Festival Latino! cuisine featured online

As a part of this year’s virtual Festival Latino! lineup, two local chefs are bringing Latin flavors to home kitchens. Because the in-person event, which typically takes place along the Downtown riverfront, was cancelled because of COVID-19, the festival is premiering content online through Sunday, which will be available at festivallatino.net.

In a video that began airing Tuesday, Omar D’angelo, owner of Barroluco Argentine

Comfort Food, and Nadia De Jesus, owner of D’nadia’s Catering, each share two recipes from their respective cultures.

D’angelo, 38, demonstrates how to make empanadas, a turnover common in Argentine cuisine that can be either baked or fried. Barroluco makes theirs with a flour dough, as opposed to corn, and they can be filled with various meats, vegetables or cheese.

He also shows how to make chimichurri, a sauce made out of garlic, parsley, vinegar, olive oil and roasted red peppers. The sauce can be used both as a marinade for meats and to top cooked dishes.

“Chimichurri is like barbecue in America,” D’angelo said.

D’angelo and his family moved to Columbus 20 years ago from Argentina. They established D’angelo’s Bakery in 2009, and, in 2014, they rebranded and changed their name to Barroluco.

They began a food-truck operation in 2016, and opened Barroluco’s brick-and mortar restaurant in 2018 Downtown.

“We’re adding to the food diversity of the city,” D’angelo said.

Representing the Dominican Republic, De Jesus, 41, demonstrates how to make mangu, a traditional dish with mashed plantains, salami and fried cheese. She says that the Dominican Republic is the only country that prepares the dish.

“To show other people our culture, I was really proud,” De Jesus said.

To go with it, she also prepares morir sonando, a popular drink in the

Dominican Republic made with milk and orange juice.

D’nadia’s catering has been open for nine years, specializing in Latin and Caribbean cuisine. They cater for businesses as well as special events, and has also been a part of Festival Latino in previous years.

Food has been an important way for De Jesus and her family to stay connected to their culture since moving to Columbus from the Dominican Republic

about 15 years ago.

“When you’re far from home and where you were born, it’s a way to keep a link to your roots,” Danilo De La Cruz, Nadia’s husband and co-owner of the catering business, said.

Although D’angelo will miss the smell of all of the different types of food at Festival Latino, he is grateful that he is still able to share a piece of his culture.

“We bring something different, different flavors,” D’angelo said. “We’re explaining (our food) to them so they know about other Latino countries.” mfenter@dispatch.com @maya_with_a_y