Welcome to
Raíces & Returnings
Returning to your raíces – one recipe, ritual,
and reflection at a time
A space for the stories we carry, the ones we're still learning how to tell, and the ones we're finally ready to live.
Here, you'll find reflections on identity, queerness, healing, spirituality, and home. You'll find recipes passed down and reimagined. You'll find reminders—written and wearable—that speak to the parts of you still becoming.
This isn't a brand.
It's our life—offered with intention.
With love,Oly & Ashley
Fresh from:
Raíces & Returnings
New reflections. New recipes. Same corazón. Catch the latest stories, kitchen moments, and real talk—straight from us to you. Scroll through, click around, stay a while.
A Letter from My Kitchen (Second Class Reflections)
I’m not a professional chef.I don’t weigh ingredients.I don’t follow recipes to the decimal.I don’t care about gram accuracy or the science of emulsions.I cook the way my grandmother Ana did—by taste, by smell, by memory.And on the day of my second cooking class…I showed up that way.More grounded.More confident.More myself.Yes, it wasn’t perfect.But I remembered something more important:I’m not here to perform perfection.I’m here to give heart.To serve love the way I know how—warm, imperfect, shared.This second class wasn’t just about food.It was about connection.No phones. No distractions.We learned about hallacas and why San Cristóbal’s version uses raw filling.We paused to be present.We gave thanks.We danced.We laughed.We created something that can’t be measured in ingredients.And to everyone who came—Thank you for trusting me.Thank you for showing up with open hearts and empty stomachs.Thank you for reminding me that I don’t need to be a chef to lead a table.I just need to be Oly.This class opened a new path in me.And though I don’t know exactly where it’s headed,I know this much:I want more of it.More heart.More shared meals.More moments that taste like home.Gracias,—Oly.
Hot Chocolate with Cheese
(A tradition that melts in your mouth and warms the soul)Some things are simple… and taste like home.A thick, rich hot chocolate made with Chocolate Corona, paired with soft white cheese cubes that slowly melt at the bottom of your cup—this is one of those pleasures that needs no explanation.Perfect for chilly mornings, soulful snacks, or any moment when all you want is a cup that feels like a hug.Ingredients (for 2 cups):2 cups of milk (can be whole or plant-based)3 tablets of Chocolate Corona Tradicional6–9 cubes of semi-firm white cheese (like queso campesino, costeño, or paisa)[Optional: a bit of grated panela or cinnamon]How to make it:Heat the milk in a pot over medium heat.Once it’s hot (but not boiling), add the chocolate tablets and begin stirring.Here’s the special touch:I use a traditional wooden whisk (molinillo) and beat it with intention until the chocolate melts completely and a thick, beautiful foam forms on top.Serve immediately in deep mugs, and drop the cheese cubes right into the bottom.Let them sit for a few seconds to melt… then enjoy every sip slowly—with a spoon, with bread, or just with joy.Personal Tip:Sometimes I scoop out the melted cheese with a spoon.Sometimes I bite into it between sips.There are no rules. Just bliss.
