I wonder if those two groups of people might be the same ones who haven’t savored the full body, rich intensity, dark, deep, heavy, creamy experience of sipping a fine, boutique cup of the world’s finest coffee from Boquete, Panama.

The three coffee makes I’m reviewing here are the Pasquini, the Gaggia Titanium, and the Expression 2 Group Espresso Machine.

Once someone has the “coffee” experience, they are coffee lovers forever and they will pay almost any price to get the finest coffee grown anywhere and to make the finest cup of coffee possible.   The enjoyment and satisfaction experienced at the moment the coffee touches your palate is indescribable.  We are talking about spending lots of money to get that pleasure, $1,500.00, for that matter.

Let’s get back to the fact that the kind of expresso coffee maker I’m looking for is expensive and I’m trying to think of 3 good reasons to make such an big investment.

First, I live in Boquete, I grow coffee and I love coffee.  Notice my first reason actually contains 3 reasons, all actually very good reasons, but not good enough to justify an outlay of $1,500.00.  I’ll keep thinking about my first reason, especially when there are so many fine expresso makers for under $150.00.

Next, I need the challenge of learning how to make the perfect cup of coffee at home, you know, like a real barista makes at Starbucks.  The barista performs the incredible job of making the very finest cup of coffee possible and I really want to learn how they do it.  If you want to see just what every barista does during their day on the job, visit  http://www.greenbeanscoffee.com/pdf/GBCC_Barista_Job_Description.pdf.  After carefully reading the responsibilities of a barista, I’m not so sure this reason will hold up.

Lastly, very few private homes have a fine expresso maker and wouldn’t you think “The Boquete Gourmet” should have one?  Please let me know what you think – is it worth $1,500.00 to have such a fine appliance in my gourmet kitchen?

Would you ever think of using pecans and red onions together, or red onions with pecans?  No matter how I say it, they just don’t seem to go together, until I tasted Joyce’s bread.

My friend Joyce invited us to dinner and served us the most tender, delicious, sweet-smelling pecan and red onion bread made in her trusty, handsome bread maker.

We enjoyed the meal she lovingly prepared for us; watercress salad topped with a crown of grated beets and carrots and drizzled with balsamic dressing, grilled pork tenderloin with a spicy rub, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli florets, pecan and red onion bread and pumpkin mousse for dessert.

Of the wines served throughout the evening, I most enjoyed the brightness, fruitiness and intense red color of Familia Zuccardi Vineyards 2006 Fuzion Tempranillo-Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.

The menu stands as a testament to Joyce’s culinary skills, the hallmark of a country inn located in Waitsfield, Vermont that she and her husband, Nick owned before moving to Panama.  It was our pleasure to be able to enjoy such a fine dining experience with Joyce and Nick.

After tasting that delicious, tender bread, I’ve decided that I need a bread maker in my “Boquete Gourmet” kitchen.

A quick Google search brought me the top 2 sites, www.bread-maker.net and www.breadinfo.com, both of which give lots of information on the models currently available.

In a “nut shell”, the one rated A+, the one with the most beautiful, streamlined appearance, the one with a sourdough starter cycle and over 100 settings, is the Zojirushi Supreme at the price of $209.95. My quest to find that exact bread maker begins at our local department store, La Reina on the main street of Boquete.  Wish me luck!!!

Pecan & Red Onion
Bread Recipe

Serving Size : 12

• • 1 cup milk — plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup red onion — chopped
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 cup pecans — chopped
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in your machines fully assembled pan in the order specified by your machines manufacturer. Select the basic or white cycle and press start.