The Secret Ingredient

Many successful family restaurants have a particular dish or specialty that makes them different from all others. The recipe, which is a tightly guarded secret, is usually passed on to the next generation by the matriarch of the family.

While eating the paella in one such restaurant recently, I was reminded of my book,“The Secret Ingredient” (Oh, Mateo! #9) written in the year 2006.

What inspired the book, however, was not this kind of secret ingredient, but the “ingredient” that pleases the Lord.

Mateo, the eight-year-old hero in the book, had often wondered what was inside the small clay jar atop the highest shelf in the kitchen. His father always took a pinch of the ingredient inside and sprinkled it into everything he cooked.

But whenever he asked his father what it was, he’d  say, “This was your late mother's; she passed it on to me when she got sick.” He would add that Mateo had to wait till he was older to cook and find out for himself what the secret ingredient was. 

Teo didn't have to wait. His father figured in a mishap and Mateo had to do the cooking! This unexpected accident led to his discovery of the secret ingredient that made his father’s cooking so yummy.

The book and the author (right) before age crept up on her

What could that secret ingredient be?

If you are a faith brethren, and you believe in the saving grace of Jesus, birthed over two thousand years ago, I am sure you know what makes you different from all others.

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

Spoiler alert: This was handwritten on a tiny piece of paper by Teo's late mother. She placed it inside the small clay jar as a reminder to always honor God with her cooking and everything she does.