Empanada: to wrap

One of the stories in Elephant's Breath, Empanada Lover, was inspired wholesomely by an empanada shop near the Sant Antoni metro in Barcelona. It was a windy, sunny, Saturday morning when Carl and I first walked into the shop, drawn simply by the smell of baking pastry wafting in the air.

We ordered just one. Having brunched like kings prior to that, we were not hungry, just greedy. We paid for one, but walked out with two. A gift from the owner. We walked out with much more. I glanced around the shop, enthralled by the paintings on the walls, books stacked everywhere, and the very artsy feel of what seemed like a functional food shop.

I returned months later, after the story had asked to be written and as I stood in line at the shop, I noticed a flyer all in Catalan with a picture of the owner and cook in the shop. Mario M. Perez Ruiz. Apparently he was a writer too.

Mario-M-Perez Ruis cooking up a storm

A day before the launch of the book, we returned to the shop to speak to Mario. We were the only ones in the shop, and Mario was happy to delight us with his books and tales. A poet, author, television and radio personality, journalist, he also, owns, runs, and cooks in his shop.

Now, that is an extensive portfolio. But we were wrapped up in his energy, his passion to feed, and his love for the arts.

The word empanada loosely means to wrap. And that is what an empanada does. The crispy dough wraps a juicy filling and it is wholesome goodness for a very affordable price. Empanadas exist in many forms in many different nations, each one claiming a specialty

Empanada

For me, empanadas will for now and forever wrap me up in memories of inspiration, that can come simply from standing at the doors of a shop.  If you are ever in Barcelona, look out for Mario's shop. He may remember me as the little Indian with the big German, and who spoke of elephants breathing.














Photo credits: http://bradspurgeon.com/tag/mario-m-perez-ruiz/
http://organizingdinner.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/empanada.jpg