About

Alejandra Graf piloncilloyvainilla.com

HELLO!

My name is Alejandra Graf, and I’m the creative mind behind the award-winning blog Piloncillo&Vainilla, which is in Spanish, and AleCooks, which is in English. I am originally from Mexico, but I have been living in the United States with my family for over a decade now. I am married to an American and we have three beautiful children together – Santiago, Sofia, and Romina.

I’m a published cookbook-author and successful food blogger who has been featured in The New York Times

In 2021 Penguin Random House published my cookbook, Yo Cocino Latino, in Spanish The NBC morning show, TeleMundo, Siempre Mujer, and Reforma, among many others, featured my cookbook.

I launched my blog in 2013, focused on easy-to-make and family-approved vegan recipes. I began with Piloncillo & Vainilla, a blog in Spanish meant to share my recipes. By 2015, I expanded to an English-speaking audience with Ale Cooks (previously Brown Sugar & Vanilla). 

My recipes soon gained traction. TheLatinKitchen, PopSugar, HuffPost Latino Voices, Latinamom.com, VegNews, OneGreenPlanet, PetaLatino, TheKitchn, Peta, HipLatina (which named me one of the top five foodie women to watch in 2018), Veganuary (which also named me one of the 5 Mexican-American creators to follow), Piccolo Universe, PureWow and Babble.com have featured them. The Jacques Pépin Foundation published one of my recipes in its 2022 catalog.

Over the years,  prestigious groups and a publication have recognized me for my work. LATISM named me as one of the Top Influencers in 2015 and nominated me for Top Content Creator of the Year in 2018. Hispanic Executive magazine named me a Latinx to Watch in 2019. In 2020, I was recognized as one of the Top 100 Responsible Health & Wellness Influencers of the Year

I have had the privilege of speaking at several conferences, including WeAllGrow in 2017 and 2018 as a food photography expert. Additionally, I spoke at AltSummit in 2019, where I shared my knowledge with other content creators, and I have been interviewed by various podcasts, like food blogger pro and Super Mamas.

I have created my own cookbooks and an online course. In 2019, I launched my first ebook, Siénte bien, comiendo bien, and followed it with 32 Smoothies. Both cookbooks catered to Spanish-speaking Latinx home cooks based in the United States. In 2023, I launched my first online course, “Fotos&Comida,” a food photography course for beginners.

Cooking, reading, running, and eating are among my passions. Growing up in a family of foodies, my fondest memories are always centered around food. My favorite way to spend an evening is in the kitchen with loved ones, creating meals that bring us together.

When our first child, Santiago, was born with food allergies, it changed how I approached cooking. We shifted towards clean, organic, and 100% plant-based food. For the last 12 years, I’ve been committed to perfecting my skills in this area. I’ve pursued plant-based cook certification and continue to educate myself through classes, books, and courses.

The vegan world has many ingredients and combinations to explore, and I’m continuously fascinated by them.

The primary aim of AleCooks is to answer the most frequently asked question I receive: What do you eat? I love sharing my experiences, recipes, and lifestyle with others. I invite you to try the benefits of eating healthy, move away from processed foods, and get back to basics. Remember, less is often more. Give it a try – it’s FREE!

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