

Emoni manages to make up the remaining money for the Spain trip with the help of her aunt from Puerto Rico, who donates $300. The Winter Dinner is a success and is attended by the chef from Café Sorrel, who praises it. When this venture does not raise enough money, Emoni proposes that the class take over the school’s traditional Winter Dinner and create restaurant-quality food for it. She decides to do this by opening a “mini-restaurant” in an unused part of the school cafeteria. This encounter inspires her to re-join the culinary arts class, and Ayden asks her to head the fundraising for the Spain trip. When Emoni notices and asks about an unexpected ingredient in her meal, she gains the attention of the head chef there.

Emoni and Malachi watch television together afterwards.Įmoni goes to an expensive restaurant, Café Sorrel, with her grandmother. Malachi later calls Emoni to explain that he and Leslie are just friends and asks if he can help cook for Angelica, Emoni’s best friend, who is having an anniversary meal. Emoni then sees Malachi with another girl from culinary arts, Leslie, at the Burger Joint, where she works part time. As a result of this encounter, she starts skipping the class. Things takes a turn for the worse, though, when Ayden asks her to throw away a dish because she did not follow the recipe. Malachi asks Emoni out for ice cream, and she agrees. The course starts well, as Emoni makes a chocolate pudding with paprika that her teacher, Chef Ayden, praises.

He tries talking to Emoni, but she is cautious at first and rejects him. A new male student, Malachi, also selects the culinary arts class. Emoni takes this course because she has a passion for cooking at home. One of the elective courses offered that year is culinary arts, which involves a trip to Spain. Emoni Santiago is a 17-year-old Afro-Puerto Rican woman from Philadelphia who lives with her grandmother, Gloria or “’Buela,” and her two-year old child, Emma or “Babygirl.” Narrated by the main character, the novel begins with the start of Emoni’s senior year at high school.
