Hi! Welcome to Kanela Fina :)

I'm Montse (pronounced  /ˈmon.sə/), the face behind this blog. This little space is a project that I created with no particular end in mind, but to arrange some recipes and maybe inspire or help a fellow home baker. Little by little, It has grown into more than a recipe catalog, but a space where I share my passion for cooking, traveling, and exploring other cultures. It's a corner where I write about my favourite books, my ideas, and experiences, and my perspective on life. Kanela Fina has encouraged me to look beyond my feet, to imagine, to dream, to dear, to find my calling, to hustle.

 

I've always loved food, I used to think I had to be a chef or maître patissier to talk or write about it. I never thought I could take beautiful pictures of my food and that there was something called "food photography" that I could learn and practice. A little bit of encouragement from my loved ones, tons of videos about food photography, and motivation to learn more, have proved that I can go as far as I want. And I'm just getting started.

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As long as I can remember, food has been a synonymous of pleasure, but also comfort, happiness and long conversations. My grandmother used to make fragrant and delicious southern Spanish dishes straight from her tiny kitchen to all of my family. To this day, I can still remember the taste of all her dishes which I once ate without realising how important they'd become. When she got sick and stopped cooking, it was my father who inspired me to cook with what I have on hand, whatever that is. My dad makes the most unorthodox and amazing pizza, which he always prepares whenever I'm in town. It's one thing I could eat every single day for the rest of my life. While I was in college, cooking and baking were my salvation, my scape, amidst exams and long journeys of studying.

 

Through the years, I've learnt, progressed and improved. I've always cooked for pleasure. However, I didn't know what it really meant until I started cooking for my husband. I realise that cooking for my family is how I express my love, I take a lot of pride and effort in making the best my two hands can offer. I believe my kitchen has space for everybody and every culture. I'm somebody who cannot eat the same thing twice in a row, every night it's a different cuisine, and I truly wouldn't want it any other way. 

 

Kanela Fina ("Kanela", correctly written as "canela" means "cinnamon" and "fina" is "smooth" or "fine". Canela fina is a Spanish expression that means that something is exquisite or of good quality. The expression literally translates as "smooth/fine cinnamon".​

 

I chose this name because, for as long as I remember, I've had an inexplicable fascination with this spice. My brother uses the expression a lot, and I always think about him when I say it! I decided to honour my husband, Mr. K that is, by changing the C of Canela to K. Fun fact, my in-laws own a cinnamon tree, which is rare in Europe, but quite common in India.

Kanela fina represents all those things that bring me joy: a warm beverage with a sprinkle of cinnamon, a thought-provocative book, biting a soft and buttery brioche, the smell of freshly cut grass, a cozy fireplace, a good stretch in the morning, or getting lost in a new place, ideally with lots of trees, plants and flowers. 

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This is a space where I hope to be reminded about the little bright things of life, but also about some of the best bites I've had. May this little spot of the internet make you feel hungry, and like you can conquer it all :)

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With love,

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Montse