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Salt Lake City cook shares his Haitian culture through food and tries to undo the sinister stereotypes of the Voodoo religion

Jean “Roody” Salvator earns extra income and exposure for his Makaya Catering business when he plans special “pop-up” dinners in Salt Lake City.

But these one-night events have a higher purpose — to give the self-taught cook an opportunity to share the foods and stories of his native Haiti. “Every pop-up," he said, “I try to tell a story with cultural significance.”

During his next dinner, on Oct. 27, he will tackle one of the most misunderstood parts of the culture: Voodoo and Day of the Dead. It begins at 6 p.m. at Ember SLC, 623 S.