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Conference turris::cooks

Title:	How to Make them Goodies
Notice:	Please Don't Start New Notes for Old Topics! Check 5.*
Moderator:	FUTURE::DDESMAISONSec.com::winalski

Created:	Tue Feb 18 1986
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	4127
Total number of notes:	31160

866.0. "Hispanic recipes - please?" by LEHIGH::TROCONIS () Wed Dec 09 1987 15:56

    I am looking for some Hispanic recipes.  My husband is Venezuelan
    and I love to cook some of his native dishes.  He can't boil water
    so he isn't any help.
    
    I have mastered the art of black beans, arepas, empanadas.  I am
    looking for the recipe for Hallacas.  
    
    Hallacas are served in Venezuela around Christmastime.  Specifically
    they are a corn meal type pie stuffed with meat, veggies, etc. 
    The trick is, they are assembled on a banana leave, wrapped up in
    a package tied with string and boiled in water.  This is what forms
    the "pie".  Sounds complicated, I know, but delicious.  (BTW you
    don't eat the banana leaf - take it from me - its only a cooking
    vessel!)  
    
    The recipe would be wonderful - or if you know someone who makes
    them - or a store that carries them - I would appreciate hearing
    from you.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
866.1	Different countries, different names?	YGDRSL::SANTIAGO	Drink deep, or taste not	`Wed Dec 09 1987 18:16`	16
	Are you sure it's cornmeal? They sound a lot like pasteles, which in Puerto Rico are essentially a mixture of ground-up plaintain (or yuca), oil and spices with a guisado (stewed meat & veg) filling, wrapped in _plaintain_ leaf and boiled. Very christmasy, but we really know not seasons down there :-). Then again, they could be alcapurrias, which are similar to the above except they're fried in oil (without the leaf!). I know Venezuelans cook a lot with corn flour, so these may not be what you're looking for. If you're interested, however, I'll try and find a professional description of how to make them. They're not difficult at all but if I tried to explain, you'd wind up with "...until it looks/tastes right..." and "...cook for as long as it takes..." which aren't terribly useful to the uninitiated.
866.3	Hispanic food is AMAZING	BIONIC::WYS		`Fri Dec 11 1987 13:47`	7
	Hallacas and pasteles are basically the same thing. The difference is that pasteles are made of plaintains and hallacas are made of corn flour. I always buy them prepared in Puerto Rico. I do know that they are very hard to make. However, since I'm puertorrican, I can supply you with any other recipes you want or need, so let me know.
866.6	AREPAS	LEHIGH::TROCONIS		`Wed Dec 16 1987 09:42`	25
	What you need can be found in the international food section of your supermarket. The corn meal is put out by GOYA. Be careful to look at the package. What you're looking for is WHITE corn meal. They also put out yellow corn meal and corn flour. The recipe is on the back in English and Spanish. There is also a recipe for Empanadas. Family tradition has taught me to vary the recipe a little. The recipe calls for water - I use whole milk. They come out softer and tastier. The recipe also says to brown in oil on both sides. I do that, then put them in the oven for awhile until they are browned all over making them crispier on the outside and better cooked on the inside. I serve them hot, sliced, buttered and put a piece of cheese or some deviled ham on them. They're great for breakfast, lunch or snacks. Very filling, though. Very simple to make - you really can't fail on this one! Enjoy!