NUESTRA RAZON DE SER

Casi todos los días recibimos opiniones de nuestros clientes a través del correo electrónico, el Facebook, el Twitter. Hoy compartimos con ustedes mas que una apreciación, un relevante artículo que escribió uno de nuestros clientes sobre su visita a Mi Cocina es Tuya. Nos llena de orgullo su opinión la cual fue publicada en el periódico The Croydon Citizen.com. Muchas Gracias!

“I was son made to feel welcome by Alexis, owner of the café, who runs it along with his wife Mary. I was given a menu to choose from and bought a healthy welcome of fresh mango juice while I made up my mind. A guitar strummed some Latin music in the background, helping me relax in my new surroundings.”  Kasper Seward

 

 

 

http://micocinaestuya.co.uk

 

Mi Cocina es Tuya presente en el Bazar de Verano Venezolano

Este sábado 05 de julio, desde las 12:00 pm hasta las 06:00 pm, estaremos presentes en el Bazar de Verano Venezolano donde ustedes podrán disfrutar de un variado menú de comida venezolana que va desde la arepa, los tequeños, las empanadas, el pabellón criollo, hasta el cachito, con el único propósito de satisfacer a quienes nos visiten. Los esperamos en The Priest House, 47 Cumberland Street, SW1V 4LY Street. Entrada Gratis. ¡No se lo pierdan!

 

http://micocinaestuya.co.uk

Mi receta es tuya # 2 - Torta de Queso Criolla

Torta de Queso Criolla

Ingredientes:

220 gramos de mantequilla

750 gramos de azúcar

6 huevos separados

1 taza de leche

2 cucharadas de harina de trigo

250 gramos de queso blanco duro rallado (en Mi Cocina es Tuya lo consigues)

250 gramos de queso amarillo duro rallado

 

Preparación:

Batir la mantequilla con el azúcar hasta obtener una mezcla cremosa. Añadir las yemas y la leche, alternándolas. Dejar de batir, agregar la harina y batir suavemente a mano con una espátula de goma. En un recipiente aparte, batir las claras a punto de nieve y agregar los dos tipos de queso. Mezclar todo con la espátula de goma en movimientos envolventes. Precalentar el horno a 350º F / 175º C. Transferir la mezcla al horno y hornea hasta que dore.
Una vez que esté dorada en la superficie, baja la temperatura a 250º F / 120º C, coloca la torta en la parte más baja del horno y déjala durante una hora aproximadamente. Inserta un palito de madera para saber si está lista.

La torta debe estar bien fría antes de desmoldarla. Estará aún más deliciosa si esperas al día siguiente para servirla.

 

Buen Provecho

 

http://micocinaestuya.co.uk

Venezuelan cuisine

The cuisine in Venezuela has a lot of European influences (especially Italian, Spanish and French) and is quite flavourful. But you can also find indigenous as well as African influence. As Venezuela is such a large and diverse country, each region has its own distinctive regional cooking.

On the coast you will find high quality fish, shellfish, crayfish, fish soups as well as fish stews. Try thepargo (red snapper) or the dorado if you have the chance. Coconut is also part of some dishes.

In the Andean region the food is quite different. Even the most famous dish the "arepa" is not made of cornmeal but wheat. Here you can find cured meats and sausages which are sold in many rural villages. You should not miss the famous fresh trucha (trout) dishes which come from the many Andean streams and lakes.

The food in the Amazon region varies a lot from the rest of Venezuela. Besides the main ingredients like yucca, corn, beans and bananas some people even eat turtles, tapirs, monkeys birds and deep fried ants. But you could also live on Casabe, bread made out of yucca, if you decide you don't want to be too daring.

Meat lovers will enjoy the parillas (mixed grill) in Venezuela as the quality of meat is quite high and the prices are low. You can choose between muchacho (roast beef), solomo (sirloin) and lomito (steak).

 

 

 

AREPA: It is the most famous dish from Venezuela, and is a cornmeal cake that can be grilled, baked or fried. Unlike in neighbouring Colombia where it is normally eaten unadorned, here in Venezuela it is split open and filled with a variety of cheese and meats. Arepa is a basic part of the Venezuelan diet and is eaten in place of bread in most meals. We recommend filling it with a mixture of cheese, eggs and bacon! See our Recipe for Arepas.

 

 

  

CACHAPA: Similar to the traditional American pancake (much thicker than an English pancake), it is made from a puree of corn, sugar, salt and oil. It is normally then folded over with a large piece of a soft white cheese inside. It is sometimes served with cream and jam. It is traditionally served with breakfast or at "once" a snack with tea. Sometimes it is accompanied by a side of fried pork. (We have yet to meet a gringo who truly enjoyed this chunk of pork)

 

 

 CACHITOS DE JAMÓN: Is a snack which is very similar to the French croissant filled with chopped ham and or cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CASABE: This type of bread, which is made out of yucca, is considered the oldest bread in the Americas. Rich in fibre and minerals the Venezuelans consume more than 30,000kg of casabe each year.

 

 

CHIVO AL COCO: (or Chivo en coco) is a coastal region specialty and contains pieces of shredded goat cooked in coconut milk. It will be served with mofongo which is fried, mashed green bananas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EMPANADAS: The empanadas in Venezuela are deep fried, stuffed corn flour patties. Depending on the region you can even find shark, clams or other types of seafood fillings - especially in coastal regions like Margarita Island. The most typical empanadas are those filled with cheese and minced meat.

 

 

 

GUASACACA: Is the queen of the sauces in Venezuela. It is quite spicy and will normally be served with meat, chicken, empanadas and arepas. It is made with avocado, parsley, coriander, onions, peppers and garlic.

 

 

HALLACA: There is nothing as important to Venezuelan cuisine as the hallaca. The process is incredibly laborious and involves the entire family; it is only done during the Christmas season, and generally in one go, to last the entire season. It is an incredibly social even, in which bundles of food are often exchanged between neighbours and friends. (The process is more of a competition than a gift exchange). The family forms a line starting with the filling of beef, pork, capers, raisins and olives that are then wrapped in cornmeal dough (the same dough used for arepas) and then bound with banana leaves. While generally men do not involve themselves in the cooking process, avoiding hallaca making is impossible and men are most commonly found cleaning the banana leaves and tying them together for steaming. There is always a familiar pride when it comes to hallaca making, with everyone quoting how their mother's hallacas are the best in the entire country. Perhaps there is some truth to this as no two families use the exact same recipe, and the filling sometimes differ throughout the regions. If you happen to visit Venezuela during the month of December you will be surprised to see how many generous people will gladly offer you a neatly wrapped package filled with a perfect balance of savoury and sweetness.

 

 

 

MANDOCA: It is a donut of deep fried cornmeal. It is made with papelón or sugar cane pulp, and is served with bananas or plantains usually at breakfast.

 

PABELLÓN CRIOLLO: It is a simple dish of shredded beef and black beans served on a bed of white rice. It almost always is accompanied by a fried egg (Pabellón a Caballo) or with fried plantain slices (Pabellón con Barandas) The meat is sometimes replaced by fish during lent. It is the Venezuelan national dish. 

PAN DE JAMÓN: Is a typical dish that is served for Christmas. It is a long bread filled with cooked ham and raisins.

PERICO: It is the Venezuelan type of scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes. It is usually eaten at breakfast time - especially as filling of the arepa or alone with bread.

PISCA ANDINA: This meal is a mixture of chicken stew, with diced potatoes, carrots, eggs, and pepper, and sometimes whatever else is left in the refrigerator. (Soups in general in Venezuela tend to be more lied thick stews that are cooked for hours until all the flavours melt together and the vegetables loose their form).

 

SOPA DE MONDONGO: It is a soup made with tripe (cow intestine and stomach) a mixture of root vegetables, cabbage and celery. Often the tripe is marinated in lemon juice or tamarind. Sometimes a beef bone is added for more flavour. It is usually consumed in the north-central regions and in the Llanos.

 

 

TAJADAS: In most of the typical meals you will be served tajadas on the side of the dish which are fried ripened plantain slices. Sometimes they will be referred as "barandas" which is slang for guard rails.

 

 

TEQUEÑO: The classic Venezuelan party food, this bite size treats are served all throughout the country from a few friends gathered in a home to elaborate wedding cocktail hours. It is a ball of dough filled with gooey white cheese that is then fried. Apparently every true Venezuelan party has to serve those.

 

 

TOSTONES: Are also known as Patacones in Venezuela and are Plantains fried twice! Eaten as a snack or a side with many meals, it is a very common throughout the country. The plantains are fried lightly for a minute on each side, then taken out of the pan to dry once they come out of the hot oil the second time and enjoy like chips.

 

Desserts

 

BESITO DE COCO: Are popular round coconut cookies

 

 

BIEN ME SABE: This dessert which literally can be translated to "it tastes good to me"  has been well known in Venezuela since the colonial times. It is a sponge cake bathed in liquor and layered with coconut cream filling and topped with meringue.

 

 

DULCE DE LECHE: Is found in all of South America. The version in Venezuela is also called arequipeand is mainly produced in the northern town of Coro. You can find the pure variety of dulce de leche or the version with chocolate. It is basically sweetened milk that has been carefully cooked until you receive a brown jam that tastes a little bit like caramel. An easy way of preparing it is to cook sweetened condense milk for a couple of hours.

 

 

DULCE DE LECHOZA: This is a typical dessert served on Christmas. It is made of green papaya and brown sugar which is slowly cooked for hours and is served cold.

 

 

QUESILLO: Similar to flan, it is made with egg yolks and syrup. Contrary to the name, there is no cheese. Be careful though, outside of Venezuela the same name refers to a cheese dish rather than a dessert.

 

 

http://micocinaestuya.co.uk

 

Quesos Tradicionales y Casabe de Venezuela en Mi Cocina es Tuya

Ahora no sólo podrás disfrutar en Mi Cocina es Tuya del consentido de los desayunos venezolanos, el cachito de jamón sino también de una variedad de quesos tradicionales de Venezuela, los cuales han sido elaborados de modo artesanal por toda su geografía. En su mayoría son de leche de vaca y frescos.

En Mi Cocina es Tuya están a la venta, los más tradicionales, los que llevan acompañando toda la vida al venezolano y que forman parte de su dieta cotidiana: desayunos, almuerzos y cenas.

Queso de mano. Uno de los más populares. Se elabora cuajando la leche hirviéndola y dándole forma de torta con la mano -de ahí su nombre-. Muy rico con la arepa y cachapa. 

Queso telita. Junto con el anterior, de los más consumidos y conocidos. Es muy típico de la región de los Llanos. Es cremoso y suave. Para poder mantenerlo se hace dentro de suero y a temperatura ambiente. Se debe consumir rápido -como la mayoría-, para que no pierda sus propiedades. Si se mete en la nevera debe ser por poco tiempo, ya que pierde su cremosidad. 

Queso guayanés. Como el telita, es suave. Su nombre proviene de su región en que se originó, al sur del país. Se debe consumir muy fresco y a temperatura ambiente para que no pierda sus propiedades. En la cachapa es una auténtica delicia. Es un queso muy delicado y de rápido consumo. Al igual que pasa con el telita, si se mete en la nevera, pierde su cremosidad. 

Queso palmita. Es mucho más consistente que los anteriores, firme y con forma de bloque. Muy bueno para acompañar con plátano horneado o frito.

Queso semiduro. De consistencia firme pero elástica y de sabor suave y bien definido, algunos poseen agujeros u ojos que se producen por adición de ciertas bacterias que producen “burbujas” en la pasta. Poseen entre uno 36 y un 46 % de agua.

Nata. Producto lácteo, rico en materia grasa, que se obtiene por el separado de leche de origen animal. Por su origen, la nata se puede denominar nata o nata de vaca cuando proceda únicamente de la vaca. Es ideal para acompañar con la arepa.

También está a la venta el casabe, popular pan de Venezuela, tan versátil como sabroso, que nos puede sacar de un apuro en más de una ocasión y puede servir de base para preparar aperitivos muy ricos. Es especie de torta, o crujiente pan plano, delgado y circular elaborado con harina de yuca (mandioca).

Entonces qué esperas para visitarnos en 61 Westow Street, Crystal Palace, SE19 3RW. De martes a viernes desde las 09:00 am hasta las 04:30 pm, y los fines de semana desde las 11:00 am hasta las 06:00 pm. No te lo pierdas, cantidades limitadas.

El consentido de los desayunos venezolanos, el cachito de jamón llegó a Mi Cocina es Tuya

Los días sábado y domingo, desde las 11:00 am hasta las 06:00 pm, ustedes pueden disfrutar de este pancito relleno de jamón confeccionado con harina de trigo, en forma de luna creciente. Los esperamos en 61 Westow Street, Crystal Palace, SE19 3RW. No se lo pierdan, cantidades limitadas.

¿Sabías qué?

Si nos preguntan por el origen de este pancito, de forma  particular  y propia les podemos decir que nuestra investigación en la web nos dice que fue “a principios del siglo XX cuando a Venezuela llegaron inmigrantes españoles y portugueses que entre los muchos comercios que crearon fueron panaderías y, que buscando ahorrar costos y ofrecer una opción para que los niños llevaran al colegio o para comerlo en el desayuno acompañado de una taza de café con leche o de un buen vaso de jugo elaboraron estos pancitos rellenos y lo llamaron Cachitos de Jamón. Otros dicen que su origen se debe a un panadero ubicado en el centro de Caracas que preparaba el pan de jamón para las fiestas navideñas y viendo que le sobraban grandes cantidades de jamón decidió hacer uso de este sobrante usándolo de relleno de una masa, horneándolo y poniéndolo a la venta en su establecimiento, logrando un gran éxito e incorporándose al desayuno diario de los venezolanos”.