Yo-Yo

 

Yo-yo’s are sandwiches that are made up of two slices of plantains and some cheese in the middle. These sandwiches originated in Venezuela and are very popular there. Typically, these sandwiches are made up of green patacones (plantains) that are used as the “bread” of the sandwich.

In Venezuela you can find this dish in almost any restaurant, they even have fast-food chain lines specifically made for these sandwiches. I went to one this past year when I visited there. A typical person would order one with queso de mano, which is a soft white cheese, and shredded beef. The dressing is usually a pink sauce that consists of ketchup, mayo, and a little bit of mustard.

These sandwiches are simple to make but might take a while. At my house, we prepare them a little differently. We usually buy the frozen plantains, warm them up, cut them in half, and stuff them with whatever we want. This means anything, by the way. For example, I usually put chicken and cheese in mine. These sandwiches are one of my favorite meals because I really love plantains. I can eat plantains in any form. Feel free to add a papaya smoothie into the mix to add a little bit of sweet. BUEN PROVECHO!

 

  

Empanadas

The dish I chose to elaborate on this week is empanadas. Empanadas originated from Galicia, Spain and Portugal (“Historia de la empanada criolla”. Dra. Susana Barberis. Retrieved 8 of July 2010.) The root of the word, empanar, means to bread something or cover something in dough. Empanadas can be served hot or cold and can be filled with anything you want. They are seen as mini pies that have been cut in half. A typical empanada from Galicia or Portugal is stuffed with fish or pork and is usually dressed in a tomato, garlic, or onion sauce.

Venezuelan empanadas are made of corn-flour and are usually fried in oil, but can also be baked. Typical fillings in Venezuelan empanadas are salty cheese, shredded chicken, or beef. An empanada with black beans, meat, and platano (plantains), is called an empanada de pabellon. This is like the dish I talked about last week in an empanada form. Also, if you’re wishing to complete the dish, nothing is better than a toddy. A toddy is very similar to a chocolate milkshake and all you need is the powder, ice, and milk. Yummy, yummy.

At my house, our empanadas are made of guizo, which is taco meat with tomatoes and other veggies. The dough we use varies from corn based flour dough and original flour dough. We usually fry it but when we feel like being healthy we bake it in our brand new empanada baker. Empanadas are a clever, simple, and easy to make recipe; not to mention they are delicious.

Dish #1

Venezuelan food is great for many reasons. There are many varieties of Venezuelan food. Their most popular dish is the arepa. Arepas are made of cornmeal and can be cooked, fried, or baked. You can fill it up with ham, cheese, butter, tuna, or whatever you are in the mood for. You can eat them any time of the day, including breakfast. Arepas are very common in Venezuela and you can get one almost anywhere. Aside from being very yummy, arepas are also easy to make. You can buy the mix for them at any local Latin supermarket. To make them, you just fill up a bowl with the mixture and some water, cook it, fill it up with anything you want, and ta-da, you are good to go.

I love Venezuelan food because there are many varieties of it. They have intense flavors which vary from coconut to chili or salty to sweet. Venezuelan food is also great because they are enriched with much culture. From a very early age you are taught to cook certain meals and these meals stay with you forever. Cooking Venezuelan food has the power to taste good and bring people together. Warning: it is delicious.

The dish I recommend you to try this weekend is a dish called “pabellon.” It consists of black beans, shredded beef, white rice, and ripe plantains. This plate has a wide variety of flavors and is overall a yummy dish. If you want to try something a little weird that I enjoy doing, try adding a little bit of white sugar onto your black beans. Also, a good drink to accompany this dish is a batido de mango…which is just a mango smoothie. Don’t forget to top off the meal with a great desert called quesillo! This cake is very similar to flan, except maybe a little yummier. Buen provecho!