By Chef Farys Martinez
Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store is not only a cookbook full of good recipes; it is about culture, society, and art. It is evident that its author – award-winning chef and activist Paola Velez – is proud of her Dominican heritage and, more importantly, her Bronx childhood. Readers will feel that pride in the food and heart of every recipe and narrative she shares. Out on Oct. 1 from Union Square & Co., Velez focuses her debut cookbook on the different tastes of classic Dominican desserts and modernizes them in a delicious way.
What’s Inside: There is an entire section devoted to all delicious sweet recipes, from cookies and cakes to ice creams and frozen desserts. They include Sorrel Snickerdoodles, Morir Soñando Tres Leches Cake, and Sweet Plantain Gelato, which are quite unassuming but truly innovative recipes. Mostly all the prepared dishes remind Velez of herself, her childhood, the bodega, Dominican tastes, and therefore weave a narrative into every plate.
Writing Style and Vibe: Velez puts down her thoughts as if she is talking to a friend. She is very generous and affectionate, and every single page of Bodega Bakes offers a piece of herself in her writing. She narrates about her childhood, how she grew up, and the challenges she faced in terms of her identity. She also touches on how she navigated the food world. Those moments in the cookbook make the narrative more than just about food. It’s also about Velez and the people who nourished her.
There are parts of the book where Velez lends her voice to rather personal reflections on mental health and the struggles of being a first generation American. Those struck a particular chord for me.
Who Will Love This Book: If you enjoy baking and creating new discoverable flavors, Bodega Bakes will be right for you. Advanced players will be impressed with the inventions in Velez’s works, while amateurs will be encouraged by the interesting mix of tastes. Nevertheless, a few sections of some of the recipes can be rather complicated for beginners, so it may take a fair amount of time to execute. This book will also come in handy to people wishing to aim at Afro-Latina cuisines, or when one wants to go on an adventure with new tastes in desserts.
If you like cookbooks where the author sneaks in little stories about her life and family with recipes, Bodega Bakes should be particularly appealing.
Why I Loved It: Velez’s way of mixing Dominican ingredients with baking is simply the best. My expectation was confirmed when I glanced at the illustrations and style of the food presented in this cookbook.
Visuals: I was shocked by the photos! Award-winning food and travel photographer Lauren V. Allen has made everything too appetizing with her pictures. The book design looks entertaining and is easily navigable.
What I Loved: It is remarkable how Velez incorporates the Dominican Republic’s spices in her modern baked goods. Every recipe relishes in a piece of her culture.
The photos are quite beautiful. The images of Lauren V. Allen make one crave everything in this cookbook and the layout is nice and easy to go through.
Thanks to Velez’s narration, Bodega Bakes is much more than a collection of recipes. I have never met her, but her experience and reflections made me feel as though I was part of her world.
A Few Small Hiccups:
Difficulty Level: Some of the recipes might prove challenging for people who are just learning how to cook. If you are not a seasoned baker, confusion about certain recipes may be quite frustrating; a few added tips or easier options could be beneficial.
Ingredient Sourcing: A couple of the ingredients might be very hard to locate unless you live in a large metropolitan area with a variety of food sources. More follow-my-lead or more ingredient substitutions details would be a welcome addition.
Recipe Instructions: A few of the instructions could be made more precise. Ensuring that all the recipes are uncomplicated would definitely enhance the usability of the baking process, especially for the novice bakers.
In Conclusion: Bodega Bakes is a vibrant, lively and wonderful collection of recipes offering great tastes that is complemented by life stories. Paola Velez is not only a very talented baker, but also someone who created something outstanding for every lover of culture. For both the hobbyist and the professional baker, this cookbook will awaken the creative soul within you and is most definitely one of those books that will encourage even the most amateur of cooks. Picking up this book is also a wonderful way to support an amazing chef who gives people a piece of her culture through cuisine.
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Visit our Bookshop to purchase a copy of Bodega Bakes.
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About the Author: Paola Velez is an award-winning chef, entrepreneur, community activist and soon to be author—her debut cookbook, Bodega Bakes is set to publish in the fall of 2024. Growing up between the Bronx and the Dominican Republic, Velez is known for combining the flavors of her childhood and heritage and reinterpreting them through her years as a professionally trained chef.
Her ingenious creation of pecan-plantain sticky buns catapulted her to the pages of Food & Wine—where she was also named a Best New Chef—and brought her national recognition in the form of a Rising Star Chef (finalist) nomination by the James Beard Foundation and “Pastry Chef of the Year” from Esquire.
Velez created the viral, grassroots and (unofficially) largest bake sale in the world with Bakers Against Racism, a lighthouse organization raising millions of dollars for crucial social justice causes. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu ‘09, Velez started her culinary career under famed chocolatier Jacques Torres. She then moved to Washington, D.C. to work with Christina Tosi when Milk Bar first entered the market and has since cooked in some of the city’s most acclaimed kitchens. With her infectious positivity, quirky social media videos and keen eye on the micro-trends of the moment, Velez is a sought-after chef with appearances on the HBO Max shows “Selena + Chef” and “What Am I Eating” with Zooey Deschanel. She currently lives in the D.C.-area with her husband and serves as a culinary diplomat for the United States of America.
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Chef Farys Martinez is the Executive Chef for the Marriott portfolio at the Renaissance Hotel in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where she currently oversees the entire beverage and food program.
Martinez lives in New Jersey with her husband and their mini poodle, Daisy. Beyond her professional career, she enjoys traveling, exploring new food and drink experiences, and spending time with her loved ones.
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