I went to Cocina Latina for the second time. I wanted to take my daughter to have the arepas. I haven't seen them anywhere else. This particular food holds a good memory for her and she hasn't had them in many years. (I had them just last Thursday.) When she was little we lived in family student housing while I was finishing my degree. A couple of doors down a Venezuelan couple lived with their two daughters, Angela and Carol, and a son Carlos. Angela was Morgan's babysitter and Carol and Carlos were Morgan's best friends. Morgan spent a lot of time with the Yanez family and accordingly, spent a lot of time at their table. She'd run home and ask, "Can I stay for dinner? The are having ardepas." Not only did I not know what she was talking about, I didn't figure out for years that an ardepa was an arepa. Previous to that I didn't know what I should be asking for and there seems to be few Latin restaurants at which to ask the question, "What's ardepa?" So back to the restaurant that is just down the street from me. We ordered the arepas with cheese. When I had them last Thursday, there was just enough cheese for flavor and appearance. Tender in the middle and the crispy outside of the arepa crunched nicely. Tonight they were drowned in enough cheese to fill a quesadilla. Morgan loved them, but her final conclusion was she wished she could find a recipe to make arepas like Carol's mother. (Taking all advice on this matter.)
I assumed that I would end up with a stomach ache and other burning parts, but I was surprised that I only ended up craving more.
A couple of questions because I think I am largely ignorant about Latin cuisine. What's up with the fried eggs? Is it normal to have pasta on a Latin menu? They do.We did get some pretty pictures. Maybe I will stick with the tacos if there is a next time so I can have the sauce.
I think one of the static-y cats almost blew up my computer because she was hanging around about my feet and there was all this little crackling. And also, I still seem to be the only one eating in this apartment. Anyone know anything about cat food strikes?
Going to go read some more Pollan. New York Times article today: Michael Pollan Offers 64 Ways to Eat Food. Maybe ice cream will help with the stomach ache.
Fried eggs are a cheap protein stand in for meat...rice is available in almost every home at any moment in Latin America. And you can find chickens almost anywhere in LA...anywhere, even in the city.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, I lived next to a family that had chickens and turkeys that would not stop squawking. When they finally disappeared in December, I thought that I was rid of them forever, that they would be just another memory on the table from Christmas and New Year's dinners...but much to my dismay, they were only replaced by babies, who unknowingly meandered in the courtyard happy to have their daily grain and take their predecessors place in annoying the hell out of me at all hours of the day.
Some of the best Italian food I have ever eaten has been prepared in Latin American countries. Of course there are areas that are more heavily influenced by Italians immigrants in areas such as Argentina and Brazil, but you can find pockets of them even in small towns such as Chipilo, Puebla in Mexico. I am sure that along with the immigrants, their traditions followed, but in this global economy pasta is cheap and fills a hungry stomach. It stretches any meal and if only a little meat is available, it is less noticeable.
-la chinesepoblana