Why Men Like Dining Underground

Not that women don’t enjoy the Underground Dinner events in Boquete, but I think that men like them even more than the ladies, and I’ll tell you why.

I’ll try not to offend anyone by sharing my thinking with you, but after talking with many male guests at past dinners, I’ve come to these conclusions on my own, just my own “educated” opinions.

First. men don’t have to make the decision of where to go to dinner. Usually, men need to think about how far they want to drive, how rough the roads will be, or whether there will be a proper parking space. They usually need to consider the weather conditions, if they want to dine outdoors, or how much money they will need to pay the bill. The location of the underground dinner isn’t known until after the decision is made to attend the event, so where the dinner takes place is irrelevant. The prix fixe gourmet dinner is $18, all inclusive.

Then, the choice of what to order is simple. Men will only need to make one choice between two entrees. It’s very easy; it’s either beef or fish, or it could be pork or chicken, or maybe shrimp or lamb. There’s no menu to read, so it’s never necessary to ponder and decide among many, many choices of fancy dishes, with descriptions so detailed that it’s confusing. I like to read the item by item descriptions, but it’s just too much trouble for men.

Men also like to spend time with the wives in an atmosphere of friendly conversation, enjoying fine foods served efficiently, and not being annoyed by loud music, constant interruption by servers, or sounds of clanging dishes.

One thing men really like are the five, full-size courses served throughout the evening, there’s plenty to eat and drink. There’s no concern about whether to have an appetizer, whether to order dessert, or even if you’ll have enough to eat.

Lastly, and us gals really like this part as well – diners can bring whatever and as much as they would like to drink, no charge for corking, with glasses provided! If a guest would like to bring their favorite wine for any occasion, they bring it along and enjoy it with dinner.

All in all, Underground Dining is a very different experience for every guest. It’s lots of fun, for all the above reasons. The host chefs can show what they can do, which is truly gourmet dining at its best. Thanks to Host Chef, Renny Kranich for her delightful dishes she so lovingly prepared for our latest dinner. And, thanks to Betty Dabney for capturing a glimpse of the mystery of this popular, world-renown dining experience, which is held from time to time in Boquete, Panama.

Seats are now available for the next Underground Dinner on July 2, location unrevealed! You may reserve your seats now at the calendar on the right.

Hope to see you there,
Cora

My Passion for Passion Fruit Torte

We are lucky to be living in a tropical country where passion fruit is not only abundant, but very reasonable, about 20 cents each. In Boquete, Panama, we can purchase them in at least three colors.

The passion fruit is round to oval, either yellow, green or purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with pulp and numerous edible seeds. The fruit can be grown to be eaten or for its juice, which is often added to other fruit juices to enhance the aroma.

David and I grew passion flower vines in Gulfport, Florida, but we never saw them produce fruit. The delicate flowers are magnificent and there is a legend that relates the passion flower to Christ’s life, as told on Wikipedia. I always loved to show guests the vines and unusual flowers, at least they are unusual in Florida.

The fruit in this photo is mature for juicing and culinary use. For eating right out of the fruit, the fruit should be allowed to wrinkle for a few days to raise the sugar levels and enhance the flavor.

Passion fruit can also be cut in half and the pulp easily scooped out with a spoon. Passion fruit-flavored syrup is a popular topping for shaved ice, it’s sold in Boquete off push carts in our local parks.  Ice cream can be flavored with passion fruit, as well as many other desserts such as cookies and cakes. I really enjoy passion fruit juice at 99 cents a quart, mixed with our local rum, it’s a very “passionate” drink!

This unique recipe came to me from Boquete Gourmet Host Chef Juan Linares, and it’s one of my favorite desserts.

Passion Fruit and Yogurt Torte

1 can sweetened, condensed milk
1 can natural yogurt
1 can passion fruit pulp, strained
3 rolls Maria galletas (cookies) or 3 packages Graham crackers

Open and empty the can of sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl. To prepare the passion fruit, cut the fruit in half and scoop out the pulp into a blender. Blend and strain enough pulp to fill the empty milk can and empty it into the bowl with the milk. Fill the empty can again with yogurt and add to the milk mixture and combine.

Then, cover the bottom of a 9″ X 12″ pan with whole cookies or Graham crackers and pour some of the mixture over the top, then layer more crackers and mixture until you have several layers. Press and smooth the top of the torte, as shown in the photo. I kept a little of the passion fruit pulp with seeds to pat on top to make a nice, shiny top “crust”. Chill for at least 3 hours, cut and serve. You may garnish with whipped cream, a cherry and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers. A sprig of fresh mint brings yet another color to the dish, yum!

This dessert is very easy to make, especially when passion fruit is so abundant in Boquete. It can be made a day ahead, in case you have a busy day preparing the other dishes for your dinner. Actually, David and I had Juan’s Passion Fruit and Yogurt Torte for breakfast the day after serving it for dinner. It was even better then.

“Eat dessert first”, don’t they say???
Cora

All About French Bread and More

It was the day before the Royal Wedding when Artisan Baker, Mort Rabkin gathered his class together to share his many secrets for making French bread from scratch.

The plan for the day was for each participant to begin making their own French bread dough using measuring techniques, mixing methods, and kneading procedures that Mort has developed over the years of living in Boquete.

At the end the day, hot loaves of freshly baked French bread, made completely from scratch and baked in Mort’s clay oven, would be taken home to enjoy.

Mort got busy showing how to make the dough, then how to carefully stretch and shape perfect baguettes.

Fourteen-ounce balls of dough were shaped into loaves about 13 inches in length.  Everyone had a chance to practice. Baguettes are generally made with a series of folding and rolling motions and then raised in rows on a flour-impregnated towel, called a couche.

The method for rising was unique to most of us, as heavy linen was laid out in waves that held the baguettes snugly side by side.  Kathy gently rolled her baguette into the couche to rise.

After the dough had risen, it was slashed in “baguette” style, as Nancy is showing below.

Then, the bread was baked directly on the hearth of Mort’s outdoor clay oven. 

No pans are used in artisan-style baking, only in the Americanized version of the traditional baking process are pans used. Generally American style “French Bread” is much fatter, generally meaning over-proofed, and also scored incorrectly according to French baking tradition and not baked in brick or clay ovens. The resulting loaf is much larger, softer, less chewy, and possessing a much more even crumb structure, in contrast to the traditional baguette, which is slender, chewy, and has an uneven and holey crumb structure, and crispy crust.

French bread can be glazed with egg wash, if desired. The wash gives a much browner and shinier crust, as the final bake shows in the photo above. The choice of whether and how to glaze your baguettes is one way to make your authentic French bread so special. Don’t all the loaves look marvelous?

But, as the last group of baguettes were baking, it was time to celebrate the impending Royal Wedding. A Royal wedding cake emblazoned with “William y Kate”, and a fine cup of English tea, probably exactly what the happy couple would be enjoying at Buckingham Palace after their wedding, were served.

Everyone learned to make French bread that day, thanks so much to Mort. And, we were led by Brandy in singing the British National Anthem, we tasted Royal white wedding cake, and we sipped hot English Breakfast tea. Mort’s wife, Barbara, poured!

Cheers to the new Duke and Duchess!
Cora

Kirsten’s Potatoes Au Gratin

Following reading and thinking about the brunch class that Alie MacArthur presented in Boquete last month, our daughter Kirsten planned a lovely brunch and invited 5 friends to join her, including me.

Kirsten and I went shopping together and bought all the ingredients to make her dream idea of Potatoes Au Gratin. Yes, she’s like me in that the ideas for a certain dish come from your mind, and no recipe is really necessary.

The day of the brunch, Kirsten got out her redskin potatoes, which aren’t plentiful in Boquete, and we began thinly slicing them on “Martha’s” mandoline.  The mandoline was many years old. I remember purchasing it for her at K-Mart before Martha went to prison, which is beside the point.  I understand Macy’s is handling Martha’s products now, I’m very glad about that.

This is my take on Kirsten’s recipe, it was so delicious and it probably got the most compliments of any dish at the brunch.

Kirsten’s Potatoes Au Gratin

5 medium redskin potatoes, thinly sliced
1 small red pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup half & half
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Using a mandoline, thinly slice potatoes and leave them where they fall. Spray a 9X9 inch baking pan with Pam and cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/3 sliced potatoes. Top potatoes with 1/2 the diced peppers, onions and cheese, then top with another layer of half the remaining potatoes. Then, scatter the rest of the peppers and onions on top of the potatoes and cover with the remaining potatoes. Whisk together the half & half and mayonnaise and pour evenly over the casserole. Top with remaining cheese, cover with foil sprayed with Pam.  Bake at 350F degrees for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake an additional 1/2 hour or until the top browns and the potatoes are tender. Cool slightly, cut into squares for easy serving.

Kirsten and I had wonderful mother-daughter moments assembling this dish, and layer after layer went together beautifully. We put it in the oven, set the timer, and it came out just exactly right. The top was nice and brown, the potatoes were tender and it smelled like red peppers were freshly roasted on the stove-top burners.

We set a bright tablecloth with Kirsten’s matched Fiestaware dishes, gathered fresh flowers from around the condo building and made a small centerpiece for the table.

To accompany her Potatoes Au Gratin, Kirsten served Spicy Bloody Marys, Sausage Balls, Crustless Egg and Chopped Spinach Pie, and tiny Lemon Muffins. As you can see, the hot dishes were carefully set to be easily accessible by everyone, and were served family style.

Just before sitting down to brunch, Kirsten hung up her “Boquete Gourmet” apron in the kitchen, put on fresh lipstick, and we all settled down to this most tasty brunch with good friends and lots of fun and friendly conversation.

Thanks again Alie and Kirsten for inspiring our readers to make brunch and invite friends to join them.

Please let me know of your “brunch” experience, I’ll pass it along to our readers. If you enclose a special recipe for a dish you served, I may include it in my next edition of Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook!

Here’s to your next brunch!
Cora