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Food, fun, dance spice up Latino Food Festival
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
Whether preparing a special type of fish, enjoying a variety of food or playing a folk-style flute, Bruno Serrano exudes Latino culture.
“Everywhere I go, anybody I meet, I like to share our culture,” the Youngstown State University information-technology major said.
Serrano, of Struthers, provided some of the Caribbean- and South American-style food and entertainment that were staples of the Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana’s fourth annual International Latino Food Festival on Saturday at OCCHA, 3660 Shirley Road, on the South Side.
An estimated 10 local vendors took part in the all-day fundraiser that introduced the community to Latino culture, foods and traditions, noted Mary Lou Reyes, OCCHA’s executive director.
A goal was to raise $5,000, which was to go toward the organization’s summer day camp, an after-school program and a program for teaching English as a second language, Reyes explained.
Serrano demonstrated his cooking prowess by volunteering to prepare ceviche, a Peruvian fish marinated in onions, lemon juice and cilantro.
The dish also was one of numerous types of foods from Latin countries such as Peru, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba and Mexico.
A sampling of homemade a la carte meals included empanadas de espinaca (baked turnovers with spinach), congri (rice cooked with black beans), pastelon de papas y carne (a potato-and-beef casserole), guiso de quinoa con carne (stew with meat), habichuelas (stewed beans) and pastelon de platanos maduros (a sweet plantain-and-beef casserole). All dishes were between $2 and $5.
The event also featured a pig roast and a 50/50 raffle.
Customers also had the chance to taste two kinds of tamales made by Gloria De Los Santos of Youngstown.
“It took me about three hours to prepare it,” she said, referring to tamales made from corn and stuffed with pork, as well as a vegetarian variety called tamales de rajas, which contains mainly jalapenos and cheese.
Assisting Santos with the effort was Rachel Flasco. Both are members of Sociedad Mutualista Mexicana, a 68-year-old Youngstown-based organization of which Santos’ grandfather was an original member.
On the sweeter side of things, many people sampled desserts such as bunuelos (fried dough), budin de pan (bread pudding), tembleque (coconut custard), dulce de coco (coconut candy) and mousse de maracuya (passion fruit).
Attendees also enjoyed plenty of Latin music, courtesy of the Labra Bros., a Canfield-based band for which Serrano sat in and sang, played the acoustic guitar and the pan flute, a handcrafted instrument made from bamboo pipes that is popular in several South American countries.
The group also offered its rendition of a few famous American tunes, including The Beatles’ hit “Hey Jude.”
Among those who weren’t a bit shy about dancing to the music were Victor Arcenio of Canfield and Anita Gomez of Boardman, both of whom are from Peru and grew up dancing. During the festival, they graced the dance floor with their moves and colorful attire.
Eight members of Warriors of Worship, a dance troupe from the Spanish Evangelical Church of Youngstown, also provided entertainment.