Denver Chef Jesse Vega Recounts Feeding Hurricane Victims, And Whips Up Mofongo

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Photo: Denver chef Jesse Vega at Candela Latin Kitchen
Denver chef Jesse Vega at Candela Latin Kitchen.

It's been six months since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. Not long after the storm hit, Denver chef Jesse Vega at Candela Latin Kitchen traveled there and helped serve more than 3,000 meals over the course of three days.

Photo: Denver chef Jesse Vega at Candela Latin Kitchen 2
Denver chef Jesse Vega at Candela Latin Kitchen.

His father's side of the family is Puerto Rican and he learned island cooking from his dad's mother. Before he visited us in the studio, we went to Candela to talk to Vega about his experience helping out in Puerto Rico after the storm. And he made us an island favorite: Mofongo, a spicy concoction of plantains, garlic, cilantro, parsley and salsa criolla.