A love that's grown: Melissa Romero, of Honey Bee Kitchen, shares her culinary passion through pop-ups, special orders

Editor’s note: Cocina Connection is a once-a-month feature that takes a behind-the-scenes look at a New Mexico-based chef, who, in turn, shares some recipes.

Melissa Romero’s love affair with the culinary world began long before she studied it.

Growing up, she picked up pieces from family members.

As she moved into adulthood, she trusted her grandmother and her recipes – there was only one catch.

“She didn’t have anything measured out,” Romero says with a laugh. “Not many grandmothers do. It’s a pinch of this and of that.”

Now determined, Romero began to ask family members and look recipes up.

“There’s something wonderful about seeing people eat something you created,” Romero says. “The love I have for creating dishes has only grown through the years. I remember being a child and seeing how food brought families together. That’s the feeling I always want to capture.”

Today, Romero is the mastermind behind Honey Bee Kitchen.

While not having a storefront just yet, Romero gets her dishes out to the masses via pop-up events and special orders.

“I do savory and sweet,” she says. “There’s a balance to everything that I do. I make everything from scratch and put in the time needed.”

On any given day, Romero is often balancing her life – which takes a lot of planning.

With a four-year-old daughter, Sol, in the mix, Romero balances motherhood and being a wife with running her business.

Oftentimes, orders and creations for Honey Bee Kitchen don’t begin until after her daughter’s bedtime.

“Because I’m so hands-on with my daughter during the day, during the night, it’s my time to be creative,” Romero says. “It makes for some long days, but I’ve learned that as long as I have a list and can check off the many tasks I have to do, it works out pretty well.”

Truth is, Romero didn’t really know she could cook until she met her now husband, Eric.

“I was really young when I met Eric and I had made him food one day and he was impressed,” she says. “I’d never had that kind of feedback. He encouraged me to go to culinary school. It had never crossed my mind because I had enjoyed making things for my family.”

With a newfound confidence, Romero enrolled at Central New Mexico Community College’s culinary program.

There she studied both culinary arts and baking and pastry.

After finishing school, her first job was at Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm.

While at Los Poblanos, she worked under chef Jonathan Perno, where she was part of the newly formed pastry team.

“I remember telling him that I would cook in any capacity that allowed me to get into this kitchen,” she says. “I got into the pastry team and loved it.”

She then went to work at The Grove Cafe & Market, where she worked at the cold station.

While there, she was able to talk the owners – Jason and Lauren Greene – into having pastries.

“I kind of made the position of pastry chef for myself,” she says with a laugh. “Jason and Lauren were like, ‘Okay, you’re showing us something that we know we needed.’ They made the official position happen.”

After two years at The Grove, Romero moved on to Arroyo Vino in Santa Fe.

She began to work with chef Colin Shane.

“That was my favorite experience in restaurants because we had a team of six that was small and we spent time together,” she says. “When I was there, once again, pastries fell into my lap again. Chef Colin told me to do both savory and sweet. I would set up an array of breads and I was doing the charcuterie, the pickling and fermenting. It was really fun.”

Romero’s love for the kitchen continues to grow.

“Working in a kitchen with a team is very different,” she says. “Everyone relies on one another in a very intimate way. If you don’t do what you’re supposed to, it affects everyone else.”

A love that's grown: Melissa Romero, of Honey Bee Kitchen, shares her culinary passion through pop-ups, special orders

After nearly a decade in restaurants, Romero decided to try her hand at owning her own business.

Her concept of special orders and pop-up events is working out well for her.

She collaborates with Lapis Room in Old Town with its “Sip” series. The monthly series combines art, music and food. The next event is on Friday, Nov. 17 and is called “Sip Naranja.”

Romero decided to share her grandma Carmen and her biscochito recipe.

“I wanted to share a recipe that is extremely close to my heart, my grandma Carmen’s biscochitos, keeping the New Mexican tradition that community starts in the kitchen,” she says. “My grandma Carmen was very influential in my culinary life and was a center for love and support overall in my life. This recipe is her recipe adapted over time to also meet my personal preferences, which took a lot of time to determine over the years. Food, cooking and sharing a culinary experience is something that is so personal that it only makes sense to adjust recipes and methods to one’s personal taste. I highly recommend this to everyone, only after learning the proper techniques and trying the recipe at least once successfully before you change things.”

BISCOCHITO COOKIE DOUGH

2 cups lard

1½ cups sugar

⅔ cup brandy or water

3 each eggs

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup anise

SUGAR COATING

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cream the lard and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

Whisk the eggs and brandy, then slowly incorporate into the lard/sugar mixture. Scrape down the bowl between additions.

Sift the dry mixture. Add the dry mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low just until the dough starts coming together. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl and mix briefly one more time to ensure all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Remove the dough and on a floured surface, roll out the dough to about a ¼ inch thickness.

Cut with a fluted round cutter. Sugar each side of the cookie and place on a parchment line tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown.

Enjoy!

(Recipe by Melissa Romero)