on letting my freak flag fly this summer and some fun updates!
the launch of YESBABE and living with a Nonna in Sicily
As I type this, I’m sweating shirtless next to my newly installed AC window unit in my Brooklyn apartment. Which is how I know it’s officially summer, baby!
And wow, I am SO excited for this summer.
It’s been a wild Fall, Winter, and Spring for me. Filled with life changing decisions, expansion, freedom, heartbreak, falling in love, laughing until I cry, crying until I laugh, physical ailments/illness, working harder than I ever have, learning when to slow down, and emotional rollercoasters of the highest highs and the lowest lows….. phew!
People talk about *doing the work* and lord, have I been doing it. And you know what? I’m tired of doing the damn work! It’s time to let my hair down, get frisky, and just *be.* I’ve been in the school of life, and so far it’s gotten me to this point. Look, there’s always work to be done, it’s truly never ending. But I’ve never trusted myself more in knowing that I am exactly where I want to be and going just where I’m meant to be going.
School is out for summer and I’m ready to let my freak flag fly. And that means following all of my joys.
While I haven’t been writing here as often, I’ve been cooking more than ever (hopefully you’ve been following my adventures on social media!) — Fun private events, Monday Night Dinner Parties, cozy dinners at home with loved ones (or solo cozied up watching Laguna Beach reruns). Cooking is my original joy and I find myself still always turning to it through all of the highs and lows of these past several months. I’m so grateful I’ve found this passion and it’s been amazing to see all that it has opened up for me personally and professionally.
As a kid running around a bakery, to a young women meticulously ready Julia Child cookbooks — I finally feel like I’m the chef I always wanted to be. I’ve never gone to culinary school, never properly worked on the line at a restaurant - yet I’ve always been driven by this pure joy and curiosity around food. I don’t think I’ll ever master cooking, and it would be foolish to think anyone could. There is so much to learn always, and I am a nerdy, excited, and humble student in the process. I see food as a vehicle for human connection - and there are just so so so many ways to learn from other people, other cultures, and then get creative to forge new paths.
So I’m also excited to announce a few updates…
UPDATE #1
The past few months I’ve been building something with a dear friend, Vero…
It’s called YESBABE
When Vero and I met last year, we instantly connected over being Latina entrepreneurs and self-taught chefs who have a passion for cooking with love and breaking down the barrier between the kitchen and dining room. We developed a signature style of cooking called “En’Tablao,” inspired by the “Duende” in Flamenco dancing, which is our art of serving and eating foods on natural surfaces and breaking down the barriers of plating etiquette in favor of a more organic experience.
YESBABE flips the idea of “yes, chef” on its head - dismantling the traditional chef hierarchy, and that instead, we can lead, inspire, and collaborate in the kitchen in a supportive and loving way.
After intentionally crafting YESBABE for many months, we’re excited to start hosting culturally relevant events at the intersection of food and music.
And……Our first event is JUNE 20TH!!!!
I’m reallyyyyy excited for this one. We will be exploring the intersection of culture, history, music, and food of New York Salsa. It will be a journey of the senses to see, hear, taste, touch, and really embody the essence of salsa.
We’ll provide an inspired menu of food and drink to pair with a cultural conversation, *LIVE* band, and a dance class with a renowned salsa archaeologist & dancer at our new cooking residence, The Knife Factory.
Grab your ticket here and follow @yesbabenyc, and join our newsletter on our site yesbabenyc.com.
UPDATE #2
Being a humble student who is also letting her freak flag fly for summer vacation, I decided to pursue something I’ve always wanted to do…..
In July I am moving in with a Nonna named Paola in Sicily.
Here’s the plan: every day I will wake up with her, go to the markets, and then cook with her for her family and friends. That’s it, that’s the plan.
And I can’t FUCKING WAIT!!!
Y’all this is my Eat Pray Love moment.
Just me and Paola, fresh ingredients, and learning to cook heirloom family Sicilian recipes from a real master of the craft who does this every day purely out of her love for cooking and gathering.
And it feels so right - to be a student of this incredible woman and co-celebrate this love for food and cooking. (I cooked with her in Queens a few weeks back, check it out to get an idea of how much fun the two of us are going to have together in Sicily…)
I’ll be recording my adventures every day, so be sure to follow on IG/ Tiktok!
Here’s to a hot, frisky, fun summer spent following my joys.
Grab your ticket to my first YESBABE event and make sure to follow all the fun on IG :)
Love ya mucho,
Tessa
It has been so wonderful to watch your journey and being your badass self!
You have opened your heart and the universe has unlocked so many doors for you!
Looking forward to witness and be a support to you as your future unfolds ❣️🌈
Congratulations on all your dreams and endeavors!! Your trip to Italy 🇮🇹 is a dream of my youth. Travel thru different regions and countries learning, soaking up the experiences. I can't wait to see your posts and your growth as a chef...one i hope you share with all of us that will be with you in your journey...