Flourtown woman bringing Hispanic heritage to area with melting pot of flavors in her home-cooked meals
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The weather outside is cold, rainy and gross, so you might have a craving for some warm, comfort food. As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, CBS3's Vittoria Woodill takes us to Flourtown in Montgomery County to meet a woman who's serving a melting pot of flavors through her home-cooked meals.
As Karla Salinas prepares pumpkin to make a piping hot pot of Peruvian seafood chowder, she talked passionately about how her home of Peru is a melting pot of cultures.
"It's not just rice and beans Peruvians, we are stews, stir-fries, pasta," Karla said, "Everyone has a mix, everybody there's just a few Peruvians that are 100% Peruvian."
She says that is what makes the culture so "rich."
It's these rich flavors she's brought to Flourtown at Karla's Kitchen. Her family recipes are for the community to grab and go.
She opened her restaurant in 2016, but in the beginning, her flavors didn't quite catch on.
"I was doing authentic Peruvian and people didn't like it too much, so I remember being frustrated, like what am I doing here? I didn't go to school. We are immigrants, but I love to cook," Karla said.
It's a love she shares with her mother, who was a cater in Lima. Her mom engrained in her mixing cultures brings people together.
"My mother said to me, you're not cooking for Peruvians, your cooking for Americans," Karla said, "Cook their food, but with your flavor."
From there it was history.
"The community is the best," Karla said. "They've become part of my life and I become part of their life too."
Eyewitness News is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs until Saturday, October 15. Click here to check out our stories.
