Mariana Velásquez's Cookbook

Food stylist and chef Mariana Velásquez joins us to discuss her new cookbook, Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of Colombia, dedicated solely to Colombian food.  AREPA DE CHOCLO (SWEET CORN AREPAS) This arepa is a different animal, with a life and a history of its own. The word choclo or chocolo comes from the Quechua language, which was spoken in the Incan empire for a millennium and is one of the few surviving indigenous languages in Latin America. We Colombians have adopted the word, as have many other cultures in the hemisphere. And for all, chocolo means the same: sweet corn. And sweet it is indeed. So much so that nowadays, just about every street fair in New York City has a sign that reads “Mozzarepas,” a registered name founded thirty-some years ago by a Colombian family in New Jersey.  Chocolo arepas are sweet and cheesy. I lean toward adding both queso fresco and Manchego cheese to the dough for a more interesting taste, rather than mozzarella. But I leave it up to you. . . . The key is to get your griddle very hot so that a nice crusty outer layer forms. In my desire to make this a full meal—breakfast for dinner, that is—I toss together a tomato and avocado salad to cut through the richness. MAKES 6 AREPAS For the arepas  1 cup sweet yellow corn kernels 1 cup pre-cooked yellow cornmeal or Masa Arepa  3 tablespoons sugar¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt  1 cup quesito or fresh ricotta cheese½ cup grated Manchego or Parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons¾ cup 2% milk  For the Raw Tomato & Avocado Salad 2 cups ripe cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise 2 Hass avocados, pitted, peeled, and cubed  Juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil  Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper    To serve 4 ounces quesito or queso fresco, crumbled½ cup cilantro leaves.    Grind the corn in a food processor until the kernels break apart and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the ground corn to a large bowl and add the cornmeal, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, the ricotta cheese, and Manchego cheese. Using a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients to combine. Add the 3tablespoons butter and the milk and to stir until the mixture comes together. Do not overmix. In the beginning, your mixture will look like a very loose pancake batter. Don’t fret, the cornmeal will take a few minutes to absorb the liquid and achieve a better consistency. Allow the dough to rest for 10 to15 minutes.    Meanwhile, prepare the raw tomato and avocado salad: In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes and avocados. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter until bubbles form. Measure ½ cup of the batter and pour into the pan—pancake style. You can fry the arepas 2 at a time or more, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the skillet.    Cook the arepas until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. You may need to turndown the heat as you go so that the pan doesn’t get too hot from batch to batch. Place the finished arepas on the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter. To serve, plate each arepa and top with a spoonful of the tomato and avocado salad, the crumbled quesito, and cilantro leaves.