By The New York Times (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-24 10:01:17 | Updated at 2024-10-24 12:19:02
2 hours ago
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In the cramped kitchen of a home in Queens, Tiana Webb slowly flipped empanadas in a pot of hot oil as they turned crispy and brown — just like her Jamaican-Puerto Rican family taught her.
Nearly 1,800 miles away in Hutto, Texas, Davila Dion pounded plantains into a chewy bread the way her mother taught her in Ivory Coast.
“When you use a blender, it doesn’t give the taste that you want,” Mrs. Dion said, opting for a mortar and pestle to mash the fruit into dough for a dish called fufu.
Ms. Webb’s business, T’s Kitchen, and Mrs. Dion’s business, WAfrica Taste, have dozens of loyal customers.
But neither of them have storefronts, employees or commercial kitchens.
Instead, like thousands of other unlicensed restaurateurs across the country, Ms. Webb and Mrs. Dion have found success selling their home cooking through an unexpected platform: Facebook Marketplace.
Yes, that Facebook Marketplace. The internet’s garage sale. Best known for offering sweet deals on used furniture and electronics.
