I just never want to forget this moment
If I received an award for successfully making a Spanish tortilla, this is what I'd say.
Picture me shuffling up the stairs, stage left, squinting in the theater lights. I’m wearing a very fancy awards-show dress with ruffles at the bottom. It’s classy, but plays on what a flamenco dancer might wear, because that honors my inspiration. I have long, wavy hair extensions and red lipstick, because WHY NOT.
Under my breath, I mutter, “keep to the notecard” and then beam at the audience, smiling wide.
“I couldn’t have done this alone! I know it’s cliché to say it, but to make an authentic Spanish tortilla you need help! I had help from high quality ingredients, that’s for sure. Thanks to lower food costs in Spain, we could take advantage. I spent extra on the olive oil. Real sea salt. I took my time peeling the potatoes and slicing the onions. It’s meditative, you know? We knew we had to go with the version with onions, and it paid off! Tortilla Española always takes longer than you think, for being such an ubiquitous dish. I know some of you know this, from your own cooking successes.
I just really want to say thank you to my hype-guy, my husband, who encouraged me to try, even though our kids always complain when I make tortilla. It’s too over done, or too runny, or not what they wanted. Well. You can’t please everyone, every time. But my husband was craving it. He believed in me, and he ate that tortilla really happily. That made me feel good. I’m just so fortunate that this time, everyone loved it. Also, it didn’t break in half when I flipped it over. Of course I learned from the best, Spanish women who learned from the best, their grandmothers. So, special thank you to Spanish grandmothers everywhere, for passing on their tortilla-making skills so that I, an enthusiastic, well-meaning American, could serve my own family this amazing dish. They ate so much I barely got a slice of my own. [nervous laughter, from me]. Ha! [raising the award over my head] Here’s to women who barely get a chance to eat the food they cook!
Oh, of course I’m running out of time. I am always running out of time! Well! I hope you can try it one day. It’s home on a plate, you know? Thank you so much. Oh my gosh I almost forgot—come visit us!”
I probably stumble on the way down, in my Sevillana-inspired dress.
Spanish tortilla is exactly the kind of dish a superstar would come home and chow down on after an awards ceremony.
This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "Acceptance Speech."
Haha! This is hilarious. I love it. And now I want to try a Spanish tortilla!