Grilling in the Highlands of Panama

Living in the high mountains of Panama has lots of advantages, especially when it comes to outdoor grilling. It’s easy to stop by the fresh, open markets, then fire up the gas grill, and prepare the best backyard meals imaginable anywhere in the world.

My shopping list is short, a whole chicken or rack of baby-back ribs, whatever fresh vegetables are plentiful, and a pineapple.

The weather is always pleasant for firing your grill, even if it’s a rainy day, because the temperature is usually just right, about 72 degrees in the late afternoon. A 5-dollar gas tank will last for months of grilling, and they’re available at almost every mini-market in Panama.

Our favorite meat to grill is chicken, it never fails to please everyone. Chicken is low in calories, high in nutritional value, and very reasonable in Panama, as everyone knows. David loves to buy a can or two of Panama beer, punch holes in it along the top rim and perch the whole chicken atop of it. It cooks in about an hour on the closed grill, just in time to have your vegetables grilled and ready to eat.

The vegetables can be pre-cut and ready to toss in a grill pan.  Any kind of vegetable can be sliced thinly, tossed in a bit of olive oil and your special blend of herbs and set above the flames. Each time you glance into the grill, give the vegetables a little stir. The top photo shows our favorite grilling pan to use for any small ingredients. They cook slowly and never fall on the flames.

Dessert is easy when you’re grilling in the Highlands of Panama. Just slice off the bottom of a juicy, fresh pineapple and stand it on end. Holding the green top, slice off the skin from top to bottom. Divide in half from top to bottom and lay on cut side. Slice lengthwise again into quarters and remove the core.   Cut each quarter into 2 or 3 long pieces, depending on the size of your pineapple. Lay the long pieces on the hot grate after you remove the chicken. Wait for grill marks to appear, then turn over to brown.

You will have a luscious, grilled finish to your fresh, healthy and tasty dinner. Boquete Gourmet Host Chef, Greg Henry, on Sippitysup.com, inserted a skewer into the ends of his spears of grilled pineapple and placed them on a dessert plate with a small dish of dipping sauce similar to Dulce de Leche.

The sauce is easy to make the day before your dinner. Simply boil an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for about an hour and a half. When you’re ready to serve your pineapple, open the can and fill small dishes with your “homemade” Dulce de Leche sauce.  You may need to thin it with a bit of white wine.  Shave chocolate or sprinkle coconut flakes over your pineapple and serve.

You can enjoy this spectacular grilled dinner wherever you are, but it’s especially good when you’re in the Highlands of Panama!

Cora

Quick – Vote Again for Sippitysup.com

Yes, SippitySup writer, artist and Boquete guest chef, Greg Henry is still in the running for Food Blogger of the Year. The grand prize is $10,000.00 and Greg just might win it all!

His site is http://www.sippitysup.com/.

If you would like to see one of the best food bloggers on the web, please check out Greg’s site. He won Round #8, and has entered #9 as one of the 12 best food bloggers on the internet!

Greg has received 8 trophies so far, including one for his Chocolate Pumpkin Tart, that won Challenge #8.   Click here to see his new entry, “The Hollywood District is on My Beat”, which tells about Greg’s visit to the famous District Restaurant in Hollywood. His critique is very intriguing to read, and it includes lots of menu items, prices and descriptions of what Hollywood’s ordering these days.

This is Greg’s entry into Challenge #9, after which there will only be 3 bloggers remaining.  Will you help SippitySup.com win this 9th Challenge?  He needs our support from down here in Boquete, where Greg presented his “Golden Age of Hollywood” cooking class last December.

You may find several of Greg’s recipes in the Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook, on sale at Sugar & Spice Bakery, La Reina, and several other locations in Boquete.

If you like Greg’s site, and you like what he has done so far in the Foodbuzz Competition, please go to www.foodbuzz.com, and click on Greg’s heart in the box with the black and white photo of the District Restaurant.  The heart will turn red with your vote.

This is the same competition I was in for the first 2 challenges. Thanks again for everyone’s vote. Since my second challenge entry, Greg continued to win trophies week after week, and now has just entered Challenge #9!

Best of luck to Greg, he’s my favorite food blogger ever. And Greg, please plan to come to Boquete again, we’d love to have you share more ideas with us down here. We’re all rooting for you!

ora

Vote Now for SippitySup.com

Yes, SippitySup writer, artist and Boquete guest chef, Greg Henry is still in the running for Food Blogger of the Year. The grand prize is $10,000.00 and Greg just might win it all!

His site is http://www.sippitysup.com/.

If you would like to see one of the best food bloggers on the web, please check out Greg’s site. He has received 7 trophies so far this year, including one for making a very creative food video. You can see his video by clicking http://www.sippitysup.com/foodbuzz-challenge-7-foodie-film-festival/. It’s quite professional and really funny.

You might like to try his crab cakes after you see him make them. They look easy to prepare and really good.

As many of you know, Greg was a host chef at my kitchen a few months ago. He presented “Golden Age of Hollywood” recipes from several of the famous Hollywood star restaurants, including Romanoff’s Chocolate Souffle.

This photo was taken in my kitchen during his class, and it shows Greg’s expertise by making Panamian Patacones, only Greg served them with caviar and sour cream, Hollywood style. You may find several of Greg’s recipes in the Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook, on sale at Sugar & Spice Bakery, La Reina, and several other locations in Boquete.

If you like Greg’s site, and you like what he has done so far in the Foodbuzz Competition, please go to www.foodbuzz.com, and click at the top of the page where it says “Project Food Blog”.

This is the same competition I was in for the first 2 challenges. Over the past several weeks, Greg has won trophies for the first 7 challenges in this contest and has just entered Challenge #8!

So, once you get into the competition section of the Foodbuzz site, click on Challenge #8 Piece of Cake – CAST YOUR VOTES. Find Greg’s entry for SippitySup, see his photo of Chocolate Pumpkin Tart, and click on the heart in Greg’s box and it will turn red. Doesn’t his tart look like a dessert you’d love to taste?

Best of luck to Greg, he’s my favorite food blogger ever. And Greg, please plan to come to Boquete again, we’d love to have you share more ideas with us down here. We’re all rooting for you!

UPDATE! At 3pm on Dec. 3, we find that SippitySup.com WINS AGAIN!!!
Congratulations Greg!

Keep checking foodbuzz.com for Greg’s next entry!

Cora

Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook is Here and You’re Invited to the Party!

Many residents and contributors to the new “Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook” have been anxiously waiting the arrival of the published books themselves. Attendees of Boquete’s Tuesday Morning Market have tasted some of the sweets that are included in the Sweet & Savory Coffee Mates chapter, including Chocolate Truffles and Mounds Drops.

Several recipes are included that have been contributed by Host Chefs participating in Boquete Gourmet’s “Host Chef Program. The world-famous Rumaki first appeared at Don the Beachcomber restaurant in Hollywood, and Host Chef, Greg Henry traveled from Los Angeles to share this delicacy with us here in Boquete. He planned the “ultimate” Hollywood party for students attending his “Golden Age of Hollywood” cooking class, and 3 of Greg’s recipes will appear in the book. Above, Leisure Chef Squirt James assists students in making her unique French bread, see recipe in the cookbook.

Speaking of parties, one chapter is dedicated solely to Fancy Town Parties that have been thrown in Boquete over the past few years. Hosts and hostesses have contributed some of their favorite recipes to the book, you’ll really like making Georgianne and Barry’s Breakfast Casserole. Below, Jane set a lovely party table for a special get-together with friends.

Several Local Charities Helping Others have contributed recipes that connect with some of the good work that is helping to develop lives in Boquete. You’ll enjoy making Aida’s Arroz con Leche and Anayansi’s Empanadas with Ripe Plantains.

One chapter contains many Highland Favorites written by long-term residents and native Boquetenos. The favorite Sancocho Soup is written by my friend Julia, complete with her twist on this old-time Panamanian recipe. This photo is of the otoy she prepared for her soup.

Of course, two chapters are dedicated to coffee, Boquete’s foremost product. Coffee Comes First features dishes made with coffee as the main ingredient. The Coffee Mates chapter includes sweet and savory side dishes to be served with locally grown coffees, such as Bourbon Balls served with Cafe Dos Jefes.

Now, the books are in Boquete and the “Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook” Signing Party is scheduled. Everyone is invited to the party, which will be held in our Cantina in El Santuario on Wednesday, June 16, 4pm-6pm. All the contributors have been invited to come and to bring their favorite pens to sign books for everyone.

The party will be lots of fun, a chance to taste some of the dishes from the cookbook and to get copies of this first-ever Boquete cookbook signed by the author and many of its contributors. The cost of the book is $8.00 and if purchased at the party, books will include a collector bookmark and you’ll have the opportunity to get books autographed by the contributors.

The party is complimentary, only a reservation is needed by email to boquetegourmet@gmail.com.
Please RSVP as soon as possible.
Hope to see you there,
Cora