Luli is a bright eight-year old Spanish-speaking immigrant school girl from Marianao, Cuba, where she had her usual morning café con leche for breakfast that was always served piping hot with lots of coffee and sugar. She's confused and very surprised to see cold milk given to her at lunch at the school cafeteria. There are also these strange-looking vegetables on her tray. She's only familiar with root vegetables like yuca, boniato, and malanga that she had at meals in Marianao.
She now finds herself attending a small midwestern school in Hinsdale, Illinois where she's the only non English speaker in the class. Faced with learning a new language, as well as acquiring a palette for foods she's never had back home in her native country, Luli tries hard to fit in her new school setting with the creative help of her mother.
Luli quickly learns that she can enjoy new and unfamiliar foods by adding her own sweet and savory touches. It's become a true food adventure for her!