Sometimes, what makes a dish so delicious, so decadent, and so amazing is its simplicity. Just a few ingredients, thrown together, creating the perfect melody of flavors and textures that just explode in your mouth. My grandmother’s quesillo, that is always thick, creamy and smooth with the perfect deep caramel flavor, my mother’s arepas that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, or my father’s classic filhosas, pillows of yellow squash dough fried to a golden perfection and rolled in fine granulated sugar. Then, there are my great-grandmother’s bolitas de carne picantes. Could meatballs get any better? I am here to say yes, yes they can.

Bolitas de carne picantes are exactly that: spicy meatballs. Then again, they are so much more that that. First off, these bolitas are small. Usually served as an appetizer, they are 1 tablespoon of gold on the outside, juicy perfection on the inside. A combination of sautéed onion and garlic, minced into almost a paste, with 90/10 ground beef, hot sauce and rippling hot oil is the winning combination for these beauties. They are dredged in a light coating of flour for a crisp, dry finish. This is my great-grandmother’s winning recipe, yet… could it get any better than that?

Why yes, yes it can. (Our little secret!)

Once I decided to make these on my own and put my own spin on them, I let my imagination wander. My take upped the spice in more ways than one. While sautéing the onions and garlic, I added a teaspoon of red chili flakes, allowing the heat from the flakes to permeate the oil. I also minced half of a Serrano pepper, with the seeds, and added that to the ground beef. I added the usual amount of adobo, but kicked it up with fresh cracked black pepper and paprika for a smoky finish. Hot sauce is standard, but I used green chile hot sauce for a tang with some heat. Once I made my 1 tablespoon balls I lightly dredged them in a combination 4:1 flour and corn starch, frying them to a golden crunch.

What resulted was a spicy meatball, full of flavor with a crisp outside and steamy, juicy inside that made it hard to stop at just 1…2….5…. Let’s just say it is really hard to stop eating them. When you make these bolitas make enough to feed a crowd, because if you don’t have a crowd at home when you start you will most definitely have one by the time you are finished.

¡Buen provecho!

Bolitas de Carne Picantes
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 lb of 90/10 ground beef
1/2 Serrano pepper
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon of green chile hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of adobo
1/2 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of corn starch

Directions
1. Heat vegetable oil for frying.
2. In a sauté pan heat olive oil until it ripples. Add onion, garlic and chili flakes, and cook until onion is caramelized, stirring occasionally.
3. Add Serrano, cracked black pepper, adobo, hot sauce and the mixture from the sauté pan to the ground beef. Mix thoroughly to combine and distribute additional ingredients evenly.
4. Using a 1 tablespoon measure, make 1 tablespoon meat balls and lightly toss in the flour/corn starch mixture.
5. Fry bolitas in batches, making sure not to crowd them. Fry for 2 minutes, until a golden crust begins to develop.
6. Drain bolitas on paper towels, skewer with tooth picks and serve hot.

The post Spicy Is Better: Bolitas de Carne Picantes appeared first on Zomppa - Food Good, Social Good.

1. In a food processor blend the salt, baking powder and flour until thoroughly combined.
2. Add butter cut in cubes until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3. Remove mixture from food processor and transfer to a large bowl.
4. Mix in water, a little bit at a time, continuously mixing with your fingers until a soft, pliable dough forms.
5. On a floured surface kneed dough for one minute.
6. Form into two balls and wrap tightly with cling wrap. Transfer to fridge for a few hours or overnight.
7. Working with one ball at a time on a floured surface, roll dough out to a 1/8 of an inch thick. Ensure the dough does not stick to your floured surface by flipping it over and turning it occasionally while rolling.
8. Using a five-inch diameter bowl cut the dough into circles. Add a sheet of wax paper in-between each disc to prevent sticking. Repeat  steps 7 and 8 with remaining dough ball.
9. Tip: For smaller empanadas use a smaller bowl. I used a 3.5 inch ramekin.
10. Using one disc as a time add 2 tablespoons of cheese to the center of the disc. Fold the disc over until the edges meet.
11. Using a fork, press down on the edges. Then fold the edges over and press again with the edges of a fork being careful not to pierce the empanada pocket.
12. Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan until it ripples. Continue making empanadas.
13. Tip: Unused discs can be stored in a freezer safe zip lock bag for up to three months.
14. Fry empanadas until golden brown and bubbled on both sides, about 2 minutes, carefully flipping half way through. Make sure to not crowd the empanadas or the oil temperature will cool and they will be soggy and oily instead of crisp, crunchy and dry.
15. Garnish empanadas with finely chopped cilantro sprinkled on top and enjoy!

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I was officially diagnosed with high blood pressure about a month ago.  This diagnosis was promptly followed by a prescription for Aldomet, a blood pressure medication that has been around for decades.  Upon noticing the horrid look on my face, my cardiologists suggested I take 3 weeks and reduce my salt intake (not that it was all that high to begin with, but anyways) – suggesting that in many studies, African Americans (of which I am half) seem to respond well to the lowering of salt in the diet.   Maybe (just maybe?), if I could reduce my blood pressure with the low-salt diet, I could forgo the medication.  During the first week of my low salt diet, my blood pressure was the same (in the pre-hypertension range); however, in the second week of my lower salt diet, my blood pressure sky rocketed (consistently, over the course of a day and in the week) to unprecedented numbers (for me) well within the full blown hypertension range! It is unclear whether the increased blood pressure was directly caused by the decrease in salt intake, indirectly caused by the stress of managing my salt intake or increased by something else entirely.  In any case, I immediately ended my low salt diet and my blood pressure is back to where it was.  High, but not that high. So!  Where does this leave me?  I have an appointment w/a second cardiologist as well as a naturopathic (holistic) physician.  Stay tuned as this blood pressure saga continues.  While I’m waiting to sort out what is happening to me, I’ve gone back to my normal salt intake, which allowed me to re-create this gem of a recipe for Farinata.

Farinata  (socca or cecina) is an extraordinarily delicious, unleavened flatbread made from chickpea flour.  It is out-of-this world delicious and a healthy vegan alternative to an egg omelet (credited to Kate – thank you) or for me, fried chicken.  This dish, if cooked the way I have it below, TASTES like fried chicken.  It is extremely flavorful (delicious plan, with no toppings, but incredible with the right toppings) and versatile (could use as a gluten free alternative to wheat flour pizza crust).  Try it!  With the salt and everything….

Olive and Thyme Farinata

Servings: 8

1 cup of chickpea flour

1 ¾ cup of water

¾ teaspoon of kosher salt

10 cracks of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

4 tablespoons of salt +2 more tablespoons for the cast iron skillet

¼ of an onion, diced small, but not finely

5 kalamata olives, finely diced

1 teaspoon of thyme w/ a little bit for the top

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Heat your cask iron skillet on the stovetop.

In a bowl, add the chickpea flour, water, salt, black pepper, olive oil and 1 teaspoon of thyme.  Mix well with a whisk until smooth (batter is loose).

Once the cast iron skillet is hot, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and coat the bottom and sides of pain.  Add the onions and move around pan for 30 seconds.  Add the batter, and then scatter the olives and the remaining thyme on top.

Transfer the farinata to the oven and let bake (on top rack) for approximately 35 minutes.  The top should be browned and firm (if the middle shakes, it is not ready).

Remove from pan after removing from oven by using a wide, flexible spatula and put on a cutting board.  Cut into 8ths and serve hot/warm with a salad or all on its own!  I’ve eaten it right out of the fridge with no issues as well.

Enjoy!

The post Low-Salt Diet = Hypertension?: Olive and Thyme Farinata appeared first on Zomppa - Food Good, Social Good.

When fruit is perfectly ripe, sunshine is bountiful and warm breezes define the day, I know that summer is around the corner. I think of the summers I spent in Venezuela, knocking sweet and juicy mangoes from the trees in our backyard and getting fresh passion fruit smoothies at the beach. It is a time in my life that I will always cherish, with flavors of summer I have since then tried to recreate. My biggest challenge? The coconut ice cream my grandmother makes. Could I make it myself? Challenge accepted!

Before going to the source (my grandmother, Mama) I spoke to my mom, who spent her childhood enjoying Mama’s fresh fruit and cream based ice creams. When I let out that I was trying to recreate Mama’s coconut helado, ice cream, the first thing she asked me was, “well do you have the coconut?” The short answer was no. The slightly longer answer is that even though I know Mama makes it straight from the coconut, I knew that buying canned coconut milk would be much safer for my clumsy self. Needless to say, my mother was steadfast in saying that it wouldn’t come out the same- but it could come close. Close I can do.

She explained the original recipe. First you knocked down a coconut from the backyard. Incredible right? My mom said she was usually given that task, which she happily completed as any child would. What kid wouldn’t want to throw sticks and rocks up a tree because their mom told them to? Mama would break that coconut in half, reserve the milk and cream and shred the inner flesh. The shell was reserved for serving. To keep the flavor as fresh and natural as possible she didn’t add much. Some whole milk, sugar, vanilla and salt rounded out the liquid portion. The shredded coconut was added to the mixture and set in the freezer. Every half hour Mama would vigorously whip the ice cream. After three to four hours it was ready to serve, with a creamy, smooth texture that was irresistible. A few scoops were added to the reserved coconut shells and served with a smile. Imagine the wonder.

After a lot of trial and error sans using a whole coconut, the best results came from the most natural, wholesome recipes. They always do, don’t they? Using a mixture of light coconut milk, plain coconut milk, organic sugar, vanilla, rum and a pinch of guar gum the consistency was just as smooth as Mama’s. Don’t forget the shredded coconut that is toasted in a skillet until golden and fragrant, adding that bit of crunch.

Although I didn’t have coconut shells to serve the ice cream, once the ice cream maker did its job I scooped that velvety coconut goodness into a small dessert glass, sprinkled it with a few berries and a sprig of lemon leaf and dug in. It wasn’t what I grew up with during my summers in Venezuela, but it was delicious, a little more grown up and all my own. I will never replace Mama’s recipe for Helado de Coco, all I have done is create my own recipe to contribute to the family’s recipe box. Oh yes, and I get to eat a lot of coconut ice cream now. How great is that?

Try out this recipe for an everyday coconut ice cream and add it to your recipe treasure trove. Once summer fever kicks in you will be glad you did.

!Buen provecho!

Helado de Coco

Ingredients
1 can of light coconut milk
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup of shredded coconut, toasted
1 ½ TB of rum
¾ cup of organic sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
1 pinch of guar gum

Directions
1. In a bowl mix all ingredients except for the toasted shredded coconut. Whisk until sugar has dissolved and mixture has thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover with plastic cling wrap and place in freezer for 1 hour until cold.

2. Follow directions of your ice cream maker.
Add mixture to ice cream maker. Mix until the mixture thickens and has the appearance of a thick milk shake.

3. Add coconut shreds to mixture in ice cream maker and continue mixing until the mixture resembles soft ice cream.

4. Scoop out ice cream and transfer to an airtight container. Keep in door of freezer until ready to serve.

5. Allow ice cream to warm up for about ten minutes so it may regain its smooth, creamy texture before serving. (This applies when serving from freezer. It is at its best fresh)

6. Serve topped with fresh berries, shredded coconut, walnuts, carob chips or naked. Naked Helado de Coco is always a good way to go.

¡Buen Provecho!

The post Smooth and Sweet Helado de Coco appeared first on Zomppa - Food Good, Social Good.

Legumes have been cultivated throughout the world for thousands of years. There’s evidence that they were some of the first cultivated crops in human history. This makes them an essential part of the evolution of early civilizations. When hunter-gatherer groups started to develop agricultural systems they were able to establish into more stable communities that were the beginning of complex societies.

Peas were being cultivated in Thailand as early as 9750 BC. The use of lentils has been traced back as far as 6750 BC in parts of the Middle East. Lentils, chickpeas and fava beans have been found in 4000 year-old Egyptian tombs.

In the Americas, early civilizations cultivated the Phaseolus vulgaris, or common bean, as early as 7000 BC. This variety includes pinto, black, kidney, lima and haricot beans among many others. Its adaptability helped it to become one of the staple crops in the continent.

Beans are great for many reasons. They come in hundreds of shapes sizes and colors. They’re versatile and amazingly convenient because they can be dried up and stored for years. Their health benefits are many. They’re low in fat, contain no cholesterol and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber. Also, being a good source of protein, they’re a great substitute for meat.

In Mexico, beans might be the second most important crop right after maize. These two crops along with squashes, peppers, chia seeds, amaranth, wild greens, insects and some meat as fish, turkey, venison and other game, made a complete and nutritious diet that allowed pre-Columbian civilizations to thrive.

Because of their low cost, today beans are still an important part of the Mexican diet and an important source of protein for low income families that can’t afford to eat meat every day. Beans are associated in many parts of the world as food for the poor. Their consumption in developing countries is a lot higher than in developed ones.

However, the benefits of choosing beans over meat go beyond lower costs. They’re healthy. Producing them leaves a much smaller carbon footprint than producing red meats and, most importantly, they’re delicious and so versatile you can use them with almost any other food group.

One of the best known dishes out of Mexico is refried beans. In restaurants, street food stalls, and kitchens all over Mexico this is a staple food that is prepared almost every day. There are several ways to prepare them according to the region of the country. Here I want to share my own recipe that I’ve been making for a few years in my kitchen. It’s a delicious way to include beans in your diet.

Chorizo and Chipotle Refried Beans
Ingredients
4 cups cooked anasazi beans
2 dried smoked chipotle peppers (found in your local Mexican or Latin market)
1/2 lb Mexican chorizo
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves
salt and pepper to taste
chicken broth as needed

Directions
1. Re-hydrate the chipotle peppers in about 1/4 cup of boiling water with the 2 cloves. Liquify them in a blender or food processor and set apart.
2. In a large cast-iron skillet fry the chorizo. Oil is not necessary because we’ll be using the fat from the chorizo.
3. Add the chopped onion and let it cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add cooked beans, one cup at a time, and mash using a potato masher. Alternatively, you can use a blender or food processor to mush up the beans. For this you might need some chicken broth.
5. Add the liquified chipotle peppers and stir.
6. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Simmer for about 20 minutes stirring constantly.
Notes:
• You can replace the anasazi beans with canned pinto or black beans.
• If dried chipotles are not available you can replace them with canned chipotle in adobo peppers.
• These beans are perfect as a side dish They can also be served as appetizers and party snacks. Just serve a spoonful on tortilla chips and topped with some cheese.

For more wonderful bean recipes, please visit here!

¡Buen provecho!

The post The Almost Magic Beans appeared first on Zomppa - Food Good, Social Good.

Quesillo accompanies a special occasion, such as a holiday, graduation, baby announcement, grandmother visiting you from outside the country…you get the idea – big events. I recently ran my first (and possibly not my last) half marathon, which my parents and Mama attended as my personal cheer squad. My victory in finishing, regardless of my time, was the event I wanted to celebrate by making quesillo.

Mama was excited at this adventure, and I was a bit terrified. For all of the cooking that I do, the notes I take, the measuring I perform, my versions never come out the same. My sister swears that coffee tastes better when our mom has made it, I swear that my Dad’s arroz con pollo cannot be replicated, and we all agree that we can’t make anything as good as Mama. Even when she helps me measure, with her watchful gaze falling upon the pot and myself, it doesn’t come out the same. So when I told her that I was ready to start, you can imagine I was a bit nervous, but she settled my fears when she started telling me about the ingredients, the measurements, and the memories that she holds dearest, memories that came about over a slice of quesillo.

This was my first time making this creamy, fresh caramel drizzled desert, and I wanted to make it right, but my plans were foiled when I realized my blender was burned out. Mama, my mom, and I, three generations in the kitchen, started toying around with the idea of using my stand mixer, and toy we did. Although the original recipe calls for blending the eggs, my elders wanted to whip the whites separately to make the custard more airy. It was very airy, resembling foam more than custard, but it looked wonderful so we continued onward.

The most interesting and time sensitive step is making the caramel. With the bundt pan on a burner at medium heat, a cup of sugar and water were boiled into caramel goodness. The water evaporated, and a nice caramelo formed at the bottom of the pan. I then had to pick up the bundt pan and tilt it around in a circle so the caramel would coat the pan evenly (who are we kidding, Mama did this part). And it was incredible and dangerous looking, like covert cooking.

Let’s fast forward to the part where I had to turn it over. Mama and my parents had already started making their way back to New York, and I was waiting patiently for the quesillo to cool down enough to flip. When the moment came I was nervous—what if it cracked? What if it had dimples and lumps? What if it wasn’t cooked through? All of my horrors became a reality, yet I was still so happy and proud to see it. Of course it was a little sad. I wanted to make Mama proud, but the truth of the matter is that a dish doesn’t always come out the way you want it to. Sometimes you think you are making it better, but at the end of the day, tradition needs to be respected. At least, until you’ve mastered it.

My Quesillo

So I need to take another crack at making quesillo, and I have included a picture of Mama’s as a portrayal of what your quesillo should look like and a picture of the one I made, which was a good first try. I give you Mama’s traditional, tried, and true recipe. I will always think it tastes better when she makes it, but a girl can still try to be second (or third best after mom). Good luck and eat up!

!Buen provecho!

Mama's Quesillo

Quesillo

Custard
8 eggs
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of milk (skim works great)
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Caramel
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of water

Aluminum foil

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the custard in a blender. Blend on low speed until combined. Set aside.
2. Heat bundt pan on burner on medium heat. Add sugar and water and stir to dissolve.
3. Bring syrup to a boil. Simmer until syrup is caramel colored.
4. Remove from the burner immediately and roll caramel around the pan until evenly coated.
4. Spoon caramel on the center cone of the bundt pan to evenly coat. Allow caramel to cool 5 minutes.
5. Bring water to boil in a large pot (that the covered bundt pan will fit in).
6. Add custard to bundt pan. Dress the edges of the pan with aluminum foil and cover with bundt pan lid.
7. Place bundt in the pot of boiling water and cover with larger pots lid. Boil quesillo for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean.
8. Allow quesillo to rest for 1 hour before flipping. For best results, refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
9. Remove flan from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Make sure quesillo touching the sides and inner cone of the bundt pan is loose and removed. Place a larger sized plate on top of quesillo and quickly (and carefully) flip over.
10. Slice and enjoy!

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Last week, Lesley Tellez put together a trip to the ecological reserve of Xochimilco, in the area of Cuemanco, to meet some of the people who are trying to make a difference in the production of food in Mexico City. Aboard of a trajinera (boat) that had been beautifully decorated with a delicious salad made with local produce, chicharron, guacamole, and locally produced cheese, Ricardo Rodriguez, owner of De La Chinampa , explained to us what the project is all about:

“We’re trying to connect producers with consumers. What we do is bring the food from the soil to the table. Always making sure the small and local producers benefit from this trade and keeping in mind where the food comes from and its history. Our main goal is the ecological restoration of the zone through the commercialization of the local products.”

As mentioned in my previous post about Xochimilco, this area of the valley was the main food producer for the Aztec empire using the milpa, a system that consists of growing different crops in the same space at the same time. Very few producers in the Cuemanco chinampas still use this agricultural system. However, they still use the resources available to them in and around the canals for their production.

After an hour long ride on the boat, we landed on one of the chinampas where señor Nicolas, a local farmer, showed us how the process works.

Mud is scooped out from the bottom of the canals and laid down on the ground in a layer of about 4 inches to dry up. Then it is slashed in small cubes and seeds of a single crop are sowed manually in every single cube, known as almacingo. When the crops start to sprout, they are planted in the ground that has been fertilized with decaying vegetation and animal manure.  After the crops have been harvested, the ground will be readied again with fertilizer for a new layer of almancingo. Every new crop uses a new layer of mud.

This method is beneficial for the canals in several ways. Scooping mud from the bottom of the canal keeps them deep avoiding stagnation. The water used for the crops returns to the canal filtered by the chinampa itself. By using decaying vegetation and manure, farmers avoid the use of artificial fertilizers, and the soil is so rich that the crops grow rapidly. No more than 25 days pass to have a fully grown lettuce, avoiding the use of herbicides and pesticides.

“I don’t use any chemicals in my chinampa”, senor Nicolas tells us. “I’m an enemy of chemicals because I love my land.”

Senor Nicolas’s chinampa was beautiful in many ways. Not only it had rows of delicious and healthy looking greens, but it was also guarded by beautiful flowers, and a large green field surrounded a log cabin. We learned that it is possible to rent the chinampa as a camping ground or for events such as weddings.

It was hard to believe we were still inside Mexico City, the outer belt highway buzzing loudly with motorized vehicles just a couple of miles to the north. Xochimilco canals are truly a paradise in the middle of the chaotic city.

Ricardo explained to us that there are three Xochimilcos. The touristic Xochimilco that most people know of in the area of Nativitas, full of colorful boats filled with musicians, food vendors and tourists. The productive Xochimilco, in the area of San Gregorio, where people plant the flowers that fill the isles of most markets in Mexico City. Unfortunately, the production there has been industrialized and artificial fertilizers and pesticides are used. And lastly, the ecological reserve in the area of Cuemanco, where our tour took place. Because this is a federal ecological reserve, no chemicals are allowed in the chinampas.

This area has about 184 km of canals and 26,000 hectares of land available for agriculture. If only 5% of this land were restored for ecological agriculture, it could feed the city, roughly 25 million people, for 30 years.

The chinampas are in danger. They were created by humans, old civilizations that needed to feed their populations, and only humans can keep them alive. Ricardo explained to us that only by working the chimampas Xochimilco can be saved. If the chinampas are neglected, the mud that has been packed into them for cultivation for hundreds of years will erode into the canals, making then shallower and eventually drying them up. If that happens, the city would face an ecological disaster. A lot of the water for the city still comes from Xochimilco. The forests that feed from the canals would die, making the area a bowl of dirt (this has happened before in the city after the original lake where the city sat was drained) and killing one of the most important lungs of this city, which streets are filled with millions of CO2 producing machines.

On our way back, eating quesadillas that had been made by local Xochimilcas with local ingredients and seeing the sun set over the peaceful and beautiful canals, I realized there was hope for our city. With the hard work of people like Ricardo, señor Nicolas and the restaurateurs and families who are buying their products, our Xochimilco can be saved. I took the decision right there to support this cause, starting with consuming local food as much as possible.

De La Chinampa is also seeking donations to build a community center that would offer training on local agriculture, seeds for local farmers and help for women who are victims of violence in Xochimilo.  To support this initiative, please visit their Fondeadora page (Lesley says that it’s like Kickstarter in Mexico).

To see more pictures of this trip, please visit here.

¡Buen provecho!

The post The Xochimilco Chinampas: Floating Farms in Mexico City appeared first on Zomppa - Food Good, Social Good.

There are a few different ways that arepas can be prepared. They can be boiled, baked or fried to a golden crisp. Being half Venezuelan, it is really hard to choose a favorite, but I must say that my go-to form is baked. Baking gives the arepa a crust that offers a nice crunch while still preserving the fluffy interior, and as a daily addition to a meal, or as a snack, it fits perfectly into my increasingly health conscious.

I don’t recall the first time that I had an arepa, but I can recount the first time I made arepas on my own. I was a first year at university, missing home. My friends and I were longing for the home cooked meals we realized we had taken for granted and, living in a city with endless grease-dripping, sleep-inducing, belly-splitting meals, we wanted to feast on something healthy. My mom had left a bag of P.A.N. corn meal on top of my microwave to inspire me to make some arepas, and inspire me she did.

This adventure began with me going up to the fourth floor kitchen in my dorm with some pans, a bag of P.A.N., a bowl, some eggs, cheese and other omelet fixins. After I set everything up, I called my mom, and step-by-step, she walked me through making my first arepas. My dough was a little too hard, my pan was a little too hot, and the oven temperature was a little too high, but I made them. After making perico, Venezuelan scrambled eggs with sautéed onions, tomatoes, and peppers, my arepas were ready to be served. I called up my then-boyfriend, Lee, and offered him an arepa tipo perico, an arepa overflowing with the scrambled eggs, and he ate to his heart’s content.

Seven years later, that boyfriend is a partner, and we happily live in a condo with our toy schnauzer puppy Napoleon, (yes, he does have the complex and no, his commands aren’t in French, they are in Spanish and Portuguese!). He still can’t say no to an arepa, especially one stuffed with pollo picante. They are irresistible, and a perfect recipe to share with the little ones as well. Arepas are kid-friendly in preparation and most definitely in consumption with extra cheese! For babies and toddlers give them the taste of the corazon, or heart, of the arepa, that is soft, fluffy, tasty and easy on a baby belly.

I now leave you with a recipe for baked arepas filled with spicy chicken, so you can forward the love, Venezuelan style. Remember Valentine’s Day is a special day, but so are all of the other days you spend with your loves so don’t forget to share an arepa, full of heart and spicy goodness, with your special someone.

¡Buen Provecho!

Arepa
Serves you and someone special.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of P.A.N., pre-cooked white corn meal
2 cups of warm water
½ teaspoon of salt

For added flavor
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
¼ cup shredded cheese of choice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl stir to combine water and salt.
2. Continue stirring and slowly add cornmeal and remaining flavor ingredients.
3. Continue stirring, then kneading, for about 3 minutes until dough is soft and smooth. Form into desired shapes with thickness no greater than ½ inch.
4. Place an arepa on a medium heat pan.
Do not crowd the arepas. Make them smaller to fit in your pan or have more than one pan on the stove for this step if making many arepas.
5. Flip when a slight golden crust as formed on the underside of arepa. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, until similar crust as formed on other side.
6. Transfer arepas to wire rack of oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Tap arepas. If they sound hollow they are ready for consumption. Otherwise leave the arepas in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Remove arepas, slice in half like a pita and stuff with your favorite fillings, like pollo picante!

Buen provecho!

Pollo Picante (Spicy Chicken)
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1 green, red or yellow sweet pepper cut into strips
½ medium onion
1 TB garlic
1 tsp olive oil
½ – 1 ½ tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ cup red wine
Salt to taste

Directions
1. Add olive oil to pan, between medium and medium high setting. Follow with garlic and onion. Cook until onion is translucent.
2. Add chicken breast. Add pepper strips and remaining spices to chicken. When the chicken has caramelized flip to remaining side.
3. Add half of the wine to the pan. When all of the liquid has evaporated add remaining wine, lower heat to the lowest setting and cover. Allow to cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
4. Put chicken breast, vegetables and pan drippings in a bowl. Using two forks pull the breasts apart until they resemble large shreds.
5. Cup open warm arepas, stuff with pollo picante and serve.

Enjoy your arepas!

The post Arepa, Arepa My Heart appeared first on Zomppa - Food Good, Social Good.

That might well depend on the part of the world you’re from. If you’re from the US, you might think of a hard folded corn shell filled with meat cooked with “taco seasoning”, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream. Even worse, you might associate the word with the chain restaurant Taco Bell.

But if you’re from Mexico, of Mexican descent or know something about Mexican food, you will associate the word taco with something completely different.

In Mexico, taco is more than a dish. Taco is a way to eat. Taco is even a verb in Mexican Spanish. “Taquear”, roughly translated as “to taco”, refers to the act of making or eating tacos either at home or out at a taqueria (taco restaurant). But, how exactly do you describe a taco, then?

To describe tacos, first we need to describe corn tortilla, a pre-Hispanic culinary engineering marvel. Tortilla is flat bread made with nixtamalized corn cooked over a griddle. Nixtamalization is a pre-Hispanic process that consists of boiling dry corn kernels with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime). After the corn has been cooked it rests overnight in the slaked lime water to be rinsed and ground the following day.

This process, which has been used in Mexico and Central America for around 3,500 years, adds an amazing flavor and aroma to the corn. But more importantly, it adds calcium to the tortillas, still one of the most important sources of this nutrient for many Mexicans, and improves the protein balance in the corn by washing away some nutritionally low quality zein protein.

Nixtamalized corn tortilla is the base for a real and delicious taco. Some tacos in Mexico aren’t made with corn tortillas, though. Another part of the taco, as important as the tortilla, is the filling. In Mexico tacos can have an infinite number of fillings. From the snack taco de sal (salt taco) eaten at the tortilleria (tortilla shop) to ease hunger before lunch time to tacos de guisado (stew tacos). A guisado can be any meat or vegetable cooked in some kind of sauce, some as intricate as moles.

In my research of tacos, which of course involves a lot of eating, in Mexico City I’ve come across so many different fillings that the list would be too long for this article. Some of my favorite ones are suadero (a cut very similar to brisket), chorizo (Mexican sausage), carnitas (pork marinated in beer and orange juice and deep fried in lard), barbacoa de borrego (mutton wrapped in maguey and banana leaves and cooked in earth pits) and the most chilango (a person or thing from Mexico City) of the all, tacos al pastor de trompo (pork marinated in spices and cooked in a spit that resembles a doner kabab).

Tortillas and fillings are very important for a good taco. However, according to my dad, who is a taco connoisseur, the part that makes a taco a success or a failure is the salsa. The best taquerias in Mexico know this and they pay special attention to the preparation of the salsas that will accompany the taco. Some are milder than others. Other salsas made with avocado are rich and creamy. Red salsas can be tomato or dried chile based. Green salsas can be tomatillo or fresh chile based. Pico de gallo is not uncommon. And some of the best salsas are prepared in molcajete (lava rock mortar and pestle).

Mexicans love complex flavors. This is especially true when it comes to tacos. Tacos combine the sweet flavor of the corn tortilla, the savory flavor of the filling (meat or vegetable) and the spicy flavor of the salsa.
However, some tacos explore this combination even deeper. For example, the meat used for tacos al pastor is prepared with different spices like cinnamon, dried chiles, raisins, anise seeds and annatto seeds. To add a final sweet touch the taco is topped with a pineapple slice.

Although not an essential part of a taco, other toppings such as nopales (cactus paddies), cebollitas (grilled onions), beans, potato, and others add flavor and complexity of the real Mexican taco.

Tacos in essence are very simple dishes. However, after learning more about them, by eating so many of them, of course, I’ve come to appreciate their complexity, variety and importance in the Mexican diet. I hope that with this article I was able to shed some light on this iconic Mexican dish and you too get to appreciate it better.
¡Buen provecho!

Some of the pictures were taken on the Eat Mexico Taco Tour

The post The Anatomy of Taco appeared first on Zomppa - Food Good, Social Good.

Prior to marriage, there was always a constant and steady flow of sentimental moments, tender embraces, romantic interludes, stolen glances and embarrassingly naive, yet genuine demonstrations of young, fresh love.

Then, a few years into our marriage, some unfamiliar and curiously inexplicable (well, at the time) mood infiltrated our home and our relationship.  Was it old age?  Possibly.  Was it kids?  Probably.  Were we sick of seeing each other’s faces?  Maybe.  Whatever it was, it negatively impacted our lives; a sentimental moment turned into a ‘practical’ debate about household to-dos and the tender embrace was now a painfully awkward clutch.

It dawned on my husband and I that a certain amount of ‘investment’ was required to sustain a healthy and happy relationship.  No longer could we continue to deplete our reservoir of young love.  It was time to take action and do something about the doldrums of a marriage we had created.

As part of my efforts to scale up the romantic gestures, I concentrated my efforts on the kitchen.  Once a week, I’d break out the fine china, dim the lights, spray on the perfume, tolerate the 5-inch heels and serve my man the biggest, juiciest, most succulent piece of filet mignon (or roast chicken, or t-bone or some other variation of animal protein) with a side of potatoes and maybe, just maybe, some non-starchy vegetable. What better way to demonstrate to my sweetheart the essence of everlasting love by offering him a home cooked meal fit for a macho, hunk of a man?

We would stuff ourselves to the point of no return – literally.  All the meat and potatoes we ate slowly digested in our stomachs, bloated us, and made us fall into a deep food-induced coma right on the couch.

Romantic, huh?

Approximately three years ago, my husband took a much needed physical exam.  The results of that exam still send shivers up our spines.  My husband’s health trajectory was something that of a train wreck.  Cholesterol?  Abnormally high.  Blood pressure?  Frightening.  Not only were my weekly romantic gestures aiding in the death of my husband, but they also were useless in spurring any new found passion and spark.

I love my husband, but I’ve discovered that I really love more than just the person he is; I am also passionate about his arteries.  Since the exam, I’ve made it my mission to showcase my love by making a couple of changes to my wining and dining menu (in addition to our everyday diet).  Without too much detail (we are still a work in progress), I’d say it has done wonders for our energy levels, our health and our relationship.  By serving meals like this robust, yet flavorful vegetarian enchilada, my husband and I feel less like sunbathing rhino and more like cheetahs on the Serengeti, at full speed (75 mph).

Make this version of the traditional Mexican enchilada for your loved one and I guarantee your partner (and his/her arteries) will love you for it.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 cup of brown rice

1 zucchini, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 onion, diced

1 garlic, minced

½ cup of corn

1 cup of black beans and/or kidney beans

1 tablespoon of canola oil

1 teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoon of chili pepper flakes

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

10-12 small corn tortillas

Enchilada Sauce (you can buy, but I’d recommend making as some recipes, like this one, are quick/simple)

Cheese (optional – for the top)

Instructions:

In a large sauté pan, add the oil, cumin and chili pepper.  Fry for about 1-2 minutes on low heat or until the spices become fragrant.  Add the onions, carrot and garlic and cook until the onions become translucent.  Add the salt and pepper.  Then, add the zucchini, beans and corn and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Finally, add the rice and cook until all the ingredients are well combined.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Warm the enchilada sauce and add about ½ – 1 cup (depending on how much the rice absorbs the sauce) to your rice mixture.  Coat the bottom of a baking dish (about 9×13) with some sauce.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Dip one corn tortilla into the warmed sauce and then scoop about 1/3 cup of the rice mixture into the tortilla.  Fold over three times to enclose the rice mixture and place into the baking dish, seam side down.  Do this to all of the corn tortillas.

Ladle over 2-3 cups of enchilada sauce and add cheese (optional).  Bakes for 15-20 minutes, or until the top of the enchiladas are lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Enjoy!

The post Heat, Without the Meat: Vegetarian Enchiladas appeared first on Zomppa - Food Good, Social Good.