Take a cup of finely ground, pre-cooked, corn meal (white is preferable, but yellow is also used), add an equal amount of water, a dash of salt and a teaspoon of cooking oil.
Kneed the mixture with your hands until it is thoroughly blended into dough.
Take a small amount of the dough and pat it into a flat, round cake, about the size of the palm of your hand, or slightly smaller. It should be about a quarter of an inch thick. Shape and press it around the edges to make it even and smooth. Continue making more cakes until the dough is used up.
Grease a heavy skillet or griddle and place it over a low flame. It should not be too hot. When the surface is hot place the cakes, one or two at a time, on the griddle to brown on both sides. Put them in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes. (You may also fry them, turning once, in about a quarter inch of hot oil.)
TO SERVE: Slice the arepa like a hamburger bun, discard some of the steaming meal that is still soft in the middle, fill with choice of filling. Fillings include shredded cheese, stringy meat cooked in spices, chicken salad with avacado, egg scrambled with onion and green peppers, diced sausage, and a variety of other things. Perhaps the most popular filling is grated American cheese (the one that has a cheddar flavor and is somewhat soft). Close the arepa and serve immediately.
Alternate method: make small arepas about the size of a silver dollar and fry in oil until golden brown on both sides. Serve as bread with a meal. Have butter and cheese available.