My First Slip

The Pink Recado Rojo

It was 2015, and I was preparing for the annual neighborhood festival in Jamaica. The community had asked me to make my famous *recado rojo* — that rich, crimson sauce that brings the taste of Guatemala to our tables. I had spent weeks planning, sourcing the best ingredients, and organizing the cooking schedule.

But in my rush to get everything ready, I made a mistake. I forgot to add the *achiote* — the annatto seeds that give the sauce its deep, vibrant red color. Instead, I ended up with a pale, almost pink sauce. It was a disaster.

"But you know what? That pink sauce became the most talked-about dish at the festival. People loved it. They said it tasted like a memory of childhood, even though it wasn't quite right."

That mistake taught me something important: sometimes the most beautiful things come from our mistakes. It taught me to slow down, to double-check my work, and to embrace the unexpected. And now, every time I make *recado rojo*, I keep a little bit of that pink sauce in my heart.

This is my "First Slip" — a reminder that even the best of us make mistakes, and that's okay. In fact, those mistakes are what make us who we are.

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