ArepaAREPA (corn cakes)

The *arepa* (ah-ray-pah; with the accent on the middle syllable) is the local equivalent of a hamburger and is sold in shops called an *arepera* (ah-ray-pay-rah; with the accent on the third syllable). The arepas are cooked fresh. The buyer looks in a cafeteria type hot table to choose the filling s/he desires.

Fillings include shredded cheese, stringy meat cooked in spices, chicken salad with avacado, egg scrambled with onion and green peppers, diced sausage, and a variety of other things. Perhaps the most popular filling is grated American cheese (the one that has a cheddar flavor and is somewhat soft).

The arepa is split open like a hamburger bun (by the person behind the counter), some of the steaming moist corn meal is scooped out and discarded, and the filling is added. The arepa is wrapped in a square of slick paper, like butcher paper, and handed to the purchaser to eat standing up.

Arepas are also made smaller and served in the bread basket at restaurants.

An arepa may be cooked three different ways. Boiled in water, baked in the oven, or fried in hot oil. In the country they are often cooked on a charcoal grill. Most often they are browned on the outside by cooking briefly on a hot griddle, and then placed in the oven (400 degrees) for 15 minutes.
(Remember: the corn meal that is used is pre-cooked, so the *cooking* process is only to give the arepa some color and to make it hot.) The arepa is *done* when it sounds hollow when tapped.

HOW TO MAKE AN AREPA

Take a cup of finely ground, pre-cooked, corn meal (white is preferable, but yellow is also used), add an equal amount of water, a dash of salt and a teaspoon of cooking oil.

Kneed the mixture with your hands until it is thoroughly blended into a dough.

Take a small amount of the dough and pat it into a flat, round cake, about the size of the palm of your hand, or slightly smaller. It should be about a quarter of an inch thick. Shape and press it around the edges to make it even and smooth.
Continue making more cakes until the dough is used up.

Grease a heavy skillet or griddle and place it over a low flame. It should not be too hot. When the surface is hot place the cakes, one or two at a time, on the griddle to brown on both sides. Put them in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes.
(You may also fry them, turning once, in about a quarter inch of hot oil.)

TO SERVE: Slice the arepa like a hamburger bun, discard some of the steaming meal that is still soft in the middle, fill with choice of filling, close the arepa and serve immediately.

Alternate method: make small arepas about the size of a silver dollar and fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.
Serve as bread with a meal. Have butter and cheese available.

Credits:
http://www.internationalrecipes.net/recipes/view.pl?2474