She doesn’t consider herself a great cook, yet we always leave our plates spotless whenever we eat at her place. And not just because she insists we must finish everything even when we’re full, then offers dessert anyway (which she does). Her recipes are traditional, the kind that have been passed down for generations. But everything tastes better when she’s the one cooking.

This cookbook gathers a lifetime of stories, while also adapting to Nieves’ new reality. To reflect this, both photographs and illustrations were made, highlighting whether each recipe leans more toward the classic or the contemporary.