Are You “Crazy for Chocolate”?

Several years ago, David and I went to Sarasota, Florida to a “Chocolate Convention” and I’ll never forget it. We each had a card with 20 numbers on it and each numbered station offered servings of a different chocolate treat. We stayed at the convention until all 20 numbers were punched on our cards! It was an incredible experience and we’ve been “crazy for chocolate” ever since.

In Boquete, there is a “new” pastry chef in town, Richard Meyer. He opened Sugar & Spice Bakery in a new location on the main street, on the right side coming near the town center. Richard specializes in making delicious chocolate pastries using several varieties of chocolate. He also makes country breads, rolls, pies and almost every form of baked goods you’d expect to find anywhere in the world.

From the Sugar & Spice sign above the bakery door, you can tell from the loaf of bread and star-studded chef’s hat, that fine bread and a fine chef can be found there. Look carefully at Richard’s sign, it’s handmade and full of information.

I am very happy to announce that Richard will be the next Boquete Gourmet’s guest chef for April’s cooking class. He’ll make three very special chocolate desserts using 3 different chocolates and 3 different techniques to use with chocolate. His class will be held on Wednesday, April 7, 2010, beginning at 1:00pm at the Sugar & Spice Bakery.

The registration fee of $30 includes not only the class instruction, a serving of each of 3 desserts and unlimited “Boquete Gourmet” coffee, but a recipe book and “goodie bag” to take home.

If you love chocolate, or are actually “crazy for chocolate”, you won’t want to miss Richard’s very special “Chocolate Class” coming up April 7.

There are only 12 seats available, so email boquetegourmet@gmail.com, call 6614-9514 or comment on this blog to make your reservation now.
Chocolate lover,
Cora

My Fiestaware Collection

My collection of Fiestaware has grown from only a few plates in 1968 to 62 place-settings today, plus many serving pieces I’ve acquired over the years.  The sellers of  an old house I purchased years ago left a few plates in the cupboard and I immediately became hooked on the stunning beauty of the design, how durable it is and how creative my tabletops became when they were set with Fiestaware.

These brightly-colored pieces are sought after by collectors all over the world.  The prices always seemed expensive to me, but my Grandmother always said, “If you really want something bad enough, you’ve got to be willing to pay the price”.  She remembered when Fiestaware first came on the market in 1936, she bought some pieces in Woolworth and she used them until she died.  She told me about the Homer Laughlin Pottery Company where Fiestaware was made and how it became the most popular American dinnerware that was ever created.

The best buy I’ve ever read about, and my Grandmother remembers it, was offered in 1942.  It was a 7-piece juice set that included a pitcher and 6 tumblers and it sold for $1.00 – the entire set!  Look at my picture above, the juice pitcher sits proudly on top of some of my original dinner plates.  My most valuable piece is also pictured.  Can you guess which one it is?    The red color is the most valuable color in the photo; it was discontinued during World War II because the government needed the uranium used to make the red glaze.

If you’d like to learn more about collecting Fiestaware, there are several books available about collecting  and pricing in today’s market.  I was astonished to find how many pieces are available on the internet, but it would be difficult for me to buy “the real thing” without caressing it in my own hands first.

The tiny turquoise mustard jar nestled between the salt shaker and the marmalade jar is my finest, most valuable piece.  It’s in like-new condition and I’ve never used it for mustard, too bad in a way.  I paid $95.00 for it in 1974, which was a good price at that time.  If you collect Fiestaware, I’d like to hear about your collection.  As you follow my blog, you’ll see many photos using pieces from my Fiestaware collection, keep watching for them.

How a Gourmet Loses Weight

If you are a “gourmet” and want to lose a few pounds, why not try my new “Boquete Gourmet Diet”. I’m a gourmet and I’ve lost lots of pounds by using ten simple steps, usually during times when I’m feeling like eating “gourmet-style”. The ten steps are easy, enjoyable and you won’t be hungry.

If you’re not sure if you are a “gourmet”, take my 10-question test on my recent blog, “Are You a Gourmet? – Take This Test”, at “www.boquetegourmet.com. If you score high enough on this test, congratulations, you’re a “gourmet” and this diet is for you!

Folks ask me how I lose weight so easily. Upon reflection, I have found it a pleasure to lose weight by following a few tips that are familiar to everyone who has been on strict diets before. But true “gourmets” do it a little differently.

“Gourmets” are too busy enjoying their meal, too busy to count points or grams, because they’re savoring every bite.  They’re cleansing their palates with fine wine, they’re enjoying pleasant conversation, and they’re too busy to think about such tedious details as calorie-counting.  They’re having fun with their friends and anticipating their “gourmet” meal.

This diet is totally unscientific, although I’m thinking of having it reviewed by a nutrition specialist for a professional opinion as to its healthfulness. I’ve lost weight by using it and I feel good when I’m on this diet. Sometimes, I go on the “Boquete Gourmet Diet” just for the enjoyment of it, not especially to lose weight.

OK, here is my ten-step diet:
1. Drink a full 8 oz glass of water before every meal.
2. Cook and serve only “beautiful” foods, and present them in the most appealing way possible using garnishes, variety of colors, lovely table settings, etc.
3. Arrange plates using “small” portions, like in an expensive “gourmet” restaurant, not “family-style” and no second helpings.
4. Enjoy a glass of fine wine with dinner each day, very popular in France where everyone is a “gourmet”.
5. Eat only those dishes you love, not something just to get “filled up”.
6. Have lots of apples, pears, oranges, raisins and nuts on hand for times when you feel like a snack.
7. While dining out, order the “specialty of the house”, it’s fresh and prepared especially to make an impression on the guest.
8. Use a sugar substitute (carry it with you) and eat only sugar-free foods.
9.  After every bite, put down your spoon or fork and don’t pick it up until after you’ve contributed to the pleasant conversation.
10. Take time to observe your surroundings and walk away from the table feeling satisfied, healthy and happy with your progress!

That’s eating “gourmet-style,” I guarantee you’ll love it!

Are You a Gourmet? Take this Test

Since I started this website, many folks have asked me why I call myself a “gourmet’.  Good question!  Do they ask because they think I’m a snob or is it that they don’t know the meaning of the word?

I have  known the meaning of the word for many years, I know I’m a gourmet, and I’ve been one as long as I can remember.  But now, I’d better research the word to make sure I wasn’t wrong about its meaning.

Both Funk & Wagnalls and Webster’s Dictionaries say that a gourmet is “a connoisseur of good food and drink”.

More updated Wikipedia says a gourmet is “a person with defined or discriminating taste or one who is knowledgeable in the art of food and food preparation.”  In ancient France where the word originated, it was said that ” A gourmet makes a meal beautiful, tasteful and memorable“.

My favorite definition is also from Wikipedia, “gourmet is a cultural idea associated with culinary arts of fine food and wine – which is characterized by elaborate preparation and presentations of large meals of small, often quite rich courses.”

Several food sites boast their gourmet services as “stylish and carefully decorated with artistic flare.”

OK, I’ve got it -take this test and if you can answer these questions with “yes”, you are a gourmet!

1. Do you know how to properly pronounce “gourmet”?

2. Do you prefer some wines over others?

3. Can you tell when your dinner has been prepared especially for you?

4. Are you impressed when your dinner looks as good as it tastes?

5. Can you remember where and when you had a really fine meal?

6. Can you taste and smell the difference in many herbs and spices?

7. Do you know how to prepare and serve a special dish that receives compliments?

8. If you were dining in a fine restaurant, would you ask what the house specialty is?

9.  Do you collect cookbooks?

10. Do you know fine food when you taste it?

If you answered “Yes” to 8 or 10 questions, you’re a “GOURMET”!  Congratulations!

For Best Flavor – Head to Sabroson

This was an ordinary day for us, we awoke early and decided to head to David for a day of shopping. I was looking for a couple of whisks, the ones like Lauretta used in the cooking class she presented in my kitchen on Thursday.

I was missing a big stainless steel bowl and big whisk for her class, and I was determined to find them in David.

We stopped at our favorite breakfast restaurant in Boquete, Sabroson, located on the main street near the church.

We were not disappointed, the place was swarming with locals, everyone getting their morning meal; scrambled eggs, toasted chorizo, hojaldres, local country cheese, fresh orange juice and coffee.  Sabroson offers one of Boquete’s favorite coffees, Duran, prepared any way you’d like.  I like mine con leche and they always put a couple packets of sugar on the side.  Refills are not free, but the flavor is so intense you may not want more than one cup.

The atmosphere is moving, everyone seems to have their own plan for the day, children are laughing and the mood is upbeat. The food is well prepared, hot, tasty and very reasonable.

I have my plan also, and it’s getting to David to look for my whisks, what a lovely way to start my day!

Spice Up Your Dishes with “Bella”

The best way I’ve found to spice up my salads, soups, meats and vegetables, is to add a big pinch of my homemade blend of “Especia Bella”, or “Beautiful Spice”.  I feel like Emeril Lagasse when I toss in a dash of my “Bella”, it may not be “Bam”, but it’s just exactly right for my taste.

In Emeril’s book, “Every Day’s a Party”, he gives his recipe for Creole Seasoning, which contain salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, dried oregano and thyme.  He lists the exact proportions he likes, just right for his taste.  Emeril mixes them together and stores them in an air-tight container, which can be kept up to 3 months.

I actually saw Emeril in person a few years ago. Our eyes met as he swept his hand across mine, I was standing in a crowd of admirers waiting to buy his book.  I was impressed at how widely he smiled and how everyone there was so thrilled to see him.  I’ve tried to emulate his energy, passion and flare for cooking.  Maybe the word isn’t “emulate”.  It’s that lately I’m paying more attention to my passion and love of cooking, and I’m enjoying fine, well-prepared and presented foods more than ever before.

Remembering back on that instant when Emeril touched me, I think I’ve found a way to become a little more like him by making my own blend of herbs and spices to use when I want to “kick it up a notch”.

I thought of my favorite herbs and spices and how I could blend them to create a special spice just for me, my own signature flavor to add to any dish when the time is right.

Dried rosemary, oregano, thyme and basil started my blend, and then cumin, recently brought back from Egypt, and ground red-hot cayenne pepper from Chimayo, New Mexico completed my mix.  My marble mortar and pestle worked to crush them all together.  The aroma was amazing!  The portions were strictly what seemed right to me, a blend that comes from my heart, my “Especia Bella”.

If you’d like to spice up your dishes and give them your own signature flavors, make a special blend of your favorite herbs and spices, keep them in a lovely air-tight jar, invent your own name for it (my middle name is Bella), and use it with flare!

Make Your Own Vanilla Coffee Liqueur

The holidays are coming and it’s time to get those hand-made liqueurs in a cool, dark place to age.  Coffee is the main crop in Boquete and coffee has a soft, warm side when it’s combined with spirits.  Coffee liqueurs are at the top of my list of easy-to-make and enthusiastically received homemade cordials.

Each holiday season I bring out the beautiful bottles collected during the year, clean them up and fill them with delectable liqueurs for giving and for sipping on these cool evenings in Boquete.

For my Vanilla Coffee Liqueur, I decided to buy bottles smaller than usual.  The ones I like best are made in Panama by Varela Hnos. – Herrerano Seco 250 ml bottle, they are round in shape, cost less than empty bottles and 1/3 the regular size bottle; it’s the one with the white label pictured above.  The seco can be transferred to other bottles or better yet, we can make some delicious drinks using seco during the next few weeks.  I will not use seco to make my liqueur, however.  All the other ingredients in the picture go into this luscious liqueur.

Most of the ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard.  It’s easy to make strong coffee using your microwave.

A simple syrup only takes a  couple minutes to make.  We are able to get McCormick pure vanilla extract in Boquete, as well as Stolichnaya vodka and Fundador brandy.  Glycerin is available at our local drugstore.  My liqueur is made now and aging until the holidays.

For the best liqueur, I combine the ingredients when everything has cooled, that way the alcohol doesn’t evaporate.  There may be some sediment at the bottom of the bottle after your liqueur has aged, it’s easy to strain it into “gift” bottles.

Here’s my exact recipe:

2 1/2 cups water (1 1/2 cup for coffee and 1 cup for syrup)
3 tablespoons instant coffee crystals (I used Boquete’s Duran Coffee)
3 cups sugar
5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups 80-proof vodka
1 cup brandy
1 teaspoon glycerin (available at drugstore, but is optional)

Make a strong cup of coffee using 1 1/2 cup water and coffee.  Set aside to cool.  Make a simple syrup by bringing 1 cup water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  When clear, remove from heat and let stand until cool.  Pour all ingredients into a 2-quart container, cover and let stand in a cool, dark place for at least 1 month.  Pour into pretty bottles, tie with a festive bow and give as gifts.  In about a month, I’ll show you my completed bottles of Vanilla Coffee Liqueur and tell you who received them in their stockings!

Nuts for Bananas, Bananas and Nuts!

What do you do when you have so many bananas you don’t know what to do with them? This big stalk is only one of many that are ripening this month on our property in Boquete, Panama.  Our guests can only eat 8 or 10 bananas per day and everyone who comes to visit gets a bunch for their parting gift. There are over 100 bananas on this one stalk alone.  Banana Daiquiris are good, but how many can we drink?

Maybe making a Banana Cake with a Channel of Walnuts would be a good use for some of our bananas.  My favorite cookbook is written by New Zealand cook, Alison Holst, “The Ultimate Collection”.  Alison always has creative ideas for using fresh fruits and she has a couple of banana recipes that look really good.  Her banana cake recipe is perfect for using up my bananas, and I’ll add a walnut-filled channel to it, kind of like the Panama Canal.

This is how I made it:

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees and line a ring-shaped cake pan with baking paper or spray with Pam.
Process in your food processor until smooth:
4 ripe bananas
1 stick of butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whisk in a separate bowl:
1 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Chop 1 cup walnuts or pecans.

Add the flour mixture to your processor and pulse until barely combined. It’s OK if not fully blended, because you can stir it a bit as you fill your prepared ring pan. Using a large spoon, press the middle of the batter to make a dent and while holding the spoon down in the batter, fill the dent with nuts. Continue dragging the spoon around the ring and filling the indentation with nuts as you go. The nuts fill a channel inside the cake and become the surprising highlight of your cake after it’s baked.  Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool and invert on a lovely cake plate, dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve to your delighted guests.

Now – - let’s get back to the Banana Daiquiris, we still have lots of bananas leftover.

To make the perfect daiquiri, use your drink blender.
Blend 1 cup crushed ice
2 shots favorite rum
1 shot lime juice
1 rounded tablespoon sugar
1 peeled banana
Blend 10 seconds and serve in a champagne glass and top with a cherry!
Keep those bananas coming!

Non-traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Cooking Class

I, The Boquete Gourmet, will again host Chef, Lauretta Bonfiglio of the Bistro Restaurant to cook in my kitchen in Boquete, Panama.

The first class I hosted in my kitchen was presented as a fundraiser for the Bid 4 Boquete Charity Auction event.  The class was a sell-out and a huge success, raising $569.00 for this year’s auction.  If you’d like to read more about that first  class, go to “Lauretta’s a Star”, on this site.  You’ll also see a lovely portrait of Lauretta and a couple of photos of the event.  Click the Bid 4 Boquete link for more information about this year’s auction.

This second class to be held in my kitchen features a full, “Non-traditional” Thanksgiving Dinner, prepared “Lauretta style”.  Students attending Lauretta’s first class experienced what “Lauretta style” is all about.  Cooking creatively with Lauretta, laughing with friends and enjoying really fine food and wine, make for an evening long to be remembered.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, at 5:00pm at the Kent’s kitchen in El Santuario, just above the castle.

Lauretta’s menu includes her very special glazed Thanksgiving turkey with dried fruit stuffing and giblet gravy.    The dinner will include a twist on the traditional favorites; a real green bean casserole (no canned beans, soup or fried onions, please) and twice baked potatoes.  The dessert will be pumpkin rum mousse made with real heavy cream, the perfect ending to this “gourmet” Thanksgiving dinner.

The fee for this Thanksgiving Dinner cooking class is $35.00, including the hands-on class, the complete Thanksgiving dinner, printed recipes and a glass of wine.

Lauretta’s first class sold out quickly, so please contact Lauretta or me as soon as possible to reserve your seat.  You may make advanced reservations my commenting on this blog, or you may call me (507) 6614-9514, Lauretta at (507) 6678-6017 or email me at  boquetegourmet@gmail.com.

A “Whisk Hunt” in Panama

Wait, is that a whisk the witch is riding on?  It’s difficult to tell, she’s so far away.  It doesn’t look like a broom, no – - it’s a giant whisk! I am looking for a whisk exactly that same size.  I want to use it in my new huge, flat-bottomed  stainless steel bowl to make fluffy meringue, like Lauretta made in her cooking class.  Why not go on a “whisk hunt” ?

It’s almost Halloween and with any luck, I’ll find that witch’s whisk!

This morning was beautiful up on the side of Volcan Baru, I could see the Pacific Ocean from my kitchen window and the sky was clear.  That’s my way of forecasting the weather each day, if I can see the ocean in the morning, it’ll be a good day. But, if I want a more detailed report, I go to www.boqueteweather.com; there is no television reporting of local weather available here in Boquete.

Boquete has limited supplies of kitchen tools.  Our local La Reina Department Store doesn’t carry whisks at all, I always try to buy things in Boquete, if possible.

Because the weather was good, I headed to the city of David, 45 minutes south of Boquete, to begin my “whisk hunt”.  It’s less than a week before Halloween, so this is the best time for my hunt.

There are several large home-improvement stores that have recently opened in David and my favorite is Novey, located on the Panamerican Highway.  Novey had the cutest little whisk.  I had to buy it because it’s just right for beating an egg in my Pyrex measuring cup.  No big whisks at Novey.

Near Novey is Arrocha, a large modern department store with a big housewares department.  Unfortunately, the entire store was dressed up for Christmas and the housewares department was condensed into one aisle, my bad luck.  No whisks at all, but I did find heavy glass candle holders for $2.00 each and got 3 of them.

My whisk hunt continued to the far side of David to ERA, the only restaurant supply store west of Panama City. Luck was with me, I found the biggest, most beautiful, long-handled, delicate, grey and purple striped whisk you could imagine.

Guess what??? The lady who found the whisk in ERA’s back room was dressed TOTALLY IN BLACK!

When you come to my kitchen, you’ll see my gorgeous whisk hanging next to my other 3 whisks, waiting to be used to make a lovely meringue for Meringue Kisses.  They’d make good “Trick or Treat” candies, don’t you think?

Yes! We Have More Bananas”

Do you remember the song, “Yes! We Have No Bananas”?  That song was on top of the hit list in 1923 for 5 weeks. It was written for a Broadway musical and sung by Eddie Cantor at a time when bananas weren’t as plentiful as they are today.

Now, I can hardly look at our huge stalks of bananas without singing that song, only my words are slightly different.  “Yes! we have more bananas, we have more bananas today.”  This is a big stalk I saw today for the first time, it was hiding behind some lovely heliconias.   The trick is to give them away or to use them as they ripen, which happens quickly.  My best move would be to go to Wikipedia and find ideas for using bananas. This is the first one I found and it looks really, really good:

Recipe for Homemade Creme de Banana

• 2 medium-sized bananas, peeled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a 2″ length of vanilla bean
• 1 cup sugar syrup
• 3 cups vodka

1. Mash the bananas, and add the vanilla and cooled syrup to the vodka.
2. Shake gently, steep for 1 week. Strain and filter. Drink now, or age 2-3 months for best results.
3. Double the sugar for “Creme de Banana”.

Optional flavorings: a pinch of cloves, a piece of cinnamon stick.

Friends ask me to make old-fashioned banana bread, I use a long-time family favorite recipe with chopped walnuts and it’s always good. It could be that my friends are tired of only getting raw bananas, or are they really  trying to help me cope with my overabundance of bananas?  No matter, here’s my always popular recipe:

Banana Bread with Walnuts

1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
5 very ripe, peeled and cut up bananas
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour or whisk in 2 tablespoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to plain flour
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans

Turn the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of 2 medium bread pans with wax paper and spray with Pam.  Put butter and sugar into a food processor and mix until creamy.  Add one egg and a big spoon of flour and mix, add another egg and another big spoon of flour and mix, then add the last egg, the bananas and the remaining flour and mix.  Fold in the chopped walnuts and spoon the mixture into the prepared pans.  Bake about 45 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Let stand to cool slightly before removing for pans.  No butter needed, if you serve warm.

If you have a good banana recipe to share, please send it to me, I need all the help I can get!

How to Pack a Gourmet Picnic

Everyone loves to go on a picnic, and there are lots of picnic spots in and near Boquete. There are vistas everywhere, some overlook the sea, some provide panoramas of the town, and some may be in lush clearings along the many trails in the jungle.

Your picnic lunch can be as posh as you like, use your imagination to put together foods that will be a treat to the eyes as well as a treat to your palate.  Bring along a small tablecloth, and include colorful hard-plastic plates, forks and glasses or cups.  Cloth napkins would add a special flare.

A picnic basket similar to mine would be perfect.  In Boquete, open baskets are readily available, they are used in coffee picking and are just the right size for a picnic.  Pack it up and tuck in your folded tablecloth around the top.

If you don’t have hard-plastic dinnerware, look for them at local stores in Boquete.  Romero’s, Mandarin and Bruna have excellent choices available and they sell them by the piece.

Anytime you want to go on a picnic, think of 3 types of food to bring and how you will pack each dish.  Begin with an appetizer and bread, keep it simple and fresh.  Then, the main course can be prepared easily the evening before your picnic and lastly, a nice dessert and any type of drink you’d like.  A bottle of wine or water would compliment any picnic lunch.  A box of light pear nectar would be a surprise in any picnic basket.  Keep your menu as simple as 1, 2, 3.

1. Appetizer – Caprese Salad packed in a plastic container the night before.  Layer alternating slices of  tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves in the container, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and refrigerate.  A sliced loaf of crusty bread makes a perfect partner for any picnic.

2. Main course - Poached Salmon with Spicy Peanut Sauce and lime quarters.  Cut salmon into serving size pieces and poach in white wine the evening before your picnic.  Pack in a plastic container and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, top with quartered limes.  Bring along a small container of  Spicy Peanut Sauce made in the same container you’ll pack.  Blend 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter with1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, sugar, extra virgin olive oil, and wine vinegar.  Add a clove of minced garlic, fresh chopped cilantro, and hot sauce to taste.

3. Dessert – Honeyed Grapes – Combine 2 teaspoons lime juice and 2 tablespoons each honey and brandy and stir until blended.  Pour over 2 cups seedless grapes in a plastic container and refrigerate overnight.  Bring along a small container of sour cream, if you like.

Your gourmet picnic lunch is ready to go.  In the morning, fill your basket with ready-made Caprese Salad, Chilled Salmon with Spicy Peanut Sauce, Honeyed Grapes with sour cream, bread and drink and you’re ready to go on your gourmet picnic.  Your basket will be fitted with only 5 containers, a loaf of crusty bread and a drink, how easy and how devine!  

Gourmet Doggie Treats You Can Make

A very active group of Boquete residents began the “Amigos de Animales Foundation” several years ago.  Their mission is to provide spay and neuter services to dogs and cats in the Boquete area.  Each year they set up several clinics, as well as providing immunizations and promoting the general welfare of animals.

Since it’s inception, Amigos de Animales provided services to over 2,000 dogs and cats.  Over 100 volunteers gave their time in this effort and they are raising funds to continue their efforts.

The Amigos de Animales Foundation printed 2010 calendars this year for the first time.  They are available for $7.00 at several locations in Boquete, as well as the Tuesday Morning Meeting.  This is a sample page of the calendar showing Cozy, Rico and Mocha, rescued by Dave and Erin Ross.  David and I designed and painted the wheelbarrow for the Bid 4 Boquete Charity Auction last year.  For more information, go to www.fadab.org and www.bid4boquete.com.

As a salute to this very worthwhile effort, I tried to find just the right gourmet treats to make for the next Spay and Neuter Clinic, scheduled for January 31, 2010.   I found the perfect place to find recipes for gourmet dog treats, www.gourmetsleuth.com.  The Gourmet Sleuth has several such recipes and I selected the most delicious-sounding dog treat recipe I could find.   I hope your dog will enjoy these yummy snacks.

Gourmet Doggy Biscuits
Homemade dog treats are fun to make and healthier than many of the store-bought versions.I N G R E D I E N T S
1 cup rolled oats (such as Quaker)
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup Boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons chicken or beef flavored instant bouillon
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 – 3 cups whole wheat flour.
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Grease cookie sheets.
In large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine and boiling water; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, cheese and egg; mix well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition to form a stiff dough.

On floured surface, knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky, 3 to 4 minutes. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut with bone shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes on until golden brown. Cool completely. Store loosely covered. Makes 3 1/2 dozen large dog biscuits or 8 dozen small dog biscuits.  Your lucky dog will love these “Gourmet Cheese Biscuits” from the Gourmet Sleuth.

Il Pianista Means Italian

Il Pianista is a tiny restaurant tucked up on the Alto Lino loop on the side of the Palo Alto River where two waterfalls converge.  Hence the name “Pianista”.  The waterfalls sound like a piano playing as you enjoy Giovanni’s famous Italian cuisine.  Doris Day and husband, Giovanni specialize in pizza, lasagna and pasta dishes, prepared with their “secret” sauce.

The first sign of the restaurant is the Italian chef standing out front offering you the specials of the day.  No, that’s not Giovanni, but he’s just as handsome.

The stone restaurant, which was once a boat house, is decorated with lovely paintings, plants and table settings to give a cozy, comfortable atmosphere.  We ordered an onion, garlic and pepperoni pizza, and it came loaded with “real” mozzarella cheese and the crust was exactly to our liking.  You can see the strings of cheese dripping along the plate, yum.   

Anyone can tell that Doris and Giovanni enjoy their work, they are always smiling and chatting with their customers.  Last night, there were lots of folks to chat with.  A family of four visiting from Canada found their way up the Alto Lino loop to enjoy lasagna, crusty bread, wine and batidos, fruit drinks made with fresh fruits and ice cream.

I noticed a couple of diners admiring some of the artwork at Il Pianista.  This painting compliments the sound of the waterfalls outside the window.
The prices at Il Pianista are reasonable, considering the amount of care Giovanni puts into his specialties. If you’re looking for “designer” Italian cuisine, this is the place not to miss while you’re in Boquete.  To get there,  just drive across the new bridge in the town center and turn left, that’s the “Alto Lino” loop. Il Pianista will be on your right about 2 miles from town, just past Finca Arco Iris.  After dinner, keep driving along the loop and you’ll return back into the town center.   Buon Appetito!

Thanksgiving Dinner Cooking Class – Nov. 12

Executive Chef, Lauretta Bonfiglio, from The Bistro Boquete Restaurant, will present a Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Cooking Class on Thursday, November 12, 2009, beginning at 5:00pm.  The class will be hands-on, so you will be able to cook along with Lauretta!

You can read about Lauretta on my blog, “Lauretta’s a Star!”. Her style of cooking was developed in Colorado, where she was chef and cooking instructor for many years. Her paired wine dinners are very popular at The Bistro and tickets to those events sell out quickly.

The menu for next week’s class includes the Thanksgiving turkey, Lauretta-style, with dried fruit stuffing and giblet gravy. She’ll show how she makes her signature twice-baked potatoes, real green bean casserole and pumpkin rum mousse.  She’ll also include a few surprises.

The fee of $35 includes the hands-on class, full Thanksgiving dinner, recipes and a glass of wine or eggnog.  Please bring your favorite knife, as your knife skills will be sharpened, as well.

The class will be held in my kitchen, just above the castle in El Santuario, Boquete.  Lauretta and David are the perfect team to make each class so much fun, Lauretta cooks and David pours!

Please email me for reservations at boquetegourmet@gmail.com or my cellphone number is 6614-9514. You may pick up your tickets at The Bistro, but go quickly, there are only 4 tickets left!

We’re looking forward to seeing you at this “Very Non-traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Cooking Class”.  TBG

Cook Quickly with Pressure

Today’s modern pressure cookers have many safety features our mother’s never had.  Chef Lauretta used a modern pressure cooker to cook her navy beans for the Frijoles Rancheros she served during her Mexican Cooking Class last month, and it looked so easy.  It only took Lauretta 30 minutes to take dried beans to tender perfection in her cooker, which would have taken me at least 2 hours using a stock pot.   So of course, I had to get a pressure cooker and it had to be stainless steel, no aluminum utensils for me.

Super Baru, a huge grocery store in David, had a beautiful stainless steel Manttra cooker for $42.  I had to buy it, just think of how much time I can save!

My new Manttra  “Quick and Easy” pressure cooker has 6 safety features.  There is a device that won’t allow pressure to build up unless completely closed, a pressure regulator that hisses, a gasket release that allows steam to be released if the gasket malfunctions, a fusible safety device that melts if pressure rises beyond normal due to the cooker having insufficient water or clogged vent tube, a 3-way safety button that won’t allow steam to build up unless properly seated, and a visual pressure indicator that shows when the cooker is under pressure and indicates drop in pressure when the cooker is removed from heat.

After all that, I felt comfortable using my new cooker for the first time and the results were amazingly delicious!

First, I browned a beautiful 3-pound pork loin in butter, onions, sliced carrots and crushed garlic, added cubed potatoes, chopped fresh cilantro, one cup of red wine and a cup chicken stock.   A small trivet came with the cooker and I slipped it under the pork, then sprinkled salt and pepper over everything and closed the lid.  Thirty-seven minutes later, I removed the cooker from the heat, released the pressure and placed the pork and vegetables on a serving dish.  Then, I quickly returned the cooker to the heat and reduced the broth to half.  It made the perfect wine sauce to serve with my first-ever dinner in my new pressure cooker.

Tonight, I’ll try Chicken Curry, it will only take 10 minutes to cook.  I brought back some fresh curry powder from Egypt this summer, so this will make the perfect dish for dinner, and SO FAST!

Why Gourmet Chefs Wear Aprons

There was once a Gourmet Club in Boquete and it was very fashionable to belong to it.  So many folks were accepted into the club that it became a nightmare to organize, even using the latest internet gadgets to help out with the planning. The Boquete Gourmet Club was popular for many reasons, not the least of which was that every club member had their own “designer” apron to wear to the dinners.  The aprons came from all over the world, in all patterns, colors and designs.  At each dinner, guests couldn’t wait to see what everyone was “wearing”.  (Not clothes, but aprons).

But really, why do chefs wear aprons? You might think it’s handy to use as a towel to wipe hands, or to use as a hot pad to pick up hot dishes, or maybe to protect clothing from spills or splashes, but no – it’s to make a fashion statement!

Based on that phenomenon and the fact I was beginning my new blog, I thought it was important to have an apron made that was just right for me and fans of my blog.  It would need to have “Boquete Gourmet” written on it. It would need to be brown, the color of coffee, and it would need to be of the finest possible quality.

So, I found a beautiful brown, heavy, wrinkle-proof plaid material that would make the perfect statement for any gourmet cook, especially one who has visited Boquete and knows how popular plaids are here.  Zora, a talented local seamstress, developed the pattern from an apron I love.  She sews these aprons to the highest standards.

Anyone wishing to purchase a special designer, “Boquete Gourmet” apron, will find them available at The Bistro Restaurant or by calling 6614-9514.  An apron is only $15.00, including a bag of ‘Boquete Gourmet”, home-grown gourmet coffee.  Then, serving a cup of “Boquete Gourmet” coffee is what I call making a “real” fashion statement.

Turkey Without Sage? No Way!

Of all my years of preparing Thanksgiving dinner, I always baked a turkey with lots of sage.  The stuffing was often quite different, depending on the fashion of that year.  One year, I made wild rice with roasted grapes and walnuts stuffing, another year was croutons, apples, apricots and almonds, even corn bread, pancetta and prunes, on and on.  But, one ingredient every stuffing recipe had to have was sage, and lots of it.

When Chef Lauretta was designing the turkey she was to cook at the Boquete Gourmet cooking class last night, I was afraid that she wasn’t going to use sage in her “Non-traditional” Thanksgiving turkey recipe.  But, I was wrong.  At the first glance of her recipe, I could see she was using poultry seasoning in her stuffing, 2 teaspoons of it.

This was my opportunity to blend my favorite herbs in proportions of my choice to make “Boquete Gourmet” poultry seasoning.  By mixing my own seasoning, I could use as much sage as I wanted.  Here’s my recipe for this delicious blend of herbs and spices that are easily available here in Boquete:

“Boquete Gourmet” Poultry Seasoning

2 tablespoons sage
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme (tomillo in spanish)
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground white pepper

Mix and grind all herbs and spices in small coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.

Store in tightly sealed jar.

The flavor of Lauretta’s dried fruit and sausage stuffing was outstanding, especially when she used my very favorite blend of poultry seasoning.  I have enough left over to use when I roast my very own turkey this Thanksgiving.  I think I’ll try it in Pablano Chile and Pumpkin Seed stuffing.  I hear it’s all the rage this year!

Don’t You Love “Non-Traditional”?

What a lovely turkey, roasted in a “non-traditional” way, like our forefathers did it 200 years ago.  The key word here is “roasted”, not baked in a bag, deep fried, covered, or wrapped in foil, but “roasted”, plain and simple in an open roasting pan.  Nowadays, this is called “non-traditional”.

Throughout the evening in this, the second cooking class hosted in my Boquete Gourmet’s kitchen, Chef Lauretta put the emphasis on the way it was when real flavor was savored and enjoyed, when real fresh green beans were key and when jacket potatoes were baked to perfection in a real oven for at least an hour and a half.  This was real “gourmet” fine dining!

Yes, we’re getting back to the days when flavor was the most important thing, when gravies were dark, when stuffings were rich flavored and when succulent turkey meat was the most important dish of any Thanksgiving dinner.

When the combination of good friends having a good time cooking together, using the finest, freshest foods available anywhere and cooking with a top chef  like Lauretta from The Bistro Boquete, the meal is the icing on the cake.

No wonder everyone had such a good time preparing this very traditional, “non-traditional” Thanksgiving Dinner together.  When we sat down to dinner to enjoy  the meal, we knew this was something special, in special surroundings in this special town of Boquete, high up on the side of a volcano in Panama.

It was an unforgettable evening, so far from our home-land.  Yet, something seemed so familiar and comfortable, was it the crispy, crunchy crust of the golden-brown turkey skin?   Yum!     

Panama Yellow Breakfast

What’s wrong with this lovely breakfast brought to me on the very first morning I was ever in Panama?  We were staying at the Riande Continental Hotel, very near the Tocumen Airport in Panama City, and breakfast was included with our room.  That’s not the case now days.

I ordered a typical Panamanian breakfast and when I looked at it, it was so unusual to me, I had to take a picture of it.  The serving plate was rimmed in a modern design and the pink coffee cup sported the Riande Hotel logo, an attractive nice combination Several times over the next 7 years, I’ve looked at this picture and wondered how these foods seem to always end up on a breakfast plate in Panama.

The jugo de naranja or orange juice is yellow in Panama, not orange.  The yucca and country cheese is light, creamy yellow, the scrambled eggs, the corn tortilla and the smashed, fried patacones are all yellow.  When I think of a “gourmet” meal, I can’t help but think of my first meal in Panama, it certainly was not “gourmet”.

Let’s analyze it – chicken is the most plentiful, most reasonable meat in Panama.  So of course, there would be lots of eggs here and scrambled eggs are everyone’s favorite way of fixing them and practically foolproof to prepare.  The corn tortillas in Panama are made of a stiff corn-mixture, shaped into thick patties, and fried in oil, 65 cents for 10 tortillas.  Here, I got half a tortilla.  The country cheese is a fresh, holey, bland cheese, it costs $1.95 for 14 ounces.    It looks like I may have about an ounce of cheese on my breakfast plate.

The yucca is a very common food here, it’s available at every market at 24 cents a pound.  I peel yucca like a potato, cut into strips, saute’ with crushed garlic, then cover and steam until tender.  The flavor is enhanced when topped with yellow butter.  Yucca keeps very well in the refrigerator, I’ve kept it for weeks!

Here’s the best part of my yellow breakfast, the smashed-fried patacones.  To make patacones, use dark green plantains.  They are similar to bananas, except bigger.  Peel and slice plantains into 1″ pieces and fry slowly in oil, canola oil is popular here.  When fork-tender, smash them is a press like mine or set them on your cutting board and flatten with the bottom of a glass bottle.  Fry them again until golden yellow, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

After 7 years of considering this meal, I’ve seen my yellow breakfast in my mind over and over.  I’ve tried to cut down on my serving portions, I’ve savored every flavor of each dish I prepare, and I’ve tried to prepare every item so it tastes as good as it did on my first morning in Panama.  Wouldn’t you call that a real “gourmet” breakfast?

Do Bananas Freeze in Panama?

These bananas certainly look frozen to me, but even the below freezing temperatures on top of Volcan Baru wouldn’t freeze Panamanian bananas. No, these were frozen in my freezer overnight and they are hard as bricks.

Now the problem is how to peel them. I stuck the bananas in the freezer, peel and all, I didn’t want to take the time and trouble to peel them and bag them.  Besides, why use bags when bananas come with peels, nature’s perfect packaging?

When I’m ready to use bananas, I take them out of the freezer and let them frost up for a couple minutes.  In the meantime, I get out my favorite big knife and cut off the tips. I cut off enough so I can see the banana-colored flesh. It’s not sickly brown or mushy like it would be if I had peeled it before freezing.

Then, holding a half in my left hand (right hand if you’re left-handed), I split it slowly lengthwise into 2 pieces.  These pictures show David actually peeling our banana.  Look at that color, just like a real banana and just as firm as if it hadn’t been frozen.

Now, holding a piece in my left hand and beginning at the top, I ease my thumb between the peel and the flesh and slowly move my thumb down the banana.  It’s easy to do if you do it smoothly.  The inside releases itself and comes out all in one piece, ready to use in your favorite cakes, pies or frozen drinks.

Did you see my recipe for Banana Daiquiris I posted last week?  Carrie and Jonathan came over to try a Banana Daiquri made with my frozen bananas.  Everyone loved them, the second daiquiri was even better than the first!

Gourmet Coffee As Art

Gourmet coffee is a beautiful thing, whether it’s in the bag, being round in your kitchen, added to a coffee maker or being sipped from your favorite cup. There’s just something lovely about gourmet coffee.

These photos of rows and rows of beautiful coffee were taken in our local supermarket. They were both taken from the same spot and should be in one panoramic photo.

The sight of all this coffee is awe-inspiring, with each bag standing out like an art masterpiece.  See how each of our local growers design their bags to be distinctive, colorful and appealing.

If I were an artist, I’d paint a picture of these shelves, or maybe I’d concentrate on only the orange bags, or maybe the bags with paintings of Guaymi Indians picking coffee beans, wearing their bright-colored, artfully-handmade appliqued dresses.

Living in Boquete, Panama brings out the artistic talents in many people, not just me.  The coffee grown here seems to have qualities other gourmet coffees don’t have.

I think that folks who lovingly plant, harvest, process and market coffee in Boquete are “artistic” types.  They are bringing out the beauty of their product, knowing how important it is to produce a “work of art” with every bag, not just the finest coffee possible, but the most “artistic” coffee in the world.

Does living among the coffee bushes, smelling the fragrant blossoms, and watching the green beans turn to red in the warm sunshine of Boquete give residents a special appreciation of fine coffee that very few others understand?  I believe it does.

Yes, there are “coffee lovers” who buy everything relating to coffee, “coffee fanatics” who use only the finest coffee maker to brew their java, and “coffee gurus” who can foresee how this year’s crop, or even a particular bean will taste.  And then, there are folks like me, who just can’t get enough of the aroma and fine taste of a real delicious, full-bodied and “artsy” cup of gourmet coffee from Boquete.

Well, here I am in my self-portrait, one of many fledgling artists living in Boquete.  We’re all inspired by simply living among so many other artists and growers here.

When I become a “real” artist, you’ll still be seeing me drinking an exquisite, flavorful, picturesque, luxurious cup of gourmet coffee from Boquete, the finest coffee in the world!

Vi’s Buns

Cinnamon buns are every man’s favorite breakfast treat, one that isn’t readily available in Boquete.  There are several bakeries that make cinnamon buns from cake batter, but not the real yeast dough and sticky frosting that are found everywhere in North America or Europe.   There is nothing better in the morning than a cup of Boquete specialty Cafe Ruiz coffee and one of Vi’s homemade buns.

When I agreed to co-ordinate this year’s Bid 4 Boquete Charity Auction event, I never thought that by doing so I would meet Vi, the gourmet baker from Volcan who makes what I call “real” cinnamon buns.  Vi’s buns are yeast-risen, full of spices, big, fat raisins and frosted with classic butter icing.

I couldn’t begin to tell you the recipe for Vi’s buns.  They’re not exactly cinnamon rolls, they’re more hearty and are more flavorful.  But, I’m pretty sure that Vi uses the same icing recipe that I’ve used for years.  It’s easy to make and I always have the ingredients on hand.  The sugar here is named XXXXX Azucar Micropulverzada, it comes in a clear cellophane bag.

Here’s my Classic Butter Icing:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sauce pan or saucier.  Add 3 tablespoons evaporated milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Slowly beat in 1 cup confectioners’ sugar until smooth.  Add more sugar to get a consistency exactly right to spread on the hot buns when they are taken out of the oven.

Rather than to try to find a recipe to make buns the way Vi makes them, you could visit www.billbaio.com and order them directly from Vi.  She visits David regularly and will deliver them to you there.

Vi is donating some of her buns to be sold at the big Bid 4 Boquete Charity Auction held at the Boquete Feria on Sunday, December 6, beginning at 1:00pm, thanks Vi.  I hope everyone will come to the auction and enjoy all the fine events, especially Vi’s buns.  See you there!

Chasing Rainbows

“I’m Always Chasing Rainbows”, it seems.  I grab my camera and run out into our gardens to take photos of the most lovely rainbows seen anywhere on earth.  Boquete is famous for rainbows, as you know if you’ve read much about Boquete.

As I’m focusing my camera, I’m singing that song about rainbows.  The tune is unforgettable, probably because it was written by Frederic Chopin back in the early 1800s.  If you’d like to hear the tune, go to Wikipedia and scroll down to the recording of “Fantasie Impromptu”.

The words were written by Joseph McCarthy and it was published in 1918 for the Broadway show, “Oh, Look”.  Since then, over 50 recording artists have recorded it, including Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Liberace.  It’s no wonder I sing that song on my way to record rainbows in Boquete!

As I’m seeing all these rainbows, I try to focus in on the deepest colors and I try to get as much in the frame as I can.  People with wide lenses get gorgeous shots.  See the one at www.boquete.org, it’s an amazing photo.  This rainbow may have been enhanced a bit, but I’ve seen them exactly like that one, from the same location.

One of these photos is of a triple rainbow taken from my balcony and another of a rainbow above the castle next door. I chase rainbows all over Boquete!

My favorite photo is the one I took of the “rainbow cloud’.  It might not be a real rainbow at all.  Does anyone know what is is?

When you come to Boquete, be sure to bring your camera and carry it with you at all times.  You’ll find rainbows when you least expect them, and you don’t want to be caught in the chase without your camera.

www.Sippitysup Comes to Boquete

The Boquete Gourmet Host Chef Program is very happy to present the famous editor and writer of www.sippitysup and professional Hollywood photographer, Chef Greg Henry!

Greg will present “The Golden Age of Hollywood” Cooking Class on Monday, December 28, 2009 at 5pm, in my kitchen in  Boquete, Panama.

Five (5) Hollywood dishes will be created using original recipes from The Brown Derby Restaurant, established in 1932 on the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California, the center of the movie industry at that time.  Because Greg lives and works in Hollywood, his specialty dishes come from menus of the stars, the dishes presented during the “Golden Age” of movie-making.

If you’d like to see an example of what Greg might prepare, go to www.sippitysup.com to see some of his photos.  You can tell by his blogs that he loves to cook and he loves his L.A.-Hollywood lifestyle.

Once located in the heart of Hollywood, The Brown Derby helped define glamour, sophistication and romance during the golden age of the stars. This legendary haunt was once the most famous restaurant in the world.  Sinatra, Davis, Bogart, Tracy, Olivier, and Leigh all dined, partied and romanced at its tables. The Cobb salad was created there. The Brown Derby Restaurant has become part of our vernacular ever since it opened, and it continues to provide gourmet dining to the rich and famous who visit there today.

Reserve you seat today at $35 per ticket, which includes the class, the complete Hollywood gourmet dinner, recipe book and a glass of wine. Class will be held at the Kent’s home, El Santuario, Boquete, Chiriqui, Rep. de Panama, where Greg will be visiting over the holidays.

For reservations, please email boquetegourmet@gmail.com or comment directly to Greg at www.sippitysup.com. Class size is limited to 12, first come, first served, so please make reservations now for this once-ever event!

Are Gourmets Healthier?

We all know what a “gourmet” is, and we know if we are a “gourmet”, right?  If you’re not sure, click on my earlier article, “Are you a Gourmet?  Take This Test”. Many readers have commented that they always knew they loved fine food, but weren’t sure whether they were indeed a “gourmet’.

If you find that you are a gourmet, the next question is whether you are healthier and in better shape because of that fact?

Can eating like a gourmet actually be good for our health?  Can a gourmet diet ward off disease and illness?  If we begin to eat like a gourmet, could such a diet heal damage done to our bodies by eating “ordinary” diets most people consume?  Will we age better eating a “gourmet” diet?

Kelley Herring, a Florida nutritionist specializing in healthy lifestyles, says that eating like a gourmet actually does promote health, protect against disease and extend an active, age-defying life.

Kelley has discovered how we can restore our health, boost our energy and optimize our weight, simply by eating like a “gourmet”, one delicious bite at a time.  That is something that I’m very much interested in.  No, I don’t expect to have the youth or beauty of these young folks in the picture above, but I can certainly feel as happy and be as energetic as they are, why not?

I particularly like the fact that as a “gourmet” I can age better, and I can “eat my way into shape”.  If you’d like to learn more about Kelley’s discoveries and to read about some of the books she has written, go to Healing Gourmet Click Here!  Kelley has a free report you can open, if you’d like to learn more about how gourmets cook and eat.  She has included some delicious-sounding recipes for us to enjoy.  We can download her books on our computers in Boquete or anywhere in the world, no mail problems or shipping cost.

For some of us who are wanting a little slimmer profile, look at her book, “Slim Down, Shape Up”, notice I used the word “little”!

Don’t Rain on My Parade

Wasn’t it Barbara Streisand who sang that song? I remember she was wearing a fancy dress, spinning around with her hands raised in the air singing those words.  That was me yesterday in Boquete.

The bajareque kept coming down across the marchers, but they didn’t notice.  Band members were dressed in their finest uniforms and the Panama dresses on the dancers were glistening with their dusting of mist.

Locals and visitors alike lined the streets to see the biggest parade of the year, the Independence Day Parade.  This is the day when so many Panamanian bands and school groups come to Boquete to show off their many talents and their pride in country.

This year, there were marching bands from different provinces, including a huge band from Las Tablas, complete with 4 enormous, white, fiberglass sousaphones, each costing over $3,200!

You could never tell by my photos that the air was filled with bajareque mist and it was a wonderful feeling being with so many fun-loving teens who didn’t notice it at all.

This was Boquete in it’s finest face.  I kept singing that song from “Funny Face”, hoping that the mist wouldn’t turn into rain and it didn’t.

Travels with Goobles

This photo is small because Gobbles isn’t very big, she’s only 5″ tall.  But to me she’s a giant of a lady, full of energy and positive vibes, and she’s always willing to go anywhere.

This year, she went with me to the luxury Las Olas Resort in Panama for Thanksgiving dinner.  She sat proudly in the center of the starched, white tablecloth in their lovely dining room, surrounded by friends from all over the world.  She’s done that many times before, each Thanksgiving day sitting as the centerpiece on a different table.

One year, Gobbles was the star on the formal dining table on the cruise ship, Serenade of the Seas.  Another year, she starred on my daughter’s beautifully decorated Thanksgiving table in Florida.  Gobbles always appears on my Thanksgiving dinner table, wherever we go.

Gobbles is one of those “famous” Ty Beanie Babies that were so popular in the late ’90s.  Remember when people  waited in long lines in front of Hallmark stores to be one of the first to buy a new Beanie Baby?  I was one of those people.  I had collected over 60 Beanie Babies by then, but I wanted yet one more.

On one particular day after standing in line for what seemed hours, I bought Gobbles.  Her birthday is 11-27-96.  She was just out of the box and I very was excited that she was a turkey, because I love Thanksgiving and Gobbles reminded me of so many memorable Thanksgiving days.

Neither of us knew what was in the future for her that day, nor for me.   But in 2002, David and I decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and the plan was made to summit the mountain on Thanksgiving Day!

In an instant, I knew that Gobbles had to come with us, and that she needed to make the climb perched on the top of my backpack.  From that vantage point, she would be our “cheerleader”, cheering on fellow climbers during our 6-day trip.

Gobbles cheered as our group of 5 plodded along step by slow, arduous step, until we all reached the top.  Half the climbers on the mountain when we were there, didn’t make it to the top.  I’ve often wondered if we would have made it to the peak, had it not been for Gobbles.  You can see Gobbles’ little red head and yellow bill sitting on my backpack near my right foot on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Isn’t she gorgeous?

You might enjoy the poem that is written inside her shiny, heart-shaped tag:

Gobbles the turkey loves to eat,
Once a year she has a feast!
I have a secret I’d like to divulge
If she eats too much her tummy will bulge!

Gobbles has been my Thanksgiving star since I got her.  She proudly sits on my Thanksgiving table each year, reminding me that I can do anything!
(Just don’t eat too much!)

Murals of Boquete #1

For several years, I lived in Lake Placid, Florida, a town a little smaller than Boquete, Panama, where I now live.  Lake Placid  is as famous for growing beautiful caladiums as Boquete is for growing the world’s finest coffee.  Lake Placid is even more famous for their unique murals displayed on walls throughout the town.

One day it hit me – - -  Boquete displays some of the most beautiful murals I have ever seen, some as lovely as those in Lake Placid or anywhere else in the world.

Murals have become so popular that you can buy them ready-made to install on any wall, inside or outside. 
Modern murals are a means of communication, to show a political view, a business product or just a beautiful scene or piece of artwork.  Styles vary from abstract, like David is painting on the right, or tromp-l’oeil, “trick the eye” styles like the mural at the top, found at the Streit Estate in Potrerillos.

The Sabroson Restaurante displays a mural of their Executive Chef above the door. If you haven’t seen it, please check it out.

Ancient murals show how people lived, like those found in Egyptian tombs that were painted more than 3,000 BC.   A good example of that style is shown on the historic mural in the Bistro Boquete, below.

Children love to paint murals. At the entrance of the Josefa Montero de Vasquez School, near El Constuctor, students painted a mural of Boquete and surrounding mountains, including the school’s mascot on the right edge, the brightly-colored Resplendent Quetzal. Does such an art project promote school spirit and a sense of belonging?

There are so many murals in Boquete, I will need to continue with several articles on this subject. Keep checking this site for information on how murals are painted, and you’ll see some unusual sights in Boquete that many visitors miss.

Boquete could become as famous for its murals as it is for growing the finest coffee in the world!

If you have seen a mural I may not know about, please tell me and I’ll include it in a future blog.

Grandma Gates’ “Gold Cake”

Clyde and Phyllis Stephens live in Bocas del Toro, just over the mountains from Boquete.  We met them several years ago while visiting the famous landmark, Hospital Point.  This historic site was purchased by the Stephens many years ago from the United Fruit Company, commonly known as “Chiquta Banana”.

Clyde has written several books about living in Panama, his experiences of working in the Panama banana industry and the history of Hospital Point.

While traveling in Florida earlier this year, we visited the Stephens in Tavares, where they make their summer family visits. Clyde grew up in Florida and his boyhood home is on display at the Manatee Village Historical Park in Bradenton.

Here’s a photo of the kitchen in Clyde’s original 1912 home.  Clyde’s grandmother baked this cake in that old oven when he was a boy. You can see the original framed recipe sitting atop the cupboard on the far right of the photo.

The recipe looked wonderful to me, not only because it was written almost 100 years ago, but the dozen egg yolks caught my eye.  It also seemed strange to use water instead of milk in such a rich cake, and no salt.

In all my internet research, I couldn’t find a similar recipe, not even close.  I had to make Grandma Gates’ “Gold Cake”.

12 egg yolks
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. water
3/4 c. butter
3 1/2 c. pastry flour
4 level tsp. baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla

Sift flour once . . then measure, add baking powder and sift 3 times.  Sift sugar then measure.  Cream butter, add sugar gradually and cream thoroughly.  Beat yolks until thick and lemon color, add these to butter and sugar and stir thoroughly.  Add water and flour alternately, then flavoring and stir very hard.  Put in slow* oven until raised to the top of the pan and increase the heat and brown.  Bake 40 to 60 minutes in an ungreased mold. *325

I followed the directions as closely as possible, even researching whether I should use the top or bottom of the miniscus.  When I was finished, I had a sink full of 5 bowls to wash.  Grandma Gates’ kitchen sink was outside on the porch.  I could imagine her walking outside to do her dish washing, pumping her water from a hand pump and using lye soap to cut the grease on the bowls.

Plus, she didn’t have my fancy Kitchenaid electric mixer.  It was really difficult to picture her doing this all by hand!  It must have taken her several hours to complete her cake.

But, the results were excellent; the best, tastiest, most delicious “Gold Cake” I have ever tasted.  Grandma Gates probably felt like me – it was well worth all the time and work it took to make it.

Tonight, we’re going to Eric and Jane’s home for a dinner party and we’re taking Grandma’s cake.  I’m sure they will serve it with freshly brewed, fine “Boquete Gourmet” coffee!

Murals of Boquete #2

After beginning to research murals and looking for murals around Boquete, I was shocked to find so many in plain view on public streets. This one was on the wall of a building that once was a real estate office. If you wanted to buy a beautiful home in Boquete like this, you could come into this office.

A brightly colored mural was spotted on the main street of Boquete, just above the door of Sabroson Restaurante. It looks like they have an excellent chef, what a lovely way to advertise.

Several residents have murals painted on their walls by local artists. One of the finest I’ve seen is displayed in a corner of the Eickhoff home in Volcancito. The artist spent many long days creating this one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

A colorful map of Panama was painted on a large wall of the local high school. It shows the locale of the various artists throughout the country.

If you want to see where polleras or sombreros are made, look at this mural.

An announcement came out recently about a mural artist coming to Boquete to volunteer to paint a mural for a non-profit organization at no charge.

There are several organizations here that could take advantage of such an offer. The “Bid 4 Boquete Charity Auction” committee represents 4 large non-profit organizations in Boquete. The annual auction is the biggest charity event in Boquete, and every year it gets bigger.

I’m thinking this might be just the project for “Bid 4 Boquete” in the coming months, if we could find a building with an available wall to paint. Do you have any ideas?

Pizza Pizzazz

Most people are delighted to eat pizza several times a week, it’s a staple dish everyone loves.  You can save lots of money if you make your own crust, and the toppings are easy to assemble.

A few years ago, Julie gave us a Pizzazz Pizza Maker for Christmas and we’ve been making our own pizzas ever since.  It has turned out to be the center of many parties, the easiest, most creative way to use leftovers, and the most useful appliance I own.

Once I start thinking about toppings, the sky’s the limit!  Each pizza is different.  David tried to write a recipe for his very favorite pizza, but we haven’t been able to duplicate it.  This is real one-of-a-kind, “designer-style” pizza!

I’ve tried many, many recipes for the crust, which seems to be the biggest challenge in making pizzas with the Pizzazz maker.  Finally, I found the perfect recipe for pizza crust in my now-favorite cookbook, The Ultimate Collection, by Alison Holst.    The longer the dough is allowed to rise, the more tender the crust.

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olilve oil
3 cups flour

Measure the first 5 ingredients into a large bowl with 1 cup flour and mix thoroughly. Cover and leave for at least 15 minutes in a warm place. Stir in the remaining flour, adding extra, if necessary to make the dough firm enough to knead.  Knead for 10 minutes by hand or with an electric mixer until it forms a soft ball and springs back when pressed lightly.

I use my Kitchenaid electric mixer to do the kneading.  It saves my effort, I couldn’t be without it.  Drip a few drops of olive oil on the dough ball and turn it around in the bowl.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at least 30 minutes.   Then, oil the cooking pan and press half the dough out with your fingers to make the crust.

The best pizza sauces are available in Boquete for about 85 cents a packet.  They come in mushroom, meat, vegetable, garlic and many other varieties.  They are exactly the right amount to use on a Pizzazz pizza.

Use your imagination when laying out your toppings, pepperoni, chopped garlic, oregano, basil, onions, anchovies, cooked sausage, roasted red peppers, ham, sliced black olives, or anything you like.  Top with sliced or grated  mozzarella cheese and start up your Pizzazz.

We like to sprinkle the oil that comes packed with anchovies on top at the very last minute.  As the pizza bakes, we pour a glass of good red wine and enjoy the aroma as we watch the pizza brown.   We set out our pizza cutter, grated Parmesan cheese and dried red peppers.  The rest of the evening is pure delight!

Murals of Boquete #3

Do you know what was the longest mural in the world?  I knew what is was before looking on Wikipedia, but I checked just to be sure.  Look at the end of this blog and you’ll see if you are correct.  Now, to more murals in Boquete and to one that may be the shortest in the world.

Every day something new happens in Boquete, go into town and you’ll see the action. This week, mural artist Tova Speter visited Boquete only for a few days, but representatives from 7 local “grass-roots” charity organizations got together with her to created the newest mural on the main street of town.

Tova is the young lady closest to the camera.

By the time I arrived to help paint this mural, Tova had the paints all mixed and ready to go. She had the basic layout sketched, and we all got busy creating the lovely mural you see below.

Several local children added their hand prints to the left side of the rainbow. The children loved being involved in the mural, as did their parents and everyone else.

Notice the steaming cup of Boquete’s fine “gourmet” coffee on the bottom right. I’m guessing it’s probably the “Geisha” variety of coffee, the finest, richest coffee in the world.

This mural was completed quickly with lots of help from the entire community, another example of “The Spirit of Sharing” in Boquete.

Now, what was the longest mural ever painted in the world?

The Western side of the Berlin Wall between 1980 and 1989.  Then, it fell.

To see world-famous mural artists and their work, including Michelangelo and Diego Rivera, go to Wikipedia, enter “murals”.   Next in the series of ‘Murals in Boquete”, you’ll see some ceiling murals, really stunningly beautiful.

Nosh on Nicoise

Pronounced nee swaz’, this is the perfect lunch to serve at a lunch party. Sure, why not have a group of friends over for lunch.

When we first arrived in Boquete, good friends Hershel and Mikey invited us to their lovely home for a “Luncheon”. I don’t think we had ever been invited to such an affair and it was a very special event. We met many folks there who became “life-long” friends.

This is my favorite “almuerzo” to serve when friends from all over the world gather at our home. It looks gorgeous, it’s easy to prepare, everything gets prepared ahead of time and your guests become “designers” of their own lunch.

Because we enjoyed the afternoon so much with Hershel and Mikey, we’ve served this “Luncheon” many times. Everyone loves an afternoon party!

This is your chance to use all the lovely serving dishes you have been collecting. You’ll need a large salad bowl in which to serve the mixed lettuces, but the other dishes can be medium size or small.   This mango wood bowl I found in Costa Rica, it’s beautifully made and it smells like smoke.  It hasn’t lost its fragrance after using it many, many times. I provide small tongs to serve the greens.

Every serving piece should be a different size, pattern and color. It’s fun to go through your cabinets and select silver, wood, ceramic, china, plastic dishes, or even a piece of tile on which to display your remaining ingredients for the Nicoise Luncheon.

These are the ingredients I prepare for noshing, but use your creativity.

Blanched whole green beans
Tomatoes, cut into small wedges
Spring onions, sliced
Canned tuna served in shot glasses, 2 oz. is the perfect serving size
Hard boiled eggs peeled, but not cut – provide an egg slicer and small knife
Unpeeled cucumbers cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the inside with a spoon and slice
Dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, herbs (your special blend), a little mustard and salt.
Chilled boiled potatoes, cut into julienne strips
Anchovy fillets, whole
Black olives, pitted
Cheeses, cubed or in julienne strips
Blue cheese, crumbled
Carrots, grated
Pine nuts

The fun of the Nicoise Luncheon is that each guest becomes the “artist” of their own salad, designing it exactly the way they like. They begin with a dinner-size plate and lay out the greens.

Then, your guests continue along the buffet filled with brightly colored dishes, and layer each ingredient until it looks just exactly right. One guest made a funny face out of his salad, the skies the limit!

Each dish becomes a masterpiece.
The results are beautiful enough for a photo.

What Goes with Hard Sauce?

Yesterday was a busy day, I prepared a beautiful vegetarian lunch of Shepherd’s Pie and a tossed salad and took it to friends in Potrerillos, about 30 minutes from Boquete.  The main dish was made from a recipe I found in my favorite cookbook, “The Ultimate Collection” by Alison Holst.

The menu was perfect, Shepherd’s Pie and fresh salad.  A salad is always a hit as I’m known for making salads a little differently than most recipes suggest.  I like to add something unexpected to each of my salads, this time I added half a finely chopped apple sprinkled with nutmeg.

But, I needed a dessert and there wasn’t time to make anything.  On the way to Portrerillos, we stopped at our local supermarket and picked up a sweet-smelling fruitcake, which was the best-looking holiday dessert available.  We arrived with a complete lunch, almost ready to eat.

The Shepherd’s Pie turned out lovely after Donna browned the grated cheese garnish.   I tossed and served the salad on side plates and we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with good friends.  We enjoyed fine food and shared lots of fun, memorable conversation in one of the most beautiful homes in Panama.

When it was time for dessert, I had a moment of flashback!  I didn’t make any hard sauce to go with the fruitcake!   I didn’t even think of it until I started to slice the cake.  What is holiday fruitcake without hard sauce?  Or did I have hard sauce with Christmas Pudding when I was a child?  Or did I have hard sauce with Graham Cracker Roll?   Whichever it was, I missed adding a little dollop of hard sauce to the top of the lovely fruitcake we had for lunch. It was tasty, just not as special as I remember having when topped with hard sauce.

When I returned home, I quickly made some hard sauce, I had all the ingredients and it only took a few minutes.  It’s now ready to add to any Christmas dessert I serve over the holidays.  Here’s my recipe, you might like to keep some hard sauce handy to serve with your dessert during the next couple weeks.

1/2 cup softened butter (one stick)
1 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons rum, Abuelo is my favorite

Cream the butter and sugar.  Slowly add the rum and beat until light and fluffy.  Refrigerate in a covered container, it will keep for weeks.  It only takes a small dollop to make any dessert festive.   Now my only question is “What goes with hard sauce”?  Please let me know.

Top 5 Gifts for Year-round Giving!

These gifts won’t arrive before Christmas, but they are my picks for the best kitchen gifts for year-round giving. These top 5 gift suggestions will delight any friend or family member on any special occasion, whether for a birthday, bridal shower, graduation or housewarming gift. Click on any item highlighted in blue for a complete description.

1. Expresso Coffee Machine This is the best buy of all five gifts. I’ve listed it first because you can stop right here and order this fine DeLongi Retro pump-driven expresso machine, an original $210.00 value for only $99.99. It has a swivel-jet frother for creamy cappuccinos or lattes and all the features a connoisseur of fine coffee would appreciate.  

2. Glass Covered Pedestal Cake Stand Every cook needs a 13″ pedistal cake plate with an 11″ high glass dome to showcase their treats. I recommend this one because the 2 pieces can be reversed to become a punch bowl. The price is right at only $24.99.

3. Fondue Pot This Rival stainless steel fondue pot makes the perfect gift. Reduced to $46.69, it’s reasonable enough to send to friends you think would love cheese or chocolate fondue, who wouldn’t?  A fondue pot is always fun at a party, my granddaughter loves to dip fruit into the melted chocolate.

4. Pizzelle Maker Papa Rico used this Cuisinart pizzelle press and everyone loved eating them at the big Bid 4 Boquete Charity Auction last week.  He made them 2 at a time and they were so popular, he could hardly keep up with the demand.  Rico dusted them with powdered sugar before serving.  I am thinking how good they would be with a light dusting of my Christmas Green Orange Dust mixed with sugar.  Papa Rico made his secret recipe for the batter for the auction, here is mine. The price is right at $39.95.

5. Pizza Pizzazz Pizza Oven Your family and friends would really enjoy having this unique kitchen appliance and it’s so much fun to use. The lucky recipient can easily prepare the exact pizza to their own tastes. For only $49.99, it will bring hours and hours of fun and delicious, “designer” pizzas.  Don’t miss my blog with the best crust recipe to use in this oven.

Whenever a special occasion arises, remember these suggestions and your gift giving will be so easy.  Click on the links highlighted in blue and go directly to Amazon to order your gifts today!

Restaurante Las Orquideas For Local Cuisine

After moving across the river and into town, this tipica restaurant has made a huge hit with visitors and locals alike.

The Restaurante Las Orquideas is located just one door from the popular Machu Picchu Restaurant, but is far different in menu and price.

Our daughter Kirsten had just returned to Boquete for a holiday visit and we were looking forward to showing her one of the new restaurants in town.  She likes typical Panamanian food and dining al fresco, so we knew she would like Las Orquideas.

The seating is unique in Boquete, with half the 10 tables located on the small front entrance patio, just far enough away from the traffic so as not to be a distraction.

When coming into this friendly restaurant, we were greeted with a smile and a rundown of the day’s 10-12 freshly-prepared dishes.  You may choose any 4 items to be included in your “plato del dia”, or plate of the day.

While waiting for our lunch, we noticed that the tables were decorated with holiday tablecloths and tiny Christmas trees trimmed with take-home candies.  Most of the tables were filled with diners enjoying lovely plates of delicious-looking dishes and orange drinks.

In only about 5 minutes, our lunch was served hot and fresh on matching blue-rimmed plates.

My selection was just what I ordered; chicken asado, fresh broccoli and carrots and red beans, including an unexpected garnish of sweet plantains placed carefully atop a generous mound of white rice.

This was a lunch worthy of a photo. The light-orange iced drink reminded Kirsten of the Tang she loved so much as a child.

Everything tasted as good as it looks. So good that we’ll be back again and again, especially when the entire check for the 3 of us was $6.75!

Fine Wine Store Coming to David

Felipe Motta is the largest, fanciest and best stocked wine store I know in Panama. Every time I get a chance to visit Felipe Motta while in Panama City, I fill my shopping cart with delicacies and the store packs and ships my purchases to arrive in Boquete the next day, complimentary.

You can imagine Felipe Motta as a huge supermarket, but it’s filled with gourmet foods, fresh baked goods, imported cheeses, all types of liquors and thousands of fine wines from all over the world.

This photo only shows the back area of the store where the fine wines are displayed.

I mean really “fine wines” from all over the world, with prices ranging from $1.95 to $890.00 for a 750 milliliter bottle. Yes, I saw several bottles of Collectible Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2001 Pauillac wine, each priced at $890.00. This was the most pricey bottle of fine wine I saw the day I visited the lavishly holiday-decorated wine store last week.

You may need to enlarge this photo to see the exact numbers posted on right side of the tag beneath the bottle.

Below the price tag is the Wine Spectator Magazine’s description of this amazing wine; “Stick your nose in this and it says something “I am special”. Deep and generous aromas of blackberries, fresh tobacco and minerals. It’s full bodied, with big velvety tannins and a super long finish. Like a fine cashmere sweater.” This wine is $148.33 per glass and by its description, it just might be worth it.

If you’re in the mood for holiday giving, choose one of these lush baskets filled with candies, crackers, bar ware, fine wine, whatever you think your lucky receiver would like. I saw several baskets that included champagne and caviar for New Year’s celebrations.

You can find just the right basket at Felipe Motta and priced to suit your needs.

Here’s the best part – - a new Felipe Motta Wine Store will soon open in the large building that now houses Lumicentro in David, about 45 minutes south of Boquete.

We will soon be able to plan our gift-giving to include any number of fine gourmet gifts from all over the world.

I’m saving my balboas!

Jamon Serrano and the Museum of Ham

While I was in Panama City last week, I stopped to shop at Felipe Motta Wine Store, famous for their deli foods and fine wines. Because it was the holiday season, there were many items available that I haven’t seen in Panama before. There were stacks of wrapped wines, fancy Christmas breads, candies and cakes and huge hams imported from Spain.

The hams were what took my eye, I had not seen hams like that since David and I visited Spain a couple years ago. On that visit, we fell in love with the cana (pronounced con’ya) draft beer and thinly-sliced Jamon Serrano that was commonly served at the hundreds of tapas bars around Madrid.

One day we happened upon the “Museum of Ham”, a big tapas bar, restaurant and ham store located on one of the main streets of Madrid. We later found out there were many such stores all over Spain, a place where locals can sit and enjoy these delicacies any time of the day or night.

This photo shows David enjoying his cana beer under rows and rows of whole Jamon Serrano hams, hanging beautifully from their hoofs. This type of dry-cured ham is unique to Spain and is generally served raw in thin slices similar to Italian prosciutto.

To produce a Serrano ham, it must be trimmed and covered with salt for 2 weeks, then rinsed and hung to cure for 6 months. Finally, it’s hung in a cool place for another 6-18 months to dry. The drying sheds are built in the high mountains of Spain, which is why this ham is called “mountain ham”, or Jamon Serrano.

As soon as I saw these hams available at Felipe Motta, I knew it was exactly what I would get for our holiday season treat this year.

It was a big surprise to David when the ham was delivered to Boquete, he couldn’t believe that I had found such a unique Christmas present to share with our friends throughout the next few months. The white plate of thinly sliced ham is nestled on top a hand-embroidered, antique Spanish mantilla I received as a gift from a dear friend many years ago.

Now, I need to look for some cana beer and our snack time will be complete. If you know where I can get authentic cana beer anywhere in Panama, please let me know.

Murals of Boquete #5

During the past three years of being involved in Boquete’s biggest charity event, “Bid 4 Boquete”, I have met some very talented and caring people. I’ve been able to get acquainted with people, properties and businesses otherwise not easily accessible to the general public.

Pension Topaz is one such property. It’s located on a tree-lined back street near the center of Boquete on a small tributary, a very lovely location.

Owner Axel Schob is a strong supporter of local charities, an entrepreneur and a multi-talented artist who specializes in murals. When I first visited Pension Topas seeking donations for the charity effort, I found Axel working on one of his many murals he painted around the property.

The mural of the waiter delivering drinks shows the exuberant flair Axel expresses on all his work. He paints fun and fantasy, as well as the world in perfection, as shown in the Monet-style lake scene in the very top mural.

I feel at home at Pension Topas, it’s a comfy-cozy feeling to be cruising under deep-blue skies on mountain lakes, or high on a sailing mast looking down on deep seas. If you look closely, you can see the hand sink near the shore of Kashmere Lake in India and the little mouse way up on the mast of the fantasy sailing ship flying above the lighthouse.

As I strolled the grounds of this friendly hostel, I spotted many gorgeous murals usually seen only by visitors lucky enough to stay at the Topas, too many to include in this post. Keep visiting this site and you’ll see some more of Axel’s work in future writings.

During their time in Boquete, visitors are treated to the sight of beautiful murals throughout Boquete, they only need to look. And while they’re here, they will also be able to taste the finest, richest, most flavorful coffee in the world.

Hollywood’s “Golden Age” Dining

It was a very different sort of evening in my kitchen last Monday, when blogger, photographer, and chef Greg Henry from Los Angeles and sous chef, Liz Lees from San Diego were ready to present a special cooking class about how movie stars dined during the “Golden Age” of Hollywood. It was an age when “being seen” was EVERYTHING!

That afternoon, Greg and Liz measured ingredients for the famous “Signature Cocktail” from the glamorous Cocoanut Grove Restaurant in the center of Hollywood and they carefully scooped black and red caviar into old-fashioned champagne glasses for Trump’s “Plantains with Black Bean Sauce”.

They cleaned, sauced and sauteed chicken livers for Don the Beachcomber’s “Rumaki” and peeled, deveined and skewered shrimp for “BBQ Shrimp with Ginger and Lime” from the old Spago Restaurant, which overlooked Sunset Blvd.

They poached chicken breasts and saved the broth for me, boiled eggs, and chopped various lettuces and cheeses for the Brown Derby’s “Original Cobb Salad’.

The final dish was the “Romanoff’s Chocolate Souffle”, the perfect ending to this sumptuous meal. Liz had pre-measured the ingredients of this very glamorous finale into a beautiful “mis en place” arrangement, including 12 carefully separated eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, salt and powdered sugar.

As students arrived, they were greeted with stories about how Hollywood restaurateurs developed their menus, prepared their dishes and built their reputations. They learned how movie stars became the center of attention, while being surrounded by some of the most elegant cuisine the world has ever know.

As the evening progressed, everyone mingled like movie stars with flashbulbs popping, and they dined on great recipes prepared with flair by Hollywood photographer and chef, Greg Henry. Each famous, delicious and historic dish was fit for such super-stars as Dorothy Lamour, James Cagny, Judy Garland, Groucho Marx and Bing Crosby.

And just think, this all took place in my lovely kitchen high up on the side of a volcano overlooking Boquete, Panama.

Panama’s Coffee Cup – Cafe Duran

During the next several months, I’ll be sharing with you some of the finest coffee grown anywhere in the world, all produced in Boquete, the coffee capital of Panama. Today is the opening day of the International Flower and Coffee Fair in Boquete and the perfect time to begin a series on the 40 locally grown coffees that are showcased at the fair.

Boquete is “coffee heaven” for the true connoisseur of fine coffee and I’m lucky enough to be here to share them with you from an “up close and personal” perspective.

Cafe Duran has been a leader in growing Boquete coffee for 5 generations, bringing 100 years of experience of building their company to one of the largest in Panama. Duran employs over 300 full-time workers and supports more than 500 native families of the Ngobe-Bugle tribe. They purchase freshly-picked coffee beans from over 3,000 families of small-scale growers who bring their coffee to collection centers in and near the Boquete area.

These bright yellow and black trucks are very recognizable all over Panama and boast their 100 year history of coffee production. These trucks are distributing Cafe Duran coffee from the processing plant in Panama City to countries all over the world.

A new concept to Panama has been the “Coffee Store” and Duran is one of the first to open such a store in Boquete, located near the bridge just across from the fairgrounds. If you are in Boquete, you might want to stop by Duran’s new coffee shop and try a freshly brewed cup of one of the most traditional coffees grown in Boquete.

My impression of Cafe Duran has always been of how dark and aromatic this traditional Cafe Puro is when the bag is first opened. I love a dark roasted, rich and full-bodied coffee and Cafe Duran is a good example of this type of coffee. When hot water hits Duran coffee, the aroma fills my kitchen and wafts to the other end of my house, signaling David that it’s time to enjoy some really fine Boquete coffee.

This is a memorable cup of coffee, one that the light American coffee drinker might find too rich for their blood. If extra water is added at the preparation stage in an effort to achieve a “smoother” flavor, I find the result is disappointing. The Boquete price of $4.22 per pound makes this coffee especially attractive to budget-minded coffee enthusiasts.

I went to the Boquete fairgrounds today. I was one of the first customers to enjoy a 50-cent cup of Cafe Duran coffee at the fair this year, served from one of the many machines strategically positioned around the grounds.

It was a surprisingly well brewed, hot, dark, and satisfying cup of one of the finest coffees grown in Boquete.
Enjoy the Fair!

Panama’s Coffee Cup – Cafe Sitton

While strolling around the grounds of the International Flower and Coffee Fair in Boquete, I came upon the most lovely display of local coffee, Cafe Sitton. The striking blue and white booth, blazing with signs, shelves of coffee bags and cups, and a lovely mural, showed the pride of this well-known Boquete gourmet coffee producer.

The bag boasts that Sitton coffee is “Panama’s finest mountain grown coffee” and it comes “from Panama’s high mountains, deep in the Boquete rain forest, we bring you one of the best and well-known coffees of the world.”

Their website, www.cafesitton.net, gives much information about the roasts they offer, the history of the company and facts about the processing necessary to produce a fine cup of coffee.

As seen in the mural, there is much work that must be done in order to produce a fine coffee such as Cafe Sitton.  The work is varied; hand-picking only the red cherries, spreading them out to dry in the sunshine, raking them every hour, and cleaning them in high water pressure.  The process is time-consuming and must be precise at all stages.  Some producers use a comb to brush the cherries from the trees, but coffee from Boquete is all picked by hand, one red cherry at a time.

What isn’t shown in the mural is the roasting process to the perfect color and grinding to the correct size of grain.  That’s very important if you want to get the full-bodied flavor we all enjoy so much.

I purchased the French Roast bag of Cafe Sitton and at a cost of $3.44 per pound, it’s a medium priced Boquete coffee.   As I opened the bag, I noticed the nice aroma that quickly filled my kitchen.

Using my new French Press, I measured 4 tablespoons  of Sitton coffee and added 3 cups of hot water, which equals 4  six-ounce “coffee-size” cups of brewed coffee.  Smart, uh?  From now on, that’s the formula I’ll use when making the various brands of Boquete and Panama coffees, 4 + 3= 4.

After a 4-minute wait, I gently pushed down the plunger in my press.  I could see the dark, rich coffee bubbling around the surface of the brew, coating it with a thick beige foam.  It smelled amazing.  As I poured it into my cup, the flow was almost opaque, a delightful quality not often seen using my automatic maker.

The taste was one I won’t soon forget, as bold, complex and full-bodied as any gourmet coffee I have ever sipped at any price.  I could taste tones of chocolate and a slight sweetness that lingered on my palate.  It was a treat to have one of the finest Boquete coffees brewed the correct way, using our local fresh, clear spring water.  Coffee doesn’t get any better than this.

Try some Sitton coffee yourself and see if you get the same “ah, ha” experience I had, one that I would like to share with all my friends.
Enjoy!
Cora

SippitySup’s Menu – Dish by Dish

By now, everyone knows about Hollywood photographer, writer and chef, Greg Henry and why he came to Boquete last month. He’s lovingly called “SippitySup” due to his top-voted website, www.SippitySup.com.

The cooking class Greg presented, “Hollywood’s Golden Age”, included 6 recipes from 6 of the world-famous restaurants in Hollywood that were “glistening” back in the 1940-50’s. I attempted to gather photos of each dish as it was prepared, but I missed the Rumaki. If anyone has an actual photo of the Rumaki that was made during the class, please let me know.

The Cocoanut Grove’s Signature Cocktail was leading the menu, each student received one as they walked into my kitchen. That doesn’t happen very often, so it was a big treat for everyone.

Then came the Plaintains with Caviar and Black Bean Puree. The photo below shows Greg frying up the plantains. They were served buffet-style with lots of toppings available: red and black caviar, smoked tuna, sour cream, bean puree, and thinly-sliced red onions.

Barbecue Shrimp with Ginger and Lime was beautifully prepared and as you can see, this heaping platter of grilled shrimp gave everyone as many kabobs as they liked.

The final entree was the Brown Derby Original Cobb Salad topped with poached chicken and old-fashioned French dressing made from the original recipe. The freshly-picked organic vegetables were a special treat and the stars of the 40’s and 50’s probably didn’t have such luscious greens as we do today.

Dessert was Romanoff’s Chocolate Souffle’, almost as delicious looking as it tasted, especially when sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with whipped cream.

For all these recipes and perfect photos of the “practice” dishes, click here. You’ll see Greg’s blogs about the renown restaurants and the Hollywood stars who frequented them.

And just think, everyone who enjoyed Greg’s cooking class was dining on the same delectable foods that were served 70 years ago during Hollywood’s “Golden Age”.
Cora

My New French Press

It’s about time I have a real French Press, especially since I’m tasting all the fine coffees grown in Panama. I took a seminar about the many varieties of coffee grown in Boquete and the instructor said that she thought the best way to bring out the subtle tastes of the different varieties of fine coffee is to use a French Press to prepare it.

The hunt was on for me as my only experience with a French Press when it was served to me in a local coffee shop. I liked it then, but I didn’t pursue getting one because I didn’t have the “sophisticated” palate then that I have now. Anyway, I began my search in several stores in Boquete and David and just couldn’t find what I thought was the perfect French Press.

When I came to Florida last week, the hunt became extremely easy with every department store and kitchen shop having several models on hand. The prices ranged from $9.95 to $39.95 for an 8-sup size, which I determined was the size I needed. The best part of my hunt was when I visited a Target store and found the “Original French Press” made by Bodum, Brazil model, 8-cup, absolutely beautiful and only $19.95.

The first thing I did before I opened the box was to look at the directions in an easy-to-follow panel on the side, no other directions were necessary.  The written directions come in 14 different languages and they give way more information than anyone would need.

I laughed at the taglines on the box:

• Probably the best way to brew coffee
• The Coffee Lover’s favorite method
• Quick and easy to use
• Dishwasher safe

They missed the most important qualities to me:

• The 3-piece mesh filter allows the aromatic oils and flavors to come through,
• The special lid prevents spills, and
• You don’t use filters, therefore being environmentally friendly.

Now, the really most important part is how the coffee tastes when using the French Press. I microwaved 2 cups of water until boiling, measured 2 rounded tablespoons of Cafe Ruiz medium ground coffee into the press, poured in the water, stirred it and put on the top, leaving the plunger up. The 4 minute wait was fun, because I was enjoying the aroma and anticipating the flavor of this fine Boquete coffee.

Then came the ultimate pleasure, the moment when I slowly pushed down the plunger and the clear, rich, flavorful coffee was released into the body of my new pot. What I had anticipated was worth every minute of waiting, a very fine cup of delicious coffee grown and processed in my new hometown, Boquete, Panama.
Love it!
Cora

The Boquete Gourmet Signs Up

It’s really fun to become a member of various food and travel blogs, as I have done over the past few months.

I’ve signed up for Foodbuzz.com, SippitySup.com, LivinGlobal.org, CarrieandJonathan.com, ProfitSpecialist.net, Boqueteguide.com and many more.  I enjoy getting the new articles from these sites automatically when one is published.

So, I’ve decided to add this publishing feature to my site and I’d like to invite you to become a member by subscribing now.

You can sign up to get The Boquete Gourmet news, posts, offers and promotions sent right to your inbox.  As The Boquete Gourmet becomes more popular, there will be more opportunities to get involved in activities only available to fans of this site.

Don’t miss out on future cooking class announcements, sales items, advanced invitations and new recipes being sent to members of The Boquete Gourmet site  prior to being published elsewhere.  Our last cooking class filled up in only 4 days, so quickly that no general announcement was ever made.

The newly installed button on your right that says “Subscribe”, will guarantee that you receive every post automatically in your inbox as soon as it’s published.  So click the Subscribe button now, click on “email” and add your email address.  Complete the spam protector code by copying the numbers and letters and click “go”.  It’s very easy.

You’ll receive a message in your email that will allow you to activate your subscription.  You can unsubscribe at any time, of course.

You’re invited to join the party with friends having similar interests, share your talents and just plain have fun.

Let’s keep in touch!  Cora

Three “Sushi Madness” Cooking Classes

For several months, folks have been asking for a cooking class featuring Japanese Sushi, and here it is!   The Bistro Boquete’s Executive Chef, Lauretta Bonfiglio, will present three “Sushi Madness” cooking classes, as you’ve never seen sushi before. She has been making sushi for many years and she’s happy to share her expertise with us.

Because of overwhelming demand, there are now three dates for these hands-on classes, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 4, 5 & 6, all begin at 5:00pm.  They will be held in my kitchen in El Santuario, Boquete, Panama, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Traditional Japanese cuisine is intriguing, appealing, healthy and easy to make, once you learn Lauretta’s techniques of preparation.  How to use a Bento Box will be demonstrated. This is an unusual method of presentation that is so popular in Japan.

As an extra attraction, you’ll learn to make Sukiyaki, a traditional dish in Japan that is made with bamboo sprouts, beef tenderloin and other oriental ingredients easily found in Boquete.

The Saki, Plum wine and Green tea will be flowing.  You’ll enjoy the ease of learning to make a beautiful dessert containing a most unusual ingredient.  Once you know how to make it, you’ll want to serve it to friends often.

This is a photo of Sushi stands awaiting their final finish.   Each student will receive a take-home hand-made sushi stand, bamboo sushi rolling mat, chopsticks and chopstick rest as part of the tuition fee of $35.

Please make your reservation now, as space is limited to 12 students in each class.  You may email me at boquetegourmet@gmail.com or add a comment to this post.  Please indicate which class is best for you and include your phone number. I’ll send you an immediate response.
Sayonara!
Cora

For Style, Try David’s New Stylo

After hearing so much about the new Cuidad de David Hotel and Stylo Resto-Bar, located only 45 minutes south of Boquete, Panama, I just had to try it.   The buzz is that it’s the only “5-star” hotel and restaurant in Chiriqui Province, although I haven’t been able to document that claim. 

The best way I know to find the actual quality of food and service is to experience it first-hand. So one hot day last week we drove into the parking garage of the handsome Cuidad de David Hotel, took the silent elevator to the street level and entered the most unusual and stylish hotel lobby I have experienced since I left Madrid last year.

The hotel lobby and sleek bar are modern and brightly colored to match the buildings exterior.

As we neared the restaurant door, it was graciously opened for us and a shiny, sleek, comfortably arranged dining room was revealed. It was tastefully decorated in deep brown and cream tones.

The elegant tables were dressed in white linens and set with sparkling glassware and solid-white china service plates. This is my kind of restaurant!

Our courteous server Elvin, explained the luncheon options and showed us the fresh and colorful salad bar available. Lunch included the salad bar and the hot meal of the day was either corvina with garlic rosemary sauce or roasted chicken breast. The choices vary depending on what the chef prepares each day. A drink and dessert were included in the lunch special as well. Menu items were also available, in case we wanted to order ala carte.

The choice was easy. I ordered the full lunch with corvina and it was delicious! The photo above is the salad I designed and the next photo is of the full lunch I enjoyed so much. Notice the fresh crumbled bacon and local country cheese. The sweet platanos were slowly cooked in natural, raw sugar, probably rare in most 5-star restaurants.

After finishing my “designer” salad, home-made minestrone soup, full hot lunch, and iced tea, I was faced with 3 desserts!

I chose the chocolate mousse, which was rich, light, and just the right consistency. With a bigger appetite, I would have tried the delicate almond tart and diced fresh fruit compote, as well. Maybe next time.

The $12 price seemed very reasonable for such delicious dining so elegantly served. Now, I understand why some folks are saying Stylo is a 5-star restaurant in a 5-star hotel, I wholeheartedly agree!

But, could anyone tell me how I can substantiate the 5-star status?
Buen provecho!
Cora