Foodtruck To Freedom

To some a food  truck means a quick , tasty lunch . Yet to others it has a more significant meaning - freedom. That's the case with sisters Ana and Paola Fernandez and Ana's wife, Katherine Rengifo. The work may be hard but there are payoffs.

Amelia Nierenberg , a contributor to the prestigious Boston Globe ,  The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Yale Daily News wrote this thoughtful piece about the trio for yesterday's New York Times Food section. Both Fernandez' and Ms Rengifo emigrated from Venezuela, a country that's still unraveling as this is being written.Ana and Katherine came here for a vacation leaving behind a bathing suit design company and store on Margarita Island a  popular destination off the Venezuelan coast. Paola joined them in New York.It was iffy for them to return. Most of their family and friends had already left and urged them to do the same. They were granted what's known as an open asylum claim citing fears of persecution from the government. There's uncertainty in whether they will be allowed to stay, yet they are building their food business despite that. The couple have done everything they could to bring in an income. They've worked as nannies and line cooks, along with cleaning houses and making coffee still. The food truck is a Sunday only affair.

Luckily the food truck has provided both stability and money. They made favorite foods to help them combat homesickness. Familiar flavors  made them feel like they were almost home - almost. Last December, after hearing about Smorgasburg, the weekly outdoor culinary bazaar in trendy Williamsburg, they brought those familiar flavors for an audition of sorts to its' headquarters in Crown Heights. One of the founders of the weekly food fest, Eric Denby was struck by their personalities. He gave them a shot. Their food truck, Vayalo Cocina,Let's Go Kitchen in Spanish was born. One Venezuelan specialty is street hot dogs. This popular dish is a hot dog loaded with bacon, onions, avocado and several sauces. It's called Tumba Rancho, roughly translated into "bringing down the house because it's so overloaded that it can fall apart while eating it. Then there are the arepas, savory cornmeal cakes. One is a vegan, full of tomatoes, avocados and olive oil, called the Mama Gladis, named for the Fernandezes mother , still in the country. The three cook  some the food at a friend's apartment Saturday  to be sold on Sunday. They hope to expand with a delivery only service along with another stand.

A food truck isn't just a food truck. It is a way out and a way up for so many cooks and chefs.  For the Fernandez-Rengifo family it is both, a way out of a turbulent country and a way up to a better life.