My Nani is and always has surprised me with her adventurous ways, her incredible memory, her sense of humour. For me, her visits to Casblanca were filled with tales of far away, with mantras and stories of Hanuman or Ganesha. Her cooking filled the house with smells of home and her laughter was so contagious. Last year, as part of a project for my Masters, I had to illustrate a recipe and explain through images the story behind why it was such a special recipe to me. I chose Nani's Nankathais.
I now feel that this project wants to grow. Nani has so many adventures and stories that are fascinating. My idea is to create short stories, anectodes and tales, each connected to a recipe of Nani's.
Here is the first story:
when i was little, Nani's arrival were very special events.
She came from far away and she would stay for a long time.
In her suitcase, she brought strange things...
...especially lots of stories to tell us at bedtime.
Nani herself sometimes resembled one of the magical characters from her tales. She would wake up every morning around 4 and would do so many things with energy and smiles.
And when she began to cook, our little home began to smell of new things that came from far away, like her.
My favorite dish of Nani's are her famous cardamom cookies.
Nani's Nankhatai. She would awlays prepare them to cheer me up and I so enjoyed eating them and feeling Nani's scent.
I still do.
Now, Nani lives at home. But it is I that live far away. But sometimes, I can feel her energy. This past autumn, we prepared a very special celebration to share the light of Diwali with our friends. Despite the distance, Nani was with us.
the recipe for Nani's Nankhatais.
