Posted by The Miami Herald, FL on October 14, 2008 at 20:03:51:
Who has the best empanada? Eateries square off in North Beach
BY ALCIONE GONZALEZ
U/Miami News Service
Miami Beach eateries vie for title of best empanada at Hispanic Heritage Festival
Local restaurants sent their best entries Friday to the North Beach Hispanic Heritage Festival -- where they hoped to win bragging rights in the empanada contest.
Nine restaurants, representing the cooking traditions of Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil and Colombia, sought to tempt judges into naming their pastries the best empanada.
For Doris Acosta, though, the top choice came from a Thai restaurant, where empanadas are not even on the menu.
''By far my favorite was definitely the Thai empanada,'' said Acosta, a Miami Beach real estate agent who was asked by one of the contest organizers to help judge the entries.
''The color and texture were very unusual and different,'' Acosta said.
The entry, from Tamarind Thai, 946 Normandy Dr., Miami Beach, featured chicken curry, potatoes, onions and green tea. It scored enough points to come in second place.
''It's a unique Thai dish that we use to stuff the empanadas,'' said Day Longsomboon, owner of Tamarind Thai, who also placed second in the empanada contest last year.
An Italian restaurant, Valentino Sur Mar in Miami Beach, also sent an entry.
''We live in a very diverse community and it's a melting pot of different nations,'' said Cindy Casanova, 36, facility manager of the North Shore Park Youth Center, which hosted the festival.
Empanadas vary from country to country, but generally are thin, circular-shaped dough patties that are fried or baked, then folded over the stuffing -- which can be made of meat, chicken, seafood, cheese or vegetables.
Judges consisted of members of the Miami Beach Hispanic Affairs Committee, local community leaders and a few festival attendees. Taste, texture, presentation and uniqueness were rated on a scale of 1 to 4.
Despite her third-place finish, Elena Seipel insists her Argentine empanadas are the best.
''Mine are baked, which makes them healthier than the fried ones,'' said Seipel, a North Beach resident who owns Juices and Bites, at 1014 71st St.
But it was a Venezuelan bakery that took the top prize: Moises Bakery, 7310 Collins Ave. Chef Gaudilia Emilia Escalona de Valve has been preparing Moises' delicacies for two years.
The winning secret ingredients: brown sugar in the dough and the stuffing, a slow-cooked shredded beef called carne mechada.
''I'm incredibly proud to be able to represent my home country of Venezuela and share our gastronomy with the rest of the community,'' said the Caracas native.
Moises Bakery's empanada recipe
DOUGH:
1 lb. corn flour
2 cups water
8 oz. margarine
4 oz. regular flour
4 oz. brown sugar
2 oz. salt
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
FILLING:
1 lb. beef, typically flank steak
1 lb. chopped onions
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped green onion
1 oz. chopped garlic
4 tbs. of olive oil
1 cup of red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION:
• Boil the meat in salted hot water for two hours. Sauté the remaining ingredients in olive oil, add cooked meat. Add wine and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Grab a ball of the dough and stretch it flat. Fill with a spoonful of meat and fold dough in half, making a half-moon. Fry in hot oil for about five minutes, until dough is crispy and golden.
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