Updating Panamanian Market Cuisine

As Chef Juan Linares was designing his new cooking class to include fresh and different ways to use ingredients found at most markets in Panama, he began thinking about the rich supply of farm products we have here in Boquete, often called “Panama’s market-basket”.

So many of Boquete’s newer residents and visitors see these various ingredients in markets, and they can’t imagine how they would ever learn to use them in their daily lives the way most locals do.

We commonly see otoy, tree tomatoes, plantains and tiny red peppers offered on menus in local restaurants. Achiote seeds, culantro and packs of panela fill the shelves of our local markets, but so many of us don’t know how to use them.

With that in mind, Chef Juan opened up his second series of classes offering techniques and tips on how to prepare more of these common foods to make our local Boquete cuisine even richer and more appealing.

Twelve lucky participants gathered in my kitchen to help Juan prepare Tropical Cosmopolitans, Plaintain Chips, Ceviche, Red Sweet Chili Rice, Round Salad with Fresh Tomato Dressing, Fish Moqueca, and Corn-Coconut Pudding. Each dish was made using farm-fresh ingredients such as those listed above.

Well, not every ingredient was found in the local market. The Herrerano Seco comes from Panama City, Boquete’s favorite alcoholic beverage. Juan and I both demonstrated how local residents use it with tree tomato syrup to make a very appealing and tasty cocktail.

It was fun to see Juan’s Round Salad take shape as eager participants assembled the variety of ingredients into gorgeous, colorful towers and then topped them with fresh tomato dressing and chiffonade of culantro.

To my good fortune, photographer Betty Dabney joined in on the fun, and she graciously contributed all the photos in this blog.

Thanks very much for your photos Betty, you captured the essence of the evening.

We understand that you’re an excellent cook as well as a photographer, having attended a couple of the finest International culinary schools. It’s so nice to have you join in some of our culinary events here in Boquete.

This little mountain town has so much to offer, especially when it comes to sharing talents of its residents and visitors. Chef Juan and Betty, two very talented friends, are busy doing just that.

Enjoy the markets in Boquete, they’re bountiful!
Cora

Make Your Own Vanilla Coffee Liqueur

The holidays are coming and it’s time to get those hand-made liqueurs in a cool, dark place to age.  Coffee is the main crop in Boquete and coffee has a soft, warm side when it’s combined with spirits.  Coffee liqueurs are at the top of my list of easy-to-make and enthusiastically received homemade cordials.

Each holiday season I bring out the beautiful bottles collected during the year, clean them up and fill them with delectable liqueurs for giving and for sipping on these cool evenings in Boquete.

For my Vanilla Coffee Liqueur, I decided to buy bottles smaller than usual.  The ones I like best are made in Panama by Varela Hnos. – Herrerano Seco 250 ml bottle, they are round in shape, cost less than empty bottles and 1/3 the regular size bottle; it’s the one with the white label pictured above.  The seco can be transferred to other bottles or better yet, we can make some delicious drinks using seco during the next few weeks.  I will not use seco to make my liqueur, however.  All the other ingredients in the picture go into this luscious liqueur.

Most of the ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard.  It’s easy to make strong coffee using your microwave.

A simple syrup only takes a  couple minutes to make.  We are able to get McCormick pure vanilla extract in Boquete, as well as Stolichnaya vodka and Fundador brandy.  Glycerin is available at our local drugstore.  My liqueur is made now and aging until the holidays.

For the best liqueur, I combine the ingredients when everything has cooled, that way the alcohol doesn’t evaporate.  There may be some sediment at the bottom of the bottle after your liqueur has aged, it’s easy to strain it into “gift” bottles.

Here’s my exact recipe:

2 1/2 cups water (1 1/2 cup for coffee and 1 cup for syrup)
3 tablespoons instant coffee crystals (I used Boquete’s Duran Coffee)
3 cups sugar
5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups 80-proof vodka
1 cup brandy
1 teaspoon glycerin (available at drugstore, but is optional)

Make a strong cup of coffee using 1 1/2 cup water and coffee.  Set aside to cool.  Make a simple syrup by bringing 1 cup water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  When clear, remove from heat and let stand until cool.  Pour all ingredients into a 2-quart container, cover and let stand in a cool, dark place for at least 1 month.  Pour into pretty bottles, tie with a festive bow and give as gifts.  In about a month, I’ll show you my completed bottles of Vanilla Coffee Liqueur and tell you who received them in their stockings!