What’s a “Cookbook Party”?

That’s a very good question, I haven’t known of another “cookbook party” since the one Boquete Gourmet threw last year to celebrate the arrival of our town’s first culinary collection, “Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook”.

On that occasion, everyone contributing recipes to the new cookbook, plus the entire Boquete community were invited to attend a cookbook party that included samplings of several of the dishes made from recipes published in the book.

The party was a huge success! Most of the fun was in getting cookbooks signed by the contributing chefs, and at the same time, the chefs were trying to get their books signed by all the other chefs, “round-robin” style. The food seemed secondary to meeting and sharing enthusiasm and camaraderie with each other.

This year’s Cookbook Party is quite different. The main events will include cooking demonstrations of many of the recipes from the book, actually being prepared by the contributing chefs. Party-goers will taste dishes as they are ready for presentation, enjoy live entertainment, and have an opportunity to buy, sell, and swap cookbooks of all sorts.

You’re invited to come to this very special party, to be held on Friday, August 26, at 100 El Santuario, Boquete, beginning at 3pm. You may bring cookbooks to sell, trade or donate to charity, if you like. Rare and unusual cookbooks from the The Book Mark Bookstore in Dolega will be on sale during the party, and Irene will bring a special cookbook collection just for this occasion. You’ll be able to pick up new titles not seen before in Boquete.

Five local charities contributed recipes to the community cookbook; Loco por Leer, Buenos Vecinos de Boquete, Animales de Boquete, Lions Club of Boquete, The Handicap Foundation and Unexpected Moments of Magic Foundation. Come and meet representatives from each group, and savour their dishes.

Tickets to the party are only $10 each, and include activities mentioned above, plus a copy of the 2nd edition of “Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook”. Click “Reserve Now” on the calendar at the right of this post, and proceed to order your tickets while they last.

And, if anyone has ever been to another Cookbook Party anywhere in the world, I’d love to hear all about it!
See you there!
Cora

Lauretta’s a Star!

Last night was a big event for all of us who decided to spend the evening cooking with Lauretta, the Executive Chef of The Bistro Boquete restaurant. It was the first fund-raising event of the year for Bid 4 Boquete, a local effort to raise support for four worthy charities in Boquete.

My kitchen was the center of activity as Lauretta demonstrated her talents. Her students tried to emulate her techniques as they watched and studied her every move. The photographers tried to snap just the right photos that would capture the moments the way they really felt. The mood was electric and to be with Lauretta in a small, intimate group gathered around my kitchen island was like watching an artist create her masterpiece.

Lauretta doesn’t use specified quantities in most of her recipes, only the ingredients are important. “You create the dish to meet your own personal taste, look and feel”, she said. “The final result is entirely up to you.  Creativity is the key to cooking, and you must put your heart and soul into every dish you make.”

Sure, Lauretta had her shopping list of the finest, freshest ingredients she could find in Boquete, and everything she cooks with in her restaurant is readily available here.  To learn how to put those ingredients together to make a “masterpiece” was what these eager students were waiting for Lauretta to show them, and show them she did.

Every student had the chance to duplicate the skills demonstrated; to roast and skin peppers over the gas flame, to easily pull juicy meat off whole  simmered chickens, to whisk egg whites to fluffy perfection and to dip and fry cheese-stuffed chilies to exactly the right golden color.

We learned our lessons well, it was evident when we gathered around the dining table and enjoyed such delicious dishes, talking and laughing about how much fun it was to prepare dinner while being guided by such a stellar chef.

At the end of the evening, we returned to my kitchen to share Lauretta’s Toasted chili walnut ice cream and to hear a surprise.  It was David and my 20th wedding anniversary! What better way to spend our anniversary evening, than cooking with Lauretta and some of our very best friends, knowing that all the proceeds from this extraordinary experience will be divided among The Handicap Foundation, The Lions Club, The Rotary Club and Buenos Vecinos de Boquete. 

How sweet is that?

A Menu Fit for a King!

It was exhilarating to have Tom and Caroline Bott as our guests for dinner last night. They were just mentioned in our local newspaper, The Bajareque Times, as celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary in Boquete. Instead of receiving gifts, they asked friends to please make a donation to The Handicap Foundation of Boquete, one of the local 4 charities receiving the proceeds from the Bid 4 Boquete Auction project.

Tom and Caroline have lived in Boquete for over 9 years.  They built “The Castle” in Boquete and we were fortunate to be able to buy their former home adjacent to their new house in El Santuario.  They are very special people, known for upgrading lifestyles in Boquete, their altruistic endeavors,  their love of life.

Last night, we hosted Tom and Caroline for their “farewell” dinner on the night before they left on their world trip to India, Australia and other far-away places.  They had been in David for the day and didn’t return to Boquete until dinner time.  I quickly designed a menu especially for them on this special occasion, their “Farewell Party”, so to speak.

The menu I decided on included all my recently-tried dishes; Baked Fresh Mozzarella with Garlic Oil Infusion, Chef’s Salad with Boquete dressing, Whole Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Chasseur Sauce, Twice-Baked Potatoes, and English-style Scalloped Tomatoes.  Caroline is from Herefordshire, England, so it seemed right to prepare baked tomatoes for her.  For dessert, David grilled Rum-glazed Fresh Pineapple Kabobs ala Greg’s www.sippitysup.com.

We chose a robust wine to serve with the beef tenderloin, Santa Rita Vineyard, 2007 Reserva Carmenere.  The rich fruity flavor paired well with the tenderloin and created a meal meant to be savored.  It was a most delightful evening sitting under the roof of our Ramada with our good friends and neighbors, enjoying the sunset and wondrous landscapes below.  A most “gourmet” evening, if I must say so myself.

Bistro Chef’s Mole Contribution

The Bistro Boquete Restaurant

The big Bid 4 Boquete Auction is coming up on Sunday, December 6 at the Feria in Boquete.  Folks are looking forward to the day of fun, bargains and the opportunity to donate to 4 local Boquete charities, Lions Club, Handicap Foundation, Rotary Club and Buenos Vecinos de Boquete.  This year, there will be several “outside events”, including a cooking class presented by Executive Chef, Lauretta Bonfiglio from The Bistro Boquete Restaurant.   These “outside events” will allow for more people to contribute to these charities in different ways.

On Thursday, October 15, Lauretta will teach 14 students the secrets of Mexican Home-style Mole Enchiladas, Chilies Rellenos Con Queso, Toasted Chile Pecan Ice Cream, plus a few more surprises.  The entire proceeds will be donated to Bid 4 Boquete. This is an unique opportunity to cook with Lauretta, to learn some new techniques, to enjoy a full 5-course meal and to donate to 4 charities at the same time.

The event will be held in the kitchen of David and Cora Kent, in El Santuario, just above the castle in Boquete and will begin at 5:00pm.  The first “dish” will be Lauretta’s twist on what she calls “the perfect Margarita”, served in a highball glass!

If you’d like a seat for this charity event, please write to The Boquete Gourmet at boquetegourmet@gmail.com.

To see more information about Bid 4 Boquete, please go to their website at www.bid4boquete.com.  If you are interested in participating in Bid 4 Boquete “outside events”, please respond to any committee member listed on the website.   Thanks for your help!!