I'm starting my trek across this great nation of ours via Guy Fieri's 2nd book of Triple D restaurant recipes on the East Coast with Connecticut's Valencia Luncheria's Chicken Tamarillo Arepa. First off I have to say that I am a total NON-FOODIE and in all honesty probably will never be one. That being said I do have a new found passion for cooking brought about by becoming the primary cook while David devotes much of his home time to fun outdoor projects. The tables are now turned after 4+ years of being spoiled by David's cooking.
Back to the Chicken Tamarillo Arepa. It seems to be a version of what I've come to adore, the Native American Indian Taco. Amazingly basic short list of ingredients which are easy to find in your typical grocery store if you don't already have it in your pantry. Easy to follow short list of instructions. Hardly any prep time and cook time for what might be considered "EXOTIC" fair (or is it fare?). The end result is an extremely tasty, satisfying, and relatively healthy dish that will leave you asking for seconds.
Rating: 2.5 Stars out of 4
Explanation: There are two things that I would do differently. First I would cut the portion of Pureed Chipotle by 1/2. The heat from the Chipotle overpowers the subtleness of the herbs. Second, the Arepa dough needs about 1/4 cup of flower otherwise the consistency of the dough is too crumbly and next to impossible to hold it's form when frying. The restauranteur must be a magician to get the arepa to keep it's shape. So, in my humble opinion this falls between a 2 and 3 stars.
David and I always talk about drinking our way through the "Sideways" wineries someday. We also talk about going on a road trip and eating at the Diner's, Drive-ins, & Dives that Guy Fieri spotlights in Triple D or in his books. That could take weeks if not months to accomplish. Something we'll probably have to put off until retirement. But... until then. I've decided that I can at least cook my way across America via the recipes in "More Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives."
You know that saying "Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover?" Well... let just see if we can actually judge the Diner, Drive-in, or Dive by one or two of it's recipes.
* Save your $$ eat elsewhere
** A little salt or pepper or something else could make better
*** Yummy... worth going back to try something else on the menu
**** You've got yourself a winner
Back to the Chicken Tamarillo Arepa. It seems to be a version of what I've come to adore, the Native American Indian Taco. Amazingly basic short list of ingredients which are easy to find in your typical grocery store if you don't already have it in your pantry. Easy to follow short list of instructions. Hardly any prep time and cook time for what might be considered "EXOTIC" fair (or is it fare?). The end result is an extremely tasty, satisfying, and relatively healthy dish that will leave you asking for seconds. 