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What’s a nice guy from Venezuela doing in
Springfield? Well, among other things, he’s making arepas. Félix Cabrera moved to Springfield from
Venezuela five years ago with his wife, Ana, and two sons, Santiago and
Bernardo. Cabrera came here in conjunction with his family’s
business, a commodity-brokerage firm. They also have offices in Florida and
Caracas, dealing with a variety of foods, including lentils and peas. The
commodities that brought Félix here, however, are — what else?
— corn and soybeans. The Cabreras weren’t exactly strangers to
the Midwest. Félix’s brother got his master’s degree in
agriculture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign many years
ago, and Félix visited him there several times. Ana, an architect
with Melotte-Morse-Leonatti, has relatives in Ottawa.
Outgoing and personable, Félix also teaches
Spanish at the University of Illinois at Springfield, where he
enthusiastically tells his students about arepas. Arepas are considered
the national food of Venezuela, taking the place of bread in the daily
diet. They are made of precooked corn flour that is similar to the masa harina used to make
Mexican corn tortillas and tamales. Masa
harina is somewhat different, however,
because it has been precooked in an alkali solution to remove the outer
layer, a process called nixtamalization, giving it a different taste and
texture. The culture and culinary heritage of Venezuela are
more straightforwardly Spanish than those of many other Latin American
countries, mainly because the indigenous population at the time of
colonization was very small and primitive. Even so, native foods,
especially corn, became prominent in the Venezuelan diet. Arepas may have
originated as a staple food of poor natives, but they’re now eaten by
everyone. After hearing Félix describe Venezuelan arepas I wanted to try them,
so on my last trip to New York (and on Félix’s
recommendation), I went to the Caracas Arepa Bar. I’d had arepas in Colombian
restaurants before, but they’re quite different, more like a thicker
corn tortilla. The Venezuelan versions are fat little patties, crispy on
the outside and creamy inside. They can be eaten plain or split and filled
with myriad ingredients. The Caracas Arepa Bar offers some 20 combinations.
I tried two, one with grilled chicken, chorizo, and avocado and the other
with shredded beef, black beans, salty cheese, and sweet plantains. Both
were absolutely delicious.
Back in Springfield, Félix and his charming
mother, Victoria, visiting from Venezuela, made arepas for his Spanish class.
Félix split and filled his with cheese and chorizo, but Victoria
made a wonderfully different sweet fried version. The thin discs of corn
dough were puffed into little pillows, crispy on the outside and hollow on
the inside, light, not at all heavy or greasy, and sweet without being
cloying. Arepas are easy, fun to
make, and a great sandwich variation. They’re an especial boon to
anyone with a wheat allergy. The Caracas Arepa Bar’s Web site,
www.caracasarepabar.com, includes a short video from a New York television
morning program that demonstrates the preparation of griddled and baked arepas. It varies slightly
from the Cabreras’ recipe, supplied below, but, having eaten both, I
couldn’t tell any difference between them.
Send questions and comments to Julianne Glatz at
realcuisine@insightbb.com.
Arepas
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups Venezuelan corn flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the water in a medium bowl, then add the salt,
and stir to dissolve it. Whisk in the corn flour until completely combined,
then knead the dough until smooth. You may need to add a little more water
or corn flour to make a smooth, pliable dough. It should not be crumbly
(too dry) or sticky (too wet). Form the dough into patties about 4 inches
in diameter and 1 inch thick. Place each patty on a heated griddle or
skillet and cook until one side is lightly browned and crisped, then
carefully flip it over and cook the other side until it is also browned and
crisp.
Put the patties on a baking sheet and bake them in
the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Arepas can be eaten
plain (with or without butter) or split open and filled like a pita pocket.
The most common fillings are crumbled fresh or shredded cheese and chorizo
sausage, though there are countless other options, singly or in combination:
meats such as shredded beef or pork, chicken, fish, or even deli-style
meats; grilled or sautéed vegetables such as eggplant and peppers,
caramelized onions, black beans, avocado, or even fried plantains. This
recipe yields about eight arepas.
Arepas Dulces (Sweet Arepa Fritters)
2 cups lukewarm water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup molasses or pure dark cane syrup 2 teaspoons ground anise seeds 2 cups Venezuelan corn flour Oil for deep-frying Crumbled queso fresco (fresh cheese) for garnish, optional
Put the water in a bowl and add the salt, sugar,
molasses, or cane syrup and stir to dissolve it. Add the anise seed and
flour and form the dough as described above. Form into discs about 1/4 inch
thick and 5 or 6 inches in diameter. Heat 1 to 2 inches oil in a deep pot or skillet (for
safety, the oil should come no more than halfway up the pan) until the oil
is hot but not smoking. Carefully slip in as many arepas as will comfortably fit. It
is important to not overcrowd them. The arepas will quickly puff up. Fry until the undersides are golden
brown, then carefully flip the patties over and fry until the other side is
also browned. Carefully remove an arepa from the oil and immediately drape it over two knives,
spoons, or spatulas, folding it in half without deflating the two sides.
Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately, sprinkling with cheese if
desired. The recipe yields about eight arepas.
Venezuelan corn flour (the locally available brand is
P.A.N.) can be found at Artina International Grocery Store, 614 E. North
Grand Ave (217-523-4050). Queso fresco can be found at Meijers.
This article appears in Apr 12-18, 2007.
