Luscious Thai Curry Chocolate Truffles & Tamales Panamanian Style
Are you ready for something new and seductive? This is your lucky day because my recipe to prepare "Luscious Thai Curry Truffles" is being featured at The Gilded Fork.
This is an unusual combination of sweet flavors with spicy, hot sensations. Traditionally, cuisines from temperate regions of the world, as such as Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Mediterranean have always combined these ingredients. This time we are celebrating these aphrodisiac flavors in the form of truffles. Be sure to allow yourself two days to craft this recipe, as the truffles need to sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Some of you may have already read my previous post about tamales: The Corn-Quest tales "1", and "2." If you haven't, I invite you to take a look so you understand the motivation behind this tamale project.
I only hope this recipe arrives just in time for The Passionate Cook to prepare some tamales with the fresh corn ears that Cook Sister brought from Mexico as a gift for her. Otherwise, I'll send you some from Panama :)
The secret to prepare the most flavorful tamales, is to follow our ancestor's traditions and to think of the process as an act of love and preservation of our culture. The tamales are a reflection of our Latin American diversity, and no doubt they are an element that portrays unity among all the Latin American countries, and wherever their people are.
The tamale is a traditional food made from "maize masa", cooked and stuffed with different ingredients that vary from country to country. The materials used to wrap and secure them also change in every culture.
What makes the Panamanian tamale different from others is the filling and the rich "sofrito" that adds not only color, but an unique taste to it. We wrap the tamales in banana leaves and bijao leaves for the flavor. "Bijao", or "Platanillo", Heliconia bihai L., is a shrub that grows wild in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its flowers are called "false bird of paradise" and add the exotic touch to the local flower arrangements.
In Panama, tamales are always present during Christmas and New Year's celebrations, as well as in parties and weddings. After all, anytime is a good occasion to enjoy this filling, tasty dish! Their aroma is so unmistakable that it would take you with no mercy to the place where it's being prepared. The characteristics of a good tamale are: the flavor, the consistency of the masa, the appearance, and the wrapping.
My latest article at Global Voices: We Love Cooking!
What's cooking up in the tasty food blogosphere? This week's themes include:
- All Indian food does NOT taste the same!
- It is fried whole-fish time!
- The Chinese New Year of the Dog
- Zambia is the place to be
- Pesto paradise
- The mango fever continues
- From Galapagos with LOVE
- Panama, a culinary destination?
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter sitting in a tree
Visit Global Voices to read this sweet and savory international food blog's report. If you missed the previous reports, you can find them HERE.
Tomorrow Monday, one of my favorite recipes will be featured at The Gilded Fork: "Luscious Thai Truffles". It is a fantastic recipe I designed after my last trip to Thailand. You will LOVE it :)
See you tomorrow. Happy Cooking!
Chef M
Visit Tasty Recipes - Chef Melissa's recipe and post index.
Tags: global voices, food blogs, cookingdiva, chef, panama, recipes, food & drink, food, cooking
The International Association of Culinary Professionals Board of Directors visits Panama
In this photo: Chef Melissa, Chef Charlie Collins, Chef Elena, and Chef Patricia McCausland-Gallo. Host Committee at the Miraflores Visitors Center (Panama Canal, Jan. 26, 2006)
Our idea has always been to put our country in the International map of Gastronomy. This week, with the visit of the International Association of Culinary professionals Board of Directors to Panama, we have accomplished something important. The message is out: "we welcome you to our country, which is a melting pot, one of the richest ones when it comes to a variety of exotic fruits, vegetables, seafood, fish and delectable meats that would satisfy the most refined and trained palates and connoisseurs."
Yesterday we first visited The Panamá Canal Administration Building and its Murals. It was inaugurated on July 15, 1914, exactly a month before the Canal itself. Since then, this veritable legacy from the past has continued to dominate the Balboa area from atop his rolling hill. The Administration Building houses the Panamá Canal's Authority's (ACP) chief administrative offices, such as those of the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator, located since 1914 in the north wing of the second floor, overlooking Balboa and the Canal's Pacific entrance.
The next stop was the Miraflores Visitors Center, a new window to the canal. The facilities were officially inaugurated and opened to the public in April 2004, and it is an expression of the permanent commitment of the Panama Canal Authority to strengthen the public knowledge of the Canal. I was greatly impressed with the features of the center and the security of the area. It has a fully equipped theater, three observation terraces, two snack bars, a restaurant with panoramic view, a nice gift shop and a hall for special events.
The delectable lunch was hosted by the Panama Canal Authority at the house of the Honorable and Mrs. Alberto Aleman Zubieta in Balboa Heights, Ancón, Panamá. The menu was designed for the occasion by Panamanian Chef Charlie Collins, and prepared by his crew from Ma Cuisine, his catering service business.
The menu consisted of:
The Gilded Fork & Madrid Fusion 2006: Gaston Acurio, Latin American Pride
The Gilded Fork: "Savory Coffee Recipes", Coffee Vinaigrette, Cashew Mole, Rosca de Reyes Tropical al Café.
For the Spanish version of the following post and more photos, visit Chef Elena's El Amor por la Cocina***Para leer este post en Español, visitar El Amor por la Cocina
Gastón Acurio's remarkable presentation at the Madrid Fusion 2006 has received rave reviews from food critics and chefs all over the world. It was not only the fact that he is from Perú, a Latin American country dear to our heart and one of the richest ones when it comes to culinary culture in this continent, and why not say it: from the whole world too!
His story is the perfect example of a person that when exposed to the world and it's many choices, found his real love in life: "cooking" in his case.
This is his story:
Many summers ago, there was a Peruvian young man who went to Spain to study law. Half way he realized that spending the rest of his days like a lawyer, was not his thing. It was then when he dreamed of being a Chef, he dreamed dreams of grandiosity for him and his country, which through his cooking, would one day be known. It was then when he packed his life in a suitcase and went to Paris, where he obtained the Cordon Bleu's Grand Diplome back in the early 90's, at the young age of 24.
While at the culinary school he met Astrid, a beautiful German girl, who later became his wife. After spending sometime in Paris, and experimenting the life of a cook in that beautiful city, they moved to Lima, Perú and opened their first restaurant: "Astrid y Gastón" or "A y G", portraying a modern concept of the traditional Peruvian cuisine, very "personal" is how he describes his own food.
The success of "A y G" has trespassed the Peruvian borders to the points of which nowadays, they have branches in Quito-Ecuador, Santiago-Chile, Bogotá-Colombia, and soon in Panama, Caracas-Venezuela, and in México City-México.
2006 Bloggie Awards: We are Finalists!
We just received an e-mail from Nikolai Nolan to inform us that "The Cooking Diva" is a finalist in the "Best Latin American Blog" category. All I have to say is that I am really surprised, happy, and thankful to those of you who nominated this blog. Your daily support motivate us greatly to get out of the kitchen and blog about our creations and findings, and the most important thing: share our Latino culture, infecting the rest of the world with the magic and spirit from the tropics.
Voting is now open! Head over to the voting room and support your favorite blogs from all over the world that are finalists in thirty different categories.
Voting will close at 10:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31. The winners will be posted sometime between Sunday, March 13 and Tuesday, March 15.
Have a tasty week!
--------
Ahora en ESPAÑOL:
Que sorpresa tan grande tuve hoy día cuando al revisar mi buzón de correo me encuentro con esta noticia! Y es que el Blog de la Cooking Diva ha sido seleccionado finalista en el 2006 Weblog Awards - Bloggies, en la categoría de mejor blog Latinoamericano.
Wow! Esto no me lo esperaba. No tenía idea de que habíamos sido nominados, pero les confieso que además de sorprendida estoy super felíz. Les agradezco de corazón a quienes nos nominaron y a nuestros lectores que día a día nos visitan desde todos los confines del unviverso!
Entren AQUI para votar por sus blogs favoritos en treinta categorías diferentes. Las urnas permanecerán abiertas hasta el 31 de Enero, y los ganadores serán anunciados entre el 13 y el 15 de Marzo.
Buena Suerte a todos!
Melissa
Visit Tasty Recipes - Chef Melissa's recipe & post index
Tags: 2006 bloggie awards, food blogs, cookingdiva, chef, panama, recipes, food & drink, latin america, cooking
Global Voices & WHB #16: Cooking with Culantro
My latest article has been published at Global Voices: "Global Fusion: Creating Delicious Food one Meal at a Time."
This week's topics cover: the "Madrid Fusion" event, Pork Education, A Consumer Report from Bermuda, Homemade Cheese Making, Brazilian Mango Fever, From Venezuela with Love, Roots to be Cooked, The Year of the Pom, Going South, and Queen lemon Beauty.
We would love to hear your comments!
Now, my contribution to Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging #16: "Cooking with Culantro"
About this plant: "Culantro" (Eryngium foetidum) is a strong flavored, aromatic herb native from Mexico and Central, and South America. It is cultivated widely all over the world, and it is used extensively in Latin American and Asian cooking. In Panama we use culantro to prepare "Sancocho de Gallina" (Panamanian chicken soup), different types of rice, tamales, marinades, sauces, etc. In Puerto Rico it is used to prepare beans, asopao, soups, stews, etc.
The "culantro" is also known as: "recao", "long coriander", "ngo-gai", "spiritweed", "black benny", "recao de monte", "false coriander", "Mexican coriander", among many others.
Medicinally, the leaves and roots are used in tea to stimulate appetite, soothe stomach pains, eliminate gases, improve digestion, and as an aphrodisiac!
Today we are sharing a recipe to prepare a delicious "Arroz con Frijoles Negros y Chimichurri de Culantro" (Black Beans and Rice with Culantro Chimichurri). If you can not find culantro in your area, you can substitute "cilantro".
Madrid Fusion, Happy Birthday and a recipe to prepare "Turron de Pepita para fiestas!"
This photo: Cashew Mole with Grilled Chicken and Balsamic Marinated Raimbow Peppers. The recipe will be featured this Sunday at The Gilded Fork. Stay Tuned!
***
My colleague Chef Elena is in Spain right now with three other Panamanian chefs, for the world famous "Madrid Fusion" one week event, held in the beautiful city of Madrid. No doubt this is an incredible event. It will set the course for the emerging and extravagant cooking techniques, inspiring many and shocking many more. Head over to "El Amor por la Cocina" blog to read her first report on this event.
Didn't I tell you that today is my birthday? Hmmm, if not, now you know! To celebrate I will share with you a delicious recipe to prepare "Turron de Pepita para Fiestas" (Cashew Nougat.) It is very simple to prepare, and the most traditionally delicious and nutty dessert I have tried in a long time. My disclosure: this is NOT a low calorie dessert, because sometimes it is good to indulge oulrselves with desserts and food just the traditional way. This is a full taste, delicious creation that we are sharing with you in this special occasion. Hope you like it!
Will post tomorrow a photo of the birthday cake. I know, I know...I am supposed to be on a diet, BUT it doesn't really feels like a birthday without a birthday cake, right? I will probably bring out the "chocoholic" hidden carefuly in my heart :)
Now the recipe to prepare: Turrón de Pepita para Fiestas
Ingredients:
Happy Birthday Kelly & SaoMai!
My dearest Kelly from the delicious Make Me Cook Blog, celebrated her birthday on January 14. Kelly not only cooks fantastic food, she also is a professional photographer. Have you seen her work? If not, just pay her a visit and admire her culinary creations.
By the way Kelly, I didn't mention it before, but I want you to know that I prepared some scrumptious alfajores con dulce de leche in your honor, and...I ATE THEM ALL! Well, almost. It took me a few days, but I did it. They were so good :)
Today, January 18, is SaoMai's birthday. She is the talented mind behind the Cocinalia blog from Spain. remember the On line Food Museum? Well, it is open 24/7 at her blog. Sao Mai will be celebrating today with a cake from Pastelería Doriel and will have an unforgettable sushi dinner too!
Sao Mai, so you know...today I have prepared "huevitos de leche y coco" (Panamanian milk and coconut candy) to celebrate in your honor. I am saving them to have after dinner tonight.
NOW, I would like to make a list with all the birthdays from food bloggers during the whole year. It will be nice to send birthday greetings to our friends. Do not you think? Just post the day and month along with your name and the name of your blog in the comment section of this post. I will prepare a nice virtual birthday room.
MeMe update: I have posted one more meme. Take a look if you want to know a little more about the author of this blog :) Here they are:
- "The Seven Meme", I was tagged by Tania from the Candied Quince.
- "Ten Things You Never Knew about Me", I was tagged by Ilva from Lucullian Delights.
- "Too Much Information", I was tagged by Nerissa from Deetsa's Diningroom.(Will be posting it soon!)
Hugs,
Melissa
Visit Tasty Design - Chef Melissa's Recipe and Post INDEX
Tags: food blog party, food blogs, cookingdiva, chef, panama, recipes, food & drink, meme, cooking
The Moveable Feast: eat the world in ten blogs!
If you are hungry for the latest, first class news and delicious recipes from food bloggers from all over the world, I invite you to devour my latest contribution to Global Voices: "The Moveable Feast: eat the world in ten blogs." It is now waiting for you.
I have just created My Frappr!, a very cool map where all the cookingdiva readers can show where they are located. It is very easy to sign up and get your own for your blog or website! Come on, do not be shy and show me where you are!
2005 Food Blog Awards: The Gilded Fork (formerly Gastronomic Meditations) has been nominated for the Best Non-Blogging Food Site category. As you might know by now, I am a member of the Test Kitchen Team. We would LOVE if you would head over to the Accidental Hedonist blog (until January 18) and vote for the Gilded Fork /Gastronomic Meditations as the best non-blogging food site!
It's MeMe time!!! It amazes me that I have been tagged for three different MeMes, in the last three days, by three different food bloggers friends. Thank you girls :)
Here they are:
- "The Seven Meme", I was tagged by Tania from the Candied Quince.
- "Ten Things You Never Knew about Me", I was tagged by Ilva from Lucullian Delights.
- "Too Much Information", I was tagged by Nerissa from Deetsa's Diningroom.(Will be posting it soon!)
Happy Cooking!
Chef M
Tags: global voices, food blogs, cookingdiva, chef, panama, recipes, food & drink, meme, dessert
Tepin Peppers Redux & a Delicious Recipe to Prepare "Pan de Miel y Mango con Salsa de Jengibre"
I still remember the day when I found Adam's Tepin peppers: a Habanero Killer? report at the Hot Sauce Blog. Shortly before that I had discovered the chile piquin from Nicaragua (or, Melissa’s Nicaraguan Insanity Peppers as Adam calls them!) when visiting Brisas de Los Lagos, an ecological development owned by Dr. Ricardo Velásquez in Panamá.
After living in México for so many years, my hot tooth's expertise grew considerably. BUT,...I was happy to find that little hot devil that immediately challenged my taste-buds. It is not a rumor. It is very true that I almost lost my tongue when I ate the first one.
To make the long story short, ...I sent some "chile piquines" to Adam so he could judge for himself. You are going to love his Tepin Peppers Redux, so head over to the Hot Sauce blog and see him with your own eyes :)
Now, let's sweeten up our day and lives with a delicious recipe to prepare "Pan de Miel y Mango, con salsa de Naranjilla y Jengibre" (Molasses and Mango Bread, served with a Ginger-Naranjilla Sauce). In the tropics, naranjilla is a cousin of the orange with a distinctive aroma and flavor. You can substitute orange or mandarin juice. Serve this truly unique yeast bread, cold or warm with it's spicy and aromatic sauce-mate.
Global Voices & a Delicious Recipe to prepare "Almond Bread Pudding with Eggnog", YUM!
Are you ready for another surprise? Well, I am pleased to announce, my dear readers and blogging friends, that I have been invited to write a weekly column about food blogs for Global Voices. Muchas gracias David!. I have been so excited about this project, that I didn't take long to produce my first report: "Cooking up the World". We invite you to stay tuned and subscribe to receive the weekly round -up that will be published every Saturday at the Global Voices blog.
Talking about great recipes, the one we are sharing with you today is a winner! Looking for other ways (other than drinking it!) to use the left over eggnog from this past holiday season, I decided to prepare a festive bread pudding. The texture of the final product is so delicate and delicious because I used an extra homemade "rosca" bread with almonds that I had also prepared for the holidays and was hidden in the freezer just in case of an emergency!
So, let´s get cooking in the most creative ways to use all the left over holiday bounty that still is in your possession...
New Year's Dinner Recipe & Photo Swap: The Results!!!
This event has been great in so many ways, and I am glad we did it. It has been a fantastic way to portray the food traditions around the globe, to receive the New Year, and to learn a bit more about what our blogging friends do. They have opened the doors of their houses and lives through the computer monitor. Do not forget that. Many people talk about the "proliferation" of food blogs, yes it is true, but to tell you the truth I think it is fantastic because, as a friend pointed out a few days ago, there is not a better way to get interested in a culture than learning about their food.
We are planning on organizing similar events for other international holidays, and we will keep you posted about it with enough time for you to make plans and not miss the deadline to submit your entry. It is great to join the fun since the beginning, do not you think? Please e-mail me with your suggestions or post them here.
Now that finally we have counted, and counted again a few times more, the winners have been found. The winners are:
The Gilded Fork: "Rosca de Reyes Tropical al Cafe"
I have loved The Gilded Fork since it was Gastronomic Meditations! Now I am delighted to announce that I am officially part of the Gilded Fork's Test Kitchen Team!
It's a privilege to have the opportunity to work with Jennifer, Mark, Alder, Kelly, Eydie, and Monica.
This month's indulgent ingredients are Coffee and Chocolate, and my latest delicious recipe has been published: "Rosca de Reyes Tropical al Café" (Three Kings Tropical Bread with Coffee).
Rosca Rey de Reyes, or Rosca de los Reyes, is eaten in México, Puerto Rico, and Portugal on Twelfth Night (January 6th), celebrated in the Catholic religion as the day the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for Jesus of Nazareth. A tiny ceramic doll, coin, or bean may be hidden in the bread, and traditionally the person who finds it throws a party on Candlemass (February 2nd), or is in charge of preparing the “Rosca” for the following year.
Tags: the gilded fork, bread, cookingdiva, chef, panama, recipe, recipes, dia de reyes, food
Round-up: New Year´s Dinner Recipe & Photo Swap
We have received an amazing response for this event. We thank you all of our friends and fellow bloggers, our dear readers that have submitted their entry for the New Year's Dinner Recipe & Photo Swap. Thank you, thank you and thank you for showing your support. May this new year's spirit of friendship and joy prevail during the whole year. I have a feeling this year is going to be phenomenal!
We invite you to follow the link corresponding to each entry to read the complete post and admire the photos and recipes. I am amazed of how many different ways to receive the new year our friends have posted. There are so many interesting and delicious looking dishes, that I found myself drooling on my laptop after seeing them.
So many different countries, so many different people reunited here for this event, under the same flag..., one that screams and shines "I love food". Just beautiful!
After you have gone through the different entries, you have the chance to vote for your favorite post from January 3rd through January 5th, 2006. The winners will be announced on January 6th just in time to celebrate "Dia de Reyes" with some freshly baked "Three Kings Bread".
Please make sure to send us an email by midnight (EST) January 5th and tell Us which one is your favorite! IF you are one of the winners and would like to transfer your prize to another blogger, it is fine with us...., it is wonderful to start the 2006 sharing!
Visit Marcela´s blog to follow this event en Español.
Visit Elvira´s blog to follow this event in French.
Visit Cannella´s blog to follow this event in Italian.
Now, the round-up of participants:
