Jasinta Ramirez was ordered to prepare some mole for the master’s wedding. The mole turned out very bitter. But she prayed Saint Paschal Baylon, and nobody notice it. She thanks the saint, although many people had diarrhea afterwards, nobody kicked the bucket.

Puebla, 1917

Muchas gracias for our refrigerator full of food.

Dolores Corona was in love with the foreman of the ranch. She asked Saint Paschal for help and managed to made him fell in love with her with her dishes. She dedicates this retablo for that, with all her faith and devotion.

Tecamachalco, Puebla

I thank the Virgin of Zapopan because I married a kind and beautiful woman who is also a good cook and she satisfies all my culinary caprices.

My husband brought home a horrible pig. It came to the kitchen and began to eat everything on its way. I didn’t know how to get rid of this pig. I prayed the Virgin of Guadalupe and she made so that pig ate my husband’s dinner. Thanks to that he took it to the ranch of his loyal friend.

I thank Saint Paschal because in this season of chiles en nogada I was selling them very good. Many people ask me what’s the secret of its taste. And I answer that it’s the love I put into while cooking them and my eternal devotion to Saint Paschal.

Obdulia Reyes
Cholula, Puebla

My wife ate more and more. She even brought food to the bed. All the sheets were in crumbles, and she became so fat, she occupied almost all the bed and pushed me out of it at night. I was anxious to get my good sleeping back so I prayed the Virgin of Zapopan. Right away my wife stopped overeating and even started losing some pounds. She became so beautiful, even our new neighbor commented me how nice looking she is. And I thank for I sleep well again.

All the red fruits and vegetables in my refrigerator were mysteriously disappearing. I was intrigued until one night I went to the kitchen for a glass of water and found out that a vegetarian vampire was the thief. I thank the Virgin of San Juan because my dog barked and growled and bit him. The vampire got so scared, he never came back. So it wouldn’t occur to him to change his diet and to suck my blood.

Graciela Rios rented one of her rooms as a lab to one scientist who worked with animals. One night she heard strange noises in the cellar. She went to look what it was and saw two giant rats. They escaped from the lab and were eating her provisions. Graciela thanks the Virgin of San Juan because she was able to catch those monsters. And she asked the scientist to work only with plants, otherwise she’d kick him out.

I didn’t expect to inherit corn fields after one of my distant uncle’s death. But my mother gave me an idea to sell sweet corn on the streets. I thank the Virgin of Juquila because the sales are going well and I’m much better as a vendor than as a farmer.

Felipe Carrion
Iztapalapa, Mexico City

Everybody loves my cooking. They always asked me what’s my secret. I always laugh but tell no one because it’s the little angels from the Virgin of San Juan who come to help me and give the last touch to my dishes—putting some salt, or some coriander, or parsley. I thank the Virgin of San Juan for this supernatural wonder of sending her angels to help me.

Every day at lunch, my boyfriend and his colleagues go buy tacos from a very flirtatious woman. I thank Saint Benedict for my boyfriend shows me his love and never falls into the temptation. This woman flirt with everybody all the time. But I don’t worry because my Raymundo is faithful to me.

Refugio Vallejo
Villahermosa, Tabasco

Everyone who tasted my sauces made in molcajete pestle told me they are very delicious. So I decided to start selling them. I thank Saint Paschal for the thing have been going well and even people from other cities come to buy them.

Petronila Sanchez, Oaxaca