It was 9:00am, time to open. I had just badly burned my fingers with hot coffee and I was all alone. I threw burn cream and a band-aid on my finger and unlocked the front door. Immediately there was a line to the door. After taking two orders, both including a drink and a bagel …
Lessons in cooking, mothers, and ASMR. I entered the room out of breath, hurrying from another obligation, I slid into a seat at the front row and was met with cheers from my friends. I told them I wouldn’t be able to make it, but after I shed a few tears and realigned my priorities, …
In January of 2024, my Tio Raul, was rushed to the emergency room due to an extreme case of pneumonia. His pneumonia progressed and eventually transformed into other health issues, which kept him in the ICU for almost 4 months. On April 21st, he passed. Although I didn’t grow up with my uncle, I was …
If anyone asks me, “Who makes the best [anything]?” I will always immediately say that mi ma (my mom) does. My mom makes the best milanesa, pozole, frijoles, pulled pork sandwiches, and just about anything. However, the one thing that my mom never fails at making and bringing to any family function is flan. Without …
My first job ever was at a small Colombian restaurant in Chicago. The idea of messing up people’s orders, dropping their food, or making them upset terrified me. My goal every day was to make sure people had a good time and enjoyed their experience there so that they could come back. I loved talking …
My first time getting yelled at in Italian while the pads of my fingers burnt off was probably my fault, but I have no idea what I could have done to avoid it. The three middle-aged women with whom I shared maybe a hundred square feet of cooking space and a handful of English and …
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There once were no lesbian bars in Los Angeles. As a young dyke growing up in LA, it felt like there were no lesbians either. Today, there is one lesbian bar in Los Angeles. Dubbed “a wine bar for the sapphically inclined,” the Ruby Fruit is the lonesome establishment in my hometown made by and …
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As a kid, I prided myself on having adventurous tastes. Perhaps wanting to prove my culinary precocity, I often sought out the most unconventional option on the menu at any restaurant. This led me to discovering and delighting in flavors beyond the realm of lunchables and mac and cheese. Ice cream became a medium where …
