tossed it around until it became opaque. After tossing and cooking it around, she turned off the heat and poured the lemon juice and sherry then stirred it. As a final touch, she added parsley and tasted it immediately. She felt proud of herself for once because she made it to her liking. All the flavors exploded in her mouth and savored them. She finished half of the dish and saved it for her family to taste the next day.

Morning came and she woke up early with a smile on her face and couldn’t stop thinking about last night. She went down the stairs and found most of her family members just talking about their plans for the holidays so she took this as an opportunity to serve her food. She took them out of the fridge and just heated them. When it was finished, she was scared of what they would say and disappointment, complaints, and disgust filled her head. As she walked to the table where they were sitting, she felt like she was walking to her death as a chef and part of the Rodriguez family.

“Oh Mija, what is this?” Abuela Romana asked and motioned her to sit down, “It’s just something I made after many sessions of teaching myself how to cook so I want you guys to try it” Mariana answered and she felt her heart beating as each one grabbed a spoonful and placed it in their mouth. “Oh wow! Did you make this? It’s pretty good” remarked Tio Carlos and many people nodded in agreement. Abuela Romana was the one who Mariana was worried about because her response is a make-and-break in her career as a chef but all her worries were eased when she said it was good enough and made a hint that she could start cooking and helping out in the kitchen. “It’s a good dish if we take into account that you’re just new to cooking so I look forward to seeing more of your dishes put on the table”. Mariana felt happy and jumped inside, she hugged her mom and thanked everyone who helped her.

It was an afternoon in Flor de Iluvia and the front of the restaurant was a bit empty because a certain girl isn’t cleaning and entertaining diners anymore. Mariana had found a spot in the kitchen as someone who fries and handles seafood. As she is cooking, she remembers all the hard times and jealousy she experienced but her hard work paid off. She certainly cooked her way into everyone's hearts.

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