by Magdalena I. García
Plastic, metal or porcelain.
A number of pieces sold as a set.
Available in many sizes.
Held together by a ring.
Essential to measure
the right amount of ingredients,
either liquid or dry,
to compliment a recipe.
They’re ever present in American
kitchens,
indispensable for the successful
execution
of everyday cooking and holiday recipes.
So they are often part of the dowry
given to a new bride.
No kitchen seems complete
without measuring spoons.
And yet I never saw measuring spoons
in the kitchens of my Cuban childhood,
where all kinds of dishes were prepared,
from hearty bean stews to tasty tropical
treats.
I was raised by a generation of women
who used their own hands and eyes
to measure a pinch, a dash, a smidgen.
As I reflect on my own life,
so often out of sync yet longing for balance,
I look at my hands and remember
that no woman’s life is complete
without a set of internal measuring spoons.
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Written as part of a gift—a set of
ceramic measuring spoons with butterflies—for my friend Susan Pudelek, one of
the women who has taught me volumes about the importance of balance.
