On the odd occasion we’ve been privy to grandmothers cooking with their own grandchildren, witnessing the passing-on of skills, recipes and traditions from withered, wrinkled hands to tiny ones not yet trusted to hold a knife alone. Such was the case at Betsy’s in Mexico City.
With the patience of a saint, Betsy took to the chopping board with seven-year-old Bella to chop an onion, teaching her how to take proper hold of a knife, the technique she uses to slice and finely dice. One deft move for her, a great deal of concentration for Bella. Still, it has taken Betsy a lifetime to perfect. What struck us was the gentleness with which grandmother taught granddaughter, a willingness to spend time that perhaps parents aren’t lucky enough to afford their own children.
