Eliana Ramosowns 117 cookbooks.The colorful titles, piled atop tables and stuffed into shelves, are a testament to the Brooklyn blogger’s love of baking.

Ramos, 30, started A Chica Bakes as a way to chronicle her progress as a home baker, but since its inception in 2009, the blog has led to interviews with celebrity chefs, trips to blogging conferences and over 1,300 followers on Twitter.

“I started baking casually and sharing it with my audience to show people that it’s not too difficult,” she says. “I would have never imagined that people from different countries would leave comments. I’ve gained a whole network of foodie friends.”

Originally from Washington Heights, Ramos, whose day job is in finance, grew up in a household surrounded by good food. Her mother was a spectacular cook and as a kid, Ramos spent summer break in the Dominican Republic, where her uncles are farmers.

“Traveling to the Dominican Republic every summer, I got to see where food came from. I got to see the raw elements. Surrounding my grandparents’ house was a mango tree, an orange tree and a cherry tree,” she recalls.

Read more: Eliana Ramos Brings Joy With Baking & Blogging | NY Daily News