Tapas of Arepitas

I arrived in Miami for the first time at 12:00 p.m. It is was December and I was wearing a thin sweater and boots (new boots because I was going to meet my mother-in-law for the first time). My hair was perfect, and my makeup was a bit heavier than usual. I wanted to be perfect for her.  

I was ready for Miami! The doors opened and I felt the humidity. My perfect hair went all frizzy and my little boots felt like little ovens scorching my feet. After all the introductions my mother-in-law guided us to the car.    

My father-in-law was waiting in an enormous car, with the air conditioner to the max and it felt like I was riding in a refrigerator. 

The jet lag was hitting me hard, the music in the car was loud and my mother-in-law kept asking me questions in Spanglish (I did not speak English or understood Spanglish at the time).  On top of all of the madness, my stomach was growling and making the most embarrassing sounds ever. To say the least, I was overwhelmed, starving, and stirring as I was in a new place. It would be my first Christmas without my family.   

With the music from my father-in-law playing in the background and my mother-in-law asking questions in Spanglish, my poor husbands looked at me with a smile and asks, “Where can we get something to eat?”.

My father-in-law replied and said: “We can go to the Colombian place and order some arepas”. Arepas? What are arepas? What? My husband grabs my hand and said, “You will like it”. 

My lovely personality changes when I am hungry…  

The Columbian place was super clean and busy.  It was 1:00 am and very busy with people eating arepas and drinking coffee. I was so tired, so hot and cold, so hungry and then… it all changed in an instant. I got my first bite of an arepa. My frizzy hair, my winter sweater, my throbbing feet, and my mother-in-law went away for a minute. The arepa was hot and crunchy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside with a massive amount of semi-melted cheese.  I had a little sip of the strong, sweet Cuban coffee and I was content and happy.  

I will remember this arepa for the rest of my life, as it cannot be replicated.

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Tapas of Arepitas ( Teaching Kitchen Northeast)

So now let’s talk about arepas.  

The arepa is a cake of cornflour in a circular shape between 3 to 4 inches, flattened until about half-inch wide.  You can fry them in a pan or griddle until it is golden brown. Arepas can be good for breakfast lunch or dinner.  It is a typical dish in Venezuela and Columbia. The word arepa could come from the cumanagoto (indigenous language). Indigenous people called “erepa”. Corn still a staple in their diet.  

 Arepas were cooked on a clay “griddle” that was slightly curved. This could have been another origin of the word. The griddles were called "aripo".

I met many Venezuelans and Colombians, and all agreed that you need pre-cooked cornmeal. During quarantine, I have friends that could not find it, and heaven broke havoc. No arepas, no love.  

You will find it today in many supermarkets.   

My take on arepas is traditional, arepa pepiada, arepa stuffed with cheese, black beans, green plantains, or just butter... I love the versatility of the arepa.  It can be vegan, vegetarian, or “omnivorous”.   

I would like to share today the arepa as a “tapa”.  A tapa is an appetizer, antojito, botana, picoteo, picadera…  

As with many of my recipes, I do it as God implies me to do it. I always follow the instructions of a dear friend, my mother, a book and then I cook it my way.  

This recipe is for an appetizer. I made the arepas smaller and stuffed with mozzarella cheese, accompanied with cilantro sauce.   

Here is the recipe, and as always you can adapt it with different cheeses or sauces.   

Ingredients       

I cup of pre-cooked cornflour  

1 cup of lukewarm water  

1 teaspoon of salt  

25 ml of olive oil (this is optional)  

Cilantro Sauce  

2 cups of olive oil   

1 bunch of fresh cilantro   

1 clove of garlic (or depending on your love of garlic)  

½ tsp salt   

A squeeze of fresh lime  

Cholula sauce or green Tabasco sauce if you like spice  

How to make Tapas of Arepitas

Mix salt and flour add lukewarm water until no dry lumps remain. Let it rest for 2 minutes. The dough will continue to stiffen and it will get dry if the dough rests for more than 2 minutes. Knead the dough into small balls, and work it until flatten to about ½ inches. The arepa should be in a circular shape. Gently press around the side to eliminate cracks with water.                                                                                                                                                                                           Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, add arepas, and cook until golden brown on both sides. Transfer arepas to a wire rack on the oven 250 degrees. Repeat until all the arepas are cooked. I keep the arepas warm in the oven. It helps to cook the dough in the middle.            Slip arepas and stuff with mozzarella cheese. Serve it with the cilantro sauce on the side. 

Salsa Verde of Cilantro 

Put all ingredients on a blender except the olive oil. Add the olive oil until creamy. 

Add spicy sauce to the taste.     

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Happy Arepas!!!  

Here are some books with excellent recipes for arepas.