"Sugar, love, and unity...the spice's for a perfect sustenance for life's endeavours"
1. MARQUEZOTE SALVADOREÑO
½ Cup of all purpose self-rising flour
1 cup of sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
First, separate the yolk from the whites, and beat at medium speed the egg whites until they are firm. Slowly begin to add the egg yolkes, mixing at medium speed, until the mixture is firm. Add the sugar, slowly and continue to beat slowly, then add the flour, also slowly while still mixing it slow. Add the cinnamon and beat mixture till it is all well mixed. Pour in baking pan of choice and cook for about 20-35mins or until fully cooked.
Story:
Being young in a third world country you must do whatever it takes and whatever your family’s need to cover each other and struggle for survival in unity. Those in deed were the moments when we all collaborated in one way or another. While our mother prepared the mixture for this famous and most delicious bread, our older brother preheated the oven: more clearly, he went wood picking, turned the oven on which was made of clay/bricks/ or some are of cement. Our oven was a combination of the three. My older brother would start up the fire and let the wood burn all the way through while covering the entrance/oven door and the back. Note the oven was like a shape of an igloo home, exactly the same way. The HORNO (oven) was lit with a massive amount of wood burning inside it, until it was all just charcoal and ashes. Those ashes are then "swept out" and cleaned, leaving just a pure and clean oven...very hot though....see image below...
Around the corner, there would be my younger sister at the time, adding oil or butter to the tin cans used for baking. Some were sardine cans, others were from some recycled products, either way, and we didn’t quite have baking pans as they are called here. No one was embarrassed to use tin cans as those created the perfect shape and size of bread. She would butter up the bottoms, sides, and continue to clean the rest of the cans for future use. My youngest siblings were too young to do anything, they were our little jewels.
What was my contribution? I was the sales girl. Grabbed my basket loaded with bread and walked our entire neighborhood and even further, to sell the bread we had all worked so hard for, so that we could earn our way and meals (thus was taught to us by our mom – never allowing ourselves to be dependant of anyone). It was a great lesson and for that experience I am so thankful. This does not necessarily mean we were starving to death, but it was our way to make our living, while my father was in the U.S.A. He did support us financially, sometimes we needed to find a way to make a little extra and work a bit more to help out around the house and feel accomplished on our own.
I was maybe 8 or 9 at the time, although it feels as thought time never seemed to pass…it stood still and our days were forever the longest. Those were the learning days, the days of endurance and early maturity. Indeed, sometimes I have to question myself what is best; to be back in that time and work twice as hard everyday for absolutely no future, or struggle everyday here with the negativity around us and work towards a future?
Marquezote, is a fluffly bread almost like angel cake, but it’s way tastier! Nothing can actually compare to it. I have attempted to make it here, however, seems that the one ingredient missing is that oven we used. To bake this bread in the heat of actual wood would be like biting into a piece of heavenly baked bread…
This small insightful story takes place while we lived in San Miguel, El Salvador – we lived in Colonia Santa Carlota, a neighborhood rich in memories and past times. More so, this was were most of dad’s family lived. We sought to work hard every day as a family to earn our ways while also understanding that our dad was doing just the same. We baked breads, made Tamales of different types, sold fruit, etc…it was our way. We were good at it and we did it just great. If I had to pick up on my pride and toss it aside, I would do it all over in a heart beat. I sold almost everything and often came back for more to sell even more. I was also accompanied by my oldest brother so to keep me safe. I miss those days of nurishful knowledge and the absorbtion of unique experiences.
Written: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 @ 2:40pm
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