Speaking to Vickie yesterday and her helpful reminder that meals should have the same appeal as a rustic lunch for someone who has worked very hard, I had an immediate flashback to the lunches I've had in Venezuela - known locally as El Pabellón (also Pabellón Criollo). Here is a description (leaving out the alligator variation!) on wikipedia :Pabellón criollo is a traditional Venezuelan dish, the local version of the rice and beans combination found throughout the Caribbean. It is a plate of rice, shredded beef and stewed black beans that is considered by many to be the Venezuelan national dish.
Common additions include tajadas (fried plantain slices) or a fried egg. Both of these variants have acquired slang names. A pabellón con barandas (baranda is Spanish for guard rail) is served with tajadas because the long plantain slices placed on the sides are humorously considered to be keeping the food from falling off from the plate.
A pabellón a caballo (a caballo is Spanish for horseback riding) means with a fried egg on top, as though the egg were "riding" the dish. Most waiters understand immediately what is meant by Pabellón con barandas y un caballo.
Similar Variants:
Platillo Moros y Cristianos (or Moros): is the national dish of Cuba, their version of the rice and beans combination found throughout the Caribbean. It is also found in Puerto Rican and Dominica.
Gallo Pinto (or Gallopinto): is the prototypical traditional dish of Nicaragua and Costa Rica cuisines.
Hoppin' John: is the Southern United States' version of the rice and beans dish traditional throughout the Caribbean. It consists of crowder peas (black-eyed peas) and rice, often seasoned with a combination of; ham hock or fatback, onions, green peppers, vinegar and spices. In much of the region, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck.
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