Let's Eat

Old Clothes for Dinner, by Nathalie Alonso, is about a girl named Magaly. Her grandmother has just moved in. Magaly loves her abuela’s Cuban cooking. But then, her grandmother says she’s making ropa vieja. Magaly knows this is Spanish for “old clothes.”

The story was inspired by Alonso’s childhood. She grew up hearing of ropa vieja. It’s a yummy dish. But it has a funny name. “What if someone took it literally?” she tells TFK Kid Reporter Ninis Twumasi.

Alonso says the book is silly and heartfelt. “Food connects people,” she says. The story shows the connection between Magaly and her grandmother.