Clothing as Celebration María Cañizares
Welcome to the series
"Clothing as Celebration"
Stories about powerful women with style and substance.
María Cañizares
Author of the blog Sweet Salty Kitchen
Who is Maria Cañizares?
A passionate baker with an infinite curiosity for all that life has to offer
What is Sweet Salty Kitchen?
A space where I can share my ideas through recipes that encourage people to cook healthy food without compromising the flavor, and enjoy all the process.
How would you describe your philosophy of life?
I am still defining my philosophy of life but can speak about my process which is constantly evolving through the different phases of life…. What is really important for me is to have freedom and respect along with integrity in everything I do….to be kind and supportive with others…. And to always be grateful.
A perfect meal is:
A mezze style table with little dishes full of incredible flavors being shared with friends, of course.
Cooking for you is: meditation & purpose.
An ingredient always present is:
Something acid: lemons (and lemon peel) are a staple ingredient in my kitchen.
What would be a recipe to celebrate clothing with?
I am obsessed with my Noir classic tunic, it has deep shades of black that feel like paper and shine with different intensities reflecting the dark blues from the other side. This sensation made me think of the Black Sesame Tahine, a simple, distinctive and powerful recipe.
BLACK TAHINE RECIPE
250 g black sesame1/4 tsp toasted sesame oilPinch of salt
Toast the sesame in a wide pan until you notice that the sesame begins to "jump" and smell toasty. Let cool on a flat plate.
Blend the sesame and salt in the Vitamix until you start to have a black cream. Add the oil and blend until you have a very shiny black cream. Reserve in the fridge in a glass jar.
Chefs/cooks you admire?
Dominique Creen, Alice Waters or Michel Bras for their cooking, sensitivity and defense of real food.
An ingredient you recently discovered?
Sumac, that has a citric touch, that I used in a carrot cake.
Sweet or Salty?
Both combined
On your book shelf:
...Too many books, from baking, gardening, fermentation, nutrition, vegetarian or non-vegetarian cooks, books on cooking techniques and food combining…
Top Spanish destinations in Spain?
Menorca, Granada, Navarra and the Basque country. But every corner of this country has something beautiful to be discovered: The Canary Islands, Extremadura, Madrid and Barcelona, Galicia… and Mallorca of course.
Not to miss when in Mallorca:
The mountains of la Tramontana, the old part of Palma, Son Serra de Marina Beach, Cap de Formentor.
On your travel bucket list:
The whole world! But Perú, Japan, México and Australia would be a nice places to start.
Happiness for Maria is:
Cook & share food with my loved ones, and sail on a LLaut along the Menorquin coast.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Inspire people to have more consciousness about what they eat, and make them enjoy cooking for a better world.
What is your current state of mind?
Messy
What is your most treasured possession?
A shawl and ring from my mother
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My son, who also took the photos for this interview while in Menorca this summer.
What is your favorite journey?
Learning something new.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Friendly, stubborn & perfectionist…always laughing even seriously.
When and where were you the happiest?
Maybe in my university years for the freedom I had and the new world I was discovering with the new friends I made.
What is it that you most dislike?
Falsehood, hypocrisy
What is your greatest fear?
Physical suffering for me and for others
What is your greatest extravagance?
Make it to a great/luxury hotel or restaurant, but I think this will change in the future as my simple needs are growing.
What is your motto?
In this moment of my life: “trust that everything will fall into place without you forcing it to get somewhere.”
Photos by © Simon Aymami