Yesterday, I attempted my third try at making authentic Portuguese Cacoila. I thought it came out much better than the last two attempts. Before, I had Googled recipe instructions and did my best, but I didn’t think those tasted good. I could not understand why my husband liked cacoila so much!
About two weeks ago while day-tripping on the motorcycles, we stopped at this little Portuguese cafe and he ordered a cacoila sandwich. I LOVED it! That was the first time I had ever tasted one and after devouring dinner last night it occurred to me that the reason my dish never came out to my liking was that I have never eaten it before. I didn’t know what it was supposed to taste like. I had no concept of how all the flavors were supposed to blend together, or what the true texture of cacoila should be.
So that brought me further down the hole of thinking about why traveling and having new experiences are so important. Tasting a beef bourguignon from France or Paella from Spain can give us not only a renewed appreciation for the customs and cuisine but also a unique nostalgia for the past. Even more so, sharing this cuisine with locals in the area enables us to not only savor the flavors, but appreciate the cooking process, and also engage in conversations that we may have never had in our lifetime.
I love French food. I love the butter, the pastries, the beef, the fruits and vegetables, and of course the wine! If I had never traveled to France, I would never know the mouth-watering and completely existential feeling of savoring authentic French food.
It kind of reminds me of the movie Good Will Hunting. In the scene where Robert Williams is talking about how Matt Damon can learn about places and cultures through reading as opposed to experiencing them in real life.
Thanks to the internet, there are a lot of people that know a lot of things about a lot of things. We can find information in seconds. But the process of planning for travel and taking that first trip to somewhere you’ve always dreamed of does not compare to any internet search, book, or article.
“Find something you’re passionate about and keep being tremendously interested in it.” ~Julia Child
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