Cake friends,
Finally: January is over. We’re easing into the new month with a special Just a Bite interview from Tough Cookie contributor Paola Velez, the D.C.-based, award-winning pastry chef behind the Afro-Latina pop-up Dōekï Dōekï and co-founder of Bakers Against Racism. We’ve long admired Paola’s singular sweet and savory creations—pecan plantain sticky buns! rice pudding flan topped with puffed rice!—and can’t wait for her cookbook Life is a Bodega, currently in the works. Until then, read on for her interview, plus plenty of ideas for what to bake in the month ahead.
You’re making dessert. What are you making?
I’m typically making something that’s “not too sweet.” A sponge cake with cream chantilly, something doughy and fried or crepes (with lemon butter and a touch of sugar). How I make something switches up as I try to push the boundaries of “why” things work. I try to keep learning new techniques then breaking them down to see if I can learn something new (squared).
Someone is making you a dessert. What do you ask for?
Anything that’s made with love is good enough for me.
You’ve transformed into a pastry. What are you and how are you consumed?
I’m a choux au craquelin. A little bit of a learning curve to get to know me and how I work but once you do, you’ll realize that I’m easy and go with the flow more than folks would think. Wanna make me into dulce de leche? I love that. Fill me with strawberries and whipped cream? Let’s go for it!
Tell us about a dessert scene in a work of art/cinema/culture/literature that you’ll never forget?
The cinematography of Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) really made an impact on me. It also challenged how I saw my own upbringing. It helped me navigate the feelings and traditions that were placed on me with little to no explanation and helped me anchor myself and my life to food. I love the way it can bring people together, soothe us and challenge how we think.
What’s a baking hack you can’t live without?
Learning how to substitute ingredients and understanding how to wield them while baking. [Ed note: Check out Paola’s handy video on baking ratios here.]
What was the inspiration behind your carrot and seeds of paradise alfajores in Tough Cookie?
I try to find unique and different ways to infuse my favorite flavors into pastries that are otherwise perfect as is. I’m a big carrot cake fan, so much so, that in all my restaurants gigs I had a carrot dessert of some sort. (Even going as far as boycotting pumpkin spice and championing carrot cake for the fall.) For me, little flourishes in pastries make it exciting. Baking should be fun—not this stuffy white coat, tall hat environment that we’ve been conditioned to see.
Misc Dessert Content:
Bake: These black sesame Rice Krispie treats from Eric Kim are the ultimate savory/sweet snack. Borrow a page from Eric’s playbook and slice the finished bars into little cubes, then eat it like cereal with a splash of milk.
Watch: The definitive Kit Kat flavor rankings.
Bake: Kristina Cho’s steamed cupcakes (fa gao) for a prosperous Year of the Dragon.
Watch/Do: A great video tutorial on making your own zine.
Bake: Highly festive sweetheart sablés from Smitten Kitchen, complete with cute lil pink hearts.
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Thanks for the introduction to this great baker! I love her choice on a dessert scene. Also, those steamed cupcakes sound amazing and want to try to make them. :-)