Just One Bite Left

While researching on gluten-free restaurants, I stumbled across Pica Pica in San Francisco. Their signature dish is the Venezuelan arepas. The photos of the arepas on their webpage looked so delicious that I had to try the one. So, of course I took a trip into the City. Well worth it too since the entire meal was delicious!

The arepas were so yummy and a novelty for me that I wanted to eat another the next day. So, after googling arepas recipes and watching numerous you-tube videos on how to make them, I decided that I could make my own. I just had to hunt down the proper corn flour that is needed. Lucky for me, I didn't have to hunt too far.

This corn flour is different from the masa harnina, a flour that is ground corn treated with lime and used to make tortillas.  P.A.N corn flour is precooked, ground corn flour that is used in Venezuelan and Colombian arepas.  A food that is served for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. They eat them throughout the day with whatever they wish to add: butter, cheese, meats.

Well, I made two arepas for dinner tonight.  Yes, only two since it was just my son and I eating dinner. One arepa is quite filling.

I mixed 1 cup of corn flour to just slightly over 1 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, which I let rest for 3 minutes. Then I pan fried the patties on a lightly grease skillet until each side was a golden brown. Patties then were placed in oven to finish off the cooking for about 15 minutes. Surprisingly there are different methods of cooking arepas. I believe the traditional method is this two step method of pan frying for the needed crunchy exterior and then baking them in oven to finish the cooking so that the interior is light and airy.

I ate mine with grilled salmon and melted Monterey Jack cheese. Sorry, just one bite left. I almost forgot to take a picture since I was busily enjoying the food.

After dinner, I read the packaging of the P.A.N white corn flour. Under ingredients it states that it may contain traces of wheat. I was under the impression that this was only made from corn. Looks like this corn flour is processed in a factory that also processes wheat flour. Luckily, I'm only gluten intolerant and not celiac. I'll have to hunt for another brand. Hopefully, there is another brand that is truly gluten-free since I wish to enjoy these yummy breads again.