Some conversations are like a shared meal: nourishing, layered with memory and meaning. When Robbie Cheadle speaks about the books she reads she does so, with generosity. With Robbie, reading and cooking meet at the same table.

In her thoughtful feature of When Secrets Bloom on Latinos USA simple pleasures take centre stage: the turning of a page, the slow preparation of food, the way both acts bind us to history and to one another.

It is here that When Secrets Bloom finds its place; its world of secrets and women’s resilience unfolding alongside the comforting ritual of a shared dish.

This post brings together that conversation, a reflection on the novel as well as a recipe rooted in Romanian tradition, Transylvanian to be precise: sarmale, stuffed cabbage rolls, humble yet enduring, much like the stories we return to when we seek both sustenance and solace.

Note: as in When Secrets Bloom, this recipe of sarmale is for the fasting time before Christmas, when Christians abstain from meat.

You will also encounter Kate Webber’s voice. She is the leading character in When Secrets Bloom and so she thought she knew better than anyone else what inspired me to write this novel:

“You speak of it as though it were a gentle thing.
It was not.”

I am immensely grateful to award-winning, bestselling author Robbie Cheadle for her thoughtful feature on Latinos USA, where she celebrates the simple, enduring pleasures of reading and cooking.

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South African author, photographer, and artist, Robbie Cheadle has written and illustrated seventeen children’s books, four poetry books as well as one celebration of cake and fondant art book with recipes. Her work has appeared in poetry and short story anthologies. Robbie also has two novels, a collection of short stories, horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle. You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

I had the pleasure of reading her exceptional poetry book Lion Scream Syllabic Poetry as well as her charming children’s book The Christmas Bird by Robbie Cheadle.