Let’s talk about Empanadas [On The Road/Recipe: Caracas]

Empanadas or Pasteles are typical South American pastry. You can find these stuffed pastries baked or fried, in Venezuela usually the fried version is the popular one. Its origin in the new continent is tied to Galicia and Portugal which makes completely sense with the huge Spanish and Portuguese communities spread around Latin America. 

Empanada time

While in Caracas Empanadas are a must, and during my last trip I went to one of the most popular places. Hidden gem, popular by their drinks (natural fruit juices) and well known by joggers that usually climb the Avila in Sabas Nieves. The place Fruteria La Holandesa, an independent juice bar, fruit and vegetable vendor, with some other groceries. The main attraction, empanadas and natural juices. 

The place

The counter

The empanadas in La Holandesa are amazing. They have a good selection, including some gourmet ones. I got a good representation of their fried ones, including Capresa (mozarella, and tomato), shredded beef, ham and cheese, and finally a baked one with mushrooms and olives. 

The cheese

Fried one

Baked one

Stash

Just go there and ask Carmelina to give you a soursop juice and some empanadas. 

The recipe is going to depend on the filling you want, you can have complicated ones with beef, chicken, pabellon (shredded beef, black beans, and plantains) and cazon (dogfish) preparations. Or simple ones like capresa (buffalo mozzarella and basil), and cheese. 

So I’m going for the cheese empanada as it’s one of my favourites. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of flour 

1 ¼ cup water 

½ teaspoon salt 

½ teaspoon sugar 

Vegetable/Olive Oil to deep fried (I use olive oil) 

Shredded cheddar cheese 

To prepare the dough, mix the flour (I use the same pre cooked maize flour “Harina Pan” from the Arepa’s recipe) with the salt and sugar in a bowl. Then add water slowly and knead the mix with your hands until has a uniform soft consistency. Form a big ball with the dough, and cut it in 4 or 6 smaller pieces. 

Now on a flat surface (tray) put a plastic wrap. Form a small dough ball with the pieces. Put the dough on top of the wrap an flatten in a thin circular form. Add the filling, in this case cheese. Then carefully close it forming a semicircle, just like if you are doing with a taco. Press the edges to close the empanada, gently with a fork press the edges again, and that’s basically it. 

Flatten the dough

Add the filling

Closing the empanada

Finishing

Heat the oil, when is in temperature ready, deep fry the empanada. 

Frying time

Almost ready

Ready to eat

Buen provecho.

All these fruit reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Mango” 

Jerry: Hey Joe 

Joe: How is it going? 

Jerry: Good, just getting some fruit for myself. Got to have fruit in the house. I like it as a snack. Wholesome, natural, chock-full of vitamins. I don't know let's see mangos, four plums with red on the inside, avocado, just right, and three plantains ought to do it 

Joe: All right, all right, just hold it right there 

Jerry: What? 

Joe: This fruit isn't for you 

Jerry: What, what are you talking about? 

Joe: You think I don't know? Mangos, plantains, plums with the red on the inside, that's Kramer! 

Jerry: I can't buy mangos and plantains? 

Joe: All right, get out! 

Jerry: You're making a big mistake, Joe! 

Joe: I'll tell you something else, I don't what your business anymore either 

Jerry: You're saying you're banning me from the store? 

Joe: That's exactly what I'm saying 

Jerry: I'm banned? 

Joe: You're banned

Fruteria La Holandesa

Juice Bar / Breakfast

Approx Damager: Bs30

Area: Altamira

Caracas

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Araxi another burger joint in Caracas [On The Road/BurgeReview: Caracas]

Yes I went to another burger joint in Caracas. This time Araxi Grill. Located in the shopping mall Galerias Sebucan. The menu, gourmet burgers and other bits and pieces. Highly recommended by Marisol. Three locations in Venezuela, two in Caracas, Sambil and Galerias Sebucan, and the other one in Sambil Margarita.

Menu

Got to the place, they have more than 15 burgers in the menu. Our choices the Araxi Burger. 300grs beef patty, garlic fried mushrooms, caramelised onions, and Swiss cheese. Maisol got the Chipotle burger. Beef patty, Swiss cheese, garlic fried mushrooms, tomato, red onion, avocado, and a chipotle/cilantro sauce. 

Chipotle

Araxi

The burgers were nice. Cooked medium, I would have preferred them medium rare to be honest. The flavours and combinations were good. Decent size of the burger, Good service. As side Plantain chips, nice flavour but weren't as crispy as they should. 

Burger time

Plantain chips

Decent place if you want a burger in Caracas.

Plantain reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Mango” 

Kramer: All right now here's the list 

Jerry: All this? It's too much. What do you need five mangos for? 

Kramer: I like mangos 

Jerry: Avocado? I don't know how to pick out an avocado 

Kramer: Well they got to be soft 

Jerry: How soft? 

Kramer: Not too soft. Better too hard than too soft 

Jerry: I'm not going through this every week, I tell you that right now. And what are these? Plums? What is that? 

Kramer: Yeah now get the ones that are red on the inside 

Jerry: Well how do I know what they look like on the inside? What do they look like on the outside? 

Kramer: Oh! And get some plantains 

Jerry: Plantains? 

Kramer: Yeah 

Jerry: What the hell is a plantain 

Kramer: It's part of the banana family. It's a delicacy 

Jerry: You're not getting any plantains

Araxi

T: +58 212 435 1328

Burger Joint

Area: Sebucan

Caracas

Twitter: ARAXIGRILL

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Azahar [On The Road: Caracas]

©Azahar

Azahar a modern Mediterranean fusion restaurant in San Roman, minimalistic touch with terrific views of Caracas in the dining room. The menu moving from Peruvian ceviche to Italian risottos. To drink a good selection of South American wines. 

Place

We started the night with shrimp dumplings, Asian flavours, nice spicy kick. Then we moved to coquitos tentacion, amazing, high note of the night. The melted blue and goat cheese, with panko and guava and sweet pepper sauce, just great nice balance. 

Coquitos

Dumplings

For mains Marisol and I shared the linguini al fileto di pomodoro. Great flavour, the pasta with the tomato based sauce, topped with Serrano ham and mozzarella. Finally the plantain gnocchi. Superb, great execution, the sweet plantain pasta with the Portobello mushroom and parmesan sauce nice combination. 

Plantain

Fileto

Nice food, relax place, and great view.

Place

Plantain reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Mango” 

Jerry: Hey Joe 

Joe: How's it going? 

Jerry: Good, just getting some fruit for myself. Uh, got to have fruit in the house. I like it as a snack. Wholesome, natural, chock-full of vitamins. Alright let's see, mangos, four plums with red on the inside, avocado, just right, and three plantains, ought to do it 

Joe: All right, all right, just hold it right there 

Jerry: What? 

Joe: This fruit isn't for you 

Jerry: What? What are you talking about? 

Joe: You think I don't know huh? Mangos, plantains, plums with the red on the inside, that's Kramer! 

Jerry: I can't buy mangos and plantains? 

Joe: All right, get out! 

Jerry: You're making a big mistake, Joe! 

Joe: I'll tell you something else, I don't what your business anymore either 

Jerry: Are saying you're banning me from the store? 

Joe: That's exactly what I'm saying 

Jerry: I'm banned? 

Joe: You're banned

Azahar

T: +58 212 993 1340

Mediterranean Fusion

Approx Damage: BsF 300pp

Area: San Roman

Caracas

Twitter: Azahar_Rest

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Avila Burger [On The Road: Caracas]

El Avila National Park

As soon as I arrived in Caracas all my friends were talking about Avila Burger, the new place in the Venezuelan capital offering a menu focus on burgers. Three excellent locations, one in Los Palos Grandes, other one in El Hatillo, and the newest one in Las Mercedes, good reviews from all my friends, and a terrific buzz in town. 

The place

Marisol took me to their location in El Hatillo, disorganised front of the house, they weren't prepared for the huge traffic of patrons trying to get one of their burgers, a huge bar completely unutilised, I don’t know who is the mastermind behind the business but seriously, you have a queue of at least 10 people waiting for tables, and have an empty 8 bar sits, no food in the bar seriously, hello! You’re a burger joint not Gordon Ramsay three Michelin starred restaurant. 

The empty bar

Menu

Moving on, the burgers have traditional Venezuelan names from our magnificent National Park, Oriental, Pajarito, La Silla, Corta Fuego, Humbolt, etc, which was excellent, adapting the concept to the local market, I almost forget them about the bar situation. I went for the special one, 4 toppings you decide, my selection, blue cheese, jalapeño pepper, bacon, and mushrooms. Ok I know, blue cheese in Venezuela, not a good choice, but I was expecting some local cheese, basically was that one or cheddar, no guayanes, no telita, etc. Got my burger, good appearance  but patty is not made from scratch, they use commercial pre packed patties, not the best flavour, with so many good beef in South America, pre packed? Really? Only 3 restaurants and you cannot grind a nice beef and do the patties from scratch. Burger cooked well done, zero juices from the beef, cheese regular as expected, bacon inconsistent, some were crispy other saggy, no bacon punch or flavour at all, jalapeño spicy touch nice. 

Burger time

The special one

As side fried yam which was crispy outside and soft inside really nice. 

Burger time

Overall not the finest burger I have had, I went with huge expectations from my friends, and in my humble opinion they didn't deliver, I think their intentions are the right ones but they need to make adjustments to offer a quality product, so far it's just another fast food option. 

Mountain reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Pool Guy” 

Kramer: Hello and welcome to Movie phone. Brought to you by the New York Times and Hot 97. Coming to theatres this Friday, Kevin Bacon, Susan Sarandon, you've got to get me over that mountain! Now, ah! There is no place higher than, mountain high. Rated R. If you know the name of the movie you'd like to see, press 1 

Elaine: Kramer, is that you? 

Kramer: Elaine? 

Elaine: Uh, what time does Chow Fun start? 

Kramer: I don't know

Avila Burger
T: +58 212 211 5487

Burger Joint

Approx Damage: BsF140pp

Area: El Hatillo

Caracas

Twitter: Avila_Burger

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Cachaco's Ribs Venezuelan Style [On The Road: Caracas/Recipe]

You know Venezuelans love BBQing, so every time I go visiting the family I ask my friends to prepare a nice one to get together and enjoy some steaks, chicken, sausages, and in this occasion ribs. My friend Cachaco is a master doing the ribs, he let’s them marinating in his special and secret recipe that includes onions, lots of garlic, malt and coke, at least that’s a couple things I have seen when he’s prepping. 

The artifact

For the BBQ he uses a mix of coal and wood, it’s kind of funny watching him cutting the wood as a proper lumberjack. We got two cuts of meat sirloin and skirt, and the famous ribs, as a side potatoes and guasacaca which is basically the Venezuelan interpretation of guacamole. 

Meat selection

Starting

Flipping

Skirt in action

The ribs were superb even tough Cachaco was nagging they weren't as good as he expected, whatever! The sirloin perfectly cooked medium rare, and the skirt was juicy and the flavour beyond imagination. The ribs were magic, great the flavour, and it's like butter they disintegrate in your mouth, I should bring Cachaco here to London and open a food truck, that would be a hit. The guasacaca was rustic, powerful, and very typical. I will let you with my recipe for a real and authentic Venezuelan Guasacaca, just like my mom used to make. 

Who said ribs?

Meat time

Ready, set, go!

Guasacaca 

1 Onion 

2 Green peppers 

2 Ripe avocados 

4 Garlic cloves 

½ Tomato 

¼ Cup chopped coriander 

¼ Cup chopped parsley 

½ Teaspoon of chopped chilli pepper 

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

2 Tablespoon vinegar 

1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce 

Salt and black pepper to taste 

For a rustic look, chop the avocados, the peppers, tomato, and the onion, mix them in a bowl, then finely chop the garlic, coriander, parsley, and chilli pepper, add to the bowl stir and mix, finally add the olive oil, vinegar, the Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper to taste. If you prefer a more fine and sauce like look, you can add all the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Also if you’re not too much into spicy kicks get rid of the chilli pepper. 

Guasacaca on the making

The recipe reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Statue” 

George: Oh my God, it’s exactly the same! 

Jerry: What? 

George: When I was ten years old, my parents had this very same statue on the mantle of our apartment, exactly and one day, I grabbed it, and I was using it as a microphone. I was singing, MacArthur Park, and I got to the part about, I’ll never have that recipe again, and it slipped out of my hand and it broke. My parents looked at me like I smashed the Ten Commandments. To this day, they bring it up. It was the single most damaging experience in my life, aside from seeing my father naked

Caracas

Venezuela

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Chapa’s Burger [On The Road/BurgeReview: Caracas]

My compadre Chapa is almost as obsess as me with burgers, we are always discussing which place is good, what worked what didn't, he loves Five Guys, I think they’re pretty decent, and I still have the benefit of the doubt regarding In n Out he basically hate them. The thing is he always tells me at the end that his burgers are the best ones. I usually see him when visiting my hometown, see the family, godson, and friends, as he prepares a pretty good solid 5 star BBQ, some might say not as good as the one that Cachaco does but a pretty good one. 

Chapa on the grill, Merengue relaxing

After a fiasco in Caracas, which I will tell you more in a later post, he decided finally to invite me to try his creation. Coal BBQ to cook the patties, they were sourced from a local butcher to be sure to have good meat quality. The toys for the burger, caramelized onions with a balsamic reduction, a special curry mustard/mayo, rocket, bacon, and melted brie, sounds good isn't? 

Patties ready

Chapa's creation

Let me tell you it was awesome and is not because he’s my compadre I would have enjoyed criticising him if the burger wasn't right, but everything was spot on, the flavour of the meat, the melted brie, the onions, the sauce, the bacon, the rocket, everything in balance, awesome. The only thing I would have change is to have the meat cook less to get a medium rare but that’s just me. 

Burger time

Ready to toll

The best burger in Caracas, sadly it’s off the menu. 

Close up

Chapa is also a Seinfeld fan and we always make jokes with Art Vandeley that reminds me the episode “The Stakeout” 

Jerry: Wait a second. That’s her. On the right 

George: I forgot who I am! Who am I? 

Jerry: You’re you. We’re having lunch with Art Corvelay 

George: Vandelay! 

Jerry: Corvelay! 

George: Let me be the architect! I can do it! 

Jerry: Hey, hey, Pamela’s birthday party, didn’t I see you there? Jerry 

Vanessa: Sure! Hi! 

Jerry: This is George. I’m sorry 

Vanessa: Vanessa 

George: Nice to meet you 

Jerry: Ah, Sagman, Bennet, Robbins, Oppenheim and Taft 

Vanessa: That’s right! Yea, what’re you doing here? 

Jerry: Oh, we’re meeting a friend of ours for lunch. He works here in the building 

George: Yeah, Art Vandelay 

Vanessa: Really? Which company? 

Jerry: I don’t know. He’s an importer 

Vanessa: Importer? 

George: And exporter 

Jerry: He’s an importer, exporter

Caracas

Venezuela

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