Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young grew up in a Filipino-Polynesian-Indian-Italian family in the kitchen with her mama, aunties and grandmas. Today, she loves to create recipes and share stories in the kitchen with her friends and daughters. Dorina is a writer, speaker, podcaster, spoken word artist, avid runner and foodie. She has a B.A. in English and Journalism and is completing an M.F.A. degree in Children’s Literature at Hollins University. She is also the author of two other children’s books, Children of the San Joaquin Valley and Stone Soup: A Hmong Girl’s Journey to the United States, and a non-fiction book for adults, Walk Run Soar. Dorina is originally from Chicago and lives with her husband Shawn and three daughters in Central California. They love traveling, trying out delicious foods from different cultures, and running near the ocean.