My kitchen was filled with corn demons. I wasn’t able to see them, but they provoke some accidents and were up to mischief. I couldn’t bear it, so I prayed to Saint Paschal for saving me from the demons. And the saint sent me a cat. It came one day on my kitchen and didn’t leave. I wanted to throw it out, but very soon all accidents and mischiefs stopped.

I invited my girlfriend over for dinner. I wanted to impress her and decided to cook something without knowing how to cook at all. So I almost burnt my entire kitchen. I thank Saint Paschal Baylon because nothing serious happened, and I promise to take cooking lessons.

Cornelio Moreno
Puebla

I had a cockroach invasion in my kitchen. They climbed on the table when my friend Laura, who is fanatical about cleanliness, visited me. I almost died of embarrassment. I didn’t know what to do and I prayed to the Virgin of San Juan, so that she would help me in such a difficulty. Thanks to her divine intervention all cockroaches disappeared that night. I thank the Virgin because Laura didn’t part company with me after that incident. I love her very much and we have fun together.

My little son fell sick of pneumonia. But the doctor told me that he’d survive, because I kept the cradle in the warm kitchen. I entrusted my son to Saint Paschal Baylon, and the next day he got better. I thank for that with the retablo.

Ines Meneses neglected her kittens, and they went playing with the mole she had prepared. She thanks Saint Paschal Baylon, for she managed to prepare another one in time.

Señora Raquel Cabrera left her son for a moment, and he put his hands in the stove. Raquel thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe for saving her son’s life and for the recovery from the burns.

Cayetana Lopez dripped hot mole on her tit. Since no remedy helped her, she prayed to Saint Paschal. After that her terrible burn healed. She thanks for that with this retablo.

Puebla, 1914

I inherited marvelous secret recipes from my grand-grandmother Rosa. But I thought they would gonna die with me, because none of my daughters liked to prepare elaborate dishes. I thank the Virgin for my granddaughter Maria Luisa is interested in cooking. She enjoyed preparing food and learning how to do it better. So now I have a heir for my recipes.

As much as she tried, Federica Villegas wasn’t able to prepare chiles en nogada. She asked Saint Paschal for help. Now she cooks it very well and thanks for that.

Puebla, 1920

I dedicate this retablo, in sign of gratitude, to Saint Paschal Baylon for the miracle that I learned how to cook Mexican food. Because my husband was tired to eat hot dogs and hamburgers every day. Now my beloved Aureliano and I are happy with what I cook.

Margareth Wilson

When I married Lupita, I discovered that she was a terrible cook. She either burnt the food or served it raw. So I had only a kiss for breakfast before going at work. I became thiner and thiner, and our dog, who got all the wasted food, became fatter. But thanks to the prayers to Saint Paschal Baylon, my Lupita finally learned to cook, and now I eat well. I thank for that.

My daughter Dora was a horrible cook. She was always burning the food, and I was afraid that she wouldn’t find a husband. I asked St. Paschal for help, and he, knowing in his infinite wisdom that Dora is a hard case, worked out so that she married a chef. She turned out to be a perfect wife for him because she never meddles with cooking, like other women do, and she always admires his dishes. I thank St. Paschal, the patron of the cooks.

When my husband got retired, he started to cook in order to spend his free time. He cooked so terribly, that we all had a stomach-ache. I was scared that he’d poison all of us. Thanks to Saint Paschal, he got bored with cooking and dedicated himself to gardening.