I definitely remember an episode of parts unknown with Bourdain visiting Colombia and eating arepas. I just checked and it would have been 2013. So I’m curious about arepas and wondering how they’ve been made since at least. The new book Colombiana: A rediscovery of recipes and rituals from the soul of Colombia by Mariana Velasquez, who gave me a review copy, taught me how to make arepas and much more about Colombian food. Velasquez has worked in restaurant kitchens, tested and developed recipes for food magazines, styled dishes for photo shoots, and contributed to other cookbooks while living in the United States for more than half her life. This book combines all of those skills with an opportunity to share the cuisine of their home country. There are recipes for the morning, menus for lunch or dinner with many tempting cocktails, afternoon snacks, her favorite everyday dishes that may not necessarily be of Colombian origin, and desserts. I noticed the cocktails as soon as I started turning the pages. Aguadiente, called the national liquor of Colombia, is found in some of them. The Mistela de Mora begins with the addition of aguadiente with blackberries, green peppercorns and bay leaves. And the Coquito Mio sounds delicious with coconut liqueur, aged rum, lime juice and coconut water. Each menu is introduced with a setting of a specific location in Colombia and a season. Reading about Bogota, which is 8,500 feet above sea level, on a cool fall day, I wanted to try the dishes even more. This menu includes a potato soup with corn, chicken and capers and a strawberry meringue with dandelion cream for dessert. The author’s father was of Syrian-Lebanese descent, and immigrants from the Middle East arrived in the Sinu River Valley in Colombia in the late 18th and early 20th centuries. This brought new flavors to the area, reflected in a menu of stuffed yucca fritters with creme fraiche, olives, hummus, flatbread; yam soup with cheese; and an Alaska baked with mango and sesame. There are sweet and savory empanadas, shrimp cocktails, and ice cream sandwiches with treacle biscuits and malt ice cream. One snack I was dying to try was Alegrias de Coco y Anis. These are popcorn balls held together by date syrup and tahini. They are usually made with a small variety of popcorn, coconut flakes, and aniseed. I can report that they didn’t last long in my house. But let’s get back to those arepas.
I loved the idea of ​​making mini arepas or arepitas. The method is the same, they are just made smaller. I started by placing an order for dried corn at Rancho Gordo. It was soaked, drained and cooked overnight until tender. Some cooking liquid was retained and the cornmeal was drained. It was placed in a food processor with reserved cooking liquid, butter and salt and processed until smooth. Small balls of dough were formed and then flattened into thick rounds before being cooked on each side in a little hot oil in a cast iron skillet until charred and golden in spots. The tomato jam paired with the arepitas was inspired by a recipe by Paula Wolfert The food of Morocco. Velasquez designed this dish for this book in Marrakech, where it was photographed. For the jam, canned tomatoes were mixed with paprika, garlic, coriander seeds, salt, pepper and olive oil in a blender and pureed. The mixture was then slowly cooked over low heat until reduced and thickened.
The small arepas were thick enough to remain tender on the inside while the tops were crispy, and the tomato jam was a great topping. I want to use leftovers stored in the freezer for an egg brunch. And I like to have a constant supply of arepas in my freezer. Until I get a chance to see all the places mentioned in the book for myself and taste the dishes they come from, I can continue to learn about Colombia by cooking these recipes.
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