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L.A. TACO

Marina Peña is a writer and news producer who covers the social issues that affect Angelenos. She loves strawberries and a good empanada.

Marina Peña

Janette Villafana is an award-winning bilingual multimedia journalist. Her heart lies in community-based reporting, and her work is highly centered on showcasing and uplifting community voices, with a significant focus on the Latino community. She developed her beat at L.A. TACO, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles. Past work has been featured on NBC, LAist, Latino Rebels, and more. She is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington in an exhibit titled “¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News.”

Janette Villafana

An empanada with pebre sauce, a traditional Chilean sauce made to pour over the empanada’s filling, made with jalapeños, cilantro, green bell peppers, salt, garlic, olive oil, and onions.

Food

The 14 Best Empanadas, from Van Nuys to Long Beach

Carolina A. Miranda is an independent culture writer based in Los Angeles. She has produced stories on a variety of subjects for the Los Angeles Times, Curbed, the New York Review of Books and KCRW.

Carolina Miranda

The Chilean Empanadas At This Van Nuys Street Stand Are So Good, They Sell Out By Sunset

empanadas