This story is part of Image’s November Kinship issue, celebrating L.A.’s generous spirit and the artistic collaborations that happen among family and friends.
O café é uma linguagem espiritual. Coffee is a spiritual language.
Growing up in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil, I was fortunate to be in contact with coffee’s source. We had one beautiful tree, and I remember the flowers and the birth of the bean as it would grow and turn red.
I love the transformation. The sweet and the bitter.
In Brazil, the café das duas is a moment to pause and celebrate. Setting up consists of opening the old crystal cabinet, reaching for heirloom tablecloths, cutlery and special cups. The best seat is for the guest.
(Courtesy of Natalia Pereira)
The gathering might celebrate: A visit to a newborn. Someone in bed rest. Out-of-town visitors. The unexpected neighbor.
Sophisticated sweet bites made from grains of corn are also displayed. Roots get shredded, milk turns to cheese, wood burns. Coffee is made. The aroma is recognizable no matter where.
Café das duas. Eternal and delicious memories.
(Courtesy of Natalia Pereira)
Natalia Pereira, also known as AD105, originally from the town of Vianopólis in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil, is an acclaimed multifaceted artist, author and chef. Pereira’s childhood, and the unimaginable tapestry of stories that it contains, is the driving force behind her creations, many of which are forged from elements of nature — yucca repurposed as both a binding glue and drawing tool, dried flowers and seeds as integral parts of sculptures, and colors extracted from beets and turmeric. Pereira and her work have been featured in exhibitions at the MOCA Geffen in Los Angeles, and in solo exhibitions in Los Angeles, Italy, Zurich and beyond. Pereira’s book “Abundancia: My Life in Recipes” was published in 2021, and includes her recipes, stories, poetry, photography and sculptural work. As the head chef of her restaurant, Woodspoon, in downtown Los Angeles, Pereira has garnered international recognition, with accolades including a “Bib Gourmand” from the Michelin Guide as well as a 2022 finalist honor for the James Beard Foundation Award “Best Chef in California.” Pereira lives and works in Los Angeles.
(Courtesy of Natalia Pereira)
This story originally appeared on LA Times
