Chef’s Bodega
The Neighborhood Flavor Purveyor
As the founder of the Common Roots Project I often ask myself how I might begin to sum up what it is that defines my flavor. When attempting to do so, I often think about how inspired I was by the buzz of the NY Bodega. The Bodega, also known as a neighborhood convenience or general store was sort of an infatuation of mine while living in Queens, NY. What I found extremely interesting is that these store’s would always cater the provisions they carried to the liking’s of the residents in the neighborhood so you would see such a diversity of folks walking in and out of the Bodega’s doors. A true display of the American dream, an immigrant hustle. This concept really speaks to my cooking style and what I work towards accomplishing which is learning more about my neighborhood’s flavor and exploring this convergence of diversity in hopes of efficiently and peacefully communicating within my community. In this way, I can Cultivate Wholistic Nourishment by utilizing the “Bodega” as my flavor. The concept and style that combines the cultural influences that make up a particular neighborhood. It’s a way of cooking, it’s the inspiration for sounds collected for a mix tape. The raw colors and street art on the walls or the labels on the products on its shelves. It’s the constant hunt for more flavor.
If you’re interested in learning more about some of my professional accomplishments please click here.
If you’d like to learn more about what one of those mix tapes might sound like, please click here.
Common Roots Project 