Laia Guinjoan

I've spent a big part of my life in the kitchen. When I was a toddler, I was standing on a stool helping my grandpa out. His name was Josep and he was a renowned baker in our home town, Reus. When my hands weren't scrapping the remains of a bowl, they were kneading dough or stirring chocolate.

When I wasn't spending time at grandpa Josep's, I was in another kitchen: my grandma Dolores'. She is the one who really taught me the basics of traditional catalan cuisine, and the person I came to admire the most for her strength, wisdom and endless energy. She passed away a few years ago but she still lives in me, I can feel her next to me when I cook something I learnt from her. I imagine she pats on my shoulder and says " good girl, you are getting there".

All I learnt from them I try to pass on to the next generation: cooking together is a family tradition that makes our love grow.