Like mothers… like children
manuelita otero
I am lucky to be the daughter of an amazing chef. Miguel, my husband, is lucky to be the son of another one. We grew up eating well, appreciating good food, and learning how to cook by our mother's side. They discovered long time ago that food is the best way to show us love, to treat us in a special way and to gather us together to share around the table. Our mothers don’t complicate things, everything seems to flow easily, and they love a full house. They know the art of being a perfect hostess, catering to different tastes and dietary requirements. For them the kitchen becomes their main center of operations.
These two inspiring women are incredible. They have been married for years, raised good children and they are the foundation of their families. I don't know how they do it; they are strong, focused, organized and strategic. Pilar, my mom, is paisa (From the Colombian region of Antioquia). She has taught us the ability to plan and always be ahead of the game with a source of unending energy. From Eddy, Miguel’s mom, who is santandereana, (From the Colombian region of Santander) we have learned the special attention to detail and organization. She is generous and strict when it comes to teaching.
Our mothers and the flavors that invite us to travel back to childhood memories or family moments is what inspires DE TAL MADRE. We have converted our kitchen into a place where love and intention is shared through what we cook. DE TAL MADRE organizes clandestine dinners in which 12 people - usually strangers- share a collective table. We also cater events according to our clients' needs.
Clandestine dinners are a gastronomic trend that started more than two decades ago in Paris, when several young chefs had just graduated from their academies, but didn’t have money to have their own restaurant so they searched for alternative spaces to delight their customers and display their talent. DE TAL MADRE is an opportunity to connect and establish intentional human bonds that now seem so difficult to find. It is an interesting experience with a different environment to the one in traditional restaurants, making this type of dinners famous all over major cities, including Bogota. In most cases there's such secrecy that you don't even know what the menu is or who are you sharing the table with. It is an invitation to have an open mind as you try new things and meet new people.
It has been such a beautiful experience to open our house to a group of friends and strangers (which by the end of the night are more like long time friends). There's an interesting mixture of feelings and emotions: The concern that not everyone will show up, the adrenaline thinking that the door bell will ring before everything is ready, the nerves as we introduce each dish, the expectation to see if our guests will like them, the joy when we hear the good comments, the exhaustion after long hours of work, the satisfaction to read the reviews recommending us and the gratitude and love we receive from our guests. It makes our desire to share many more nights enjoying full tables, empty plates and happy hearts even stronger.
We invite you to this tribute to our mothers, their flavors, their techniques, and the love they have given us all their lives through their dishes. We welcome our friends and strangers to our table, our house and our kitchen! We are going to fill it with emotions, good energy and unforgettable memories.
Contact: Cel. 315.659.0436 | mail: detalmadre@gmail.com
I am an industrial engineer and that defines me: methodical, a planner, stubborn, resourceful, and a dreamer. I used to be an executive of international companies, places in which I learned a lot, made good money and had positions that made me feel important but I dedicated long hours to my job which made me feel I had sold my life to their cause. One day I decided that I wanted something different and I wanted to dedicate more time to my family but specially to myself.