4DimeDelights

I have lost both of my parents, my son’s father, my uncle, my male role model—my son’s great-grandfather—and my best friend. Losing so many people I love has made me value life more deeply with every passing day, and somewhere along the way I realized that one of the ways I show love best is through food.

Before my grandmother passed, she passed down her love for cooking to my mother. Before my mother passed away when I was 21, she passed that same love for the kitchen down to me—not by handing me a recipe book, but by pushing me to find my own way.

“Muchacha, claro que no! Aprende a cocinar para tu propia familia.”

I used to ask her if she was ever going to give me her recipes, and that was always her answer: “Girl, of course not! Learn to cook for your own family.” Eventually, I did.

After becoming a mother, I became much more careful and intentional about what I eat and what I serve. I believe in eating healthy, whole, flavorful food. If I would not feed it to my own family, I would not feed it to yours.

I’m Dominican and I was raised in Miami, and my kitchen reflects that. My experience is diverse—from the flavors I grew up around to the different restaurants and kitchens I have worked in—while still keeping my abuelita’s and mamá’s love for food alive.

My dream is to open a restaurant one day in memory of my late mother. It was always her dream to open a restaurant with an attached bakery. I like to think I am making sure she still gets to live that dream, even if right now she is living it through me.

From my kitchen to yours, this is a generational experience of love, passion, determination, and grace—cooked and placed on your plate for you to enjoy.