Arepas, I’ve had a few — but not nearly enough.

I’ve eaten Colombian arepas in Toronto, all by their warm and crispy lonesome or topped with melting cheese.

I’ve eaten Venezuelan arepas, too, decadently stuffed with meat, cheese, beans and vegetables (not all together).

Only a few restaurants make these plump white corn “sandwiches,” and these restaurants come and go. I’ve made arepas occasionally — from cookbooks, from restaurants — but have never fully invited the dish into my food world.

Until I meet Luis Manuel Cordoba.

Cordoba is the Venezuela-born chef/owner of Mango Pinton, a gourmet catering company. I find him slinging arepas at the Delicious Food Show in October. I feast first; ask for a cooking lesson later.

We convene, somewhat oddly, at By Mongiovi in Woodbridge. Turns out Cordoba rents the restaurant’s commercial kitchen from a friend as needed during the day.

Cordoba has brought all the fixings for arepa de Pabellon vegetariano, a.k.a. Pabellon veggie arepa. Out comes a bright yellow package of P.A.N. pre-cooked white maize meal to make instant dough.

“In Venezuela, the most popular brand is this one,” announces Cordoba. “In the very beginning we used corn, boiled it and ground it. Our grandmothers did this for sure. Then P.A.N. came around 1960.”

Cordoba follows the package instructions, combining white corn meal, salt and water, and mixing it by hand into a wet dough. “It’s like making pizza dough — I like to touch food. It’s good.”

He shapes the dough into balls, pats them between his palms into fat discs. He fries them slowly in a little canola oil over medium-low heat so they don’t brown. For a final touch, he throws them on the grill so they’ll be crunchy outside but remain soft inside. Home cooks can use the oven.

The 43-year-old father moved to Toronto in 2010 with his chemical engineer wife Veronica Hernandez and daughter Daniela. He recently had a son, Andrés.

Cordoba was a chef in Venezuela, and ran a catering company. In Toronto, he cooked at Arepa Café on Queen St. W. for three years while setting up his catering company.

Mango Pinton is named for a Venezuelan term that means “between green and ripe.”

“It’s not too ripe. It’s not too green. It’s in the middle,” explains Cordoba. “In Venezuela, we use pinton for everything — avocados, limes, mangos.”

Most of his clients are Latin American. Many are Venezuelans who lives across Greater Toronto all the way to “Oakvillezuela.”

For our arepas, Cordoba has cooked black turtle beans and shredded mozzarella cheese in advance. He slices an avocado and fries plantain slices while we talk.

At home, he fills his arepas with flank steak, queso fresco (fresh cheese), pulled pork and cheddar, chicken and avocado, chorizo and eggs. A favourite breakfast arepa combines scrambled eggs, tomatoes and onions.

“In Venezuela, we eat arepas for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for snack.”

Mango Pinton sold arepas at the Toronto Underground Market five times last year and they were a hit. Cordoba also got to know Steven Hellmann from Foodies on Foot, and joined the Foodies’ “Taste an Artisan” pavilion at the Delicious Food Show.

Cordoba, of course, is dreaming about a restaurant — something with 35 seats. He started making his business plan three years ago.

Cooking arepas is easy. There is, however, one trick to serving them.

Cordoba takes a colourful piece of wax paper and folds it first in a square, then into a triangle, and finally into a pocket to hold the arepa and make it a portable treat.

I’m artistically challenged and can’t do it. I eat arepas the old-fashioned way, with my bare hands.

Pabellon Veggie Arepa

Luis Cordoba cooks dried black turtle beans from scratch, but I’ve opted for the ease of canned beans. Venezuelan food isn’t spicy, but hot sauce is often served on the side. You can cut the plantain and avocado however you like.

Arepas:

2 cups (500 mL) pre-cooked white maize meal (instant dough), preferably P.A.N. brand

2-1/2 cups (675 mL) warm water

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1 tsp (5 mL) salt

Canola oil for cooking

Black Turtle Beans:

19 oz (540 mL) can black turtle beans, drained, rinsed

1 cup (250 mL) vegetable stock

1 tsp (5 mL) sugar, preferably cane sugar

¼ tsp (1 mL) each: salt, black pepper, ground cumin

Toppings:

Canola oil for cooking

1 to 2 ripe plantains (speckled black and yellow), peeled, cut in thick rounds

Grated mozzarella or queso fresco cheese

1 to 2 avocados, halved, pitted, sliced

For arepas, in medium mixing bowl, combine corn meal, water and salt. Mix by hand into dough. Divide into 6 portions, each about 4.5 oz (130 g). Roll into balls, then pat into fat discs about 4 inches (10 cm) wide and about ½ inch (1 cm) thick.

In large, non-stick skillet with thin layer of oil, cook, in batches if needed, on medium to medium-low heat 7 minutes per side until barely golden. (You don’t want them to brown.)

Transfer arepas to baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350F (180C) oven for 10 minutes so arepas are crunchy on the outside but still soft inside. (You can also cook in a grill pan or on a barbecue.)

Meanwhile, for beans, put drained beans in small saucepan with stock. Stir in sugar, salt, pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Simmer at least 10 minutes to let flavours meld. When ready to serve, use a slotted spoon to drain beans.

For toppings, heat large skillet with 1 inch (2.5 cm) oil over high heat. Carefully add plantains. Fry 5 minutes until golden, soft and sweet.

To assemble, slice arepas crosswise about three-quarters of the way open so they can be filled like a bun. (If it’s easier, slice them in half.) Stuff with cheese, drained beans, plantain and avocados to taste.

Makes 6.

Follow @thesaucylady on Twitter. Jennifer Bain’s book, The Toronto Star Cookbook: More Than 150 Diverse & Delicious Recipes Celebrating Ontario, is sold at starstore.ca and in bookstores.

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