First Bites - September 2022 - Corn-ucopia
Chips 'n' Salsa Done Right
Tortilla chips and salsa at the entre of the table are a great way to start a meal. But they don’t have to be ordinary. Arisbe Castellanos, the owner of Mi Cocina, knows that they can be so much more. When she moved to Canada 14 years ago, Castellanos wanted to share the flavours of her childhood with her new neighbours. Using her background as a food chemist, she set out to create a line of authentic Mexican salsas that put the watery department store brands to shame. And what goes better with salsa than crisp, crunchy corn chips? Castellanos sources top-quality corn tortillas made locally, from local corn, of course. She fries them in the traditional method and seasons them lightly. These chips are fried weekly — they're not sitting around on a shelf for who knows how long.
The chips are the perfect vehicle for one of Mi Cocina’s bright, flavourful salsas. The mango-chipotle salsa balances sweetness and smokiness and pairs well with seafood. The salsa verde, tasting of tomatillo and herbs, is very versatile, going just as well with eggs, pork, and chicken as it does with chips. And the unique craft beer salsa, produced in partnership with Rurban Brewery in Cornwall, is complex and balanced, pairing up well with red meat.
Mi Cocina
tastemicocina.com | @tastemiconcina
Find it: Piggy Market, Burrow Shop, Ottawa Farmers' Market, Mrs. McGarrigle’s Fine Foods, Jacobsons, Grace in the Kitchen and online.
Venezuelan Arepas in the 613
If you’ve never had an arepa and you’re in Ottawa, here’s what you do. Grab a bookmark, mark your place in this magazine, and head over to 57 Holmwood Ave. Don’t worry, we’ll wait. You’ll thank us when you get back.
See? What did we tell you? For those not in the know, arepas are warm, toasty little cakes of corn flour, cooked until puffy and filled with various delights. The folks at The Arepas Place take pride in making the tastiest examples this side of Venezuela. The Arepas Place is the brainchild of Alberto Klein, who in 2018 decided to start selling these magnificent morsels at the Ottawa Farmers' Market. An instant hit, Klein and company now offer a menu full of various styles, each more mouth-watering than the last.
Crumbly cheese, black beans, ham, and shredded chicken are the most traditional fillings of the bunch. Still, don’t deprive yourself of the Capresa— an Italy- meets-Venezuela masterpiece filled with basil pesto, cheese and ripe tomatoes. But our absolute favourite is the Western Perico stuffed full of sweet onion, ripe tomato, and soft scrambled egg. A bonus: all arepas are made with corn flour, so they’re gluten-free, naturally.
Arepas Place Ottawa
thearepasplace.com | @arepasplaceottawa
Find it: Ottawa Farmers' Market and online
Is It Corny to Plug Another Salsa?
As previously stated, corn and salsa go together like peanut butter and jelly. So, why not have your corn in your salsa? The crave-able Black Bean and Corn Salsa made lovingly and locally by Snell House Foods lets you do just that.
Way back in August of 2007, Liz Snell started selling her signature, well-loved salad dressings, salsas and sauces from a booth at the Perth Garlic Festival. Snell had a desire to feed others the way she feeds her family – with nutritious food that isn’t loaded with additives and preservatives. Everything Snell House Foods creates is all-natural.
The Black Bean and Corn Salsa is loaded with locally sourced, organic vegetables, tender black beans, sun-shiny corn, and just the right level of heat to keep you coming back for more. It’s great on chips or as a layer in seven-layer dip, but don’t sleep on pairing it with pork, chicken, or even duck. With a salsa like this, it’s not corny to say the sky is the limit.
Snell House Foods
snellhouse.com | @snellhousefoods
Find it: Kanata Farmers' Market, Bearbrook Farms, Natural Food Pantry, Beechwood Online Market, Green Bean Natural Foods and online
