Nueva Esparta (S. America) 11 August 2023

Nueva Esparta is located in the continent of South America and within the Lesser Antilles. It has the Virgin Islands (U.S.) to the north, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Montserrat (U.K.) to the northeast, Guadeloupe (France), Dominica, and Martinque to the east, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, and Puerto Rico (U.S.) to the far northwest.  

The capital is La Asunción.

The official language is Spanish.

The climate stays pretty much the same throughout the year, and it is out of the hurricane belt.

The staple foods are catfish, corocoro, snapper, mussels, clams, crab, shrimp, banana, coconut, mango and much more (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nueva_Esparta).

https://www.britannica.com/place/Lesser-Antilles and https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nueva_Esparta

ANDEAN AREPAS (https://food.onehowto.com/recipe/how-to-make-andean-arepas-9854.html):  

                         – 3 C self-rising wheat flour

                         – 1 TBSP sugar

                         – 1 tsp salt

                         – 2 TBSP of butter

                         – 1 C milk

                         – 1 egg, scrambled

                        – 1 tsp baking powder

1. In a bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder until everything is perfectly blended.
2. Heat 2 TBSPs of butter and when melted, add them to the wondrous mixture slowly, by stirring.
3. Add the scrambled egg and half a cup of warm milk.
4. Stir the delightful dough and add the remains of the milk.
5. You should knead the mass for about 10 minutes to obtain the desired consistency. For Andean arepas, you must be able to dip your fingers in the mass. Once done, return to its original position.
6. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.
7. Take the dough and carry it as if your intention was to make the bread.
8. Cut the dough into slices about two fingers to the shape of the arepas, in a much simpler way.
9. Take the dough slices you cut and give them the form of corn bread, shaping them to the desired size.
10. If it becomes difficult, you can use a rolling pin for a more perfect flat shape. Andean arepas must be thin, with a thickness of about half a centimeter (one quarter of an inch).
11. It is recommended that you prick the mass a little with a fork to prevent it from bulging.
12. Place over a medium low heat in a non-stick pan that has been greased with a little oil.
13. Go about placing the arepas down and turning them over every 5 minutes so that they are golden brown and cooked slowly.
14. Do not make arepas at very high heat or they will burn on the outside and remain raw inside.
15. Once they are golden brown on the outside, they will be ready to eat.

Here are how my arepas turned out.

AREPAS WITH VENEZUELAN CHICKEN SALAD (https://www.quericavida.com/recipes/arepas-with-venezuelan-chicken-salad/4d271961-f175-4d08-bceb-bc9a34472c84):  

                         – 4-6 grilled arepa

                         – 3 ripe avocados, peeled and cubed

                         – ½ C onion, finely chopped

                         – 3 C cooked chicken, shredded

                         – ½ C mayonnaise (or to taste)

                         – black pepper, to taste

1. Place 2 avocados in a bowl and mash them with a fork.
2. Add the onion, chicken, mayonnaise, black pepper to taste, and the rest of the avocado. Mix until everything is well blended.
3. Open the arepa in half and stuff it with the chicken and avocado filling.
4. Serve immediately.

Very avocado forward, but still very tasty!!!

VENEZUELEAN POLVOROSAS COOKIES (https://mommyshomecooking.com/venezuelan-polvorosas-cookies/):  

                         – 1 C vegetable shortening (at room temperature)

                         – 1 C granulated sugar

                         – ¼ tsp salt

                         – 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

                         – ½ tsp cinnamon

                         – 2 C all-purpose flour

                         – ¼ C powdered sugar for coating (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix shortening on medium speed until softened and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add in sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and continue to mix for 2-3 minutes.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add in flour slowly, and mix just until combined.
6. Roll balls of dough (about 1 TBSP of dough per cookie).
7. Arrange the balls on a large baking sheet, spacing them ½-inch apart.
8. Press the tops with a fork to flatten them a little.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the sides.
10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for just 5 minutes.
11. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
12. Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

NOTE: Make sure you bake your cookies until they are JUST golden brown around the outside. The cookies might still look a little raw in the center, but once they cool, they will be perfect.

These turned out really good!!! Simple, but good!