TICKETED: Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez with Nasim Lahbichi

James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef Paola Velez joins us to celebrate the launch of her debut cookbook, a love letter to sweets inspired by her Dominican heritage and her New York City roots. In conversation with Nasim Lahbichi, followed by a signing.

PLEASE NOTE:

• This event is ticketed. Tickets include a copy of the book or a $5 bookstore voucher.
• To pick up your book or voucher, please check in at the cash registers with the name your ticket is under. More copies will be available for purchase while supplies last.
• This event is mixed seated/standing. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served. Doors open at 5:30 pm.
• Can't attend? (please specify that you would like it signed in the comments box at checkout).

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 training and self-taught pastry skills means her recipes are accessible no matter your skill level. She’ll be your hype girl through more ambitious projects (you can make a turnover—and a Guava and Cheese one at that), as well as more “set it and forget it” treats, like her Maria Cookie Icebox Cake. Whatever you do, don’t sleep on her signature Thick’ems—giant cookies that are somehow crunchy and gooey—the most requested recipe in Paola’s repertoire and the recipe that made her internet famous, which she shares here for the very first time here. With renditions of traditional Caribbean desserts like Pineapple Empanadillas and Golden Rum Cake alongside twists on classic American treats like sticky buns and brownies, Paola’s unique recipes and infectious positive spirit will help you recreate the magic of the bodega at home—BYO cat.

Paola Velez is a James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef who was raised in New York City and the Dominican Republic. She is the cofounder of Bakers Against Racism, is the founder of the pop-up dining series Doña Dona and Dōekï Dōekï, and is the former executive pastry chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Maydan in Washington, DC. She was named Food & Wine’s best new chef and Cherry Bombe’s “Person of the Year” in 2021, and currently serves as a culinary diplomat for the United States. She lives in Washington, DC.

Nasim Lahbichi is a cook and content creator based in Brooklyn, NY. Born and raised in a Puerto Rican-Moroccan household, he was exposed to different cultures and communities throughout his childhood. Food was the gateway to learning more about the traditions that were so different, yet similar, to the ones he took part in. Nasim's goal is to help curate spaces where folks can gain a sense of power in the kitchen and at the table to feel at home, safe, wherever they may be.

Host or Publisher Rizzoli Bookstore