Cumin Vinaigrette

Back in Hartford. Reentry. The cold. The mail. The food bank Tuesday. Mami slightly more tired than before I left, but stable. Carmen the aide had managed beautifully. I gave her a hug. I gave her a bonus. She protested. I made her take it.

Tuesday food bank: arroz con pollo. The team carried me. I tasted at the end. I signed off.

Wednesday La Cocina cohort 3 week five: soups. Same lesson. Janet cried at the sopita. Same as last cohort, different student, same recognition. The food does this. It is the same effect every time. The grandmother's soup is universal.

Thursday I sat with Mami for three hours. She was lucid for half of it. She asked about the trip. I told her about Julio's house going up on the lot. She said, "Carmen, the lot has a future." I said, "Mami, yes." She said, "Carmen, the family makes futures. The family makes pasts. The family is the only thing that makes time." I wrote that down. I had not heard her say that before.

Friday I made the wake sofrito again — a fresh batch — because the old batch had been in the freezer for six months and I wanted to refresh. I had been doing this every six months. The freezer rotation was now part of my life. I gave the old batch to the food bank — Yolanda was thrilled — and the new batch went into the dedicated shelf. The pasteles work was being done in installments.

Sunday dinner: family. Twelve. Sofía brought Alex. Alex helped clean. He had been to four Sunday dinners now. The grandchildren liked him. Lucas asked him questions about being a paramedic. Alex answered them seriously. He said to Lucas, "Lucas, do you want to be a paramedic when you grow up?" Lucas said, "I want to be a chef." I looked at Lucas. Lucas said, "Like Tío David. Like Abuela." Eduardo nudged me with his elbow. I held it together. I said, "Mijo, that is a very fine plan." Lucas said, "Abuela, when can I cook for the family?" I said, "Mijo, in third grade." He said, "When is third grade?" I said, "Mijo, in eight months." He said, "I will start practicing." He sat at the kitchen counter for the rest of the evening with a small notebook Sofía gave him and asked me to recite recipes. I recited the sofrito recipe slowly. He wrote it down in the careful printing of a six-year-old. Wepa.

Lucas sat at that counter for two hours with his little notebook, and after I recited the sofrito — which takes practice to absorb — I gave him something simpler to close the night: this cumin vinaigrette, the one I use on everything from greens to roasted vegetables to whatever the food bank sends home on Tuesdays. It is the kind of recipe a six-year-old can actually make in third grade. It is the kind of recipe that teaches you that a few good things, combined with intention, are enough. That is what Mami said about time. It is also true about dressing.

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 5 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, finely minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon honey or agave (optional, to balance)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Combine the base. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the red wine vinegar, cumin, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and honey (if using) until well combined.
Emulsify. While whisking constantly (or with the jar lid on, shaking), slowly stream in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is smooth and slightly thickened.
Taste and adjust. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust salt, pepper, or vinegar to your preference. If it’s too sharp, add a small drizzle more honey. If it’s too mild, add a pinch more cumin.
Store or serve. Use immediately over salad greens, roasted vegetables, or grain bowls. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake well before each use as it will separate.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cumin Vinaigrette — The Recipe Lucas Wrote Down First