12/29/2023 0 Comments Pica pica san francisco![]() Like many restaurant workers, she found herself out of work during 2020’s pandemic lockdown. Five years ago, she joined her sister in San Francisco and found work at restaurants like China Live and Absinthe, eventually moving up to a full-fledged pastry chef position. As a young woman in Caracas, she developed her skills as a pastry cook. But the craft of cooking pulled her in: At the age of 10, she began by butchering chickens to make breaded fingers for the restaurant’s kids’ menu. The child of a restaurant family back in Rubio Tachira who would sleep under tablecloths as her parents worked, Lozano once swore that she would never work in the business. Otherwise, you’ll find arepas from home kitchens on Facebook Marketplace and pop-ups like Arepas en Bici and Lozano’s.Ĭustomers eat arepas during the Andina pop-up at El Rio in S.F. You’ll also see them hidden on a few menus at the Michelin-starred Californios, chef-owner Val Cantu includes a button-size arepa on the tasting menu as a nod to his heritage, while Gustavo Villaroel, part of the chef team at Castro Valley’s Oculto, has snuck them onto the menu from time to time. In the Bay Area’s nascent Venezuelan food scene, you can find them most consistently at Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen, which has locations in Napa and San Francisco. When you slice a fresh one open, it’s reminiscent of the slow-mo shots in Thomas English muffin commercials - that sensual zoom over crags of cooked dough wafting with steam. Shaped from masa into palm-size moons, arepas puff up just a little on a grill with the subtlety of a shrugging shoulder. There’s plenty of justification for why arepas are a beloved dish in not just one but several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. ![]() ![]() Her five-item menu was posted around the bar with standard office tape that struggled to withstand the summer breeze, though the arepas’ popcorn aroma was enough to draw people toward her. Filled with a nervous energy, the petite immigrant from Venezuela stood behind a long folding table, flicking back and forth between watching a griddle of slowly crisping arepas and answering bargoers’ questions. In the sprawling back courtyard of El Rio, shaded by palms and watched over by a giant mural of Carmen Miranda, I found Victoria Lozano. Amaya Edwards / Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less The guava and cheese pastel at Andina, a pop-up at El Rio in S.F. Amaya Edwards / Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of2 She blends her culinary techniques with delicious ingredients to create gluten free, healthy dishes that the whole family enjoys.Victoria Lozano was inspired to start her business, Andina, to bring Venezuelan food back to her community and others who might not be familiar with some of the staple dishes. She teaches cooking classes and provides consultations. “Author Information: Amy Fothergill, San Francisco, CAĪmy Fothergill is the mother of two and owner of The Family Chef. You can find it in San Francisco at Casa Lucas Market, 2934 24th Street, San Francisco: (415) 826-4334. Note: The corn flour specified in this recipe is pre-cooked. Take warm arepa, cut in half lengthwise to prepare for fillings. Cook arepa on a hot grill (tap center of arepa to determine doneness it is ready when it sounds hollow).Ģ. Shape dough into arepas (about the shape and size of an English muffin). Let dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead for 5-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.Ĥ. Add water and mix to form a soft dough.ģ. Combine flour and salt in large mixing bowl.Ģ. 2 cups of corn flour (Masa AREPA or Harina PAN, found in specialty stores see Note)ġ.Gather your ingredients, invite your friends over and make a great meal! Look for a recipe for the pepeada filling, chicken salad with creamy avocado, in a subsequent article. If you want to learn more about them, read the full article here.Īdriana López Vermut was kind enough to share her recipe for the arepa, a Venezuelan corn bread. The icing on the proverbial cake is that it’s all gluten-free. Pica Pica Maize Kitchen in Napa is a wonderful destination.
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