Gramma Laura

Everyone in the Good Ol’ USofA has a gramma that was the “pie” gramma. This gramma is the keeper of the secrets of baking. This was the gramma that stood at the kitchen counter when we were kids and using nothing but a rolling pin and air (as far as we knew) baked delicacies fit only for kings and kids. Thankfully we were the later.

Zoom forward a few dozen years, and you find yourself in Santa Barbara on the west sah-eed.

Which brings us at long last to the title of this entry – Gramma Laura. She would have been right at home here. She would have been among the keepers of the secret of the grain. (Not brewers) She would have spoken the universal language of crust and cake, of rising and dusting, of sifting and kneading.

For weeks now, as I have sallied forth on UnterMyrtle (my bike) on my morning ride, I have passed by a Mexican bakery. All this time, I have been gathering my gringo courage. Today, I found my strength and my conviction. I walked into the panadería as if I knew exactly what the hell I was doing. Of course I didn’t.

OMG! Which as we all know is the Spanish abbreviation for Optimally Magnificent Goodies.

But I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. Even though I have been studying my Rosetta Stone Spanish lessons – I had not progressed so far that I felt comfortable ordering pastries from a panadería. Let me tell you…no es una problema. One of the wonderful things about being a Spanish speaking person, is that – you are probably much smarter than your American cohorts, and you speak English too! There should be a lesson in that. But, I digress. What you need to know is that the lovely peeps at this lovely panadería were fluent enough for all. They directed me to the pastries they thought I would find most delicious. And with the help of an elderly Mexican gentleman, I selected even a few more….

And the point of this rambling sentence? None really. I’m too stuffed. Too satisfied to type another word. Let’s just say “wow”. Gramma Laura would have been proud.

Pax – Out