Critically-acclaimed pastry chef Paola Velez shares the interesting story of her opera scholarship and the moment she knew she wanted to dive into baking full-time.
Critically-acclaimed pastry chef Paola Velez shares the interesting story of her opera scholarship and the moment she knew she wanted to dive into baking full-time. Paola talks about her many accolades over the years and shares her biggest fear when it comes to success. She shares the story behind creating the world’s largest bake sale and why social justice initiatives, like Bakers Against Racism, are so vital to her. Paola shares the process of developing her first cookbook and how it encompasses her Dominican heritage and Latin American influences. She describes what it means to be a Millenial Chef Aunty and why she is excited about this generation of chefs and bakers in the industry. Paola reveals the flavor combinations she is experimenting with and what it was like to work with Zooey Deschanel on her show, “What am I Eating?”.
Find episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/paola-velez-bakes-up-dominican-sweets-social-justice
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Follow Paola Velez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallorchids/
Follow Paola Velez on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@smallorchids
Learn More About Bakers Against Racism: https://www.bakersagainstracism.com/
Jaymee Sire:
Hello, hello, and welcome to Food Network Obsessed. This is the podcast where we dish on all things food with your favorite chefs, food influencers, and Food Network stars. I'm your host, Jaymee Sire, and today we have a critically acclaimed pastry chef who has made a name for herself in the culinary world for her innovative and creative dessert creations. Inspired by her Dominican roots, she is a James Beard Award, semi-finalist social justice advocate, and praised as one of the best pastry chefs in America. It's Paola Velez. Welcome to the podcast. I wanted to start off with an interesting fact that I just found out about you before you went to culinary school. Is it true you received a scholarship to become an opera singer,
Paola Velez:
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
Only for karaoke
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
Jaymee Sire:
A not as popular in a crowded karaoke bar. Right.
Paola Velez:
For sure. But I, I would say that I have the most fun singing Britney Spears Toxic
Jaymee Sire:
Oh, amazing.
Paola Velez:
Right. Yeah. It's kinda fun.
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. No, that's a perfect karaoke song. Safe to say. You, you made the right decision though. Are you, you, you're happy with your, your life choices so far?
Paola Velez:
I think so far so good. I think so.
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
It's usually, oh, no, I'm gonna be more busy.
Jaymee Sire:
The anxiety starts to kick in. Right?
Paola Velez:
Seriously.
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
Well, for me, honestly, it is really important for me not to absorb the hype, right? So like, it's really fun and really cool that everybody, every so often seems to like throw awards at me, right.
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. But I mean, that's, I, I do feel like that that is easier said than done. Right? Like, you know, you say you don't want to absorb too much of it. How do you physically not absorb, you know, some of that? Like, how do you kind of keep everything in perspective?
Paola Velez:
Well, I try to stay honest, right? I try to like show myself in all of its weirdness and quirky online, on TV and in person. So I, I don't fake the funk too much, right? And then honestly, I just have a lot of fun. Like, I think half of my personality is just being super goofy to the point where people are like, I really don't understand how we're supposed to take you seriously,
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. I mean, what, what, what do you enjoy so much about what you do? Like why is it so much fun for you?
Paola Velez:
Well, before I used to be kind of like a leader of just the restaurant that I was in, right? Only affecting the four walls, and maybe like the pass and the line, right? But all of a sudden, once I transitioned into this new facet of like the culinary industry and this career, I'm able to talk to so many other human beings who think like me, who are going through the same journey as me and who need that encouragement. So like, I, I kind of just like expanded my reach in a non cringey sort of way, you know? Like, it, it, it is really important, right? Like these podcasts and like the shows like show people that there are people like them and that they're not alone in singular in this universe, you know?
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah, absolutely. And I, and I feel like, I mean, your work as an activist is literally baked into your career as a pastry chef. For those who aren't aware, can you kind of share the story about how Bakers against racism began?
Paola Velez:
Yeah, for sure. So, bakers Against Racism is an organization that was funded almost like a lighthouse organization to point people to organizations who are nonprofits that are doing the work in their own communities. You know, it's sometimes like people have a heart forgiving, but they're kind of jaded and kind of like, I don't know who to trust or where my money is gonna go, or is this actually gonna make any change in the community that I want to affect, you know? And we just use our platform to help and partner, you know, with people to show them what needs are in the community, you know, and we've fundraised for black lives and we've fundraised for women's rights and we've fundraised for the Ukraine, you know, like, and, and there's so much more that we, we do. And because it, it is a global effort now, folks can take that same banner, that same mission, and, you know, there are folks in Australia and Mumbai and Paris and Berlin who are doing the same thing, and they are looking at the needs of their community, finding the nonprofits that are doing the work, and then helping them fundraise, which is probably the hardest thing that nonprofits have to do.
Jaymee Sire:
Mm-hmm, I mean, it's an incredible initiative. You know, it started in 2020, I think, you know, at a time where a lot of people were feeling lost and, and feeling like they wanted to do something but didn't know what, you know, you, you talk about like how, how much this has grown over the last few years. But I mean, it started off like relatively, you know, with small ambi, smaller ambitions, I guess. I mean, you initially were just gonna make, you know, I don't know, like 150, you know, dessert pieces and maybe ask some other people to do the same. At what point did you kind of realize that this was gonna be something bigger than what you initially set off to do?
Paola Velez:
Immediately? Really, it was like lightning in a bottle,
Jaymee Sire:
I mean, it's incredible. It is unofficially the world's largest bake sale raising 2.5 million for social justice causes worldwide. I mean, obviously this has already grown and evolved so many times over the last couple years. Where do you see it going in the future?
Paola Velez:
Well, right now I'm actually just trying to learn the world of nonprofits and c3 and also kind of like figuring out how to make sure that I don't mess up, you know, this wonderful responsibility that people have given me, which is their trust. You know? So I'm learning and I'm open about that. I, I wanna make sure that when we launch our first ever in-person bake sale with everyone that wants to participate, that people like know exactly what we're doing, how we're doing it, you know, and that takes time. Even as recent as this weekend, we're doing something for kids who need our help, who are in terrible situations, you know? And it, it's so wonderful. Cause now people don't need me to champion a a cause they bake and they, they fundraise and, you know, it's not just bakers, it's, you know, print like makers against Racism. And we have also, like bartenders and pit masters and so on and so on. Like, folks are like, I, I wanna do this and I'm just gonna utilize my little craft, you know, like, whatever I can make, whatever I can do, I wanna do that for the community and I wanna grow. And it really connects people and, and really gives them that third space that we have kind of like seen disappear in our, you know, you, you and I probably bro, like grew up going to the park and knowing that our friends were all gonna be at the park. That's our third space. So now how do we build that? Yeah. And the restaurant industry is building that for people. Everybody knows at this date we're gonna all come together, pick up our baked goods, chefs are gonna come together and deliver their baked goods. And it's so cute. It's like amazing, you know?
Jaymee Sire:
It is, no, it's a movement that you've created and it's so incredible to see, you know, how much it has grown. Because I, I remember that back in, in 2020, you know, like I, a local bakery had reached out to ask if I wanted to help promote. And, and that's kind of where I dove it and found out, out about it. And I just thought that that was like such an incredible thing that you did. And the response, like you said, has been, you know, has, you know, blown people away. I, I, I can imagine that you've had, you know, dozens, hundreds, thousands of stories from people across the world kind of joining in on this giant, you know, ongoing virtual bake sale that you've created. Is there like a specific or particular story that that stands out? Like somebody that's reached out to you from, you know, across the world?
Paola Velez:
Yeah, I'm not gonna name names. Okay. But there's this particular baker, and if they listen to this podcast, they're gonna know
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
Jaymee Sire:
I think that that is something that, you know, is somewhat missing some of the time in this society. And I think, yeah. I think just being a good human is is the most important thing for you to, to, you know, hear these stories and help inspire others to do the same, you know? What, what is that feeling like for you?
Paola Velez:
Well, I'm always kind of in awe, right? I grew up in the Bronx, right? Yeah. And inner city schools. And a lot of times folks would tell us, like, we wouldn't amount to much more than what we would see in our neighborhood. Right. And I kind of trusted food to guide me, you know, and I hid behind food. Right. But now it's like I was still able to grow and, and do all of the things while still being nice and quirky and
Jaymee Sire:
You
Paola Velez:
And me, right? And I kind of like, now talk to folks and folks just feel empowered, right? I was, um, at Philly Chef's Conference this weekend and this young lady started talking during my panel with Gail Simmons. And we were ju I was just talking about like my mental health issues and my journey and why I do the things that I do. And she kind of like, she was like, I'm sorry, this isn't a question, but I just want you to know that we are all looking at you because we've never seen this type of representation. We've never seen ourselves personified. And not only that, but somebody who's winning awards and still doing, he like helpful things for the community. And I'm not gonna lie, I was crying on the panel and then everybody was crying in the room and we were all a mess. But it was just like a reality check. Cause I sometimes forget, you know, like you're, you're chasing the, the, the next trend or you're trying to figure out the algorithm or you're just trying to make your call time, you know? Yeah. And you forget that there's gonna be a, a kid in the Bronx that's gonna turn on even just the Food Network and they're gonna be like, oh my God, that's me. And I can be that too. And that's crazy to me.
Jaymee Sire:
Oh, it's, it's powerful. I mean, rep representation is so important and you're definitely, you know, representing for, for the Bronx. And speaking of which I saw on Instagram, you have a cookbook in development, which is gonna be called Life is a bodega, a baking book with Love from the Bronx. How will this book kind of encompass your Dominican heritage and your experience as a first generation American?
Paola Velez:
Well, everything that I kind of do is kind of like always tiptoeing around that fact, because I'm still learning how to be American. You know,
Jaymee Sire:
Mm-hmm, what, what are some of the hallmarks of Dominican food that you love that you kind of, I guess, meld into these Americana desserts and, and kind of make them your own creations?
Paola Velez:
For sure. So a lot of it comes down to what type of fruits we grow in our backyard. A lot of our warming spices. And then just kind of like techniques, right? And there are a few of the recipes that I leave as is like, I'm just like, this is very Dominican and I wanna introduce it to you. Like,
Jaymee Sire:
Which ones?
Paola Velez:
So like [inaudible] which means kind of like cut milk, right? Uhhuh. And it's a beautiful recipe that takes lime and fresh milk. Well, not fresh milk cuz we're in America. So pasturized milk,
Jaymee Sire:
Unless you're on the farm,
Paola Velez:
Jaymee Sire:
Mix? I, I've used it as a word, so let's just say that it is
Paola Velez:
Yeah. But you know, it's like the, all of the, the beautiful citrus and all of that beautiful, like sweet, just umami from the milk come together with warming spices and it's a little sweet, it's a little sour, it's a little creamy and it just like melts in your mouth and you're just like, why, why is this happening to me?
Jaymee Sire:
Buttermilk. Yeah.
Paola Velez:
Right. And you're just like, but I don't know what it is about this dessert. Maybe it's just we needed it to preserve stuff, what, back, back in the day. But it just comes together and it's a flavor party in your mouth,
Jaymee Sire:
I mean, it sounds delicious. It sounds like my kind of dessert as well. So that's an example of one that you kind of like left alone. I love it. What about the plantain sticky buns? Are those gonna be making an appearance in the book?
Paola Velez:
Oh, absolutely. And some variations, which I'll keep a secret for now. Okay.
Jaymee Sire:
Oh my gosh. That's incredible. I, what was, what was your mom's reaction when she saw the video?
Paola Velez:
She was like, I guy fi I love you. And I'm like, mom
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
I'm like, mom, mom, no, this is a video. She's like, ah, ok,
Jaymee Sire:
Oh man. I love that. That is such a great story. I'm excited that it's in the cookbook. And, and like you said, some variations that people haven't seen yet. For anyone that has not been to a New York City bodega, what do you mean by the title of the book? That life is a bodega?
Paola Velez:
I think, so for me, bodegas are like the cornerstone of life. You know, every single neighborhood in New York City has their local bodega. And for me, my bodega shop owners, they knew me. They knew my mom. They knew exactly what my schedule was. They knew exactly if we had hard times, you know, and they would make sure that I always had my afterschool snacks, my morning breakfast. You know, they made sure that they, if they saw me walking around and I wasn't feeling too good, they would walk me home. And like, that's community. You know, and in every, you know, area culture, there is something adjacent to a bodega, whether it's in the Republic, which is called Amado. Or just your neighborhood deli. So even, you know, in the Dominican Republic, we have Komodos and then even if you're not in New York or in the Dominican Republic, you have like your local deli and like you, we develop a routine with this corner store, you know? And we kind of like find comfort in life. And sometimes they have everything that we need if we're in a pinch, you know, but if not, they have all of our favorite snacks and they have all of our favorite foods. And I think that people need that reminder that our community is based on the corner stores and the the mom and pops that are there that we need to support and we need to love and we need to remember.
Jaymee Sire:
Hmm. So this book is gonna be a, a paper version of, of all of those things that you just described,
Paola Velez:
Jaymee Sire:
Coming up next, Paola explains why she refers to herself as the millennial auntie, and later gives us a sneak peek into our appearance on the new series. What am I eating with Zooey Deschanel coming to Max this May? Well, you often refer to yourself as a millennial chef, auntie. How do you see millennial and Gen Z chefs in this industry kind of doing things differently from previous generations?
Paola Velez:
I think, honestly, first the lovely folks at TikTok, but not the, the headquarters, but just the, the regular just commenters and followers. They were like, are millennial chefs, auntie? Because I was asking questions, I was like, how do I, TikTok
Jaymee Sire:
Social media. Yeah.
Paola Velez:
Right. But kind of like teaching them like the lessons, like, this is what I learned. I don't want you to have to learn these hard lessons, so this is what I want you to take away from me. And what we can do together as a community or as a, you know, just the, the, the industry, you know, and they're listening cuz they're, they literally always get their information from the internet. Mm-hmm. Right? So when they connect one-on-one, and I'm like, okay, so you're about to graduate college and I'm just gonna tell you right now, you don't need to have everything figured out.
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah,
Paola Velez:
Yeah. I was like, I graduated savory, you know, for culinary school and then I got awards for pastry. Like, you know, like, life is complicated and weird, so let it life, you know?
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. Let it life. I mean, speaking of which, how do you think social media has really impacted your industry?
Paola Velez:
Oh, I think that it's a hundred percent so important for restaurants now more than ever to really understand how to communicate with the audience. Mm-hmm. And how to like, show what you're offering to people. We've always kind of eaten with our eyes, you know, we, we love magazines about food, we love shows about food, but now folks want to know what they're getting themselves into before they step into the restaurant, myself included. I might go to TikTok and Google your restaurant and see the reviews and see how people are being treated or how the food comes out, you know? And that might make like my informed decision, you know? So for me personally, I use the, as like a portfolio, you know, and I just post it every time that I had a zany idea, I would just post it on the internet and people were like, well, Lada, you have reinvented the wheel yet again,
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. Give that, you know, that point of view and, and what makes you special as well. And, and why people should care, I guess. You know, something about baking that's always, I guess for me, a little daunting is that there is so much, you know, chemistry and precision behind it. So when, when you're trying to like, experiment with new ideas, how much do you get to like, really play around with things and how much do you have to stick to kind of, I don't know, I guess the science, the chemistry to make sure things all, you know, puff up the right way and that kind of thing.
Paola Velez:
So as I mentioned before, I started off as a savory show. Yeah. So like, my basic knowledge of pastry was like, you know, will this bake
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
But you know, people need to learn their ratios. Like, I call it like the golden ratios of like, what makes bread, bread, what makes cookies, cookies, cake, cake. You know? And then once you have those parameters, you can sub out anything. You could sub out the fat, you can sub out the, the even how to make like the same texture of eggs. You could sub out sugars, you could sub out flowers even, you know, as long as you just know how things react.
Jaymee Sire:
What are some flavor combinations that you're loving right now?
Paola Velez:
Some of the really fun flavor combinations is like figuring out how to like, get like masic gum into everything. Okay. I think that that minty fresh flavor is like beyond unique and like pairing it with like, super sour, tropical fruits is giving me life right now.
Jaymee Sire:
Mm-hmm. How often, like how much do you have to kind of play around with a recipe like that until you kind of get the right combo?
Paola Velez:
If between you and me, I'm kind of a psycho and I do like one and done, it's kind of crazy. Really?
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. That's awesome. Like
Paola Velez:
My, like, everybody that I work with, or like folks, like, I'll just be like, oh, cool, yes, these are the ratios for this. And I'm like, oh, I'm sorry. I just like released my ultimate nerd, you know,
Jaymee Sire:
But,
Paola Velez:
But it's like, you know, like I just, I study all of these like ratios and all these things, so like, it's almost like common knowledge, right? Yeah. So if I sprinkle a little bit of this, a little bit of that, I know that I'm gonna get around this, you know? Yeah. Like product, my favorite is like, when I get surprised, I don't wanna call it ambush, you know, like demos, but like, I'll just be hanging out with like friends and all of a sudden they're like, oh, I wanna give you a tour of like the kitchen, the demo kitchen. And all of a sudden there's cameras set up and I'm like, wait a minute,
Jaymee Sire:
A minute,
Paola Velez:
Right? But that's like, where, like, it shines the most and I'm like, Ooh, I know exactly what to make for this. Or I'm in this region of, of like the US. So I wanna make this, you know? And folks are like, but you don't have a recipe. And I'm like, well, I know, but it, it's a little fun this way, isn't it?
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
I think a lot of people just don't understand how it's grown and harvested and the amount of effort that it takes to even just make like bleached flour. Right. And I think that there are so many wonderful American like companies and farms that are really doing the work, you know, to make us healthy and make us strong and make us have tasty treats, you know? And use like a si on the show to like cut grains. It's scary. What is that? I, so it's like, you know how like the grimer?
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah.
Paola Velez:
I was like, I'm like, I'm the cutest agent of, you know, of done in your,
Jaymee Sire:
Of baking. Right.
Paola Velez:
Of baking, of baking
Jaymee Sire:
But just in case I'm, I'm prepared and I'm armed
Paola Velez:
For sure. And I mean, like, it's just like, really, it's just beautiful, you know, you go to, you know, to the farm and like, you see everything, you know. And like, you, you don't look at this product and see flour, you know, you just see like plants, you know, and all of a sudden the process that it takes to mill it, to grind it up, to process it in, in a way that can be distributed to the masses, it's such a wonderful, just exciting feeling. Plus I met eight industry celeb on the show. I'm gonna wait until you guys see the episode. Okay. But I was fangirling so, so much. I was like, oh my God, it's really you. I only thought you were on the package
Jaymee Sire:
But that was a good tease. Now I'm like thinking about logos
Paola Velez:
It's really fun. Really fun. You guys have to tune in
Jaymee Sire:
That. No, that's super exciting. What was it like working with Zooey on this project?
Paola Velez:
Oh, wonderful. You know, just the, the passion and fervor for our food ways, you know, we need this now more than ever. You know, after the pandemic things changed so much for our farmers and our businesses and how food gets to consumers. And I think what Zooey is doing is gonna change the next 10 years.
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. I, I remember meeting her at the James Beard Awards a few years ago and, and she talking about it back then, you know, so I think it's great to see that she is, you know, continued to kind of, you know, follow up on that and, and make it a priority not just for her, but for for other people as well. What do you hope people take away from the episode or the series in general
Paola Velez:
From the series in general? I really hope people kind of put some respect on our food ways, you know? Like really, like, this is hard work and hard stuff, you know, to get the best product in, into our bodies and into our systems, and we really should know what we're eating.
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah. No, I think it's important. And a lot of people don't know that, you know? Well, we're, we're looking forward to seeing the series and it's been such a delight chatting with you and just getting to know more about your journey. But I'm gonna finish things off with a little rapid fire round, and then we have one final question for you. All right. Dessert you can make with your eyes closed.
Paola Velez:
Any
Jaymee Sire:
Cake? Any cake? All right. Any, what's your favorite kind of cake?
Paola Velez:
Oh, my favorite has to be chiffon.
Jaymee Sire:
Okay. Favorite cookbook?
Paola Velez:
Salt Fat. Acid. Heat.
Jaymee Sire:
Ah,
Paola Velez:
It actually is Charleston.
Jaymee Sire:
Oh really? Yeah.
Paola Velez:
That, that, that is a, a town. Yes. That is flavorful
Jaymee Sire:
Paola Velez:
What am I manifesting right now? Well, I'm launching a pop-up series called Dokey. Dokey. Cool. Because my mom can't say Okie dokey
Jaymee Sire:
I love that. Dokey. Dokey. That's so cute. Best advice you've ever received.
Paola Velez:
You don't have to be perfect. Just make sure you're consistently good enough. Hmm.
Jaymee Sire:
That's good advice. I like that one kitchen tool you cannot live without.
Paola Velez:
Oh, I, I won't say tweezers cuz all of my chef friends are gonna make fun of me.
Jaymee Sire:
And how often should you replace them? I feel like I saw something recently that kind of shocked me
Paola Velez:
Because I have more than one. For one, for each purpose, which is like, really, why would I do that?
Jaymee Sire:
Okay. That's good. That's a good little test. I like that. And then show you are currently binge watching.
Paola Velez:
Can I say the Walking Dead?
Jaymee Sire:
Yeah, sure.
Paola Velez:
Yeah. I'm, I'm like obsessed. I'm like already now in the fear of the Walking Dead and I'm, I'm hearing up all the new stuff. Oh man, I'm ready for the apocalypse. Like I'm a hardcore, like I wasn't a fan because I just never got into it cuz I was always working. All of a sudden now I have like pockets of free time where I do self care and I'm a hundred percent a walking dead fanatic.
Jaymee Sire:
Okay. Well I know where I'm going. If, if the world, you know, becomes consumed by zombies, I'm, I'm coming here. Oh yeah,
Paola Velez:
I got your back. We're going to like,
Jaymee Sire:
You know what you're gonna, you
Paola Velez:
Bring
Jaymee Sire:
A, you gotta bring the grim reaper.
Paola Velez:
I know. Oh my God. See now it's, it's all full circle on It's
Jaymee Sire:
All coming together.
Paola Velez:
All right. If, if not wees some of the zombies. There you
Jaymee Sire:
Go. There you go.
Paola Velez:
So it's not actually food based. Okay. But it's like people based. Okay. I like that. So I, I have to work a lot. And sometimes you don't get to see all of your favorite friends, but I think I would start my breakfast off in Austin, Texas where I could see my longtime friends from even before I was like a chef and my mentor chef Tove, Brisa Joseph. Then I would hop over to Orlando and I would bring my mom and, and everybody and like my mother-in-law and we would have just like a typical Puerto Rican meal at one of the wonderful restaurants that are popping up everywhere in Orlando right now. And we would just have, you know, a fun time little laughing. A little bit of eating, but not too much because now I have to go to New York and I'm gonna go see my friend Christine Lau and everybody, my manager and I just, we're just gonna go and have, you know, karaoke and k barbecue. And then we're just gonna have like a nightcap at my favorite bar actually. Double chicken please. Mm. And I'm, you know, that's would be my perfect trip.
Jaymee Sire:
I mean, that sounds like a lovely trip with a lot of people that are very important to you and are I'm sure responsible in some small way for, for where you are now. So thank you for sharing and thank you for taking the time to chat with us and, and share your story and continued success in the months and years ahead,
Paola Velez:
Thank you so much, Jaymee. It was awesome.
Jaymee Sire:
You can catch Paola on what am I eating with Zooey Deschanel streaming May 23rd on Max. Make sure to follow us wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss a thing. And if you enjoy today's episode, please rate and review. We love it when you do that. That's all for now. We'll catch you foodies next Friday.