Lauretta’s Madras Curry Powder

It was about 5pm in the afternoon when Lauretta fired up her skillet and began to dry-roast unfamiliar seeds and whole spices from around the world to make her special Madras Curry Powder from “scratch”. Indian cuisine is one of Chef Lauretta Bonfiglio’s favorite ethnic menus to prepare, and it takes lots of loving attention and care to blend the ingredients just to the right flavor she adores so much.

In order to achieve the perfect blend of curry powder, Lauretta gathered twelve very eager students together, along with David and me, for the “Exotic Flavors of India” Boquete Gourmet cooking class in my kitchen in El Santuario, Boquete.

Lauretta also gathered together 13 different spices of widely varying flavors, and she began to work. As you probably know, Curry Powder is a blend of many spices, it’s not just one spice. By the time Lauretta had completed the long, arduous task of measuring, roasting and grinding the Curry Powder to just the right flavor, students were busy “building” their own Madras Cocktails, and preparing classic Lentil Daal, Tomato Chutney, Kachumber Salad, Cucumber Raita, Pulao Rice, Chicken Curry, and Candied Ginger Ice Cream.

The highlight of the class, if you don’t consider the cocktails, was learning to make your own customized curry powder. As we discovered, the exact measurements of each ingredient can be varied according to your taste. This is how Lauretta combined her spices to make her favorite blend.

MADRAS CURRY POWDER

8 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
6 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seed
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons peppercorns
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds or ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole cloves
2 tablespoons ground cardamom
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon cayenne (or less if less heat is desired)

In a dry skillet over very low heat, place the coriander, cumin, mustard, fenugreek, poppy seeds and fennel seeds. Roast the seeds gently, shaking the pan occasionally, until they begin to pop. When about half the seeds have popped, add the cinnamon, peppercorns, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, turmeric, ginger and cayenne. Continue to heat and stir gently until the mixture is quite hot but not burnt. Pour into a dry blender or food processor, or use a mortar and pestle. Grind into a fine powder. Pour into a clean, dry jar, seal, and let it cool before using.

For the class, Lauretta doubled the proportions and everyone took home a bag of freshly-roasted Madras Curry Powder, ready to use in any of the many classic or modern curry recipes of their choice.

The group ended the evening by plating and dining on the exotic flavors of Indian cuisine, washing it all down with glass after glass of fine wines from vineyards around the world. To cool everyone’s palate, the Candied Ginger Ice Cream was the perfect ending to this classic Indian dinner prepared and presented with an eye toward sharing our new skills with friends and families soon.

Thanks very much to Chef Lauretta for sharing her expertise with us and to Betty Dabney for capturing the action in photographs.

I recently returned from India with a fresh supply of many spices to use in my own custom blend of curry powder. If you’d like to buy any hard-to-locate spices, please let me know.

I like my curry hot!
Cora

Back-to-Back Underground Dining

Boquete, Panama has a long-standing custom of dining underground once a month, sometimes twice a month. But, this month was a “first” with two successive dinners being held in two different locations, with two very talented, unique chefs preparing and serving two totally different menus to two separate groups of guests.

That being said, I’m not sure that has happened anywhere in Central America before, or for that matter, in any small town anywhere else in the world.

It all began with invitations being emailed to 30 fans of Boquete Gourmet, including a request to place reservations immediately upon receipt of the invite. Within only a few hours, the “Old House” dinner was filled with 24 seats reserved. Then, several other invitees responded with their request to attend the dinner as well. The location, chef and menu was unknown, and the dinner was completely sold out!

What could be done? I quickly added a second dinner at another location, with another chef, a new menu, you get the idea. The diners on the “waiting list” were given the opportunity to dine the night before the “Old House” dinner at a location not revealed.

The second dinner, “The Knight’s Dinner”, filled quickly! The clue was the word “knight”, which relates to a castle, and there was much anticipation about where the second dinner would be held. Nearly everyone invited to either Underground Dinner accepted their invitation with great delight, and waited patiently to discover what culinary delights were being prepared for them.

The day before the dinners, both locations were revealed to the 48 savvy, food-lovers; the “Old House” dinner with Executive Chef Danilo Moran, of Mrs. Monniche’s magnificant diningroom at Finca Lerida atop El Salto, and the “Knight’s” dinner with Chef Lauretta Bonfiglio, at Tom and Caroline Bot’s castle home, high above Boquete in El Santuario.

Both evenings were delightful, with each chef presenting their finest menus.
Chef Danilo’s entrees were Highland Trout or Braised Chicken Breast with Maracuya Sauce, and his dessert was Flan de Cafe’, made with the estate coffee espresso from Finca Lerida.

Chef Lauretta’s entrees were Roasted Pork Loin with Cardamom Sauce or Fillet Mignon with Orange Fennel Crust, and her dessert was Lemon Curd Cake with Whisky Cream.

Which dinner would you like to have enjoyed? How could anyone have predicted they would be spending such an evening in magnificent surroundings and dining on some of the finest cuisines in the world, right here in Boquete, Panama?

I attended both dinners and believe me, it was a “toss-up” as to which was more spectacular. with each having it’s own personality and style. You won’t want to miss any of Boquete’s Underground dinners, and if you’d like to request an invitation to an upcoming dinner, please write to boquetegourmet@gmail.com.

See you there!
Cora

Authentic Foccacia and Antipasto with Pickled Onions

The word “authentic” means “authoritative, reliable, genuine, of undisputed origin” according to Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary, and this is exactly what Host Chef and Artisan Baker, Mort Rabkin offered his baking class recently in Boquete.

The Foccacia recipe took some work to make it exactly right for the weather conditions in Boquete, and Mort got it just right! It was fun to be invited to his home to “practice” his different Foccacia recipes. Each time the bread was baked, Mort used slightly different ingredients, he varied his timing, and he used an assortment of toppings. Finally, it was best Foccacia any of us have ever tasted!

When the Foccacia was perfected, we could plan the remainder of the class. Because there was time during the class to make two other authentic Italian dishes while the Foccacia was rising and baking, I decided the best accompaniments to a hot Foccacia were a fresh Antipasto, and for dessert, Zabaglione. Mort’s wife Barbara, topped the Zabaglione with her twice-baked Biscotti cookies, a real treat.

One of the toppings for the Antipasto would be Pickled Onion Rings, which was a new dish for everyone. The onions are easy to prepare and they cook in only 30 seconds. They’re perfect to serve with Antipasto to give it an interesting, unexpected tangy flavor. This Antipasto was served with black olives, a variety of cold meats and cheeses, freshly roasted red peppers and Green Olive Tapenade. You can see the Pickled Onions in the top dish, ready to be enjoyed along with this very colorful Antipasto.

Pickled Onion Rings

3/4 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 bay leaf
5 allspice berries
5 whole cloves
1 small, hot, jalapeno or chombo chile pepper, finely diced
1 large onion, peeled, and thinly sliced
In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar, sugar, seasonings and chile until boiling. Add the onion slices and simmer gently for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Transfer the onions and the liquid into a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Photographer, Betty Dabney couldn’t resist gathering everyone together for a “photo-op”. The Antipasto with toppings was beautifully arranged on a big platter, and the eight Foccacias were cut into sample-size pieces so everyone could try each of the breads. After lunch, the Zabaglione was ready to taste, the “icing on the cake” for everyone, made extra special with Barbara’s Biscotti. I’ll post the recipe for this luscious “authentic” Italian dessert soon.

Thanks to Betty for photos that captured Mort’s fun, educational and “tasty” class.

Don’t forget the Chianti!
Cora

Tabuli Salad for Better Health

Boquete Gourmet Host Chef, Peace Farideh Azad brought a totally different idea of food preparation to our little mountain town in Panama, “Combining Foods for Better Health”. Participants learned unique, “plant-based” cooking techniques, with emphasis on properly combining ingredients to promote optimum health and wellness.

There are many charts that show how certain foods can be combined for better digestion. Peace advocates having certain fresh fruits prior to eating your meals. For instance, papaya stimulates your digestive fluids, so Peace prepared dishes of papaya for everyone to enjoy just before serving her Tabuli Salad.

In the Middle East, Tabuli, also spelled Tabouleh, is a fresh vegetable salad with the green ingredients dominating. The dish’s global popularity has led to new interpretations and regional modifications such as the use of couscous or quinoa in place of bulgur, which is traditional.

PEACE’S TABULI SALAD

1 package quinoa, prepared as directed
2 large bunches parsley, finely chopped
2 spring onions, sliced thinly
2 pounds tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, finely diced
10 fresh limes, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste, sea salt is preferred if possible

After the vegetables were carefully prepared, each was placed in their separate dish, mis en place style. It was easy for Peace to combine the ingredients in a large bowl, toss them with flare, and serve garnished with fresh sprigs of mint.

During the cooking process, Peace wanted to simmer the quinoa and water very slowly until it became tender. This is almost impossible to do with the gas-top burners she was using. The lowest setting was just too hot, which is often the case with my burners.

Because this is a common concern with most cooks in Boquete (our gas is bottled), a friend discovered a new gadget to solve this problem, the “Simmer Mat”. This clever device was invented in New Zealand, where cooks must have the same problem as we have in Boquete. 

Carol brought a mat back from the states for me to try, and I love it. The cast iron heat diffuser works perfectly to spread the heat to ensure long slow cooking.

If you’d like to order a Simmer Mat from Amazon, click here, it’s only $14.95.

Peace completed her menu by making a delicious Plant-Based Soup using quinoa, Vegetable Curry with yucca, and two versions of Brown Rice. No dessert was needed following the lunch, because at the end of the afternoon everyone agreed they felt full of energy from the well-combined meal they enjoyed during the class.

The Tabuli Salad was definitely the highlight of the class, as there were no salad leftovers at all!

Thanks to all the “souz-chefs” for making each ingredient so beautiful, as you can see. Thanks to Peace for showing us another way to improve our overall health and well-being, and in such a delightful manner!

Salud!
Cora