I love to cook and eat, here are some of my favorite recipes: Lentil Picadillo Tacos, Salsa Taquera (best salsa for tacos), Tinto de Verano, Chimichurri Recipe, and so much more!
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. In 2024, I was named one of the Latin Food Bloggers to Follow by VEGNEWS and appeared in Simple Recipes, talking about Tortilla Chips and the best way to make potato puree.
Over the years, prestigious groups and a publication have recognized me for my work. LATISM named me 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 and 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. I have also 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.
I was born in Mexico City and have lived in several vibrant cities worldwide, including Boulder, Boston, Monterrey, Montreux, and Austin. Today, I live in Houston with my husband and her youngest daughter.
I have three remarkable children: Santiago (pursuing his dreams at Purdue
College), Sofia (embracing her future at St. Edwards), and Romina, their spirited high schooler who still fills their home with her infectious and happy energy. And Miko, the family’s beloved Golden Retriever.
As a Mexican, Alejandra can affirm that their
culture’s most expressive love language is the art of
nourishing one another through the gift of food. The table
and the kitchen are the heart of their gatherings, where they
reconnect, share stories, and celebrate their lives.
The vegan world has many ingredients and combinations to explore, and they continuously fascinate me.
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, moving away from processed foods, and getting back to basics. Remember, less is often more. Give it a try – it’s FREE!
My MISSION
Piloncillo & Vainilla | AleCooks’ mission is to showcase, through mouth-watering food photography and videos, that eating healthy
and vegan can be both delicious and easy. As a bilingual and bicultural woman, Alejandra connects with mothers worldwide to help them introduce healthier foods and products to their families.
She has motivated thousands of women to prepare tasty, quick, plant-based, nutritious meals for their children.
Her recipes, healthy lifestyle recommendations, and insights resonate
with Americans, U.S. Latinos, and Hispanic women. She is one of the leading voices for brands that prioritize healthy, clean ingredients and whose primary focus is to enhance people’s lives.