ISO recipe for Venezuelan Arepas

[AndreaU]

A while back I was in search of Latin American recipes for a class "Fiesta" (which is this Friday)... I found one for Arepas that seemed simple enough and one of the mothers offered to make them. However, we were a bit confused about an ingredient. It calls for 1/2 cup of "grated white cheese." Would this be like Monteray Jack or more like cottage or cream cheese?? (If cottage or cream cheese, how to you grate it? :confused http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif The recipe simply calls for 2 cups of corn flour, 1 t. salt, "white cheese" and water... any help GREATLY appreciated, especially this late in the game! TIA

[sneezles]

AndreaU
Did a search on Epicurious and found 2 recipes using the word Arepas and both use different cheeses:

FRIED MASA CAKES WITH CHEESE (APREPAS DE QUESO)


In her cookbook Fiesta!, Anya von Bremzen included a recipe by the Jackson Heights (Queens, New York) "arepa lady," known simply as Piedad. Though arepas are a common South American breakfast item (as well as a lunch and dinner starch), what makes hers so special is the luxurious inclusion of butter in the dough and the use of milk instead of water.
We’ve adapted the recipe slightly.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups white arepa flour (precooked cornmeal)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup grated mozzarella
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and stir in butter.

Combine arepa flour, salt, sugar, and mozzarella in a large bowl.

Add hot milk and stir until combined. Let mixture stand until milk is absorbed enough for a soft dough to form, 1 to 2 minutes (dough will continue to stiffen).

Form dough into 12 balls (about 2 inches in diameter) and flatten between palms into 3 1/2- to 4-inch patties (about 1/3 inch thick).

Heat ‚ tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat until hot, then cook 3 or 4 arepas until cooked through and golden in patches, 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Make more arepas in same manner, adding oil as needed.

Makes 12 Arepas.


Gourmet
May 2000





CORN AND CHEESE AREPAS


These Colombian corn pancakes do a good job of soaking up the juices from the pork.
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (about) boiling water
2/3 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Finely grind cornmeal in blender, 1/4 cup at a time. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in cheese, 2 tablespoons butter and salt. Add enough boiling water to mixture to make very thick batter. Stir in corn.

Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat with some of remaining melted butter. Working in batches and using 1 tablespoon batter for each corn cake, drop batter onto skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve hot.

Makes about 24.



I hope that this is a help!

[Vanessa]

I wish I could find my Latin cookbooks (had a flood in basement and cannot find a thing) but...I did find a small book Healthy Hispanic REcipes publised by The National Institute of Health
Arepas-Venezuela
10 servings
2 c corn flour for arepas
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated QUESO BLANCO
2 c cool water (or more if needed)
In large mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt and queso blanco, stir enough water to make a firm slightly moist dough. Cover dough and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into 10 pieces and form each into a ball. Flattenball slightly.
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Oil a griddle very lightly andwarm it over med heat. Cook arepas on griddle 5 mins each side until golden brown crust forms. Transfer arepas to a baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes, turning them several times as they bake. Serve inmediatelly. Serve with black beans.

[Gail]

Originally posted by Vanessa:
I wish I could find my Latin cookbooks (had a flood in basement and cannot find a thing) but...I did find a small book Healthy Hispanic REcipes publised by The National Institute of Health
Arepas-Venezuela
10 servings
2 c corn flour for arepas
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated QUESO BLANCO
2 c cool water (or more if needed)
In large mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt and queso blanco, stir enough water to make a firm slightly moist dough. Cover dough and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into 10 pieces and form each into a ball. Flattenball slightly.
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Oil a griddle very lightly andwarm it over med heat. Cook arepas on griddle 5 mins each side until golden brown crust forms. Transfer arepas to a baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes, turning them several times as they bake. Serve inmediatelly. Serve with black beans.

Hi Vanessa,

Are you saying there's a cheese out there actually called Queso Blanco? That, I think was the source of Andrea's original question. Her recipe said, "White cheese" and she wasn't sure what to use. Usually, I'd suggest going with something like Jack cheese or Cotija, however I'm not really knowledgeable about Venezuelan cuisine.

[Vanessa]

Hi Gail
Most popular varieties of Hispanic cheese are fresh, white cheeses with names like "Queso Blanco", "Panela", "Queso Fresco", "Queso Del Pais", and "Queso Para Freir". These cheeses all share similar make procedures and have similar eating and cooking characteristics. Traditionally, they were made by local artisans and had shelf-lives of less than one week. They were literally delivered to market wrapped in banana leaves and unsold pieces were returned after five days! Today's techniques offer six month refrigerated (33-38 degrees Fahrenheit) shelf life on most of "fresh" Hispanic cheeses: Queso Blanco, Panela and Queso Para Freir. Queso Fresco cheese has 60 day refrigerated shelf life.
Fresh Hispanic cheeses are mild tasting and crumbly. They are often eaten as snacks with tropical fruits (this is the Latin version of our U.S. treat of eating aged cheddar cheese with pieces of fresh apple). Fresh Hispanic cheeses are most often used as an ingredient--either crumbled onto a salad or cooked as part of a hot dish.

Queso Blanco
This mild tasting cheese is the most popular cheese South of the Border--both for snacking and cooking. It is wonderful to cook with because, unlike American-type cheeses, it will become soft and creamy when heated but will not melt! With this cheese you can make cheesier stuffed chicken breasts, stuffed peppers, enchiladas and burritos! For a delicious, simple treat, cube the cheese and fry it on a hot skillet (recipe on package).

[AndreaU]

Gail,
You're right on target... I didn't know what to use as "white cheese" or "queso blanco." I thought I saw somewhere (though now I can't remember where) that Monterey Jack could be used. I'm sure it's not the same as using the real thing, but for 5th graders, I don't think they'll figure it out! I'm making calls tonight to confirm what everyone chose to make, so I tell this mom to use Jack (or even Mozzarella as in one of Sneezles' recipes). Thanks so much for your help!

[This message has been edited by AndreaU (edited 05-02-2001).]

[newsomz]

i've used monterey jack quite successfully in arepas (mainly b/c queso blanco is twice the price). just shred it finely and work it into the dough. i'm sure your kids will love the arepas no matter what!

carrie