The Rye Guy

Boquete Gourmet Host Chef and Artisan Baker, Mort Rabkin has made a big name for himself among rustic bakers all over the world. First, Mort loves to bake, which is truly a passion with him. Folks from Ohio to Panama know of his love of baking, the attention he pays to details, and his passion for sharing his knowledge with others.

Mort has presented eighteen classes in bread-making in the Boquete Gourmet Host Chef Program, more than any other Host Chef. He has taught bakers how to make sourdough from scratch to use in French breads, pancakes, bagels and foccacia. Mort enjoyed sharing his holiday bread recipes, including challah and festive fruit breads.

Since his arrival in Boquete almost 3 years ago, Mort designed and, with the help of his wife Barbara and many friends, built a wood-fired clay oven behind his riverside home. Ever since completing the oven, Mort’s passion has been fueled for his newly-found “avocation”, baking rustic rye and sourdough breads.

The building and refining of Mort’s oven wasn’t easy in Boquete, as not many locals had ever heard of such an oven. To see actual photos of the building procedure, you may click here.

The oven took many weeks to complete.  A design had to be developed, construction materials assembled, builders hired and supervised throughout the entire procedure. Mort had to  dry the bricks, clay and mortar. After that, it took quite awhile to warm up and “season” the oven so it could be used to get consistent results.

Before he could even think about teaching, Mort had to perfect his recipes so he could produce the most delicious, crunchy and authentic artistic breads possible in Panama, especially at high altitudes. It took many weeks to develop the exact loaf of bread that Mort had been dreaming of baking.

Finally, Mort was really enjoying his new-found avocation, making authentic rustic rye and sourdough breads and teaching others how he does it. Some of Mort’s fellow bakers are helping to check the progress of their newly-created breads. Aren’t they loving it?

Doesn’t this loaf of Mort’s warm rye bread look like the best bread you have every tasted? All you need to add is a slice of tender ham, Manchego cheese and a little Dijon mustard, and nothing could be better!
If you’d like to get a loaf of Mort’s freshly baked bread or to learn about other breads Mort bakes, visit his website at www.theryeguy.com.  If you’re interested to learn how to make another of Mort’s favorite breads, traditional French baguettes, click November 17 on the calendar at the above right for information about Mort’s next class.  You’ll learn how to make baguettes using the classic “wet” method.

Thanks to Mort, Boquete residents are able to enjoy authentic rustic breads, and we’re learning how to create amazing breads at home in our own ovens.  Above all – everyone is HAVING A GOOD TIME doing it.

Come join the fun!
Cora

Make the Best Sourdough Pancakes Ever – Use Your Own Starter!

Make no mistake, my sourdough is the best sourdough anyone could make in a few short weeks. Some sourdough is one-hundred years old, but mine is only about 2 months old and it’s wonderful!

I got my starter from Artisan Baker, Mort Rabkin. our local “Rye Guy”. Mort started his sourdough many months ago and the flavor just keeps getting better and better.

The students in Mort’s “Sourdough and Other Natural Starters” class learned how to feed and care for their tiny bit of starter they received from Mort a week before their class. Their starter became their new-found friend. It grew and grew for 10 days before the class, and each participant made a “sponge” from their starter and brought it to class.

This is where the fun began. Students baked bread from Mort’s seasoned starter, made their own loaves of bread from their sponge, and then
blended a new, all-natural starter of their own design.

This is where I come in, by contributing the best “Sourdough Pancakes” recipe anyone who is “feeding” sourdough can make. It’s really quite easy, as long as you begin the night before you’re planning to have pancakes for breakfast.

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES
The night before:
Measure 1 cup starter into a bowl and mix in 1 cup flour and 1 cup milk. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature.
The next morning:
Add 1 beaten egg, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon each baking soda and baking powder, 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon sugar and mix well.

Heat a lightly greased griddle until a few drops of water jump around on the griddle. Spoon the batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles appear all around. Turn and cook until golden brown. I serve the pancakes with homemade maple syrup. It’s easy to make by boiling 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water for one minute and add a teaspoon of maple flavoring.

My grandmother taught me to make this simple syrup many years ago, and it’s almost as delicious as the original, more reasonable, and much easier to keep on hand.

I haven’t been able to find Mapleine Brand favoring in many years, but Frontier All Natural Maple Flavor is excellent. McCormick makes Imitation Maple Flavor that is available everywhere, but their list of additives is long.

The only thing that would make these pancakes better would be to serve them with a hot, steaming cup of Cafe de la Luna coffee from Finca Dos Jefes, Boquete’s premier boutique coffee growers.

Enjoy your sourdough!
Cora

Tale of Tom’s Birthday Bread

Another year had passed since Tom had a birthday. It didn’t seem long ago when Tom was celebrating his last birthday with over 100 friends and family members who came to Boquete from all over the world to attend his 3-day party in 2009.

But, it was September 10 again and the tale begins.

This year, my husband David wanted to make something personal for the occasion, something more than giving Tom the usual bottle of wine. When we thought we were invited to a “small” dinner party at the Bot Castle to celebrate the event, David knew exactly what he wanted to make for Tom.

After taking the Boquete Gourmet “Artisan Bread-making” class a couple weeks ago with Mort Rabkin, David decided to make Tom a loaf of bread for his birthday and to take it to the dinner party.

So, he gathered the ingredients together on our new granite pastry board and went to work blending and kneading just the right combinations to make two very fine, rustic loaves of artisan bread.

As the tale continues, Tom was actually having another big birthday party, not a “small gathering”, as we had expected.

When we appeared on the castle steps, much to our surprise we found at least 50 party-goers already making merriment inside! There we were with only one gorgeous, golden brown, small, round loaf of hand-made rustic bread. We could have brought both loaves, wouldn’t you think?

Well, the happy ending of this tale is simple. We sliced the loaf into thin slices, split each slice into two pieces and everyone at the party got treated to a warm, delicate slice of Tom’s artisan, “hand-made with love”, bread.

Since pictures say a thousand words, here is the result of one full days work, including the happy moment when David presented his artisan “masterpiece” to Tom.

At the end of the buffet service that Caroline had so beautifully prepared and arranged, you can see Irma buttering a slice of David’s gift. I wish you could have tasted this crusty, tender work of art, and maybe you did.
Mort would have been proud of his student!

And, they all lived happily ever after!
Cora

Your Grandfather’s Artisan Bread!

This bread is very special, not only because it’s baked in an outdoor clay oven, but it’s made by your grandfather, or should I say “grandfathers”.

Last week, Rudy, Jim, Jerry and David tried their hands making artisan bread, under the watchful eye of instructor, Grandpa Mort Rabkin.

The results were amazing, beautifully mixed, kneaded, shaped and baked by these very talented grandfathers.

One of the first questions that was asked in the class was “What is artisan bread? “Good question”, was Mort’s eager reply. “Does anyone know what makes bread “artisan?”

The gramps thought and quickly came up with lots of replies, including the fact that each loaf is hand-crafted, not mass produced. Artisan breads are made with few and all-natural ingredients, no chemicals, and baked in “masonry” ovens.

The characteristic I love about hearth breads is that they are so beautiful, crusty and luscious looking, like the ones pictured below.

Step by step, the gramps weighed, measured, mixed and kneaded their dough until it had just the right feeling. It’s a bit of a trick to learn when the dough is smooth enough to rise, but after the first experience, it’ll only take a bit of practice to get it exactly right.

Using Mort’s handmade wooden peal, Jerry loaded the wood-burning oven with his final creation, his very own loaf of home-baked hearth bread.

Jim and David had just pulled these loaves out of the oven when I took the photos below. Gorgeous, wouldn’t you say?

Now that these gentlemen have learned to bake artisan breads, here’s an interesting way they can use it to dazzle their children and grandchildren.

Panzanella is a “show-stopper”, especially when made with grandpa’s old-fashioned rustic bread cubes. If there’s any bread left the day after baking, gather together the following ingredients and toss them together in a large salad bowl.

2 cups day-old artisan bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and lightly toasted in broiler
1 large tomato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium red onion, 1/4 inch slices separated into rings
1/2 cup green or black olives, pitted
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
10-12 fresh basil leaves, torn

To make the dressing, whisk together the following 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the dressing over the salad, toss and serve.
3 minced anchovies
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Artisan breads are available regularly at Boquete’s Tuesday Morning Market, held from 9am-12pm every Tuesday at the Event Center, just over the bridge from El Parque Central. If you’d like to taste some of these rustic breads, Mort brings a variety of his clay-oven breads on most Tuesday mornings.

Now, you can enjoy his fresh, one-of-a-kind breads and use any left overs, if you’re lucky enough to have any, to make a unique, old-world Panzanella salad, just like grandpas are making in Boquete.

Happy baking!
Cora