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Gérald
‘Boga, Boga, Marinella…’
Appears in
Published 2008
First you are greeted by a mill between Biarritz and Arbonne, the stones working to grind the very best grains. Then comes a small shop that gives off an aroma to make even the most sinus-congested customer’s mouth water. And there they are, right on the racks, of all different sizes, ridged with fork patterns, glazed golden with egg yolk, stuffed with cream or black cherry jam: the famous gâteaux basques within our reach!
A piece of this one, another of that one. The greediness feeds on itself, gathers strength, becomes huge. Replete but never sated, Gérald finally shows us the heart of the mill, the central chamber of creation. Greediness makes one say such things! Mountains of baking tins are on display, knocked around by an already well-spent life, their enamel seasoned by the heat of the oven. Hands bustle round the cake dough, the buttered tins fill up. There follows a constant back-and-forth between the oven and the racks, punctuated by a ring signalling the end of the cooking. The cakes are cooked, the oven is still warm, it’s Sunday…