Teresa Caballero Mier
My beautiful mama dedicated her entire life to the study of history and proudly owned a vast collection of books with my dad. Reading was her passion, her hobby, her daily meditation, and escape. It was through her books that she visited other continents and learned about diverse cultures and traditions.
My mama dreamed of becoming an anthropologist but had to start working around twelve. However, that didn't hinder her education. As a teenager, she was hired as a private secretary and trained for the role while working in a prestigious fabric store in Mexico City.
When she married my dad at the age of seventeen, she stopped working in that office, having no idea how to cook. Grandma Carmelita, her mother, was an excellent cook. So, between work, school, and her books, my mama didn't have the time nor the desire to learn how to cook.
It wasn't until she married my dad that she learned how to cook, eventually mastering the art of preparing meals for an army of hungry kids. Once my siblings and I grew a little older, she returned to school, becoming a nurse and specializing in caring for children with cancer at the IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) in Veracruz.
During my early childhood, now living in the city of Puebla, my mama focused on her artistic gifts, painting large canvases with gorgeous landscapes that adorned the walls of our house. For a while, she also immersed into sculpture and ceramics, creating elegant bridal headband designs made with ceramic, porcelain, crystals, and silk ribbons. While working on these projects, she taught me how to work with ceramics, crafting sweet little pigs and other animals.
The smells of glues and paints, the ceramics in the oven, and the soups on the stove still invade my senses in the afternoons. I recently discovered that the beautiful headband pieces she crafted so diligently were sold with the help of Coco—my sweet sister-in-law and lifelong friend. Coco secretly sold these pieces at fancy stores in the mall. I often wonder where those pieces ended up.
While I attended middle school at the Antiguo Colegio de Santa Ines in Cuernavaca, enduring the challenges with the nuns, my mama became a dental technician. She specialized in designing dental prosthesis, infusing art into her work even while dealing with teeth. If you don't believe me, ask the dentists she worked for.
Amidst all of these pursuits, she studied French, coding (taught by my brother Alejandro in a technology school downtown Cuernavaca), wrote novels, knitted, designed, cut, and sewed various creations, including my flower girl dresses for my brothers' weddings. She also took care of grandchildren, cooked deliciously all day long, and had fun with her cousin and best friend, my dear auntie Tita.
All of these activities were framed by a long list of daily visitors seeking her company, advice, and delectable recipes. She generously shared everything she cooked and everything she owned.
My mama's favorite soup
ELOTE & CALABACITAS SOUP
My mama's take on homemade esquites.
Ever experienced the delight of esquites? Picture this: in the heart of Mexico's quaint towns, particularly during late afternoons or early evenings at bustling zocalos, you'll discover this scrumptious traditional snack. Women at little carts offer elotes - smoked white corn adorned with butter, lime, and a hint of cayenne. But, for me, the pièce de résistance is esquites, an unparalleled snack – cool, refreshing, and downright exciting.
Traditionally, esquites are served with a dollop of sour cream or mayo (depending on the region in Mexico), a sprinkling of dry cheese like cotija or viejo, a dash of chile piquin or cayenne, and a squeeze of lime. My mother's recipe? It encapsulates 100 percent love. This vegan soup is a symphony of sweetness, spiciness, juiciness, and crunchiness, making it unequivocally my favorite. Without fail, at least once a week, my mama would conjure up enormous pots of vegan elote and calabacitas soup – a culinary anthem of our preteen and teen years. Purely delightful!
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A Bit About My Mama
My beautiful mama, Teresa, was born in La Ciudad de Mexico on October 18th, 1932.
Adored by her father, Camerino, a sweet and dedicated elementary school teacher, Teresa learned to write, read, and love books around the age of 5. Surrounded by two older and two younger brothers, she was the princess yet a motherly figure to them. Sadly, her older brother Carlos passed away due to a heart condition at the age of 16, and her loving father left this world due to a sudden heart attack when she was only 11 years old. Struck by grief and the need to support her mother and her little family, she completed middle school and immediately started working for a fabric store as a secretary while studying taquimecanografia (shorthand) after work. She was so young, and even though she hated lying, she lied about her age to be able to support her family.
One day, her boss called her in. My mama describes her boss as a gentleman with a sweet, kind heart. As soon as she nervously entered her boss' office, he asked her to sit down, and after looking at her deeply, with kindness, he said, "Look Teresita, I know your age, I understand why you are working at this young age. Your heart is big, sweet girl, but please tell your mother that you can work here, but you have to also continue with your school..." Then he mumbled, "not sure how you are going to do it," After breathing deeply grumpily, he said, "Tell your mother that if you don't continue school, I will fire you." Then he added, "You are an amazing assistant, amazing. Your dad in the heavens and your mom should be so proud of you, very proud... But hear me, sweet girl, after work you have to continue with your studies, or I will fire you! Continue with your studies!"
My mama in photos
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