A baking book bursting with joy that will have you hightailing it to the oven-and planning a trip to your local corner store. Growing up in the Bronx, Paola Velez-s happy place was the bodega, a unique world full of color and flavor where the shelves were stocked with everything from M&M-s to Muenster cheese to majarete (Caribbean corn pudding)-and, of course, its own cat (IYKYK). Before she was the James Beard-nominated chef, Cherry Bombe cover girl, social media darling, and cofounder of the grassroots social action network, Bakers Against Racism, Paola was a bodega kid with a taste for Warheads, Hostess cupcakes, ice pops, and Malta soda. Paola-s debut cookbook, inspired by these treasures and other ingredients available at corner stores everywhere, is a love letter to both her Dominican heritage and her New York City roots; its more than 100 recipes burst with distinctive flavors, inviting you to enjoy new takes on her childhood favorites and yours. Paola-s combination of classical
