Ode to Cakes is an ode in of itself.
An ode to my grandmother, Melba Chodosh, and my Nani, Radha Junnarkar, who both taught me – in their own ways – that to create food for others might be the greatest love language of them all. An ode to summers in Maine baking dozens of chocolate chip cookies, and rhubarb raspberry pies for porch parties. An ode to humid evenings in NYC, taking the E train every week to watch my Nani hand roll chapatis, overflowing the table with dahl, fish curry, and subjis – just for me and Nana. An ode to my own mother, who keeps these traditions alive, and never lets me leave her California home without a bag of hand-picked citrus, figs, or pomegranates. To my father, who, contrary to tales, never really closed Hamma’s kitchen and always manages to see the light in every word. And Caleb, my brother, who will forever be my favorite person to bake for. An ode to Nick, my resident taste tester and ode-writer, who makes everyday, however ordinary, feel like a love poem. An ode to all the places, flavors, and memories that seep into our bones and hearts. And all the friends and family who on our worst and best days are there with a pint of ice cream asking, what should we have for dessert?
Also, an ode to you, whoever you are and whomever you love. I hope you have as much fun eating and sharing these cakes & poems as we do creating them.
Sweetly,
Sage