Come Join an Artistic Day of Creativity: Pure Silk and Fine Food

Most of us love the look of fine hand-painted silks and enjoy the taste of fine foods, but we’ve never thought of mixing the two “delicious” art forms together at the same time.

On Thursday, July 21, fine artist, Barbara Rabkin, and I, the Boquete Gourmet, will join forces to present a full day of creativity for folks wishing to experience and to learn to create lovely works of arts in both fields.  Participants will design and paint a one-of-a-kind pure silk scarf and, at the same time, taste and learn to make several spectacular  and unusual gourmet dishes.

This all-day class will begin at 9:30 am at Kent’s Cantina in El Santuario, Boquete, with a “mini-brunch” of fine pastries, coffee and assorted teas.  Barbara will acquaint everyone with the “seri” procedures of designing and painting a fine pure silk scarf using delicate paints, the same medium of silk artists all over the world.

A full gourmet lunch will be served with a variety of fine wines. Recipes will be available throughout the day, and a couple of dishes will be prepared using the Boquete Gourmet Community Cookbook. This cookbook is available for ordering and mailing on this site.

Attendees will complete their fine scarf and prepare it for wearing, right down to the steaming and pressing.  The group should conclude this afternoon of tasting and creativity about 4:00 pm. 

Everyone will be able to return home with the knowledge of not only how to make and finish a fine work of art, but each participant will bring home a unique, hand-painted silk scarf, ready to wear or frame.

$70 fee includes a full day of events mentioned above, all materials and supplies, with lots of fun and camaraderie thrown in. Click July 21 on the calendar at the right to register now.

Barbara and I will be happy for you to come join us for our “Artistic Day of Creativity”, no experience needed!

Cora

THE ROCK Declares Two Top Winners

THE ROCK, a “Food for Senses” restaurant, sponsored the “First Annual Recipe Contest” yesterday in Boquete, Panama.

The contestants came with their carefully-designed creations, and using the restaurant’s professional kitchen for finishing and serving, presented their dishes to the judges, Executive Chef Heiner Gellenberg and me. The winner(s) will be featured in The Rock’s new menu, as well as in 9°80° Magazine.

It was a surprise and honor to be asked to help judge such worthy recipes in this very important restaurant, located on the banks of the mighty Palo Alto River.

Georgiann Evans, Irene Bentley, Juan Linares, Jennifer Sayers and Bev Walker submitted their recipes to the panel, knowing they were to be evaluated based upon creativity, flavor and originality.

The panel was amazed by the entries, a complete Ceviche Bar, Chocolate Box Cake, Baked Rosemary Onion, Salmon and Spinach Shell and Artichoke Cakes, just to name a few of the recipes designed by these very talented chefs.

After much admiration, tasting and consideration, the undisputed winner was Georgiann’s beguiling Grown-up Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Even after naming each contestant a winner, Heiner and I kept thinking of that sandwich, along with Irene’s Chocolate Box Cake. We decided that both of these recipes rose above the other winners to be the top dishes in the contest.

Every contestant listed above will enjoy their recipe being featured on The Rock’s menu over the next few months. Maybe the two top winners will remain there for many months to come, I certainly hope so. Both recipes far exceeded the judges’ expectations, each one truly titillated our senses!

Be sure to visit The Rock in the near future, their acclaims have been heard throughout Boquete, Panama and Internationally. You won’t want to miss tasting Georgiann’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich, for grown-ups, of course.

Thanks Heiner, for including me in this most challenging of assignments, especially when we had to choose a winner from all these delightful, eye-catching entries. It was difficult!

Don’t miss tasting them at The Rock soon.
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

Coffee Recipe Roundup

Boquete Gourmet is writing and compiling recipes for the first “BOQUETE GOURMET COMMUNITY COOKBOOK”, to be available this June. The developing and collecting of interesting, useful, local recipes has begun. I’m “rounding-up” the best recipes available for this new cookbook and I need your help.

It is hoped that the book will bring about a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural resources available in Boquete, Panama, including fine coffee, bountiful foods and lives full of plenty. The air is cool and clean here, the water is pure and plentiful, the soil is rich, and the views are incredible. The lushness is seen everywhere you look.

Many residents have shared their historic recipes, new-comers have added ‘nouveau’ recipes brought with them for all over the world, local restaurants have contributed, and several Boquete charities have entered recipes that have a special meaning to them. This will be a very collectible cookbook, a unique group of recipes folks will want to use regularly. This is a “sneak preview” of a superb drawing by artist David Necker, which will be used on the title page of the book.

Boquete produces some of the finest, if not THE finest coffees in the world. This is a photo of some of our coffee beans we just finished roasting. I love the dark color and the aroma is amazing. We have a few coffee trees on our property and it’s fun to have fresh coffee available year round

Because Boquete is known for growing fine coffee, one chapter in my cookbook will contain recipes using coffee as the main ingredient. So, I am “rounding-up” original recipes that use coffee in the title or that relate to coffee in a major way.

If you know of such a recipe and would like to share it with our readers, please forward it to me at boquetegourmet@gmail.com, along with your full name and contact information. I will send you a reply as soon as possible and let you know the status of your recipe.

Thanks for your thoughts, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Cora

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